saturday Babe

école hollandaise ...non c'est pas de la peinture !!

WINK !

Deus Ex Machina – Venice, California

In what was once a gas station turned flower shop resides Deus ex Machina’s Venice, California, location, also known as “The Emporium of Post Modern Activities.” Deus ex Machina represents a different take on your typical motorcycle shop.




from DERESTRICTED

End of Leg 1: two Frenchmen on top in Sweden / Deux « Frenchies » leaders en Suède

Avant la Superspéciale de Karlstad, deux Français, Sébastien Ogier et Sébastien Loeb, dominent les nordiques sur la neige de Suède. Le pilote Volkswagen/Michelin compte 32s2 d’avance sur le nonuple Champion du monde. Jari-Matti Latvala est troisième à 1s5 de Loeb.

With only the short super-special remaining in Karlstad this evening, Frenchmen Sébastien Ogier and Sébastien Loeb have dominated the opening day of the 2013 Rally Sweden. The Volkswagen/Michelin driver has pulled out a lead of 32.2s over the nine-time world champion, while Jari-Matti Latvala is the best-placed Scandinavian (3rd, +33.7s).

Cette année, on avait décidé de vivre Vargasen autrement. Alors, au premier passage (ES4), on est allé voir les voitures historiques à Colin’s Crest – on vous racontera -, et au second (ES7), on est allé tout au bout du lac Stor-Jangen, au cœur d’une triste forêt de conifères, pour admirer les WRC en action.

L’endroit est peut-être moins célèbre que le « jump » de Colin’s Crest, mais à en juger par les quelque six kilomètres de véhicules stationnés le long du lac, le spot devait mériter le détour. Effectivement : c’était un enchaînement gauche-droite rapide pour un double « sommet » et un gauche genre « banking » immédiatement derrière. L’idée était de freiner entre les deux « ciels » pour placer l’auto en vue du gauche suivant. Trois y sont parvenus de manière parfaite…

La palme à Pontus Tidemand. Encouragé par tout un peuple, élans et rennes compris, le pilote Suédois qui ne connaît pas encore la peur a effectué un passage d’anthologie. Mention bien aussi aux Finlandais Juho Hanninen et Jari-Matti Latvala, à la fois rapides, précis et efficaces. Pourtant, ils n’ont réalisé que les 7^e, 6^e et 4^e temps sur cette spéciale…

Les deux « Seb » furent certes moins spectaculaires, mais ce sont eux qui ont dominé la première journée du Rallye de Suède 2013, et notamment le cadet, Sébastien Ogier. Au volant de sa VW Polo R WRC/Michelin, il a remporté cinq des six spéciales disputées aujourd’hui dans les forêts du Värmland. Et l’ES4 lui a échappé pour 1/10^e de seconde !

Ogier compte ce soir 32s2 d’avance sur Loeb, leader et unique représentant de la marque Citroën dans le top-10. Son équipier Mikko Hirvonen a perdu une demi-heure dans une sortie de route (ES2) et pointe ce soir à la 30^e place. Dani Sordo est 11^e.

Vainqueur en 2012, Jari-Matti est un des rares à avoir pu suivre le rythme des deux « Seb ». Le Finlandais est 3^e, à seulement 1s5 de Loeb. Sans une pénalité de 20 secondes consécutive à une fuite de liquide de refroidissement, Mads Ostberg serait en 2^e position ce soir. Le pilote Qatar-M Sport est 4^e à 42s8 du leader.

Derrière, la bagarre fait rage entre le Russe Evgeny Novikov (5^e) et le Suédois Pontus Tidemand (6^e) séparés par 10s5. Juho Hanninen (7^e) et Thierry Neuville (8^e) sont eux aussi en pleine « explication » sur leurs Ford Fiesta RS WRC.

Le Norvégien Anders Grondal (Subaru Impreza) et Yazeed Al-Rahji (Ford Fiesta RRC) sont leaders des catégories WRC-3 et WRC-2.

