Valentino Rossi wants to become the oldest rider to win a race in MotoGP

For those who thought Valentino Rossi was a washed-out rider, and was just taking up a factory bike that some other rider deserved more, and that he should retire before the end of his two-year contract, may be dismayed to find out that the former World Champion may decide to stick around MotoGP racing a little more than beyond the 2014 season.

With his much needed victory and confidence boost at Assen, and after waiting for more than two years and 45 races before returning to the top of the podium (Assen was strangely enough his ‘46th’ race since his last victory), a jovial and laughing Rossi in an interview withSportmediaset, said that he has a couple of dreams for his future:

“Not to have to wait another 46 races to win another, and break another record, and become the oldest rider to win a MotoGP race. I think that the record holder was 37, and this means I’ll have to race for another three years.”

The 37-year old that Rossi was talking about was Troy Bayliss, who won the 2006 Valencia race as a wildcard entry for Ducati after he won the World Superbike championship that season.

Returning on the subject of his victory in the Dutch GP Rossi said, “this is one of those victories that comes slowly, the race was hard, but I can say that more time passes, the more your enjoy a win.”

And on his two difficult years in Ducati: “During those two years we had to live for those fortunate moments, like the podium in Le Mans, because it was wet. Here we took a step forward in the set-up, I feel more comfortable with the bike and it would be nice if I could fight each weekend. My rivals are at an extremely high level and things have changed from ten years ago: before there was more strategy, now to win you have to give it 100% from the first to the last lap.”

Asked about those who criticize him and said he is has-been, “When things aren’t going well and the results aren’t arriving, I’m the first person who is sorry about it, but now things are going better and I don’t want to think about the people who were saying those things. From where I come from they’d say ‘take a ….’. You’ve got to think positive when you’re happy, not on the negative.”

from Twowheelsblog

PopBang Classics - 1982 Suzuki GS450

Hailing from the Gold Coast, this 1982 Suzuki GS450 has been a huge labour of love for the custom outfit PopBang Classics. I tried to think of a witty anecdote to sum up the amount of time and effort that has been put into this bike but basically you’d just say ‘a shitload, at it’s not even their bike!’

Justin is the man of the hour and explains the process of turning this ugly duckling into the ball room beauty the best. “ When this little bike got dropped off at PopBang, the first thought was ‘what the hell am I going to do with this?’ The owner had just bought it for $300 and it was a mess. It had the oddly mounted GS square fuel tank with added swastika’s! The very 80’s star shaped rims, A pair of homemade Z-Bars that looked like they had been run over by an 18 wheeler and then mounted. A set of rear shocks with no springs and a bird’s nest of wiring. So as you can imagine, a lot of it got put in the bin.

The direction from the owner was to make an all-black brat\bobber…  and that was it. But I hate completely black bikes as it hides the details and they look like every other garage bike that’s been attacked with a rattle can. So I took creative control and that’s where the brass idea can from, leading to endless hours polishing nuts and cutting threads! Every part of this bike was either made, modified, polished or painted in house at PopBang Classics except for the custom seat pan that got covered by Gold Coast Truck & Auto Upholstery and the wheels were laced up by Ash’s Spoked Wheels.

The bike took 7 months to complete. Most of that time was dedicated to finding the materials and parts to make it just right. The whole bike snowballed pretty quickly once the ideas started flowing. I wanted it to be something different, something you look at and don’t just say ‘that’s a bobber’ or that’s a ‘café racer’ you sit back, stare and say ‘that’s cool…what is it?’ The point of the bike and PopBang in general is to not follow the general trends or fall into a category, but create something that will stand out and not look out of place in years to come.”

Modifications:

• Shortened and smoothed frame with chromoly tail hoop, all welds re-tigged.
• 96 ZX6R monoshock conversion. 
• Handmade tank.
• PopBang Fiberglass guards.  
• Custom leather seat.
• Hidden electrical box and wiring.
• Handmade exhaust with titanium wrap. 
• Polished velocity stacks.
• 21” alloy rim drilled and laced to Suzuki VMX hub, brass nipples.
• 18” spoked rear from a GSX250 re-laced with brass nipples.
• Handmade rear sets.
• Handmade Handlebars with custom internal throttle.
• Modified rear LED Indicators to include brake and taillights.
• Brass cigar box vents in the drums.

from australian caferacers

DU BEAU MONDE POUR LE TEST DAY DES 24 HEURES DE SPA !

Sitôt le meeting Blancpain Endurance Series du Paul Ricard terminé, une partie du plateau est en route vers Spa-Francorchamps pour le Test Day des 24 Heures de Spa qui se tiendra ce mercredi. Ce n'est qu'à ce moment que l'on connaîtra la liste complète des engagés mais ce n'est une surprise pour personne que l'on attend du lourd dans les Ardennes belges à la fin juillet. De quoi avoir la plus grande course GT au monde...

