Dakar Rally 2015: Peugeot 2008 DKR - first test, new detailed technical data.

After grabbing public attention with the stunning new 2008 DKR, Team Peugeot-Total has finally lifted the lid on the inner workings of this muscular beast, which will take on the 4x4 brigade on the 2015 Dakar with just two driven wheels.

Dunes, mountains, dry river beds, canyons, furnace-like temperatures, salt deserts, rough terrain, fesh-fesh sand… These are just some of the joys that await the 2008 DKR on the next Dakar Rally.

To tackle this tremendous challenge, Team Peugeot-Total has followed a very daring technical path: "Much like we did at the Le Mans 24 Hours by electing to run a closed-cockpit car, we decided to adopt an innovative concept," reveals Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin.

"When it comes to cross-country rallying, the biggest question is whether to run with four-wheel-drive or just two. After a detailed study of the question, we decided to go for two-wheel drive transmission which presents a number of interesting benefits," Famin added. This bold decision will enable the team to try to become the first to win the Dakar with a diesel-powered two-wheel drive vehicle.

In order to balance out the chances of the different solutions, the rules in effect compensate the inherent advantage of 4x4 vehicles by allowing two-wheel-drive machinery to benefit from certain advantages. Technical project manager Jean-Christophe Pallier summarises them: "In motorsport, weight is counter to performance. However, in the case of cross-country rallying, two-wheel drive cars are allowed to be significantly lighter than 4x4s.

They are also entitled to use bigger wheels which provide them with a certain advantage when it comes to coping with the many pitfalls associated with this type of terrain. On top of that, they allow us to minimise the front overhang. The 2008 DKR can practically climb vertical walls!

And that’s not all! Longer suspension travel – 460mm instead of 250mm – enhances its ability over dunes and when soaking up uneven ground. That’s a key asset on an event like the Dakar!” Another advantage of the larger wheel size is a system that enables the tyre pressures to be adjusted remotely from inside the cockpit upon entering a zone of dunes – a tactic that could yield a gain of precious minutes!

In order to exploit these benefits fully, Peugeot Sport’s engineers put their creativity to the test to come up with an extremely compact car. With its 340bhp, V6 twin-turbo diesel mid-rear engine, the 2008 DKR resembles a muscular feline ready to pounce and soak up obstacles.

"Fitting all of the vital assemblies into such a small space gave us quite a headache" admits Pallier. "Small cars tend to perform more comfortably over twisty WRC-type stages, so this arrangement increases the potential of two-wheel drive cars in situations where the 4x4s tend to have the edge."

Beyond the conviction – expressed by Red Bull for the last two years – that two-wheel-drive vehicles possess attractive qualities that shine through even across the most inhospitable of terrains, this technical approach also makes sense for the French manufacturer.

Bruno Famin explains: "Given that the production 2008 is a two-wheel-drive crossover equipped with Grip Control technology – which enables it to go just about anywhere – it is only right that the 2008 DKR derivative should similarly take on the challenges of the Dakar with just two-wheel-drive."

via http://www.marathonrally.com

Le Mans Classic 2014, ça se précise…

par Claude Foubert (Endurance-Info.com)

A la veille de l’ouverture de Le Mans Classic 2014, l’effervesence  est maximale à l’intérieur du circuit manceau. On met la touche finale aux derniers préparatifs, que ce soit dans le paddock ou dans le Village.

Aujourd’hui jeudi, les concurrents – et ils sont nombreux- doivent se plier au rite des vérifications administratives et le Welcome où se tiennent ces vérifications affiche presque complet.

Les voitures des différents plateaux continuent à rentrer dans l’enceinte du circuit puis dans leurs paddocks respectifs. Ces paddocks ne sont pas encore ouverts, mais à première vue il sont déjà bien remplis.

Dans le Village, les voitures de Le Mans Heritage commencent à être alignées. Parmi celles-ci sont déjà en place entre autres une Aries  de 1924, une Talbot  Lago Grand Sport de 1948, une Talbot Lago T26 de 1951, une Osca 1000 de 1961, une Alpine A210 de 1966, la Morgan « Art Car » vue au Mans en 2013…

Le meeting est accessible au public dès demain vendredi, pour une journée chargée, avec les essais chronométrés de jour et les qualifications de 15h à 21h, et des essais libres de nuit de 22h20 à 2H40 du matin, ça se précise….

