ACE CAFE RADIO

    dimanche 8 décembre 2013

    it's the film for sunday : The Glory Days of British Motorbikes

    cafe racer 02b 1280 The Glory Days of British Motorbikes   Full Film

    Timeshift returns with an exploration of the British love of fast, daring and sometimes reckless motorbike riding during a period when home-grown machines were the envy of the world. From TE Lawrence in the 1920s, to the 'ton up boys' and rockers of the 1950s, motorbikes represented unparalleled style and excitement, as British riders indulged their passion for brands like Brough Superior, Norton and Triumph.

    But it wasn't all thrills and spills - the motorbike played a key role during World War II and it was army surplus bikes that introduced many to the joy and freedom of motorcycling in the 50s, a period now regarded as a golden age. With its obsession with speed and the rocker lifestyle, it attracted more than its fair share of social disapproval and conflict. Narrated by John Hannah.



    Guy Martin vs Mickael Dunlop , ULSTER GP


    SEMA Drag Race! '70 Mustang vs Porsche 911 vs Ultra Four Buggy -

    2013 SEMA Drag Race  2  El Toro Hanger

    After a week of checking out the action at the 2013 SEMA Show, Greg, Finnegan and Fred meet at El Toro Marine Base to drag race a vehicle from their world. Representing the tuner side, Greg brings a 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo from bbi autosport. Not to be outdone, Finnegan enlists the 1970 Harbinger Mustang built by Agent 47, while Fred shows up with an LS3 powered Ultra Four Buggy from Bomber Fabrication. 


    Ford/M-Sport – a home for new talent / Ford/M-Sport, révélateur de talents


    Following Ford’s withdrawal from the WRC, the brand is now represented by the British specialist M-Sport which ran two teams in 2013. The year provided mixed results but revealed two talented youngsters, Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans.

    Ford n’est plus engagé officiellement en WRC mais était représenté cette année par la structure britannique M-Sport qui engageait deux équipes. Le bilan 2013 est mitigé au niveau des résultats, mais M-Sport a révélé de nouveaux talents comme Thierry Neuville et Elfyn Evans.
    This season was the first time since 2005 that Ford/M-Sport failed to win a round of the world championship. Despite the best efforts of Qatar M-Sport WRT’s Mads Ostberg and Evgeny Novikov, and Qatar WRT’s Thierry Neuville and Nasser Al-Attyah, the still-competitive Ford Fiesta RS WRC had to settle for a number of podium finishes. The two Qatar-backed teams ended up third and fourth in the year’s Manufacturers’ standings.
    After being accredited with his first WRC win in 2012, Ostberg was named as one of Qatar M-Sport’s A-team drivers this season. He scooped a promising third place in Sweden, led in Mexico before being halted by an alternator problem and led again in Portugal before going off. That seemed to be a watershed moment and he had to wait until Finland for his next top-three result. Even so, the Norwegian collected more fastest stage times (17) than either Sordo or Hirvonen in 2913 and was the only driver to match Ogier’s pace early on.
    The season proved even more complex for Evgeny Novikov, his team-mate at M-Sport’s ‘A team’. The Russian started badly with an off on the Rallye Monte-Carlo but seemed more competitive in Portugal and Argentine (4th). Helped by a high retirement rate on SS1, he led briefly in Greece but was eventually passed by Latvala. He claimed fifth place on asphalt in France and Spain, but crashed again in Wales.
    Jamais depuis 2005 Ford et M-Sport n’avaient été « fanny » en Championnat du monde des Rallyes FIA. Ni Mads Ostberg, ni Evgeny Novikov, les deux pilotes officiels Qatar M-Sport WRT, ni Thierry Neuville, ni Nasser Al-Attyah, les pilotes Qatar WRT, ne sont parvenus à faire triompher une Ford Fiesta RS WRC pourtant toujours dans le coup face à la concurrence. Les deux teams aux couleurs du Qatar ont terminé aux 3e et 4e places du championnat Constructeurs.
    Vainqueur de son premier rallye WRC sur tapis vert en 2012, le Norvégien Mads Ostberg avait été promu pilote officiel Qatar M-Sport cette année. Après une 3e place encourageante, en Suède, Mads était leader au Mexique avant son abandon (alternateur), puis de nouveau en tête au Portugal avant sa sortie de route. A partir de là, sa saison a basculé et Mads dut patienter jusqu’au Rallye de Finlande pour remonter sur un podium WRC. Il fut néanmoins plus performant que Sordo et Hirvonen avec 17 spéciales remportées, et fut le seul (hormis Loeb) à pouvoir suivre le rythme d’Ogier en début d’année.
    Ce fut encore plus compliqué pour son équipier Evgeny Novikov, élevé lui aussi au rang de pilote officiel. Le Russe a mal commencé avec une sortie de route au Rallye Monte-Carlo, avant de se reprendre un peu au Portugal et en Argentine (4e). En Grèce, après l’hécatombe de la 1èrespéciale, Evgeny s’est retrouvé en tête du rallye, mais il n’a pu résister à Jari-Matti Latvala. Il a effectué une fin de saison intéressante avec deux 5e places sur asphalte (France, Espagne) avant de terminer sur une nouvelle faute au Wales Rally GB.
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    After being active in the rises to fame of Petter Solberg, François Duval, Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala in the past, M-Sport – with the help of Qatar – enabled Thierry Neuville to flourish in 2013, even though the Belgian had been without a drive with only hours remaining before entries closed for the Rallye Monte Carlo! Neuville has yet to score his first WRC victory, but he emerged on the podium in Mexico and notched up five other top-three finishes en route to second in the championship to conclude his first complete season at this level. He posted 22 fastest stage times and led three rounds, including Finland and France.
    Another driver to make a name for himself with M-Sport in 2013 was last season’s WRC Academy winner Elfyn Evans. The Welshman got his first run in a World Rally Car in Sardinia (6th) and M-Sport gave him a drive in the brand new Ford Fiesta R5 which he steered to WRC-2 victory in Wales.
    Après avoir révélé Petter Solberg au début des années 2000, François Duval, Mikko Hirvonen ou encore Jari-Matti Latvala, M-Sport a sorti des rangs Thierry Neuville cette saison, lui qui était encore à pied à quelques heures de la clôture des engagements du « Monte-Carlo » ! Certes, le Belge n’a pas encore gagné son premier rallye WRC, mais il a signé son premier podium mondial au Mexique et enchaîné cinq autres podiums en milieu d’année pour décrocher le titre de vice-champion du monde dès sa première saison complète. Il termine 3e meilleur performer 2013 avec 22 spéciales remportées et a mené trois rallyes, dont Finlande et France, face à une très grosse concurrence.
    Autre talent révélé par M-Sport cette saison, le Gallois Elfyn Evans. Vainqueur de la WRC-Academy 2012, Elfyn a débuté en World Rally Car par une 6e place au Rallye de Sardaigne. M-Sport lui a ensuite confié la toute nouvelle Ford Fiesta R5 qu’il a conduite à la victoire WRC-2 au Wales Rally GB. Comme depuis 2010, Ford fut le constructeur le plus représenté parmi les 799 équipages engagés en WRC cette saison.

