mercredi 26 février 2014
Honda C70 – Minority Custom Motorcycles
Written by Martin Hodgson
In the post World War II period there were two types of people who rode a motorbike in America, outlaws and the police. But all that would change in 1963 when armed with his small Super Cub model, Soichiro Honda launched his campaign to win over the masses. The 12 year blitz that included sponsoring the Academy Awards convinced the US and the World that motorcycles offered a lifestyle they could aspire to. 50 years on and the success of the marketing campaign is obvious. The Super Cub has surpassed 60 million units and made Honda the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. But never could Mr Honda have envisaged his little Super Cub being converted into an outlaw in such a way as Minority Custom’s “The Eyes”.
Any less and it wouldn’t be there at all
Gone is the chain guard designed to keep oil off your freshly pressed suit, the upright handle bars and big comfy seat that took you to the office in luxury and just like it’s bigger rivals of the 60’s this little Cub is chopped down and bare boned. Starting with a 1980 Honda C70, Jonathan Evan from Minority Custom Surabaya, Indonesia set about creating a Cub with a “fierce and strong” road presence.
Starting at the back of the bike a new hard tail rear section was fabricated and widened to allow the addition of a huge (by Cub standards) 130 rear tyre, giving the bike that classic Bobber look. The bench style seat was ditched in favour of a slimmed down bicycle unit and the fender deleted to remove more unnecessary weight. Complementing the rigid rear is a polished Springer front end with cut and reversed Honda Monkey bars for that ultra-minimalist look. The Step Through (or underbone) frame was smoothed and de-tabbed before being repainted and “The Eyes” graphics applied.
To keep the period look the standard rims were ditched and re-laced using polished Yamaha DT Hubs, resulting in a 17″ front and 15″ rear. And nothing says Bobber like a suicide shifter. To give the Cub a little more pep, a larger custom carburetor was fitted and the exhaust is now a heat wrapped, straight through item ensuring “The Eyes” is both seen and heard.
The eyes have it
It’s hard to know what Honda-San would make of this marrying of his little Cub with its outlaw rivals, prowling as it does down Indonesian roads. But in 2014’s custom culture this little C70 is Bad to the underbone.
via PIPEBURN
WRENCHMONKEES GOLDWING
We’ve seen very few Goldwings on The Bike Shed, but probably because it’s a big old beast to bring into a custom culture that is all about stripping things back and raw simplicity. It’s also a bike that was never meant to be seen naked, but this didn’t put the Wrench Monkees off having a go at Honda’s giant touring mile-muncher.
“Getting around a Goldwing is both a challenge and a sweet treat. A challenge because it is so massive and bulky, with very little sophistication. A sweet treat because most builders stay away from this ugly dugly of a Jap beast. So there are not many expectations or style guides to be compared to. No ‘Dos & Don’ts’ …We always love when we can move with out limitations.”
“The old Goldwings are steady steamers built for long hold cruising and the feel is quite special. Its just over sized. You think you jump into a big roaring beast, but driving it is smooth and surprisingly gentle.”
“Jakob, the local Copenhagener who ordered the bike originally fell in love with our own garage bike #43 – a scrap bike built from what we had on the shelves (despite its scruffy look this wing has been rebuilt and cared-for all the way inside out). Jakob is quite a huge Fellow and around 1m95 tall, so he needed a bike with some proportions. The Goldwing is, despite its massive volume, not really a natural match for a tall guy, but we fixed that by stretching the length of the tank and mounting a more stretched out handlebar.”
“The bike was not sketched-up before the building. Jakob gave us a good long time to build it. We love when we get that option. This way a bike can mature and go through a series of experiments. The tank came in late in the process. It was one-off, hand-built in aluminium for a Ducati 900ss private race project we are playing around with after hours for ourselves, but when we got the tank in, it just did it on the old ‘Wing. Along the way it grew into an odd mix of styles we don’t even really know how to give a name. Can’t get any better then that!”
The frame and swingarm have been left as standard but repainted in dark grey/green metallic paint, and the front forks have been lowered. The wheels were rebuilt with stainless steel spokes on 3,00″ x16″ rims front and rear, powder coated in semi-gloss. The Coker Classic tyres re 5.00×16″. To stop the beast the guys have fitted a Honda CBR1000 front brake master cylinder and steel braided hoses with the standard calipers on EBC discs. The rear setup is standard but aldo upgraded with S/S lines.
The engine and carbs have been fully rebuilt, running K&N filters and cafe-style endcans fitted to the standard headers. An Odessey battery runs the electrics from a new position under the swingarm with new wiring. Along side the one-off custom tank are a one-off seat, aluminum rear fender from the WM catalog and Tarozzi footpegs. The rear lamp, front 6 1/2″ headlight and fairing are also from WM, as are the black WM handlebar wears black Biltwell grips and the rear shocks.
The end result as an intimidating beast, but she looks good. We can only imagine what it looks like with 2 metres of great Dane on board, tearing up the asphalt. Thanks to Andreas and the guys at WM for sharing. See more from theWrenchmonkees on their website, or here on the Bike Shed.