Les photos de mercredi et de jeudi sont ici

Vidéo : Les 24 Heures du Mans d’Audi Sport

par Laurent Mercier (Endurance-Info.com)

Certains diront qu’Audi a eu de la chance au Mans, d’autres diront que c’est su savoir-faire. Avec 13 succès aux 24 Heures du Mans, Audi connaît la musique et ne laisse rien au hasard. L’édition 2014 a montré que la marque aux quatre anneaux n’a pas connu une semaine facile avec l’accident de Loïc Duval puis la perte de la R18 e-tron quattro #3 sur accident dès le début de course. Au bout du compte, le constructeur allemand est reparti avec un doublé. Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer et Benoît Tréluyer ont décroché un troisième succès dans la Sarthe. Le Dr Wolfgang Ullrich et ses troupes connaissent la musique…

Revivez les 24 Heures du Mans avec Audi Sport :

CLASSIFIED TRIUMPH 675 ‘DOOMSDAYTONA’

John Ryland is one of the standout custom bike builders from the past few years. He’s dazzled us with a succession of Honda CBs and Yamaha Viragos, each one bearing that unmistakable Classified Moto style: cool metallic hues and uprated gold forks.

The latest bike to bear the Classified Moto name is a little different, though—a Triumph Daytona 675. “It’s by far the newest (and fastest) bike we’ve given the Classified treatment,” says Ryland. “We built it for a customer in Houston, Texas, who brought it in with mostly cosmetic damage. He decided the local roads were too rough for a full-on sport bike and wanted us to transform the Daytona into a sort of urban assault vehicle.”

The Doomsdaytona was born.

Ryland’s customer referenced an earlier Classified Yamaha XV920, and wanted something with a similar vibe. “He’s a huge fan of the post-apocalyptic aesthetic (as are we) and wanted something that looked battle-ready.”

The result is a muscular-looking hybrid, which Ryland describes as “kind of a sportbike-based scrambler with a G.I. Joe vibe.” It’s got an upright riding position, wide Pro Taper motocross bars with a custom gauge pod, and a serious hooligan attitude.

The tank was the biggest challenge. “I let Photoshop oversimplify the tank design when I was doing the initial rendering, so making it actually happen was tricky. Fabricator Seth Ingham reworked the stock tank to trim it down and get rid of the ‘wings’.”

The size of the fuel pump and height of the airbox drastically reduced fuel capacity, so Classified have added an additional tank under the seat. “Seth fabbed it out of aluminum, and the two tanks are joined via quick disconnect fittings. Pretty trick.”

There’s a custom stainless steel muffler and up-pipe, as well as Classified’s signature nickel-plated body panels. “We decided to not hide all the components because we liked the exposed mechanicals on this one,” says Ryland.

“The regulator-rectifier and the tiny Shorai Lithium ion battery, for instance, are in plain view—but we put a lot of thought into the placement.” The 17” tires are Avon Distanzia up front, Metzeler Karoo 3 out back.

The Daytona is a well-sorted bike straight off the showroom floor, so Ryland has wisely left the engine and suspension alone. “In the back of our heads, we wanted to build something that could actually be a production bike, but with our Classified style. Whether it’s with Triumph or any of the big manufacturers, we want to build bikes that could get a conversation started.”

Matt Crawford, author of Shop Class as Soulcraft, took the Daytona out for a test ride. After hopping off the bike, he said, “Riding it makes you feel like you belong to a different species, to which none of the usual rules apply.”

Classified are planning to build more bikes in this style. If you have room for one in your garage, contact Ryland via the Classified Moto website or Facebook page.

Images by Adam Ewing.

via BIKEexif

YAMAHA VIRAGO XV750 BY GREG HAGEMAN

When it comes to old motorcycles in need of resurrection, owners often face a dilemma: restore to original spec, or rebuild as a custom? The temptation to perform a nuts-and-bolts resto is massive when there’s a ’60s model BSA or Triumph in the garage, but less so when the bike in question is a Yamaha Virago XV750.

Yamaha’s now-dated chopper has become pretty popular as a custom base though, with more and more decent examples popping up all the time. Leading the pack are builders like Greg Hageman—who has a talent for massaging the Virago’s awkward lines into a cohesive and elegant end product.

This particular one—a ’95-model XV750—was brought in as a non-runner that had sat in its owner’s garage for several years. “His wife had purchased it for him as a surprise, but it needed a lot of work to put back on the road,” says Greg. “He’d seen my work and wanted a transformation. I told him to spend the next few months collecting pics of bikes he liked, and I would think about a plan of attack.”

Greg immediately had the idea to graft on a 2008 Yamaha R1 front-end—including the upside-down forks, brakes and 17″ front wheel. At the back he retained the Virago’s stock 15″ wheel and drum brake. Since both wheels are 5-spoke affairs, they ended up being a good visual match. They’re now shod with Dunlop K555s.