    Belstaff Presents: David Beckham

    Experience the exhilaration of racing through fields in the countryside on the back of a custom bike & explore the world of Belstaff with David Beckham. http://bit.ly/1aW30AU


    Volkswagen en tests chez Ogier


    L’équipe championne du monde a effectué une semaine de tests préparatoires au Rallye Monte-Carlo dans la région de Gap, sur les terres natales de Sébastien Ogier. Les tests se poursuivront la semaine prochaine dans le sud de la France.
    Deux semaines après l’arrivée du Wales Rally GB et une 10e victoire, les hommes de Volkswagen Motorsport sont de nouveau sur le pont cette semaine pour préparer le Rallye Monte-Carlo (15-18 janvier).
    L’équipe allemande a choisi la région de Gap, où se dérouleront deux étapes du « Monte-Carlo » 2014, pour sa première séance d’essais. Jari-Matti Latvala a roulé lundi et mardi, Sébastien Ogier l’a relayé mercredi et aujourd’hui, avant de passer le volant de la Polo R WRC à Andreas Mikkelsen vendredi.
    Lundi, Volkswagen avait planté campement près du Col de Tourettes sur une portion qui fut utilisée par une célèbre spéciale du Rallye Monte-Carlo, l’Epine-Rosans, pour la dernière fois en 2004. La journée a débuté sous des températures négatives (-5°C) avant que le thermomètre ne grimpe jusqu’à 12°C dans l’après-midi. Jari-Matti a enchaîné les allers-retours, testant les pneumatiques « soft » et « super-soft » de la gamme Michelin, ainsi que que différents réglages sur la Polo R WRC. Le Finlandais en a profité pour donner quelques sensations fortes à un compatriote journaliste !
    Le lendemain, Volkswagen a choisi une base d’essais entre Laborel et le Col Saint Jean, sur une portion de la mythique spéciale Montauban-sur-Ouvèze-Eygalayes, dont la première partie sera d’ailleurs empruntée par l’ES3/6 cette année. La montée du Col St Jean a été re-surfacée d’un revêtement plus abrasif pour les pneumatiques, et comprenait, comme souvent, quelques plaques d’humidité et de glace. Jari-Matti Latvala a parcouru environ 130 km au cours de cette journée studieuse où il a pu tester les pneus neige Michelin cloutés et non-cloutés.
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    mercredi, le Champion du monde Sébastien Ogier a pris le volant de la VW Polo R WRC sur cette même base et devant de nombreux supporters et quelques médias, dont notre ami Jérôme de l’Equipe qui a pu monter à côté du champion du monde : « A 180 km/h sur la glace, ça l’fait ! ». La journée a débuté à 8h30 sous des températures de -10°C. La route était verglacée par endroits, parfaite pour tester la gamme « hiver » de Michelin et notamment l’endurance des pneumatiques : Volkswagen a souhaité enchaîner une cinquantaine de kilomètres avec les mêmes pneus, soit le kilométrage de la spéciale Vitrolles-Faye qui attend les concurrents au prochain Rallye Monte-Carlo. La séance s’est terminée à 17h30, la route étant trop polluée pour fournir des informations pertinentes.
    Jeudi au lieu de revenir au Col de Tourettes comme prévu initialement, Volkswagen et Sébastien Ogier ont demandé à la FIA et aux autorités locales de pouvoir changer de base pour évoluer sur la neige. C’est donc à une cinquantaine de kilomètres au nord-est de Gap, dans le Champsaur où est né Sébastien Ogier il y a bientôt 30 ans, que tout le monde s’est retrouvé . A plus de 1600 mètres d’altitude, la route menant à la station de ski d’Orcières-Merlette était enneigée à souhait et l’ancien moniteur de ski a pu s’en donner à cœur joie au volant de la VW Polo R WRC !

