CAFÉ RACER 76: 02/18/14

mardi 18 février 2014

Le Championnat du monde Junior FIA a subi de profondes modifications depuis sa création en 2001. La saison 2014 marque le début d’une nouvelle ère avec Citroën et Michelin comme fournisseurs exclusifs. Michelin est aussi partenaire du Championnat d’Europe Junior lancé cette année.

En 2001, la Coupe du monde Pilotes FIA des Voitures Super 1600 était réservée aux pilotes de – de 28 ans et comprenait six épreuves. Elle a été remportée par Sébastien Loeb sur une Citroën/Michelin PH’Sport (5 victoires/5 courses), devant l’Italien Andrea Dallavilla (Fiat Punto S1600 RxD Motorsport).

L’année suivante, la FIA a inauguré le Junior World Rally Championship bâti sur le même règlement. L’Espagnol Dani Sola (Citroën Saxo S1600) s’est imposé sur le fil face au même Dallavilla. Puis Brice Tirabassi (Renault Clio S600), Per-Gunnar Andersson (Suzuki Swift S1600), Dani Sordo (Citroën C2 S1600), Patrik Sandell (Renault Clio S1600) sont venus ajouter leur nom au palmarès.

En 2007, ce championnat a été rebaptisé Junior Rally Championship. PG Andersson a décroché son second titre de catégorie, un an avant le 1^er sacre de Sébastien Ogier (Citroën C2 S1600). En 2009, cette série est redevenue championnat du monde Junior, avant un nouveau changement de nom (et de règlement) en 2011.

La WRC Academy était une série mono-marque, réservée aux Ford Fiesta R2 chaussées de pneus Pirelli. M-Sport gérait la préparation et l’exploitation des voitures, et la logistique pour tous les concurrents âgés de – de 25 ans. Craig Breen et Egon Kaur ont terminé ex-aequo, mais l’Irlandais a été titré grâce à un plus grand nombre de victoires de spéciales et a reçu la dotation de 500 000 €. La WRC Academy fut reconduite en 2012 avant de retrouver son appellation originelle Junior-WRC en 2013, tout en restant une série monotype.

La saison 2014 marque le début d’une nouvelle ère avec Citroên et Michelin désignés fournisseurs exclusifs. Citroën Racing a sélectionné plusieurs équipes répondant à son cahier des charges qui fourniront aux concurrents des programmes clés en main. Les Citroën DS3 R3 « max », références en 2-roues motrices, seront chaussées de pneumatiques Michelin « Compétition-Client » R11, R21, R31 sur asphalte, TZ80, 90 sur terre.

La saison comprend six rallyes et tous les résultats seront pris en compte. Les concurrents pourront également s’inscrire au championnat WRC3 ; le vainqueur pourrait donc être double Champion du monde ! La dotation du Junior-WRC est six manches mondiales WRC-2 2015 sur une Citroën R5.

Calendrier Junior-WRC 2014

3/6 avril : Vodafone Rally de Portugal

26/29 juin : Rally Poland

31 juil-3 août : Neste Oil Rally Finland

21/24 août : ADAC Rallye Deutschland

2-5 octobre : Rallye de France-Alsace

13-16 novembre : Wales Rally GB

from Rino Scala of Cafe Ricycles

TOP 5 HONDA CX500S

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Let’s be honest—Honda’s CX500 is not going to win any beauty contests. With a short wheelbase, high front end, awkward looking subframe and unflattering plastics, it earned nicknames such as ‘plastic maggot’ and güllepumpe (the German word for a pump used to shift liquid manure) when the Standard model was first released in 1978.

It had a lot going for it technologically, though. A water-cooled V-twin power plant, shaft drive and tubeless Comstar wheels put it at the cutting edge. Plus there was Honda’s legendary reliability, making it popular among couriers. But it was still ugly, a trait Honda tried to rectify with the CX500 Custom the following year. With a cruiser spin to it, the Custom was marginally prettier, with the biggest difference being a slimmer and sharper fuel tank.

Honda only produced the CX500 for five years, but lately it’s been enjoying a rise in popularity as a custom platform. So we’ve rounded up our five favorite custom CX500s—from builders that have miraculously managed to make the CX500 attractive.