Being a 1995 model the donor bike had a dual-shock rear, rather than the mono-shock design of pre-1984 Viragos. A mono-shock conversion was considered, but once Greg had torn the bike down he decided to redesign the rear end and retain the dual shocks instead, installing a pair of Öhlins at the same time. “I liked the angles and thought I could make it perform well. All the previous first-gen Viragos I’ve built had mono-shocks, but I wanted to keep this one different and keep some original design.”

His attention then turned to selecting a tank for the build, made difficult by the Virago’s frame. “The wide and high backbone of these things pretty much rules out most custom tanks, and I honestly don’t have the skill to bang out my own tank. I wish I did, I’m so envious of the metal working skill of some of the talented builders out there.”

Wanting something iconic and “easily recognizable by any old school Yamaha fan,” he modified a 1973 Yamaha RD350 tank to fit. “I really dig ’70s bikes, and putting that retro cue in and even keeping the paint original was what I wanted, and was able to convince the owner to agree.” The lush replica paint job was done by Moe Colors, while the powder coating was handled by Profab.

Matching the svelte tank is a Tuffside café racer seat, made specifically for this build by Chris Chappell, an accomplished builder in his own right and, according to Greg, “a good guy.” Chris molds his seat pans from ABS plastic with a vacuum-forming machine, before having them upholstered in marine-grade vinyl.

The XV750′s new café racer stance was enhanced with Tarozzi rear-sets and R1 clip-ons (later swapped out for adjustable Tarozzi units) with Biltwell Thruster grips. Greg also fitted an Acewell speedo, and an eBay-sourced headlight grill. For added performance, twin Mikuni VM34 carbs were installed, along with 2-into-1 ceramic coated headers and a tuned Cone Engineering muffler.

“The bike runs and handles great, better than expected actually. The ‘gen 2′ frame is stronger and has less flex than the ‘gen 1,’ so it can handle the sportier suspension a little better. That, combined with a tuned exhaust and new Mikuni VMs, allows the engine to pull smooth and hard from idle to 8000 RPM which makes this a blast to ride.”

Greg completed the build in just two months, in the process adding another ultra-desirable Virago to his portfolio. If you like what you see, I suggest you trawl your local classifieds pronto.

I have a hunch that second-gen Viragos are going to become a lot more sought-after, and probably not for restoration projects.

Images by Erick Runyon. For commissions, bookings and fine art prints contact Erickhere.

via BIKEexif

ELEGANT APPARATUS #1

Facundo Falcó is a surgeon from Barcelona, he’s 41 and has realised there’s more to life than the daily grind, it took a death of a close friend, the birth of his daughter and the observance of his fathers increasing years; as well as the amount of candles on his last birthday cake to figure it out, but he has, and now he’s building beautiful motorcycles with help from his brother Guillermo, who is also a surgeon, and a rather good one we’re told.

Elegant Apparatus is a blog, perhaps one might say a showcase of beauty; Facundo says it’s a room of mirrors, a Spanish expression meaning somewhere he can reflect. It’s a collection of images from fashion, motorcycles, cars, tattoos, women, architecture… basically anything that’s sexy and pretty darn cool, and this is where it began.

As with many of us, Facundo is a life long biker, man and boy, and is passionate about them, he has a healthy collection in his garage, presumably awaiting their turn under the knife. The collection consists of a Guzzi Le Mans II, a ’65 Bonneville T120R, a 1948 Ariel Red-Hunter 500cc, a ’94 Harley Sprung Bobber and 2 Benelli’s, a 500 Quattro and a 900 SEI…. so that should keep the brothers busy for a while.

I have to admit, I am a sucker for an old Honda dirt bike, I actually have a tracker XL600R myself, so I know these bikes and how they ride, they are just a joy, whether nailing it through town or hitting the shingle. This one is a 1998 XR600R, basically the same donor as mine and favoured by the green lane community for both their agility and reliability.

The build had a deadline, it was for Wheels & Waves, unfortunately things didn’t come together to feature her in the shed ahead of that great weekend, but we’re pleased to have her now and yes, she did make it to W&W. The build wasn’t one of those that had money thrown at it, it was given time, dedication and most importantly attention, Facundo and his brother set the challenge to not buy a single thing for the bike other than to pay for a professional paint job, they had a good collection of parts from their life long obsession with motorcycles, so decided to use what they have and manufacture anything else they may need.