En attendant, le Test Day fera lui aussi le plein de concurrents même si cette liste n'est que provisoire. On notera la présence de quelques renforts dont une Porsche 911 GT3-R pour le Manthey Racing que se partageront Richard Lietz, Patrick Pilet et Marc Lieb. Assurément un équipage pour jouer la gagne. L'autre grosse nouveauté nous vient de Audi AG avec une Audi R8 LMS ultra pour André Lotterer. Le double vainqueur des 24 Heures du Mans avait apprécié sa participation l'an passé. On attend maintenant la confirmation de ses deux coéquipiers. Aston Martin Racing pourrait également dépêcher sur place une Vantage V12 GT3. Les Suisses du Fach Auto Tech ne feront pas dans la dentelle avec une Porsche 911 GT3-R confiée à Wolf Henzler et Martin Ragginger. Le team est connu pour rouler chaque année aux 24 Heures de Dubai.

En Pro-Am Cup, Thomas Jäger trouve refuge chez Black Falcon tandis que United Autosports fera rouler une Audi R8 LMS ultra. On notera la présence de trois Porsche 997 GT3 Cup pour le Lechner Racing. Les équipes françaises ne pourront pas être de la partie ce mercredi pour cause de Championnat de France GT en fin de semaine. Cela concerne Hexis Racing, TDS Racing, Team SOFREV-ASP, Sport Garage, Saintéloc Racing et Pro GT by Alméras. Absent de la liste, le Boutsen Ginion Racing nous a confirmé que ses McLaren seraient bien en piste.

Laurent Mercier (Endurance-Info)

Pro-Cup
1	Belgian Audi Club Team WRT	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Ortelli-Vanthoor-Rast
2	Belgian Audi Club Team WRT	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Frey-Halliday-Mayr Melnhof
6	Phoenix Racing	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Primat-Jarvis-Haase
13	Belgian Audi Club Team WRT	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Stippler-Mies-Sandström
16	Phoenix Racing	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Ide-Kumpen-Winkelhock
23	JRM Racing	Nissan GT-R GT3	Kane-Dumbreck
26	Vita4One Racing Team	BMW Z4 GT3	Franchi-Colombo-Kechele
44	Kessel Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Ramos-Zampieri-Rigon
62	Fortec Motorsports	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3
70	SMP Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Basov-Skyrabin-Pier Guidi
71	SMP Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Aleshin-Ladygin-Shaitar
75	ProSpeed Competition	Porsche 911 GT3-R	Maassen-Hennerici-Soulet
80	Emil Frey	Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3	Frey-Barth
84	HTP Motorsport	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Buhk-Day-Ludwig
97	Aston Martin Racing	Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3	White-Onslow Cole
98	Fach Auto Tech	Porsche 911 GT3-R	Henzler-Ragginger
111	Kessel Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Castellaccci-Petrobelli
124	Blancpain Racing	Lamborghini Gallardo FL2	Rosina-Amos-Von Thurn und Taxis
127	ROWE Racing	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Seyffarth-Arnold
150	Manthey Racing	Porsche 911 GT3-R	Lieb-Lietz-Pilet
160	Audi AG	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Lotterer
Pro-Am Cup
9	Gulf Racing UK	McLaren MP4-12C	Wainwright-Meyrick
17	Insight Racing with Flex-Box	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Jensen-Andersen
18	Black Falcon	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Hummel-Jans-Jäger
19	Black Falcon	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Morley-Lebed
22	Preci-Spark	Mercedes SLS AMG GT3	Jones-Jones-Jones-Jones
24	Blancpain Reiter	Lamborghini Gallardo FL2	Kox-Hayek-Menten
32	Nissan Academy Team RJN	Nissan Gt-R GT3	Shulzhitskiy-Doherty-Reip-Mardenborough-Pyzera
48	ProSpeed Competition	Porsche 911 GT3-R
50	AF Corse	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Hommerson-Bertolini-Machiels
72	SMP Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Rotenberg-Zlobin-Mediani
73	SMP Racing	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Frolov-Markosov-Evsitgneev
123	Team Ukraine	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Gianmaria-Kruglik-Tsyplakov
125	United Autosports	Audi R8 LMS ultra	Bratt-Li-Dean
230	JRM Racing	Nissan GT-R GT3	Bell-Bateman-Al Masaood-Fannin

Gentlemen Trophy + Cup
49	AF Corse	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Blank-Bachelier-Mallegol
51	AF Corse	Ferrari 458 Italia GT3	Mann-Guedes-Barreiros
40	Speed Lover (TBC)	Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
41	Lechner Racing	Porsche 997 GT3 Cup	Ammermüller
42	Lechner Racing	Porsche 997 GT3 Cup	Schmid
43	Lechner Racing	Porsche 997 GT3 Cup	Nomaw

Weet-a-bix - Yamaha TW200

When James Kellas packed his bags and headed for Aus, he left behind his legacy of turning VW Beetles into drag strip beasts. In need of transportation around Sydney he opted for the ever reliable Yamaha TW200. “If it’s good enough for a Japanese farmer it’s good enough for me” says James, who blames his Grandmother for getting him into bikes in the first place with her 1938 Ariel NG350. However, never satisfied with an engine being stock James tore into the TW. The result?