Wrenchmonkees This brutal ‘chopper-racer’ is proof that the rather bland CX500 can be transformed into something radical. The donor bike was mechanically sound—the owner rode it all the way from France to the Wrenchmonkees’ shop in Copenhagen—but the frame needed some cleaning up.

Once that was sorted, they fitted the tank and wheels from a CX500 Custom, before chopping the rear of the frame and fabricating a solo seat and bobbed rear fender. The Wrenchmonkees also dropped the front forks, removed the airbox and relocated the battery box to open up the area under the seat.

A custom exhaust system was built to follow the angles of the frame, with wrapped headers and blacked-out mufflers. Tarozzi foot pegs and clip-ons were added, along with Posh grips. The speedo and headlight are from a Mini—wrapped in a handcrafted shroud. The bike was then entered into the Danish ‘Forever Two Wheels’ custom show, where it took first place in the Open class—right before its owner road it back to France. [More about this bike | Wrenchmonkees]

Hageman Motorcycles Greg Hageman’s builds all have one thing in common—great lines. This CX500, built for the first season of Café Racer TV (when Hageman was known as Doc’s Chops) is no exception. To sort out the CX’s lack of visual flow, Greg sourced a café seat made for a CB100 from Vietnam, and modified the awkward subframe to fit.

He then relocated most of the electronics to under the seat, and the battery to under the engine. The front forks were lowered and a Buell front brake installed. Greg also moved the foot controls back and up, and fitted Tarozzi clip-ons. The engine was left stock, but the carbs were rejetted and reverse cone mufflers added. Greg originally had the tank painted silver, but had a second candy tangerine tank painted as well. The bike has since, ironically, been sold to a buyer in Vietnam. [Hageman Motorcycles]

Moto Mucci An industrial designer by trade, Dave Mucci had a clear goal in mind for his first build, a 1978 CX500. “I wanted it to be two-up, a relatively inexpensive build, and not too pretty.” His original aim was to do all the work himself, but, since he was he was still learning, he called in the help of Analog Motorcycles to modify the frame and fabricate the seat pan. The upholstery was then done by Rod’s Designs. Dave lowered the CX by an inch at both ends—installing stiffer rear shocks and adding 20W oil to the forks.

He also rebuilt the carbs, wrapped the exhaust headers and installed a custom 8” Cherry Bomb muffler. Other aftermarket parts include clubman bars, natural Posh grips, a 7” headlight from SpeedMotoCo and NOS 70′s pistol grip levers from Japan. The fenders are chopped Gold Wing units, powdercoated black along with a few other select parts. A warm metallic grey color was chosen for the tank and side covers to complement the tan seat.

The result is an honest and muted custom that looks thoroughly rideable—Dave took it for an 800-mile two-up trip around Lake Michigan last year, ditching the clubmans for some low rise bars. He’s since gone on to customize a Yamaha SR250 for his girlfriend, and has a couple more bikes in the works. [More about this bike | Moto Mucci]

Garage Project To turn the lumpy CX500 into a lean café racer, Garage Project’s Rex Havoc enlisted the help of Brett Trutwein at Hand Made Vintage Kustoms. Rex stripped the bike before handing it over to Brett for fabrication and re-assembly. “I talked with Brett about the basic direction I wanted to achieve for the customer,” says Rex, “and he made suggestions which made it better.”

The donor bike came to them in tip-top shape—which was great, as the customer’s budget was extremely tight. They were able to leave the engine, carbs and airbox alone, and simply focus on cosmetics. The tank and side panels from a CX500 Custom were installed to slim the bike’s profile down, while the front forks were lowered to get the stance right. Brett fabricated a beautiful seat unit and made significant modifications to the rear of the frame. He also added the mufflers from a Harley Sportster, wrapped the pipes and cleaned up the wiring. Since the customer wasn’t planning on going fast, Firestone’s Deluxe Champion tyres were chosen. Other finishing kit includes clubman bars and Biltwell Kung Fu grips from Dime City Cycles and, my personal favorite, a triangular chopper headlight from Lowbrow Customs. [Garage Project]

Herencia Custom Garage This stunning 1980 CX500 scrambler was put together by Argentinian outfit HCG. It’s almost unrecognizable as a CX500—mostly due to the completely re-engineered subframe and seat. Another noticeable change is the fuel tank —as HCG’s Federico Lozada explains, “The CX500 in Argentina was not a much appreciated bike, so we decided to use a 1980 Honda XL250 gas tank, which was the most popular bike here.”