    Hazan Motorworks



    One of our favourite bikes we have featured this year was the elegant Royal Enfield Bullet 500 built by the very talented Max Hazan from Hazan Motorworks. The bike was pure class and had a level of craftsmanship we rarely see. This film gives us a look into Max's world and his passion for building these bespoke motorcycles from his Brooklyn based workshop. You can tell he loves what he does and is the first to admit he is one hell of a lucky guy to be making a career from it. A lot of people dream of chucking in that desk job, Max is actually living that dream.
    via PIPEBURN

    DUCATI CUSTOM BY CORSE MOTORCYCLES


    Ducati custom
    Anthony Warnock is an ex-WSBK/MotoGP mechanic and now runs Corse Motorcycles in Perth, Australia. His specialty is late model Ducatis, having worked in Europe on the racing scene for 12 years, and for the factory itself in 2003. When he returned back to his home town, he was given the opportunity to set up his own shop—something he’d always dreamed of.
    Anthony met Nat Graham-Helwig, the owner of this Ducati custom, through a mutual friend. Having worked on some of Nat’s bikes in the past (including a 1198S Corse) they became good friends.
    Ducati custom
    One day, the two got talking about café racers and Sport Classics, and the next thing Anthony knew there was a 2006 Sport Classic on his bench. As Anthony puts it, “Once Nat gets something in his head, it all happens pretty quickly.”
    The first goal was to build something that was different from what people had done in the past with the Ducati Sport Classic. But not defer too far away from what the bike originated from. “We looked at every part of the bike and discussed color, finish and whether we’d change it, then what options we had. We made sure we did the little things too, whether people noticed them or not.”
    Ducati custom
    Because of his racing experience, this bike had to perform at the highest levels. “Having spent 12 years building race bikes in WSBK and MotoGP,” Anthony explains, “it was imperative that this bike was not just a timeless café racer to go for a cruise on, but also one I’d be more than happy to take to a local track day and throw some laps with the bigger boys.”
    Ducati custom
    To get to this level, these two perfectionists spent a lot of time testing different parts and options. Like trying four sets of bars to get the seating position right, and clearance away from the tank. “We tried four different seat designs, and the paint scheme changed possibly ten times before we locked in what you see here.” In the end, both Anthony and Nat are happy with the end result. “It’s subtle but unique. It sounds and rides beautifully, and draws a crowd wherever it’s parked.”
    No doubt in my mind that this Ducati will be turning heads in Perth for years to come.
    Images by Hien Nguyen.
    Ducati custom
    Complete list of upgrades:
    • Tank & rear cowl painted in a two tone paint scheme with a gold pin stripe.
    • Re-trimmed seat with white stitching with diamond quill design.
    • MotoCreations Shotgun exhaust.
    • Wasp Power Up Kit with twin K&N filters and power commander.
    • Powder coated black headlight and instrument dials.
    • 14t front sprocket, rear sprocket and 520 chain with SpeedyMoto sprocket cover.
    • Woodcraft Clip-Ons.
    • Brembo RCS clutch and brake Master Cylinders and levers.
    • Rizoma Clutch, brake and rear brake fluid holders in black with brackets.
    • Goodrich brake and clutch line kit.
    • Discaccati billet front brake calipers, new rotors and titanium hardware.
    • EVR clutch plate, springs, and clutch cover.
    • EVR clutch slave cylinder.
    • NCR oversized oil cooler.
    • Öhlins front forks, rear shock, steering damper.
    • Black wheels with Metzeler K3 Racetec tires.
    • Pro-Bolt engine bolt kit.
    • Rizoma billet timing covers with perspex windows.
    • WASP Tail Tidy with Rizoma indicators.
    from BIKEEXIF

