via SPECIAL CAFE
samedi 8 mars 2014
GARB: KODIAK MOMENT
When you find yourself on an Alaskan adventure, make sure to capture it in the right way.
Poler Prospector Parka ($162). Poler Reversible Vest ($62). Poler Excursion Pack ($140).Poler Wy'East Glove ($89). Poler x Smith and Smith IO Goggles ($175). DJI Phantom 2($680). Nike Lunarterra Arktos Shoes ($190). Genuine US Navy Watch Cap ($7). Pelican 1500 Water Tight Protective Case ($100). Gerber Bear Grylls Canteen ($25). GoPole Evo($40). 76 LED Headlamp ($47). Ricoh GR Digital Camera ($637).
This edition of Garb is presented by our friends at Poler.
2014 Yamaha Factory Racing Dakar Film
2007 Triumph Bonneville by Ton-Up Garage
When it comes to custom bike builders in Portugal, there’s only a handful that immediately spring to mind. Porto’s Ton-Up Garage are one of the standouts in a country more famous for producing world class soccer players than world class motorcycles. Their latest bike is named ‘Hiawatha’ and was obviously given that moniker after the legendary American Indian leader who departed down the river on his hand crafted wooden canoe and came back up riding a modified motorcycle – but don’t quote me on that. Or as the guys at Ton-Up put it: “the green tones of nature sprayed the grey ashes left upon Hiawatha’s departure with the seeds of life and warmed by the Sun allowed the peacemaker’s return.” Ok, now pass me that peace pipe.
‘Hiawatha’ was a commissioned build for one of Ton-Ups clients based in Lisbon, Portugal. “He saw one of our previous bikes build upon a Triumph Bonneville – the Urban Pearl and decided he wanted to have his own exclusive Ton-up Garage motorcycle, also using a Triumph Bonneville as a donor bike.” So they went about finding him the perfect donor, a second hand 2007 carbs Bonnie and started the build.
First up the engine and electronics were worked to deliver more power and torque. The engine was painted black, only painting in green the sprocket cover. Ton-Up also installed a new exhaust system to “give a little more boost to the engine response, along with the K&N air filters.”
Ton-up built the rear mudguard and also painted it in the ‘natural’ green colour. They also cut and rebuilt the rear section of the frame to fit the battery, ignition and electric parts and also to go along with their simple seat design. They also fitted a grey handmade Ton-up Garage seat so the buyer could take his partner in crime for rides on the winding Lisbon roads. Also keeping with the inconspicuous theme, they fitted a small speedo, black handlebar and black grips.
They also installed a hydraulic clutch lever system and also changed the front brake master cylinder with less volume than the original one. “We also replaced original handlebar commands and switches replacing them for less volume units in black, to become unnoticed” says Ton-Up.
“The wheels rims and hubs were coloured in black and we’ve fitted 16” rim on both wheel with classic style tires.The stock rear shocks were replaced by two Ohlins shocks and also the fork springs were changed to Ohlins progressive springs and suspension were tuned to have a better response.”
Photography by Joel Bessa.
1975 Kawasaki KZ400 by Vast Moto
Written by Ian Lee.
Motorcyclists sure are a social bunch. Which is weird seeing as the act of riding is a solitary pursuit in itself. However, many a strong friendship has been forged over a rusted bolt or faulty starter motor. And some can lead to greater things. It is thanks to this social aspect that we have today’s feature bike, Vast Moto’s 1975 Kawasaki KZ400. Created in a small Portland workshop, the bike is built on the concept of motorcycles built for the people, by the people. Being the first build completed by a bunch of roustabouts who banded together for a common cause, this little Kwaka is proof of what can happen when you fall in with the right crowd.
Mike Aberle, the appointed ‘Top Banana’ of Vast Moto, is a self confessed motorcycle tragic. Fifteen years ago Mike was given a KZ900 in return for some masonry work, and the addiction started to take hold. Parked up in a basement for sometime under a sheet, the KZ was given a freshen up and started twelfth kick. It was at that moment that Mike realised he was hooked. A fan of Japanese motorcycles, primarily Kwaka’s, Mike spent the next twelve years working on his knowledge of all things moto.
With a fairly decent collection of bikes bought, sold, fixed, parted or hoarded for over a decade. Then a chance arose for Mike to throw in his lot with a co-op motorcycle workshop in his home town of Portland. With mixed views as to the direction the shop would take, the first era of Vast Moto’s existence was a tad chaotic. According to Mike himself: “We weren’t all sure what the shop was. Some of us wanted to be a custom motorcycle shop, some of us wanted to fix what others won’t or can’t, and some of us just wanted a place to hang out and talk about bikes.”