This year, we decided to experience Sweden’s ‘Vargasen’ stage in two different ways. For the first visit (SS4), we were there to see the ‘historic’ cars over ‘Colin’s Crest’. Then, for SS7, we found a spot in the middle of the forest near Stor-Jangen Lake to watch the WRC stars in action.

Our second vantage point is perhaps not as famous as the leap named after the late Colin McRae but, judging by the six kilometres of cars parked along the access road, it is clearly a favourite with the locals. And we soon found out why. You essentially see a fast left-right kink which feeds into two blind crests, followed immediately by a steeply cambered left-hander. The idea is to brake between the two crests to set the car up for the left turn, but only three drivers succeeded in finding the trick…

A special mention goes to local hero Pontus Tidemand. Cheered on by the spectators (and no doubt by the hiding reindeer and mousse!), the Swede is possibly too young to feel fear and his performance was huge! Finn’s Juho Hanninen and Jari-Matti Latvala were precise, fast and efficient, as well. Even so, these three drivers were respectively seventh, sixth and fourth fastest over the full stage.

The two Sébastiens were less spectacular, but that didn’t prevent them from dominating the first day of this year’s Rally Sweden, especially the younger of the pair. The VW Polo R WRC/Michelin driver won five of today’s six forest stages, and SS4 only escaped him by one tiny tenth of a second!

Ogier completed SS7 with the handy cushion of 32.2s over Loeb who is once again the best-placed Citroën representative, and the only one to figure in the provisional top 10. His team-mate Mikko Hirvonen (30^th) dropped half-an-hour after rolling on SS2, while Dani Sordo is 11^th overall.

Last year’s winner Jari-Matti Latvala is one of the few drivers who appear to be capable of matching the Frenchmen’s pace and he is just 1.5s behind Loeb. However, had he not taken a 20-second penalty due to a cooling fluid leak this morning, Mads Ostberg would be Ogier’s closest chaser. As it is, the Qatar-M Sport driver is fourth, 42.8s behind the leader.

There is an interesting battle emerging for fifth place between Russia’s Evgeny Novikov (fifth) and Pontus Tidemand (sixth). They are split by 10.5s, while Ford Fiesta RS WRC drivers Juho Hanninen (seventh) and Thierry Neuville (eighth) are also enjoying a good fight.

Norway’s Anders Grondal (Subaru) and Yazeed Al-Rahji (Ford Fiesta RRC) top the WRC2 and WRC3 standings respectively.

from best-of-rallylive

the first leg of Rally Sweden

Best-of-RallyLive brings you the highlights from the first leg of Rally Sweden dominated by Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen - Michelin)

Best-of-RallyLive vous offre les meilleurs moments de la première journée du Rallye de Suède dominée par Sébastien Ogier (Volkswagen - Michelin)

Arnie’s Guzzi

Guzzi cafe racers always seem to turn out just-right. They’re built for this kinda conversion with long, low lines, a flat top-frame and one of the prettiest bike engines out there. However, they do seem to come out all looking the same, but this shed-built creation from Arnie, is a little different.

Arnie lives near Seattle in the US and has been riding bikes for over 30 years, working his way though Hondas, Triumphs, a Beemer, and on to Guzzis. All his bikes get taken apart and assessed for improvements, and over the years he’s worked his way up the welding evolutionary ladder from torch to mig and tig. This recent build is his most involved and allowed him to break in the new tig welder, as he needed the gas tank to be just right too.

The bike started out as a fairly modern 1998 Moto Guzzi Centauro, which he now describes as part cafe racer (on the top) and part street fighter (on the bottom). It wears all kind of adapted parts from other bikes, including a Suzuki tank, Honda fender, custom rear subframe, etc, but most importantly it’s prettier, lighter (by over 50 pounds) and better to ride.

“I’ve been riding a 1973 Moto Guzzi Eldorado for 15 years or so, incessantly tweaking it, adding the one liter jugs, a B-10 cam, headwork, 40mm pumper Dellorto carbs, RAM low inertia clutch, and had tuned the thing to perfection using a wide band oxygen sensor and palm pilot bungeed to the speedometer to acquire and display data.  This took me most a of a summer, but after rejetting the carbs multiple times, the old Eldo runs just about as smoothly and fast as any old Guzzi out there.”

“My concept was to take a modern Guzzi and turn it into a retro café racer.  The donor was going to be a Sport 1100 or Centauro, preferably a Centauro, with the 4 valve high cam engine. This bike is nearly identical to the mythical Daytona, Guzzi’s first 4 valve model, very cool looking, rare, and expensive if you can find one.”

“The previous owner was a well known and respected local bike guy with a barn full of bikes, but he really liked this one, even sold it once and then re-bought it. He made me promise the bike was going to a good home. Technically, that was true, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him I was going to strip it down to the bones and Frankenstein it.”

“The first day I had it I started unbolting the fairing, chin spoiler, rear cowling, anything that world come off and the bike still function. Replaced the air boxes, which could double as the HVAC system for a small building, with K&N pod filters, and made some other recommended mods (replacing the ceramic temp sensor with a brass one, installing a transil diode to protect the ECU, replacing all the relays which were prone to failure).

Rode it around like this for a while, just to get the feel of the bike.  It’s very fast compared to the Eldo, lighter, and excellent braking (compared to drums).  It came with the adjustable swan neck clip ons, which are awesome.”

Arnie knew he wanted a bullet nacelle headlight, and found a 6” bucket on Fleabay from a Guzzi Stornello.  The front fender came from a Honda 650 which he shortened. Making the mounts was difficult because the bike has upside down forks, so it had to mount to the lowers. Arnie finally arrived at the least obtrusive solution by replacing two of the Brembo brake bolts with longer ones and making these into the mounts.

The rear subframe was made out of band iron and steel tubing, relocating all the electronics, ECU, relays and fuse block. This took quite a bit of  trial and error, tack welding and grinding.  Arnie really wanted the subframe, tank, fender, and exhaust to all be parallel to the ground, with no up-swept angles, but couldn’t pull it off on the subframe without compromising rear suspension travel, seat height or and exhaust clearance.

“The pipes are from DanMoto, in China, via eBay. Very cheap, but appear serviceable. I try to avoid this type of product, but couldn’t pass up the price, half that of other exhausts. The metal and carbon tubing is very thin, the welds tiny.  They are light. I just hope the 12 year old girl who made them did so at the beginning of her 14 hour shift, not the end.”

The tank is from a 1980’s Suzuki GS 1000.  Arnie chopped off the front mounts, made and welded new ones to get the position right, and shimmed out the stock rubber donuts on the frame.  He then welded NPT bungs on both sides, 3/8″ on the left to the fuel pump and 1/4″ on the right to the pressure regulator.

“I cut out the side panels and welded in sheet metal for the knee cutouts.  I considered the hammering method, but don’t like the way those look.  This took dozens of hours, tig welding at 20 amps, barely enough to trip the sensor on the welding helmet, but plenty to burn through occasionally. Also spent nearly a day pressure testing and fixing pinholes.  The tank (another eBay gem) was very rusty, even came to me with a locked cap and no key.  Had it boiled out and coated at a local radiator shop.”

The seat is from Dime City Cycles and Arnie describes it as light as a feather and very cheap, although a little asymmetrical, and taking quite a bit of jiggering to get it on straight. Arnie’s favourite part of the seat unit is that the stock Centauro tail light, turned upside down, is an almost perfect fit under the rear part of the bum stop.

The turn signals are the old bar-end kind, from Emgo. The instrument is an Acewell computer, with speedo, tach, clock, and indicator lights and modes in a 2.5” diameter gauge. It includes a fuel level gauge which connects to an Acewell sender which Arnie welded on the Suzuki sender mounting plate.

We think it’s a superb job and right up our street at the BSMC. You can follow Arnies’ own blog with more detail on the build here.

via thebikeshed

EWC : BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent dans la course au titre /

Vice-champion du monde en 2011 et 2012, le BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent rempile pour une nouvelle saison complète en Championnat du monde d’Endurance (EWC) avec en point de mire le titre mondial et une victoire sur une course de 24 heures.