It’s finished in a classic Honda red, black and white scheme. The front end is from a 2010 Triumph Bonneville—including the forks, triple trees and brake caliper and disk. HCG also fitted Progressive shocks at the rear, a KTM 690 radiator, K&N filters and a lithium-ion battery, relocated to behind the gearbox. The stock wheels were powder coated black and treated to Coker tyres. Rounding things off are low-rise bars, MX-style foot pegs, smaller lights and blacked-out reverse cone mufflers. It’s a radical departure for the CX, and one that I wouldn’t mind having in my garage. [Herencia Custom Garage]

Illustration by Ian Galvin. Download his wallpapers created exclusively for Bike EXIFhere.

Ferrari 308 GTB: The black swan of Paris

Ever since Claude Lelouch’s classic short film ‘C'était un rendez-vous’, it has been the dream of every enthusiast to drive a Ferrari through the streets of Paris. Classic Driver had the opportunity to do just that, with a beautiful black 308 GTB…

It was capable of 158mph, a higher top speed than that of the Porsche 911 Turbo

Paris in the autumn of 1975: at the motor show, Ferrari had just shown off its new eight-cylinder model for the first time. Designed as a supplement to its 2+2-seated (and much maligned) sister, the boxy 308 GT4 Dino, the Gran Turismo Berlinetta's aim was to attract new buyers. Pininfarina designer Leonardo Fioravanti was responsible for the GTB, the same man who penned the original Dino and the stunning Daytona. Little did he know that the wedged shark shape, the flip-up headlights and the quad, round taillights were to shape the look of most Ferrari sports cars for the next two decades. The new GTB boasted a three-litre V8, generating 227HP (at 6,400rpm) and capable of 158mph, a higher top speed than that of the 1975 Porsche 911 Turbo.

Procession along the Seine

And the new model was a resounding success – more than 12,000 cars were built in ten years of production. With a little help from ‘Magnum PI’, the 308’s appeal stretched around the world. But while the open GTS is the ideal choice for cruising in Hawaii, on this gloomy day in Paris we’re quite happy to hear the rain pitter-pattering on the roof above us. This wonderful 1979 GTB is currently for sale at De Widehem Automobiles. It’s presented in a timeless colour combination: black paintwork with beige leather and French yellow headlights; we just can’t resist taking the car for a short parade along the Seine.

Fast, easy, unpretentious

In the Seventies, the GTB left the Italian competition from Lamborghini, Maserati and De Tomaso behind. Its sturdy body (either glassfibre or steel), predictable handling and comfortable seats made it one of the first truly all-round Ferraris. Even today, the 308 is surprisingly agile, battling the taxis, vans and scooters with ease.

Commuting capability

This horse isn’t just for weekends, either – the GTB would take the daily commute to the office in its stride. And if you get up extra early, you could have your very own ‘Rendezvous’ moment on the empty city streets.

1948 Willys Overland Jeep Truck - Backward Glances

JIM ALLEN | WRITER

It was more than a little schizophrenic at Willys-Overland after World War II ended. One faction wanted to restart Willys’ car production ASAP. The other wanted to capitalize on the wartime jeep by creating a niche market building the CJ, the Willys Station Wagon and the Willys truck. The latter faction won, more or less, though Willys did get back into the car market for a few years in the ’50s.

What emerged in 1946 and 1947 were the Brooks Stevens-designed Willys Station Wagon and Pickup. The Wagon debuted in 1946 only as a two-wheeler (getting 4WD in 1949), but the pickup emerged in May of 1947 in both two- and four-wheel-drive models. Oddly, the two-wheelers were rated as ½-tons and the 4x4s as 1-tons. Both were powered by the same four-cylinder flathead that had powered the wartime jeep, albeit with a few upgrades and a whopping 3hp rating increase.