After completing a couple of builds in collaboration with others, Mike wanted to see if Vast Moto could perform a complete frame up build of it’s own. And he had just the bike in mind. The mid 70s KZ would make a great platform for a classy little British style cafe racer, yet keep the reliability of a Japanese commuter bike. To ensure the longevity of the powerplant, the internals were left standard during the engine rebuild. The airbox was swapped out for a set of velocity stacks, and the carbs rejetted to suit the opened up exhaust system. Mike is a fan of the adage ‘simpler is sometimes better’, enjoying the simplicity of a kickstart cranking system.
Aesthetically, the bike looks like a million dollars. This is mainly due to the 23K gold leaf inlay on the British Green paintjob. The tank and seat are custom jobs made inhouse at Vast Moto – an aspect of the build that Mike is really proud of. A set of rearsets were considered, but the factory position was retained after measurements showed an awkward riding position due to the small stature of the machine.
To keep the frame neat and clutter free, the electrics have been relocated under the beautifully formed seat. In a stroke of genius a battery from an emergency exit lamp has been utilised to minimise the bulkiness of the electrical system. You may have noticed the bike doesn’t rock any indicators, the harness is there but Mike prefers the streamlined look and old school hand signals. Smoothing the lines of the machine, the headlight and gauge cluster have been dropped using custom bracketry. Although bulky in relation to the rest of the build, the gauge cluster and hand controls help to “keep the KZ spirit alive”.
From a chance encounter with a basement find KZ900, Mike Aberle has spent over a decade refining his motorcycle skills. The dream of starting a co-op motorcycle workshop realised, Vast Moto has managed to produce a simple and elegant café racer – all while retaining the soul of this mid 70s small capacity machine. Mike has decided to put the bike up for sale to fund his next project, so if you like what you see then hit him up via the Vast Moto Facebook page.
[Photography by Tom McPherson]
MEET SOME OF THE NORTHSIDERS
Some of the crew that went to the 351 Annual Meeting
this is a small selected set of photos taken by our great friend and photographer JOSÉ MATOS
Independence days: When brands were free
Were it not for commercial giants such as VW/Audi, Richemont and the Swatch Group, there seems little doubt that many of the makers of cars and watches beloved of people like us – Classic Driver types, I mean – would no longer exist...
Neither Bentley nor Lamborghini, for example, are likely to have been so successful without VW behind them , and Aston Martin might well have been long gone without the intervention of Ford a startling 20 years ago. And what about Rolls-Royce? Saved by BMW for certain, likewise the Mini/MINI brand, and probably the same for Land Rover thanks to Tata.
Creativity vs. profitability?
Watch-wise, I doubt we'd still be able to buy a new Breguet, Blancpain, Glashütte or Hamilton had Swatch not taken them under its wing, and even Omega and Longines might not have survived. As for A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre - could they really have carried on without the might of Richemont behind them? It seems improbable.
But many people believe something gets lost when a name that was once famous in its own right becomes the puppet of a conglomerate which, inevitably, measures success by profit and loss. The main problem is usually that free thinking and creativity become stifled in favour of a design ethic that has more to do with production costs than the urge to make something really special.
In the case of cars, add in the constraints of modern-day safety standards and it quickly becomes obvious why there will never be any more products from the famous names which are as daringly designed as, for example, the Jaguar E-type or Lamborghini Espada.
Icons of individuality
And when it comes to watches, could today's brilliantly clever CAD software and a team of holding company accountants ever have produced horological icons such as the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, the Omega Speedmaster or the IWC Portuguese – that were all created, tellingly, when said brands were wholly independent?
But the fact is, today's buzz-word in the luxury goods game is once again 'individuality' - which is why, for example, the builders of high-end custom motorcycles are currently doing a roaring trade.
No monkeying around
Copenhagen-based Nicholas Bech, the co-founder of the hugely successful Wrenchmonkees custom shop, recently told me that customers come to them because they want something no one else has got, rather than the type of 'universal' motorcycles offered by the big manufacturers.
"We've made bikes for everyone from students to high-end businessmen, doctors, lawyers and artists, all of whom have one thing in common - they wanted something individual.
"But the real irony of it is that now that the café racer movement is getting huge, the big brands want to join in – but the only way they can really do that is by commissioning one-off bikes for promotional use through underground builders like us."
Photos: Getty / Manufacturers / Jaeger LeCoultre / Wrenchmonkees
Classic cars, watches and motorbikes can be found for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)