PORSCHE 911 L RALLY
In 1968 Porsche relented to customer demand and produced a limited run of the 911 L with the full 9552 Rally Kit fitted, factory records indicate that 28 were made in total however less than 9 of these original cars are thought to remain.
These factory prepared cars saw significant successes in rally competitions in Europe and around the world, with some of them even making their way into Trans Am and SCCA events in the USA where they were campaigned vigorously against the American sports cars of the era.
The 911 L you see here was recently discovered in storage in Finland, remarkably it’s in original condition throughout and has never seen a restoration or refurbishment – making it highly likely that it’s the most original of the remaining 911 L rally cars.
It was originally delivered to Antti Aarnio-Wihuri, the well-known principal of the AAW Racing Team based in Helsinki. AAW Racing raced the car extensively in the late 1960s and early 1970s, they replaced the original engine with a higher-performing 2.0 litre 911 S engine at some point in the car’s life, most likely to keep it competitive in the fast evolving world of European rally racing.
The current owner has elected to keep the car in “as is” condition, meaning that it still has its original Tangerine 6809 paintwork layered with original sponsorship logos from Shell, Michelin, and Pall Mall. It’s also fitted with its original hood-mounted driving lamps, dash-mounted rally timer, roll cage, racing seats and original its original racing number “35″.
With a 180hp flat-6 coupled to a 5-speed manual transaxle, 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes and 4-wheel independent suspension, this is a vintage 911 that can happily throwdown with many modern sports cars out on the track and probably embarrass them quite handily if driven in anger.
If you’d like to add this car to your collection, you’ll need to attend the Gooding & Co Amelia Island Auction on the 7th of March 2014, its value is difficult to determine due to its rarity and original condition but Gooding is estimating a final hammer price in the $350,000 to $500,000 range.
Click here to read more.
All images copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photos by Mathieu Heurtault.
via SILODROME
TOP FUEL II BY DP CUSTOMS
DP Customs is one of our favourite American custom motorcycle builders, their no-bullshit approach to engineering and design is uniquely appealing and thankfully they’ve chosen to stay away from the blinged-out-chrome-show-ponies that seem to be produced by almost everyone with a wrench and a goatee.
This is one of their newer bikes, it started life as a classic ’81 Harley Ironhead although almost all that remains from the original bike is the reconditioned 1000cc V-Twin. The beautiful cobalt blue paint work and matte white exhausts give the bike an almost aeronautical feel and I get the impression that this bike would be the perfect summertime coastal highway cruiser.
If you like this bike from DP Customs check out their Naked Café here, their Mele here and their Super Sano Beach Cruiser here.
via SILODROME
Porsche 928 GTS: An end to the front-engined debate?
Those looking for a respectable classic with brisk performance and long-distance capabilities – not to mention a dash of 1980s panache – could do a lot worse than the Porsche 928 GTS, despite what the naysayers might think…
Early Porsche 911s, and even more recent versions such as the 964 and 993, have always represented a solid investment - almost regardless of specification. Most are loved, maintained properly and driven regularly by their owners, hence one is hardly stunned into awe-struck silence by seeing a good example on the road. As Frank Jacob of German specialist Springbok Sportwagen explains, the popularity of the 911 has encouraged some buyers to look elsewhere: “We’ve been dealing with classic 911s for 25 years, but recently it seems that more and more customers are looking for something different.”
A colourful choice
That doesn’t mean you have to steer clear of Zuffenhausen; it merely means focusing your attention on the lesser-loved stable of front-engined Porsches. Of these, the 928 has arguably the best-matured shape of all, something we are reminded of during our rendezvous with a contrasting pair at the Springbok showroom. Both sport striking interior hues augmented by their exterior shades of Amethyst and Tahoeblau – each one a refreshing alternative to the commonly seen black-on-black examples.
The Gran Turismo Sport, abbreviated to ‘GTS’, formed the final chapter of the 928’s lengthy production window. With its forward-thinking design maturing nicely by 1992, a body-coloured rear wing was the most notable of the GTS’s stylistic amendments; of far more importance was the enlarged V8 (from 5.0 to 5.4 litres), and the additional 40-odd horsepower it brought.
The responsible bigger brother
During our brief test-drive, we’re reminded that although the 928 was famously intended to replace the 911, in truth it was a different being altogether. Much more of a luxurious GT with sporting genes of both a visual and technical nature (indeed, 85% were specified with the auto 'box, as these two were), the 928 eventually played the more responsible bigger brother role to the 911. Its handling was much more conventional, due to the engine being placed in what’s regarded as the ‘correct’ location to everyone but Porsche enthusiasts.
Late or early
Along with the very earliest models, which are now difficult to find in good condition, the GTS is one of the most sought-after versions of the 928. Prices currently start at 20,000 euros, with prime examples (much like the blue, low-mileage car seen here) nearer to 50,000. Having recently undergone work to the cambelt and famous passive-steer Weissach rear transaxle, for now it addresses the main downside of 928 ownership: as with all Porsches, maintenance and repair can prove costly. But for most, the refinement, looks and pedigree it offers in return will do enough to justify a wince-worthy bill every now and again. Perhaps even the rear-engine die-hards will come around one day, too.
Photos: Jan Richter
Several Porsche 928s can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
adventure !!
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