1948 Willys Overland Jeep Truck Side Shot

Yeah, it was no powerhouse, but what the Willys 4x4 pickup lacked in engine output it made up for by being almost unique in its class. Besides the Dodge Power Wagon, it was the only production 4x4 pickup you could buy. The Power Wagon was bigger and burlier, but costlier and thirstier as well, so the two trucks contrasted enough to share the market well.

The ’47 and early ’48 pickups were nearly the same but detail changes came by midyear of 1948. They had an all-metal stepside bed that measured 80x48.5 inches and the 4x4s were rated for a 5,300-pound GVW with a 3,300-pound curb weight. The pickup’s front wrap and cowl matched the Wagon style but the trim options were a little more basic.

Ron Stauffer’s ’48 Jeep Truck rolled off the line in Army Gray paint and spent the first four or five years of its life in the Army. It was bought surplus by a farm field tile company and was towed behind the ditching machine to the farms where tile was to be laid, then used to haul tile and provide transport to the site. The rest of its history is a blur of hard work and neglect until Stauffer bought it in July of 2006. It was in sad shape, and it took Stauffer almost four years to finish a restoration. He upgraded from the bare-bones Army spec truck to a two-tone Riviera Gray/Bermuda Blue color scheme and added the chrome accoutrements that were optional at the time.

The Go Devil four-cylinder was rated for 63 rip-snorting horsepower but was different in many small ways from the wartime engine. A Warner Gear T-90 column-shift backed up the engine, the T-90 having a slightly lower gear spread than the T-90A used in the CJ (3.44:1 First gear versus 2.80:1). The transfer case was the same as the CJ, the Spicer Model 18. The front axle was a Spicer 25, very similar to the CJ, but the rear was a Timken 51540 split housing semi-float rear axle with a 10-inch spiral-bevel ring gear and rated for a 4,800-pound axle load.

The Willys truck was also called the “Jeep Truck” to help capitalize on the wartime exploits of the military jeep. With many upgrades, including the addition of a six-cylinder engine that delivered more-than-adequate power, it was offered for sale through 1965, though production stopped in 1964. By then, it was a very dated truck.

The Jeep truck broke little new ground in its long production life, but was one of the earliest 4x4 pickups a person could buy. Light and compact, it was perfect for many jobs on both the commercial and the private sides. It sold very well through the ‘50s when the other American truck makers finally got wise and began offering a factory 4x4 option. Today, they are a stylish collectable that offers Jeep fans a way to get off the CJ bandwagon.

This ’48 is owned and was restored by Ron Stauffer, who is a noted Indiana car collector and restorer. Ron specializes in ’40s and ’50s Ford V-8 cars and has a collection of show-winning cars in that category. He has a few oddballs in his large collection, including the Willys truck and a ’41 Ford GP prestandardized jeep. He said the style of the Willys trucks has always attracted him, and when he saw the early-style interior, he just had to restore one.

The Details
Vehicle: 1948 Willys-Overland Jeep Truck
Owner: Ron Stauffer
Estimated value: $21,000
Engine: 4-cyl, Willys Go-Devil L-head
Power (hp): 63 @ 4,000 rpm (gross, about 55hp net)
Torque (lb-ft): 105 @ 2,000
Bore & stroke (in): 3.13 x 4.38
Comp. ratio: 6.48:1 (7.0:1 opt.)
Transmission: 3-spd, Warner T-90, column-shift
Transfer case: 2-spd, Spicer 18
Front axle: Spicer 25
Rear axle: Spiral-bevel, Timken 51540, semi-float
Axle ratio: 5.38:1
Tires: 7.00-16
L x W x H (in): 182.5 x 73.16 x 74.5
Wheelbase (in): 118
GVW (lbs): 5,300
Curb weight (lbs): 3,330
Fuel capacity (gal): 15
Min. grd. clearance (in): 8.125
Approach angle (deg): 48
Departure angle (deg): 50
Ramp breakover (deg): N/A