    BMW GS SAFARI 2013

    BMW Motorrad Australia celebrate another successful running of their annual GS Safari. 200 riders navigating through the epic Victorian High Country


    Trailers Are For Losers: 2000 Miles In An 8 Second GTR


    How many times do you hear an excuse for not going somewhere? ‘It’s too far’, ‘my car is too low’ or the classic ‘it might be bad weather’ all get trotted out far too often. What about ‘my R35 runs low 8s and the drag strip is a 2000 mile round trip away’?
    DSC_7161
    I’ve never heard that last one either, because it doesn’t exist. Oh and by the way, the guys from Exelixis Motorsport in Romania just tore up your excuse book and threw the pieces at your trailer parked in the corner. Because they just drove their R35 south from Bucharest through Bulgaria, into Greece and down to Athens. Then they caught a ferry to Crete, ran an 8.3 second quarter mile and drive home. Roughly 2000miles or 3000kms in total.
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    Mine is not to question why, I just salute such behaviour and am glad that we can celebrate it here at Speedhunters. Arthur from Exelixis did send me some words though, just so you can get an idea of the mindset it takes to undertake what a lot of us would think is crazy.
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    “This is not our first adventure of this kind but for sure it was the longest and the most rewarding. Since the last event, the car showed a lot of potential and the year was coming to an end, so we decided to hunt one last race down and one last record, to end the year. So that’s how we decided to hit the road for this drag race event that took place on Timpaki airport in Crete.  The 1300km trip there was a real pleasure, the car was eating mile after mile without any of the usual problems and hesitations of a dedicated drag car.”
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    “Once we reached the racing strip, everything was set for a great race: the weather was perfect, the strip was treated with glue and in pretty good condition. Our time got better with each run and finally, after a last minute tune, we hit the record-breaking run of 8.3 seconds with a 1.356 seconds 60ft and an exit speed of  281.69km/h (175.03mph).”
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    “That was the performance highlight of the trip and of this year but the adventure was not over because we then needed to drive 1300km home. We started from a warm (25 degrees Celsius) and sunny Crete and passed through rain and cloudy weather that climaxed with a lot of snow and icy conditions in Bulgaria.”
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    “Even under these harsh conditions the car worked brilliantly, proving to be 100% reliable and roadworthy, which can be a rare thing in the world of top performance R35s. In short, this is the story of the last adventure this year for Europe’s fastest GTR, who from now on will be known as SPARTACUS.”

    Kind of makes me want to go out for a drive. How about you? I know we need to go to Romania, that’s for sure. No excuses now…

    KEDO B-Track SR500






    Thank You Dario Franchitti


    ndy-500-winner-dario-franchitti
    The forced retirement on medical grounds of Dario Franchitti has brought to an end the racing career of one of Britain’s most successful drivers of the modern era of International motorsport.
    As skilled as he was on track (three-time Indy 500 winner, four-time Indycar Champion, 31 wins) he was also a pure ‘racer’, a breed of “have car, will race”. So besides his Indy wins, add in victories in the Daytona 24 Hours and the Sebring 12 Hours. Plus we know he loves his motorsport history, so we are big fans of Dario here at Motorsport Retro.
    Off the track, the tributes have poured in, from Formula 1 down, and one thing that shines through is the respect the Scotsman has among his peers. This emotional five-minute video compiled by Indianapolis Motor Speedway shows just how he is perceived, and the warmth of affection.
    Shortly before his accident at Houston, Franchitti completed his first book, Romance of Racingwith Andy Hallbery , a friend and contributor to Motorsport Retro. In the book Dario writes about  his personal legends, heroes and legends, with true insight and reverence. He would never see himself among the drivers he selected for the book, but not only does he have a well-earned place there, he has a group of friends for life. And judging by this video, their favourite word to describe their comrade is: LEGEND. Watch this, smile and cry, and look back at the wonderful career of Dario Franchitti.
    Romance of Racing, a 136-page book by Dario Franchitti is available now via Amazon by clicking here
    “Thank you, it was fun!” – Dario Franchitti
    romanceofracing

    Merlin