SuperMoto : Thomas Chareyre (TM-Michelin), nouveau leader / Thomas Chareyre (TM-Michelin) takes command

En remportant les deux courses de l’avant-dernière épreuve du championnat du monde Supermoto FIM en Estonie, Thomas Chareyre (TM Racing Factory – Michelin) reprend les commandes du classement général et compte 14 points d’avance sur son principal rival, Mauno Hermunen (SHR - TM – Michelin).

Auteur de la pole position, Mauno Hermunen n’a pas réussi à concrétiser son avance et a dû s’incliner à deux reprises face à Thomas Chareyre.

Prenant le meilleur départ de la première course, Mauno Hermunen a mené les deux premiers tours avant de céder aux attaques de Thomas Chareyre. Le Français a alors enchaîné une série de tours rapides pour se forger une avance de plus de cinq secondes sous le drapeau à damier.

Qualifié en troisième position, Ivan Lazzarini (L30 Racing – Honda) n’a pas quitté cette place jusqu’à la ligne d’arrivée. Derrière, Adrien Chareyre (Aprilia Fast Wheels – Michelin), en lutte avec l’Italien pour la dernière manche du podium au classement général, a dû concéder sa quatrième place au Tchèque Pavel Kejmar (833 Racing Team – Husqvarna) à quatre tours du drapeau à damier. Le Français termine cinquième.

Mauno Hermunen a signé le meilleur départ de la seconde manche mais c’est Thomas Chareyre qui a bouclé le premier tour en tête. Le Finlandais a mené le tour suivant avant que Thomas Chareyre ne reprennent définitivement les commandes. Poussant un peu trop fort dans un virage, Hermunen est parti, une première fois, à la faute au 10^ème  tour. Il a pu repartir en cinquième position avant de commettre une nouvelle erreur cinq tours plus tard qui l’a contraint à l’abandon.

Ivan Lazzarini en a profité pour se hisser à la deuxième place et marquer des points supplémentaires dans la course au podium. Thomas Travnicek est troisième devant  Pavel Kejmar et Adrien Chareyre.

Grâce à ce doublé, Thomas Chareyre compte désormais 14 points d’avance sur Mauno Hermunen. Ivan Lazzarini a consolidé sa troisième place avec 20 points d’avance sur Adrien Chareyre. Le titre se jouera dans trois semaines en Italie.

Résultats :

Course 1 : 1. CHAREYRE Thomas (FRA-TM) 20:06.337; 2. HERMUNEN Mauno (FIN-TM) 20:11.765; 3. LAZZARINI Ivan (ITA-Honda) 20:23.887; 4. KEJMAR Pavel (CZE-Husqvarna) 20:25.907; 5. CHAREYRE Adrien (FRA-Aprilia) 20:28.033; 6. RAVAGLIA Christian (ITA-Honda) 20:29.560; ….

Course 2 : 1. CHAREYRE Thomas (FRA-TM) 20:15.298; 2. LAZZARINI Ivan (ITA-Honda) 20:18.601; 3. TRAVNICEK Tomas (CZE-Yamaha) 20:20.358; 4. KEJMAR Pavel (CZE-Husqvarna) 20:25.690; 5. CHAREYRE Adrien (FRA-Aprilia) 20:29.378;…

Classement général : 1. CHAREYRE T. 271 points ; 2. HERMUNEN 257 pts ; 3. LAZZARINI 235 pts ; 4. CHAREYRE A. 215 pts ; 5. KEJMAR 178 pts ; ….

Prochaine épreuve : Italie, Jesolo, 21 septembre

Thomas Chareyre (TM Racing Factory-Michelin) won both races at the penultimate meeting of the 2014 FIM SuperMoto World Championship in Estonia. He has consequently gone 14 points clear of chief rival Mauno Hermunen (SHR-TM-Michelin).

Hermunen failed to capitalise on starting from pole position and was beaten in both Estonian clashes by Chareyre.

The Finn led the first race for the first two laps but eventually had to let Chareyre pass. The Frenchman then posted a run of quick laps to cross the finish line with a lead of more than five seconds.