An amazing Salt Lake racer. “I either wanted to build a Sandrail and do the Finke Desert Race or build up something for Australian Speed Week and get down to the Salts’ explains James. So the bike was stripped, welds were made, the engine was rebuilt (twice) and the whole thing given a spray (props on the colour choice). The hardest part of the build was conforming to the strict regulations around Salt Racing says James “The prep for the bike was simple, read the rule book, read the rule book again then build the bike to the rules without cutting corners. Everything else wasn’t really planned, I just went with the flow and it all came together”.

How did he go? He clocked 119kph (74mph) which may not sound fast to some but that scored the national open class 250cc record at Lake Gairdner. What's next? Well another racer of course, the record has now been taken from James and he wants it back!

The Specs:

• Custom Seat
• RD 250 Tank
• Clip Ons
• Extended Swingarm
• “Supertrapp” Exhaust
• Pod Filter
• Copper Rear Frame Loop
• Alloy Rims
• Custom Speedo
• Custom Indicators
• Rear Sets
• Kill Lead
• Full Chain Guard
• Custom Under Seat Electrics
• Custom Spray

from australianvcaferacers

Masters of Design: The Zagatos

An Italian sports car that’s light, fast and – most importantly – beautiful? In that case it was probably penned by Zagato, for the great Milanese design house has long shaped the metal on legendary, performance-orientated cars...

Ugo Zagato: The grandfather of success

When Ugo Zagato founded his body shop in 1919, he quickly established a successful business, whose clients included illustrious brands such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Ferrari and Aston Martin.

Following an apprenticeship in a Cologne-based machine shop aged 15, Ugo returned to Italy to build aircraft. Using his newfound engineering and aerodynamic knowledge, Zagato soon made a splash with cars such as the Alfa 6C 1500 and 1750 and, in the 30s, he developed race-ready sports cars with then-radical features such as integrated headlights and sloping windscreens. Before Ugo Zagato’s death in 1968, his two sons Elio and Gianni were the driving forces behind the business and Elio helped catapult the design house into the limelight by driving a Zagato-designed Fiat 8V to victory in the famous Avus Race in Berlin, 1955.

Elio and Gianni Zagato: The fathers of the Gran Turismo

Small series cars and the birth of the Gran Turismo designs shaped the great post-War era of Zagato. The brothers gave sports coupés aerodynamic prowess for the racetrack; cars such as the Fiat 750 Abarth, later versions of which became known as ‘Double Bubbles’ because of the two curvaceous humps in the roofline – a feature that became a signature of Zagato bodies in the future. Designers were the lifeblood of Zagato. They came and they went, but each one left their mark. Among them was Ercole Spada, the firm’s most famous engineer, whose first project upon arriving was the achingly gorgeous Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato.

Andrea Zagato and Marinella Rivolta-Zagato: Legendary names unite

The company is now run by Ugo’s grandson Andrea, and his wife Marinella (the granddaughter of Renzo Rivolta, himself the ‘father’ of the Isetta and Iso Grifo GT). Zagato is not just about motor show concepts and prototypes. Limited-edition runs of coachbuilt cars are proving popular, and the company is taking advantage of this demand with cars such as the Aston V12 Zagato. This high-powered couple of automotive design has transformed the technically oriented body shop into a modern enterprise, and ensured that the legend lives on. Long may it do so.

Photos: Zagato / Getty Images

via Classic Driver

HONDA CB750 CAFE RACER BY DOZER GARAGE – BROWN IN NOW COOL

Dozer Garage have delivered one sweet looking Honda CB750 Cafe Racer perhaps one of the most popular bikes to create a cafe racer from. A simple double brown strip runs the length of the bike which looks sweet matched with the brown leather seat. A beautifully finished custom tank was added to the build, hand made by the guys from Dozer along with seat pan, seat and many other items. I really like the fine pin stripes that follow the contours of the custom tank. They highlight the lines perfectly and tie in with the black frame and wheels.