This is one of those builds that draws you in to its details, all the little changes that make the overall result, the list of replacements, enhancements and adjustments is quite extensive, so here’s some of it:

The donor bike is a fresh 7,000 kms engine that Facundo has owned from new. Mudguards are from a 1938 Velocette, the bars and levers came from an old Triumph scrambler and the headlight is from a 2008 Harley Street Bob with H4 bulb allowing an XR to actually see properly, something they weren’t good at from the factory. Akront anodized rims are dressed with 4.00 x 18 Bridgestones Trail Wings.

The fuel tank came from a 1971 honda scrambler, she’s had hand built levers, switches and bracketry, and the front brake pump is hidden under the fuel tank. The bikes electrical system is only 10 cm long with all the original connectors and components, and an ignition key was added to the side of the frame, many of these XR’s are keyless work horses.
The frame was re-designed and benefits from being tig welded. The rear of the frame has been curved, replicating the waves at Biarritz, not just the location for this bikes reveal, but also one of Facundo’s favourite places in the world, and whether he’s chilling in Spain or Biarritz, watching the set with a cold beer, he’ll have a bottle opener close by, a useful addition for those weekends away in the Mediterranean warmth.

The seat is all handcrafted, even the hinges and under it you can find a nice tool roll, the upholstery is synthetic but water repelent and amazingly strong and durable. All wires run inside the frame. The silencer is an aftermarket one which was previosly fitted on the bike, the system however has been redirected and now aims downward, inspired by modern Dakar bikes.

This is such a lovely bike, and knowing how they ride, it’s a guarantee that Facundo and Guillermo will love it, in fact this is what Facundo has to say about it ‘I wanted to design a fresh bike, fun to ride, with a nostalgic retro look, but with some serious performance. The bike you would choose to go to the beach in the summer or to take for a spin in the forest of the Pirineic mountains in autumn’

Many thanks to the Facundo for sharing this great bike, to see what inspires them as well as seeing more shots of this build and even one of the Benelli’s, check out the link to the blog, there really are some inspirational and elegant images to behold.

via The Bike Shed

Timeless Classic: Ferrari 250 LM

Ferrari’s fabulous 250 LM was a product of the mid-engined revolution of the early 1960s – a revolution that no one had resisted more strongly than Enzo Ferrari himself...

But whatever Enzo’s personal feelings on the essential ‘rightness’ of sticking the engine at the front of the car, the writing was on the wall. In 1963, a Ferrari 250 P became the first mid-engined car to win Le Mans, and no front-engined car ever won there again. The 250 LM – essentially a 250 P with a roof – swept to an overall win (and second place, too) at Le Mans in 1965, the last time Ferrari won that great race.

Mathematical misnomer

On the racetrack, the 250 LM is an outstanding car – nimble, well-balanced and powered by a superlative 3.3-litre V12 engine. “Hmm,” I hear the more mathematically inclined of you mutter. “Why is it called a 250 LM when Ferrari model numbers at the time used the capacity of an individual cylinder? And 3,300 divided by 12 is… er… 275. So why isn’t it called a 275 LM?”

Good point, but the very first LM had a 3-litre engine and perhaps Il Commendatore thought that any name change would cause further problems with the FIA. He’d already failed to convince the racing regulators that the 250 LM was simply a 250 GTO with the engine moved along a bit – hence the mid-engined car was never homologated. It therefore had to race in the prototype class of international sports-car racing, where it was run exclusively by non-factory teams. Often with enormous success, as in the 1965 Le Mans win by Luigi Chinetti’s NART team.

19 of 32

Just 32 examples of the 250 LM were ever built, which makes them rarer than the GTO. The car seen here was the 19^th of those built, and it’s highly unusual in that – despite the model’s prowess on the track – this car was never raced in period. It was sold new by Luigi Chinetti Motors to casino mogul William Fisk Harrah for his personal, on-road use. 

A winner in later life

After leaving Harrah’s care, the car passed through a handful of owners before landing with its current custodians, who fully restored the car in order to campaign it in historic racing and display it at concours events. Restored to its original specifications and granted Ferrari Classiche certification, it scooped The Ferrari Classiche Cup at the XIII Palm Beach Cavallino Classic in January 2014, where it was named as the most outstanding 12-cylinder Ferrari at the show. 

The car is being offered for sale at RM’s forthcoming Monterey auction, from 15 to 16 August 2014.

This article is part of the 'Timeless Classics' feature series that is presented and supported by our friends at RM Auctions.

DEADHEAD

DEADHEAD from El Solitario on Vimeo.