Passée tout près des lauriers lors des deux saisons précédentes, l’équipe franco-belge est légèrement remaniée cette saison avec le départ d’Erwan Nigon. Sébastien Gimbert et Damian Cudlin seront donc épaulés par Sylvain Barrier, champion du monde 1000 cc Superstock en titre. Peu expérimenté en endurance, le pilote Français âgé de 24 ans, a signé en 2012 quatre victoires au guidon de la BMW S1000RR lui permettant ainsi de décrocher son premier titre mondial.

L’équipe a profité de la pause hivernale pour analyser en détails les performances 2012 comme nous l’explique Mickael Barthomely, team-manager. « Certes, nous avons joué un peu malchance en 2012 mais notre manque d’expérience nous a également pénalisés à plusieurs reprises. Nous allons travailler dans ce sens. »

« Coté pilotes, Sylvain Barrier rejoint l’équipe. Malgré sa connaissance limitée en endurance, je suis certain qu’il va se révéler un atout pour le team et qu’il mettra à profit son expérience acquise en Championnat du monde Superstock. Notre objectif reste le même, le titre et une victoire sur une course de 24 heures.»

Comme les deux saisons passées, Michelin équipera la BMW n°99. BMW Motorrad France Thevent retrouvera le chemin des circuits mi-mars pour une séance d’essais privés à Magny-Cours avant de participer les 20 et 21 mars aux essais pré Bol d’Or.

/

The Franco-Belgian operation has twice come close to securing the top EWC prize and will be counting this year on a new rider line-up following the departure of Erwan Nigon. Sébastien Gimbert and Damian Cudlin will be joined instead by the defending 1,000cc Superstock champ Sylvain Barrier.Although he has limited experience of endurance racing, the 24-year old Frenchman collected four Superstock wins in 2012 on a BMW S1000RR.

Meanwhile, the team is using the winter break to analyse its 2012 performances. “We were a little unlucky in 2012 and penalised by our lack of experience on several occasions,” notes team manager Mickael Bartholemy. “This is what we will focus on for 2013. We are also glad to welcome Sylvain Barrier. Despite not having much experience of endurance racing, I believe he will be an asset thanks to the expertise he has gained in world class Superstock racing. Our aim hasn’t changed: we want to win the title and at least one of the 24-hour races.”

As in 2011 and 2012, the N°99 BMW will race on Michelin rubber. The team will begin testing mid-March at Magny-Cours, France, before joining the official pre-Bol d’Or session on March 20-21.

Calendrier Championnat du monde d’Endurance 2013 :

20-21 Mars	Essais Pre-Bol d’Or	Magny Cours, France
20-21 Avril	Bol d’Or	Magny Cours, France
27-28 Juillet	8 Heures de Suzuka	Suzuka, Japon
16-17 Aout	8 Heures d’Oschersleben	Oschersleben, Allemagne
21-22 Aout	Essais Pre-Mans	Le Mans, France
21-22 Septembre	24 Heures Moto	Le Mans, France

GREAT !!!! DANCING ON ICE, GATEBIL STYLE !!!

Ah, Gatebil. Scandinavia’s most awesome of events, and something that doesn’t wait for the thaw before coming out to play again. Whereas most other cars in Europe are still tucked up in warm garages, awaiting fairer weather and final touches, come the end of January Norway’s craziest drivers are already on the road to a frozen lake at Hebbes, near the small town of Sigdal.

Oh, and they’re joined by the Swedes and an increasing number of other nationalities besides. After all, given the option of sitting around in the cold or getting crazy out on the ice, what would you choose?

Scandinavia’s best kept secret isn’t quite so secret any more, it has to be said…

Gatebil On Ice has been going for a good number of years now, and 2013 marks the 20th anniversary of the first track event back in 1993. As is now usual, the Gatebil season kicks off with this icy foray into central Norway before heading to Våler at the end of May, Mantorp in Sweden in June, the big Summer event at Rudskogen in mid-July and then finally the closing round again at Rudskogen in September.

Entering the site means going through a snow-bound graveyard of ‘projects’, possessions of the owner of the lake upon which the madness is unleashed. Gatebils put on ice?

Our own Fredric Aasbø had been hard at work at the KRB dyno the previous evening, toughening up the 86-X even further. The billet Comp turbo meant more power..

…which is always something to put a smile on Fredric’s face.

The Toyota was rocking a very different look to its regular tarmac configuration, with control and traction on the slippery surface the goal. Narrow Pirelli WRC studded tyres were fitted all round, with the wide-track fronts with slight camber a counterpoint to the narrow rear track, keeping the rear wheels well in-board to maximise stability.

Because this is Gatebil, there was the usual eclectic range of cars on offer. Everyone welcome, everyone out side-by-side for pure enjoyment.

The four-wheel-drive brigade were obviously going to see an advantage out on the lake…

…with an Evo the ideal weapon. But as ever, Gatebil is about options.

Whereas the black MkIV stuck to winter tyres (with predictable, spectacular results), the Precon Extreme Ice car went for full BFG studded rubber. Those tyres make a massive difference, delivering a huge amount of grip.

But in general the type of cars on show weren’t really that different from any other typical Gatebil event. So, turbocharged and stupid fast.

Even this missile car Scorpio was skittering about, and looking unfeasibly fast out on the ice. Whatever was within the butchered remains of the Scorpio’s nose was definitely not stock…

Fredric was joined by several other Gatebil glitterati…

Kenneth Alms brought out his Star Destroyer of an A4…

Kenneth Moen showed off his newly-wrapped Supra…

And Black Smoke Racing were there in spirit through this homage to their diesel insanity – this Mercedes wagon had been built as a tribute to the BSR TD and was literally tearing up the ice.

The temperature had actually risen slightly, to a virtually Caribbean minus six. It’s funny how the locals talk about temperate with the automatic assumption that the figure is minus, as it’s always cold! I felt well prepared for the day – the only bad thing was that the clouds were low, making visibility a problem from time to time…

…and the occasional flurry of snow recoated the track every so often, though that only added to the great flurries thrown up on each pass.

Three configurations had been carved out of the snow, with one winding short track for the majority of entrants to blast round…

…a second long loop that measured over three kilometres and a final unused layout which wound its way between the other two, making the perfect place for the photographers to navigate between layouts in safety.

Small trees had been planted to mark the apexes of certain corners on the long track and give drivers a fighting chance of making out the turns.

Japanese cars were strong in numbers of course, but the BMWs and Volvos were also out in force, backed up by the odd interloper.

The rare sight of an Alfa was back for Gatebil On Ice. This turbocharged GTV6 was very badly damaged last September at Rudskogen, with the front completely destroyed. The team have obviously been hard at work, and the flat black bodywork made the Alfa look even meaner as it fired around the long course.

But the diesel Mercedes was the star of the morning. It was impossible to miss, with great spumes of acrid diesel smoke sitting on top of the avalanche of snow it threw up at every turn.

It was captivating to watch, and driven with panache and style in abundance.

But then, everything out on track was being put to impressive use. Half the time I was content just to stand there and watch the action going on around me.

Spinning at some stage was pretty much a given in these conditions and with the amount people were pushing…

…and cars rotated on a regular basis as the grip ran out and the ice took effect.

The smoother the power delivery the better things would be. Seeing a car coming round a corner to find a stationary spinner was always alarming to watch.

But that diesel Mercedes just kept pounding round, the howl of its turbodiesel spooling up under acceleration the prelude to yet more of the black stuff. Magic.

As the track closed up temporarily for the snøsprøyten (snow-slide) competitions, I had a chance to take a step back and soak up the environment. It was all too easy to forget that we were on a frozen lake of questionable ice depth.

But three things reminded me rather quickly. First was this view from the southern end of the lake, where the ice was wafer thin in places and non existent in others, just 50 feet from the track!

Second was going over on the ice as I walked across one of the ploughed tracks, with a fractional covering of snow moving aside to reveal the lethally slippery surface. Fantastically, I’d chosen just opposite the pit to fall over, which elicited a cheer louder than for some of the passing cars. I’d left my mark on the Gatebil ice in more ways than one.

The final and most worrying moment was near the far end of the track – as I was shooting I heard the most ominous and deep bass creaking sound from below me. Run? Lie down? Jump for it? Start crying?! It was just the ice moving around, but it was still not a pleasant moment.

The snow ploughs went round as fast as the drifters, if not faster, preceded by the grinding sound coming from the ploughs out front…

Out on track the action resumed, with even some little tandems getting going.

It was fun watching the reaction of the passengers as much as the cars themselves. It can be a lot more worrying when you’re not the one behind the wheel!

It just looked fantastic fun out on the ice. Sometimes it can be a pain to be stuck behind a lens all day…

318 compacts are a cheap way to enter into all kinds of racing, with packed grids across Europe – and Gatebil was no different. They’re not necessarily the most attractive of Bavaria’s finest, but they’re a simple and effective platform to work with.

Whilst the drivers were enjoying themselves on the lake tracks, Norwegian rally driver Anders Grøndal was firing his Subaru Impreza STi around the perimeter track – he was fresh from competing on a national rally in the same area.

By lunchtime the paddock was alive with spectators, and cars entering and leaving the lake.

Even Fredrik Sørli’s Cressida was present, and despite the completely different – and harsher – conditions from the last time I saw him was absolutely not content to just sit in the paddock…

So every so often the Cressida was thrashed around the lake, throwing up huge gobs of snow as it power-drifted around the long final turn.

Fredric was also on fine form, with the 86-X sounding fantastic – mostly… He came a fine third in the Snøsprøyten competition, behind Kenneth Moen’s Supra and Stian Pedersen’s E36 BMW.

Kenneth Alm was his usual crazy self, setting up turns miles ahead of each apex and throwing the Audi in at ridiculous angles…

…that didn’t always stick!

Still, that just made for more entertainment…

…as the Audi lazily rotated in a cloud of snow.

Finally emerging from the snow storm, Kenneth just mashed the throttle and set off again! Oppan Gatebil style.

The Alm’s BMW was also tracking round, emulating the A4 for angles…

…though it did take a bite too far out of one apex, beaching the Bimmer on the snow bank and necessitating a tow out from one of the recovery vehicles.

Several other Audis were also howling around the ice: they’re a popular choice it would seem.

Some old school classics also emerged in the afternoon, with this 911 looking particularly impressive. Its owner was later partially responsible for the enormous hangover I had on Sunday… Ouch.

A dayglo Integrale continued the classic theme.

The Gatebil M5 taxis did a brisk trade all day. South of the lake? This time of night? You must be joking mate.

By this stage anything and everything was being thrown at the ice.

…and the snow was beginning to seriously build up off-line.

Our good friend and official Gatebil snapper Camilla Tofterå had warned me that it was best to get to work early out on the ice, as the casualties tend to build up by early afternoon. She was not wrong!

Most could be recovered by the quick deployment of one of the recovery vehicles…

Though often once one car went round a whole lot more followed in sympathy!

Although most offs resulted in harmless spins into the surrounding banks, if you caught the snow at the wrong angle then a whole lot of non-fun could result…

But all this kept the hardy local fans entertained!

Kenneth’s time on the ice was also coming to a close though: a blown turbo brought his day to a premature end.

Another disappointed driver was Fredric himself: coolant had accidentally been mixed with fuel, causing a serious misfire on the car and forcing Fredric to pull the 86-X out. He at least won the Gatebil jury’s prize as their favourite car of the day.

The snow came down harder in the mid afternoon, making visibility on the further extremes of the track by the trees very poor…

…which meant that often the photographers would be getting picture of a whole lot of snow! So much for drifting on ice not having the problem of too much tyre smoke.

With Fredric’s day done, we had to tear ourselves away from the track early to prepare for the evening, but Gatebil On Ice was another unforgettable event. Drifting will never be the same again.

Jonathan Moore

Gatebil On Ice 2013

via SPEEDHUNTERS