The huge big fat Firestone tyres really fill out the wheels on this bike making the whole thing look much lower than it is. The cleaned up and retuned engine sits perfectly in with the style. I love the fact that it’s been cleaned but not replaced with brand new chromed parts. The slightly worn feel adds to the history and not to mention looks bad ass. The exhaust was done by Vance and Himes along with a new mirrors, grips and finished off by the brown and white paint job done by the guys at Dozer. They have made brown look really cool and everyone must agree it looks amazing.

Dozer Garage are based in Poland with the bike currently for sale at $12000 so drop them a line if your interested. They specialise in custom motorcycles but can also produce some sweet hot rods, roadsters and custom cars, They have been producing bikes for over 8 years now and work closely with the customer to get the finished product just how they want it.

Images: Eugene Kredentser

Website: dozergarage.com

from .moto-verso

HONDA CB550 BY MEYERBUILT METALWORKS

By Wes Garcia | Megadeluxe

Cliff Meyer is a pediatric ICU nurse during the day and builds motorcycles during his spare time. Inspired by watching motorcycle reality shows, Cliff taught himself how to weld and fabricate metal. From there he worked part time at a a small racing and fabrication shop until he started Meyerbuilt Metalworks about four years ago. His mentor through all of this has been his great-uncle Jerry Schwarz—one of Carroll Shelby’s chief mechanics and fabricators.

Cliff is based in Indiana, so I asked him if the state’s motorsport heritage influences his builds. “The racing culture affects my designs in that I don’t really put much on the bike that doesn’t need to be there. I prefer to just make a bike for what it is … riding.”

For this build, a 1974 Honda CB550, he took inspiration from aircraft design, since his client is in the United States Coast Guard. “This is where the rivets and polished aluminum accents come in,” Cliff noted.

The gas tank, fairing, tail section, and sub-frame are all handmade with a brushed finish. Graphics were done by Pete at Freelance Graphics in Indianapolis with the owner’s direction. The sub-frame was then polished to show some contrast to the frame and tins.

Other custom fabricated items include the rear swingarm. The main structure is stock CB550, but bracing and mounts were added to the monoshock.

There is a small “cockpit” plate on the top triple clamp that holds the ignition and a bicycle speedometer. There’s also a smartphone mount that Cliff customized to fit in the steering stem. A USB charging port is conveniently located under the seat, so his client’s smartphone can be plugged in for GPS navigation.

The turn signals are all Cliff’s original design, using LEDs and custom housings up front and attached to custom headlight mounts. The rear signals are frenched into the sub-frame, and the tail light is frenched into a housing in the tail.

The battery and fuses are inside the tail too, with the regulator/rectifier mounted under the sub-frame. All wiring is hidden under a plate mounted under sub-frame.

The seat was upholstered by Kent Upholstery in Indianapolis. “Kevin Kent is a great guy and his work speaks for itself. He’s done three previous seats for me … and is getting a fourth soon!”

The Honda engine had a top-end going through by Cliff’s good friend Rob Lemon. “Rob did my last bike engine, and it hasn’t needed to be touched in over a year.”

The exhaust is a complete custom 2-2 stainless system. This was an added “option” that the owner and Cliff talked about. Together they decided that the CB550 would look great with a brushed stainless exhaust and went with it.

Mufflers are from Cone Engineering, the wheels are Harley-Davidson, front end is from a 2004 GSX-R600 and the front rotors are from a Hayabusa. Tires are Shinkos and brakes are GSX-R front and rear.

The frame was powder-“flawlessly”-coated satin black by KeCo Coatings in Indianapolis.

All the Honda parts came from Dime City Cycles. “I want to thank them for being so helpful and quick with the shipping,” says Cliff. “I’ll be turning to them again on my next project.”

Recently, Cliff got the owner’s permission to ride the bike to a local show. “It got some really nice feedback from the observers. It was great to hear all the positive comments on the bike.”

Cliff thoroughly tests all his bikes before hand-off. “Riding the bike was great, and I’ve put 100 miles on her. She handles great, and has very good response. I know Mike (the owner) is gonna love it. I can’t wait to deliver it to him.”

Wes Garcia is the chief editor of Megadeluxe, an online magazine covering the world of speed, sport and design. Images by Kyle Stevenson.

via BIKEEXIF

Sylvain Berneron update – Holographic Hammer

After designing the BMW Concept Ninety, Sylvain S383 is now launching an art page on Facebook called Holographic Hammer. Check it out here and give it a like, if you like.

He was also in Biarritz last week for the second edition of Wheels & Waves and sent me some nice photos from the event.

PS: The TZAR won the sprint race there, the pic attached was the prize, gold watch from March LA.B !

- See more at: http://blog.derestricted.com/design/sylvain-berneron-update-holographic-hammer/#sthash.ygVweTzz.dpuf

real pin up !