Yamaha et Valentino Rossi prolongent pour deux ans / Yamaha and Valentino Rossi set to continue with two-year contract extension

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd a le plaisir d’annoncer qu’un nouvel accord portant sur deux ans avait été signé avec Valentino Rossi. Le nonuple Champion du Monde continuera donc de courir chez Movistar Yamaha MotoGP pour les saisons 2015 et 2016 du Championnat du Monde MotoGP™.

Cette annonce arrive au milieu d’une excellente saison de la part du vétéran du MotoGP™. Rossi est actuellement deuxième du classement général et a obtenu quatre secondes places et un total de cinq podiums en huit courses depuis le début de l’année.

Lin Jarvis :

« Je suis absolument ravi que nous ayons trouvé un accord avec Valentino pour 2015 et 2016. Depuis son retour chez Yamaha en 2013, l’expérience a été positive pour tout le monde. Après deux difficiles années passées ailleurs, Valentino était revenu à la maison l’an dernier, pour nous retrouver et retrouver son YZR-M1 qu’il aime tant. Les fans du monde entier étaient ravis de le voir retrouver sa compétitivité et prendre à nouveau du plaisir à piloter. Le facteur ‘fun’ est crucial pour que Valentino fasse des résultats et lorsqu’il nous avait rejoints en 2004, l’une de ses plus grandes motivations dans sa décision de rejoindre Yamaha était en fait de créer un environnement dans lequel courir puisse toujours être un plaisir. Son bonheur est évident pour tous ceux qui ont l’occasion de le rencontrer lors des courses MotoGP™ ou le voient à la télévision et ça se reflète dans ses excellents résultats cette année et sa seconde position au Championnat du Monde. Nous sommes très enthousiastes pour les deux prochaines années et demie que nous passerons ensemble et nous souhaitons que Valentino reste chez Yamaha jusqu’à la fin de sa carrière sportive et au-delà. »

Valentino Rossi :

« Je suis très heureux d’annoncer que j’ai signé un nouveau contrat avec Yamaha pour continuer en MotoGP™ ces deux prochaines années. Je suis très fier de cette annonce. C’est très important pour moi parce que j’aime travailler avec mon équipe et tout le team, avec les Japonais et les Européens qui ont été avec moi durant presque toute ma carrière. C’est génial parce que c’était mon objectif, je voulais continuer, je me sens bien et je suis motivé à donner le meilleur de moi-même. Je suis très content de continuer à piloter ma YZR-M1, qui a été mon amour pendant tant d’années et qui le restera cette année et lors des deux prochaines. Un grand ‘Merci !’ à tout le monde, je vais continuer à donner le maximum pour être devant et faire de bonnes courses. »

Communiqué de presse Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd is delighted to announce that it has signed a new two‐year agreement with Valentino Rossi. The nine-time world champion will continue to race with Movistar Yamaha MotoGP™ for the 2015 and 2016 MotoGP™ World Championship seasons.

The announcement comes midway through an excellent season for the MotoGP™ veteran. Rossi currently sits in second in the standings having taken four second place finishes and a total of five podiums from eight races so far this year.

Lin Jarvis

“I am very happy that we have concluded the agreement with Valentino for 2015 and 2016. Since his return to Yamaha in 2013 it’s been a very positive experience for everybody involved. After two difficult years ‘away from home’ Valentino returned last year, not only to us but also to his beloved YZR‐M1. Fans of racing across the world were happy to see him rediscover his competitive performance and witness him take pleasure in riding and having fun again on two wheels. The ‘fun factor’ is crucial to Valentino to get results – in fact when he first joined us in 2004 one of the most important motivations for his move to Yamaha was his desire to create an environment where he could enjoy racing. His enjoyment is obvious to all who meet him at the MotoGP™ events or who see him race on TV and is reflected in his excellent race results this year where he is currently in second position in the World Championship. We look forward to the next two and a half years together and it is our intention that Valentino will remain with Yamaha until the end of his sporting career and beyond.”

Valentino Rossi

“I am very happy to announce that I have signed a new contract with Yamaha to continue together in MotoGP™ for the next two years. I am very proud of this announcement. It’s very important to me because I really enjoy working with my crew and all the guys from the team, both the Japanese and European members that have been with me almost my entire career. It’s great because this was my target; I wanted to continue, I am feeling good and I’m motivated to keep giving my best. I am very happy that I can keep riding my YZR‐M1, that has been my love for so many years and will still be my love this year and the following two seasons. A big ‘Thank You’ to everybody, I will try to keep giving the maximum to arrive in front and make good races. Enjoy!”

Press release courtesy of Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd.