Enduro :a first hierarchy emerges / une première hiérarchie se dessine

The Grand Prix of Argentina has been as exciting as the first one in Chili, and once more six different riders celebrate a win this weekend. A first and tight hierarchy appears, but there’s still five more GP’s!

A l’issue d’un Grand Prix d’Argentine aussi disputé que celui du Chili, qui a lui aussi vu six pilotes différents se partager les succès, une première hiérarchie se dessine dans le championnat du Monde d’enduro 2013.

Far from the cold Europe, the riders moved from Chile to Argentina for their second GP in South America where the races were once more very open. Two riders, Antoine Méo (KTM) in E1 and Alex Salvini (Honda) in E2 enjoyed a double win, but in the other classes Christophe Nambotin (KTM) and Aigar Leok (TM ) in E3, and Matthew Philips (Husaberg Michelin) and Rudi Moroni (KTM) in Juniors shares the wins.

Even if he comes back to Europe with four winning trophies, Antoine Méo knows that

Juha Salminen (Husqvarna Michelin) will be a strong contender until the last GP! Twice runner-up behind the reigning champion, Juha finishes only eleven seconds behind Méo on Sunday and is currently second in the standings, followed by his team mate Matti Seistola (Husqvarna Michelin) who finishes twice in third position.

Alex Salvini (Honda) celebrates his first ever win in Chili one week ago, and in Argentina he got his first double win in the E2 class. Both days were tough as he finally beats Pierre Alexandre Renet (Husaberg Michelin) by eight seconds on day one, and then beats Ivan Cervantes (KTM) by only nine seconds! Renet had a big crash on Sunday and finishes third; he is still second in the series, followed by Cervantes and Johnny Aubert (KTM).

Reigning champion Christophe Nambotin (KTM) wins easily the E3 class on Saturday, and was on the way to another success on Sunday when he crashes and lost two minutes! It was a great opportunity for Aigar Leok (TM ) who got the win, followed by Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg Michelin) ; fourth and second the Swedish rider is a strong runner-up in the series, three points behind Nambotin and ten points ahead of Leok.

Newcomer in the WEC, Young Australian Mattew Philips (Husqvarna Michelin) already celebrates his first GP win in his second attempt! Winner and then second behind Rudi Moroni (KTM), Philips is now second in the standings only three points behind Giacomo Redondi (KTM).

The riders are now coming back to Europe, and will attend their national championship before the GP of Spain scheduled at mid may.

Loin des fraicheurs de l’Europe, les enduristes ont enchainé sur leur seconde épreuve en Amérique du Sud et une fois encore les courses ont été très ouvertes. Si Antoine Méo (KTM) en E1 et Alex Salvini (Honda) en E2 ont signé le doublé, les autres succès ont été partagés entre Christophe Nambotin (KTM) et Aigar Leok (TM ) en E3, et entre Matthew Philips (Husaberg Michelin) et Rudi Moroni (KTM) en Juniors.

S’il est le seul à repartir d’Amérique du Sud fort avec quatre succès en poche, Antoine Méo sait que Juha Salminen (Husqvarna Michelin) sera un coriace adversaire cette saison en E1 ! Dauphin à deux reprises du champion en titre, Juha ne s’incline que pour onze petites secondes le second jour et s’empare de la seconde place du championnat, prenant le meilleur sur son équipier Matti Seistola (Husqvarna Michelin) qui monte sur le podium chaque jour.

Déjà vainqueur d’une journée au Chili, l’Italien Alex Salvini (Honda) a créé la surprise en signant le doublé en Argentine. Ne devançant Pierre Alexandre Renet (Husaberg Michelin) que de huit secondes le premier jour, Salvini s’impose avec neuf secondes d’avance sur Ivan Cervantes (KTM) le second jour et consolide son leadership au Mondial. Victime d’une chute dimanche et troisième derrière Salvini et Cervantes, Renet est toujours second au championnat, suivi de Cervantes et de Johnny Aubert (KTM).

Confortable vainqueur en E3 samedi, Christophe Nambotin (KTM) était parti pour signer un nouveau doublé, jusqu’à ce qu’il perde deux minutes en chutant en fin de journée. Une aubaine pour Aigar Leok (TM ) qui s’impose à Joakim Ljunggren (Husaberg Michelin) ; quatrième samedi et second dimanche, le Suédois consolide sa seconde place au championnat, à trois petits points de Nambotin, et compte dix points d’avance sur Leok.

Nouveau venu en Mondial, le jeune Australien Mattew Philips (Husqvarna Michelin) a signé son premier succès dès son second GP. Vainqueur samedi et dauphin de Rudi Moroni (KTM), Philips profite de la contre performance de Redondi (KTM) pour revenir à la seconde place du championnat, à trois petits points de l’Italien.

Les pilotes vont désormais reprendre le chemin de l’Europe et des championnats nationaux, avant de se retrouver en Espagne mi-mai.

Classements provisoires :

E1 : 1.Meo (FRA, KTM), 80 ; 2.Salminen (FIN, Husqvarna Michelin), 62 ; 3.Seistola (FIN, Husqvarna Michelin), 58 ; 4.Oldrati (ITA, Husaberg Michelin), 48 ; 5.Remes (FIN, TM), 45 ; 6.Albergoni (ITA, Honda), 42….9.Boissière (FRA, Sherco Michelin), 26 ; etc…

E2 : 1.Salvini (ITA, Honda), 75 ; 2.Renet (FRA, Husaberg Michelin), 65 ; 3.Cervantes (ESP, KTM), 60 ; 4.Aubert (FRA, KTM), 60 ; 5.Knight (GBR, Honda), 44 ; 6.Guerrero (ESP, KTM) ; 7.Mena (ESP, Husaberg Michelin), 36….9.Santolino (ESP, Husqvarna Michelin), 29 ; etc…

E3 : 1.Nambotin (FRA, KTM), 70 ; 2.Ljunggren (SUE, Husaberg Michelin), 67 ; 3.Leok (EST, TM), 44 ; 4.Correia (POR, Beta), 50 ; 5.Monni (ITA, KTM), 44 ; 6.Thain (FRA, Gas Gas), 39 ….10.Planet (FRA, Sherco Michelin), 26 ; etc…

Juniors : 1.Redondi (ITA, KTM), 66 ; 2.Philips (AUS, Husqvarna Michelin), 63 ; 3.McCanney (GBR, Gas Gas), 60 ; 4.Kvarnstrom (SUE, Beta), 45 ; 5.Larrieu (FRA, Husaberg Michelin), 40 ; 6.Oliveira (POR, Yamaha)….8.Roman (ESP, Husaberg Michelin), 33 ; etc….

Vidéos :

Jour 1 :

Jour 2 :

MV Agusta F4 1000 Works Racing Prototype

Built to contest the 2001 World Endurance Championship, this one-off factory prototype MV Agusta F4 played a key role in the expansion and diversification of the legendary Italian marque. 

In collaboration with Steven Casaer’s Maxim Experience team, the 952cc motore grosso was campaigned throughout the 2001 and 2002 seasons. As a result, MV Agusta gained two years of formidable competition that was used as a test-bed to develop its first Mille engine.The 2001 season was contested by Casaer and Danny Scheers, who rode the F4 to 1st position in the open prototype class at Brands Hatch, its best finish that year. The duo finished 10th overall, though regulations in place meant that no points could be scored.Often factory prototypes are snatched from their last competitive outing and hidden away or destroyed due to commercial secrecy, never to be seen in public again.However, owing to its ‘semi-works’ status, this significant piece of MV Agusta history is being offered for sale in the Classic Driver Marketplace, complete with original correspondence between Casaer and the factory as well as castings from all the other engines built for the F4 project. Fantastico!

Related Links The F4 prototype is soon to be sold at Bonhams' Spring Stafford Sale. For further information on this bike, see the Classic Driver Marketplace

Text: Alex Easthope(ClassicDriver)
Photos: Bonhams

Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W198) gets wide body kit from Atelier Valdeig

Originally planned for a replica

Atelier Valdeig developed a wide body kit for the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster (W198).

The project was originally planned for a replica automaker but in the end it was cancelled. However, Atelier Valdeig continued digitally working on this new look for the 300 SL Roadster and created entirely new side panels.

Bigger wheels can be installed thanks to the new wider fenders, while behind the front wheels there are large air outlets. In addition, the original bulges over the wheel arches have been removed for a cleaner appearance. The car seen here sits on 16-inch Revolution rims with white wall tires, but bigger alloys from Carlsson or wire wheels from muscle cars can be fitted.

The car can be equipped with the original upright headlamps or the round ones mounted on the Gullwing variant. Different types of taillights are available, while the exhaust system can get side pipes.

Source: Atelier Valdeig via WORLDCARFANS

Ruleshaker’s Honda CB750 - “Old Spirit”

If you ever found yourself riding in France and the whim took you to see just how far you could go west-bound and down before you hit Spain, sooner or later you'd probably end up in Bayonne. Being the last real French city before travellers reach the border, it's famous as a stop over on the route from Paris to Madrid. It's also well-know for it's chocolate, ham, and as being the oldest bull fighting city in France. But we think it's probably time that something else was added to the list. Thanks to the city's Ruleshaker Motorcycles, it seems to us that killing angry cows or eating cured swine just got a whole lot less interesting, due to a certain new Honda in town.

The shop is run by Iban, who obviously loves his seventies retro motorsports. Being the purist that he is, the original Honda chassis remained roughly stock. The engine, on the other hand, benefited from a disappeared airbox, some rather large K&N filters, and a classic set of peashooters to handle the four-into-two pipes.

The bike's wiring has been fully culled to make sure any unnecessary weight was jettisoned. The original chunky instruments have been replaced with an elegant single-dial set-up, and aluminium has been used to replace the heavier, stock items where possible.

Needless to say, the feature that really makes the bike stand out from her CB sisters is the elegant fairing. Part Dick Mann/Daytona ‘70, and part Mad Max, it somehow manages to be both classic and very contemporary at the same time. It's beautifully executed sunken headlight and the thin blue line that wraps around it as a continuation of the tank and seat decal show the skilled touch of a deft hand. Also notice the blue-hue to the licence plate light. We love a bit of well thought out colour coordination, don't you?

Taken? We are. If you'd like to learn more on the Basque Bad Boys, then hit them up on their Facebook page, or pay a visit to their site. And before you say anything, there's no ham on there. I already asked.

(Via the superbly named Un Pneu Dans la Tombe)

via PIPEBURN

DCC Mabel CB750 Cafe Racer

Last year the Cafe Racer scene was buzzing with the news that Dime City Cycles were building a custom motorcycle to giveaway, the bike they built was this Honda CB750 they named Mabel. Mabel was built by Herm and Jason at Dime City Cycle HQ in Florida and was handed over to a lucky New Yorker by the Iron & Air Magazine team at the 2012 Barber festival. I got in touch with Jason and he gave me the low down on how Mabel the Honda CB750 Cafe Racer came together...

"I could say that the bike selection was due to the fact that the CB750 is the most iconic bike...blah blah blah but who am I kidding!  We had about 10 bikes worth of 750 parts here and it just made sense.  Plus, Herm and I really wanted to build a 750 as we hadn't done one yet."

As it turns out Mabel is the perfect "how to" template if you're wanting to build your own CB750 Cafe Racer. As Jason went on to tell me, most of the bike was made using bolt on parts from the DCC catalogue so I've taken the liberty of including links through to the DCC store where relevant.

Mabel started out as a rusty old '78 Honda CB750 K that Herm picked up for a bargain. Before anyone could even think about raising an argument for restoration the CB was stripped down to a few buckets of parts and a sorry looking frame. The rear end of the frame was sliced off and replaced with a DCC weld on rear loop to allow for the fitment of a Legendary Motorcycle Thruxton Seat w/ DCC Originals Cushion . The Honda fuel tank was replaced by a Legendary Motorcycles Manx Tank with Monza Cap and was painted along with the seat in a Dime City Cycles red and black paint scheme by Moe Colors. Mabels rims are stock CB units wrapped in fresh Avon rubber but DCC re-laced them with fresh stainless steel spokesbefore  powder coating them gloss black along with the detagged and cleaned frame.

Electrics were upgraded with the addition of a Dyna Electronic Ignition, programmed to deliver optimum performance from Mabel's Keihin CR Racing Carbs and Performance Tuned 4-into-1 Exhaust System. Positioning Mabel's rider correctly for Ton Up riding was done by swapping out the CB's stock pegs for DCC Original Rearsets and by replacing the stock bars with DCC "Speed" Bars fitted with Nissin Controls and 2.5″ Mini Gauges. Handling improvements come from front and rear Progressive Suspension with 2″ shorter fork tubes and a 7-way Adjustable Steering Damper to avoid nasty surprises when exiting the twistys. Mabel also features a long list of Dime City Cycle upgrades such as fresh cables and fuel lines, new lighting, velocity stacks, plenty of polishing and some sweet details like a Dime set into the top clamp retaining bolt.

"The aim of the Mabel build was to create a bike that had the had the fit and finish of all our high end custom builds using as many off the DCC shelf parts as possible vs. making custom ones. This way we could show our customers what they could build in there own garage.  There's nothing majorly complex or difficult on Mabel, the most difficult thing was the rear brake (it's cable drive, not linkage) in the end, we wanted to convey that gorgeous custom builds can be done with off the shelf parts too for those who might not have all the high end fab skills."

"When you encounter that one obnoxious squid on a GSX-R 600, you can merely slide back a tad in the saddle, down-shift a gear or two and leave him in the dust – shocked by the fact that an old classic just ate his modern power ranger cycle for breakfast."

Dime City Cycles     |     Iron & Air Magazine

Looking for Cafe Racer parts and accessories? Head to 100MPH.com.au

from return of the cafe racers

RETRACE THE STEPS OF THREE RACING LEGENDS

by Petrolicious Productions

Colin McRae, Sir Stirling Moss, Sir Jackie Stewart—all three are indisputable racing legends, which also happens to be the name of this superb BBC documentary series we recently stumbled across. Each video follows the path of a driver through time, illustrating the history behind their heroic careers with the aid of family, friends, colleagues, and competitors alike.

All three videos feature a different host, each one a charming and accomplished Brit in their own respective fields: Chris Hoy, a six-time gold winning Olympic track cyclist presents Colin McRae's story, Patrick Stewart (yep, Captain Picard!) presents Stirling Moss's, and UK celebrity chef James Martin presents Jackie Stewart's story. All three are equally passionate about their personal heroes, and speak with genuine and infectious enthusiasm. These qualities, when combined with the BBC's traditionally high production values, makes for some excellent late-evening home viewing. Grab a snack and an adult beverage, dim the lights and get comfy—we promise you're in for a treat regardless of which video you choose.

the Ford show § great western autojumble

This Sunday I was off to Shepton Mallet again, not for another tractor show but for the

Ford Show and Great Western Autojumble.

The show was spread out over more halls this year allowing for a wider range of cars along with a bigger Autojumble. I spent most of my time in the main hall as it had the majority of the owners clubs and the most interesting cars.

1960 Thunderbird

(digitally painted ink sketch)

As you can see I really liked the back end of this Thunderbird, as with a lot of these American cars the design of the back is almost like a spaceship.

Plenty of leg room...Hang on is that a tractor in the background?

Darren Clarkes F2 Heritage Stock Car.

(digitally painted ink sketch)

This was at the Ford Show last year and I was hoping it would be back so I could sketch it.

There is a Heritage Stock Car scene in this country, see the BRISCA Website for more details.

Ford V8 "30" Touring Saloon

(digitally painted ink sketch)

Consul Capri

(digitally painted ink sketch)

As featured in the Joe Meek Bio Pic "Telstar". These cars have a definite American styling but seem to retain a British modesty.

Consul Classic

The Classic was designed in Dagenham from 1956 onward under Cheif Stylist Colin Neale.

It was produced from 1960 onwards.

Ford Anglia

1963 Cortina Mark 1

100e Popular

Gulf Mirage, GT40

This is a reconstructed vehicle, there is one of the three produced that still exists.

Deleloped by J.W. Automotive to contest the 1967 Le Mans.

A neat looking Transit, I wouldn't want to do a bank job with it though.

1955 Ford E83W Truck

Named "Rosie" & owned by Dave Locke.

via Radical Ducati

Film moto : Akira

Le célèbre manga japonais à la moto futuriste

Akira est un film d'animation adapté du célèbre manga éponyme et réalisé par Katsuhiro Ôtomo. Sorti au Japon en 1988, Akira n'a fait son apparition en France qu'à partir de 1991.

Synopsis

Dans un Japon post-apocalyptique, le jeune Tetsuo sillonne les rues avec sa bande de motards. Une nuit, il est victime d'un accident de moto en tentant d'esquiver un jeune garçon ressemblant étrangement à un vieillard. L'armée le capture et l'utilise comme cobaye pour un projet militaire secret visant à former des êtres doués de pouvoirs psychiques. Tetsuo finit par s'enfuir mais lorsque ses amis le retrouvent, il n'est plus tout à fait le même.

Fiche technique et casting

• Réalisateur : Katsuhiro Ôtomo
• Mitsuo Iwata (doublage) : Shôtarô Kaneda
• Nozomu Sasaki (doublage) : Tetsuo Shima
• Mami Koyama (doublage) : Kei
• Producteurs : Shunzo Kato, Ryokei Suzuki
• Durée : 2h40
• Date de sortie : 1988

La moto du film

Si ce manga aura marqué durablement les esprits, la moto de Shotaro Kaneda n'aura sûrement pas été oubliée de la part des fans. Véritable véhicule culte, cette moto totalement imaginaire a fait l'objet de plusieurs répliques dont la dernière en date a été officialisée par le créateur du manga, Katsuhiro Ôtomo.

La bande-annonce du film Akira

La réplique officielle

Où trouver le film ?

Akira est disponible en DVD depuis 2007 et en Blu-Ray depuis 2012.

Plus d'infos sur Akira

• Site : www.akira-hd.com
• Toutes les actualités Films

via LE REPAIRE DES MOTARDS

72 Hours in Key West

S

ome people might wonder: Why would a person go all the way to the southernmost point in the continental United States for a fish sandwich? Well, the short answer is that we didn’t go to Key West just for a fish sandwich — we scoped out a hotel, went fishing, drove scooters and jet skis, and drank beer. The long answer is that the hogfish isn’t any old sea critter you can pick up at Whole Foods, and the place that serves it ranks very high on the list of best waterfront bars in America (just behind the Beachcomber in Wellfleet, MA, in this author’s black book). We were principally after a filet of fish. Besides, if you get just one good memory in 72 hours, that’s a pretty good one, for a long weekend.

 West History, Abridged

When visitors touch down at Key West International they’re greeted by a sign: Welcome to the Conch Republic. On its face this slogan is just like any other expression of hospitality — Welcome to Maine, The Way Life Should Be; Tennessee, the Volunteer State, Welcomes You; Ohio Welcomes You, The Heart of It All! — but for the fact that Key West is not its own state, least of all its own republic. In this seemingly benign greeting lies a bit of mischief: For a brief moment in the ’80s, Key West seceded from the U.S.A, symbolically anyway.

In 1982 the U.S. Border Patrol set up a blockade in Florida City, just north of the Keys. The purpose of the blockade was ostensibly to stop illegal immigrants from coming up to the mainland, but residents of the Keys perceived this as an act of tyranny. Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow convened with other community leaders and announced secession, adopting the Conch Republic as the new name of the territory (“conch” describes the Bahamian settlers of European heritage who moved to the Keys in the late 1800s).

He then struck a man in a naval uniform over the head with a piece of stale Cuban bread, symbolizing war, surrendered to the same man, and declared the rebellion over. Some locals like to joke that they’re still waiting on reparations from the U.S. government.

Hemingway, Fishing and Beer

HOW TO TAKE A SMARTPHONE SELF-PORTRAIT

It’s nice to have fun pictures of ourselves. Most of the time we can get these from friends, family, wedding photographers. But sometimes nobody else is around and we’ve got to record the mischief ourselves — like this scooter bound mayhem, which provided the final testing ground for our capstone thesis. Here’s how to do it. - JB

1. Rule #1: Be somewhere interesting or otherwise desirable, e.g., a beach town, space, or drumming on the Tsar bell at the Kremlin.
2. Think about why you’re taking a self portrait. If it’s for a dating site or sexting conversation, stop and reconsider. Proceed with caution.
3. Put your shirt back on, unless this is an underwater shot or you’re drumming on the Tsar bell at the Kremlin — in which case, good on you.
5. Position yourself to get the maximal sense of place in the background and at least half your face.
6. Make a ridiculous face.
7. Snap photo.
8. Thank the Powers That Be you didn’t crash. Send photo to your best buddy and start planning your next adventure.

If we have any criticism of Key West, it’s that the island seems to ride its history pretty hard, from the secession anecdote to Hemingway’s tenure on Whitehead Street from 1931 to 1939. This may be mostly for the benefit of the 800,000+ tourists who dock briefly in Key West aboard cruise ships every year, but it can be a little grating for somebody who wants a slightly spontaneous experience.The Hemingway House is worth a visit to pay your respects and walk the same grounds as a fine writer, but know that the relationship of the items to the man — including the 60 or sopolydactyl cats — is apparently questionable.

Hemingway nevertheless is an important figure in Key West history, and his time here serves as a valuable guide for what to do over a long weekend, namely, fishing and drinking beers. There’s excellent fishing to be done in and around Key West: flats fishing for tarpon and bonefish; deep sea fishing for marlin, sailfish and tuna; or just getting out on a charter for a few hours to snag a grouper for dinner. (We reeled in a beautiful blackfin tuna, but forgot the camera that morning… you’ll just have take our word for it. It was a good fight with a strong and noble fish.)

Back on land, Hem and writer pal John Dos Passos were known to hang out at Sloppy Joe’s, an institution for boozing since just after Prohibition, owned by a former speakeasy proprietor name Joe Russell. This place is right at the heart of Duval Street, the main tourist drag, and its good for a beer or two before it things start to get messy as the crowds converge after dinner. Our preference is for Turtle Kraals and Schooner’s over on the marina, both conveniently located next to B.O.’s Fish Wagon, a hovel of a joint that serves conch fritters and a fried grouper sandwich well worth the couple of dollars it’ll cost you.

Hogfish, Scooters and Beer

We reserved the last day of our trip to buzz around the Key West on a scooter — the best way to get around a place that’s only 7.4 square miles and has lots of nooks and crannies to explore on foot. One of those is Fort Zachary Taylor Park, or Fort Zach, a Civil War-era fort that’s also the best local beach for a morning swim.

Ultimately, though, we were just filling time before a leisurely afternoon-turned-evening at theHogfish Bar & Grill. The bar’s namesake, a member of the wrasse family, is a large, colorful fish with a laterally compressed body and a pig-like snout it uses to root out crustaceans for food (hence the name); it’s native to the Keys; it is fished exclusively by men and women with spears; and it is a sequential hermaphrodite, which means that is starts life as a female and then becomes male.

The bar is likewise unique, tucked away on Stock Island, a 20-minute drive east across the Overseas Highway from the central arteries of Key West activity. It sits directly on Safe Harbor, next door to what the owners claim was HQ for the Bay of Pigs Operation. Whether this is true or a friendly exaggeration is really irrelevant: there’s a pool table, a jukebox, lots of beers on tap, and a placid marina with fishing boats and yachts trolling in and out. It’s an idyllic setting to eat the house special, a fried hogfish sandwich covered in swiss, onions, mushrooms and tartar sauce.

As the sun went down we settled up and revved the scooter’s lawnmower engine just as loud as possible, and, sated like a hogfish with a belly full of crustaceans, made for the airport feeling pretty glad The Conch Republic never officially cut ties with the U.S.A.

By JEREMY BERGER from Silodrome

Analog Motorcycles R75/5 DS

There are a lot of aircooled BMW twins out there now as they’re becoming one of the most popular platforms to work on in the custom scene, providing a cost-effective, reliable base with genuine heritage and character that can be turned into just about anything and look the part convincingly as brat, cafe or scrambler. It’s a pretty good start in these cash-strapped times, but that doesn’t always mean compromise. Many of these builds just ooze class and quality by keeping it simple.

This 1972 R75 was built by Analog Motorcycles, run by Tony Prust out of Gurnee, around 40 miles from Chicago. The bike was commissioned by a previous customer who had asked Tony to look out for an airhead to build into something cool he could use as a daily ride, but also to take his wife out on. The brief was to make sure it retained its two-up riding option, ditch the large heavy exhaust, make it utilitarian and functional, and of course – be eye catching. Job done.

“We started with sorting out all the electrical and having speedo/tach rebuilt. Along with the electrical upgrade we switched out all the signals with some smaller replacements on all 4 corners, new tidy taillight and a custom made battery tray. We then moved to the seat.”

“The budget didn’t  allow for a full frame-up custom so we made a seat pan that fit the stock frame and wrapped it in custom stitched chocolate brown upholstery by Art at Rod’s Designs to match the grips I picked up from Dime City Cycles.”

“My thoughts from the beginning were to make this bike have a bit of a scrambler feel so added the scrambler bars and replaced the suspension with a set of adjustable Gazi shocks. Also mounted some Shinko dual sport tires to freshly powder coated wheels.”

“I took an old KZ750 front fender and bobbed and modified it to fit the stock front mount. The paint was a color that I had been toying with for another build and thought it would work well on this one.”

“I figured the BMW purist may hate it but when I ordered the Clymer Manual to sort out the wiring the cover picture on the manual was a very similar painted airhead that leads me to believe it may have been a stock color.”[BikeShed] Paint was by Kiel

“I had the traditional pin stripes put on in black and brown to keep the BMW feel. Picked a few more random bits to powder coat black. And to finish up the build we ditched the heavy mufflers and added some shorter, lighter and wide-open mufflers. We also added short 3” baffles at the end of the stock header and lastly added the Bike EXIF readers favorite “pipe wrap” to stay within budget.  ”

The overall vibe of the bike is understated cool. Some non-bikers might think she was an old restored classic, but those of us in the know will appreciate the balance between timelessness and modern-retro touches, like minimalist tail, shortie fender, pipe-wrap, flat brat style seat , brown grips and under-slung mini-mirrors.

See more from Analog HERE