Ivan Lazzarini (L30 Racing-Honda) started from third on the grid and held that position to the flag, despite the best efforts of Adrien Chareyre (Aprilia Fast Wheels-Michelin) to finish on the podium’s third step. In the end, the latter was deprived of fourth by the Czech Republic’s Pavel Kejmar (833 Racing Team-Husqvarna) who relegated the Frenchman to fifth with four laps remaining.

Hermunen produced the best start in the second race, too, but Thomas Chareyre completed Lap 1 in front. The Finn recovered the lead next time round but Chareyre recovered the lead when Hermunen made a mistake through a turn on Lap 10. He re-joined in fifth spot before making another mistake and retiring five laps later.

Lazzarini took advantage to climb to second and earn additional points in his bid for a top-three championship finish. Thomas Travnicek was third, ahead of Kejmar and Adrien Chareyre.

Thomas Chareyre’s double whammy weekend has taken him 14 points clear of Hermunen in the championship. Lazzarini has strengthened his grasp of third place, 20 points clear of Adrien Chareyre. The title will be settled in Italy in three weeks’ time.

Final positions:

Race 1:1, CHAREYRE Thomas (FRA-TM), 20m6.337s. 2, HERMUNEN Mauno (FIN-TM), 20m11.765s. 3, LAZZARINI Ivan (ITA-Honda), 20m23.887s. 4, KEJMAR Pavel (CZE-Husqvarna), 20m25.907s. 5, CHAREYRE Adrien (FRA-Aprilia), 20m28.033s. 6, RAVAGLIA Christian (ITA-Honda), 20m29.560s. Etc.

Race 2:1, CHAREYRE Thomas (FRA-TM), 20m15.298s. 2, LAZZARINI Ivan (ITA-Honda), 20m18.601s. 3, TRAVNICEK Tomas (CZE-Yamaha), 20m20.358s. 4. KEJMAR Pavel (CZE-Husqvarna), 20m25.690s. 5, CHAREYRE Adrien (FRA-Aprilia), 20m29.378s. Etc.

Championship standings:1, CHAREYRE T. (271 points). 2, HERMUNEN (257). 3, LAZZARINI (235). 4, CHAREYRE A. (215). 5, KEJMAR (178). Etc.

Next round: Jesolo, Italy (September 21).

Trois Hyundai en France et Espagne / Three Hyundais for Australia, France and Spain

Fort de son doublé en Allemagne, le constructeur sud-coréen va engager trois i20 WRC/Michelin sur les deux dernières épreuves à majorité asphalte de la saison 2014, les Rallye de France et Rallye d’Espagne. Bryan Bouffier et Hayden Paddon rejoindront tour à tour Neuville et Sordo.

Hyundai Motorsport poursuit sa stratégie d’engager trois i20 WRC par rallye pour sa première campagne mondiale. En Australie, Thierry Neuville, Chris Atkinson et Hayden Paddon seront au départ.

Au Rallye de France (2-5 octobre), Hyundai Motorsport va reconduire la même triplette qu’en Allemagne avec Neuville, Dani Sordo et Bryan Bouffier qui évoluera cette fois sur des spéciales qu’il connaît mieux : il avait remporté le rallye national de doublure en 2010.

Trois semaines plus tard, de nouveau trois i20 WRC/Michelin seront au départ du Rallye d’Espagne (23-26 octobre) avec Neuville, Sordo et Hayden Paddon, qui avait disputé cette épreuve l’an passé au volant d’une Ford Fiesta RS WRC (8^e).

After coming first and second in Germany, the South Korean make will take three Michelin-equipped i20 WRCs to the year’s last two asphalt rounds in France and Spain. Neuville and Sordo will be joined by Bryan Bouffier in Strasbourg, then by Hayden Paddon in Catalonia.

Hyundai Motorsport’s policy of entering three i20 WRCs for each event will continue in Australia where Neuville, Chris Atkinson and Hayden Paddon will be on duty.

For Rallye de France (October 2-5), the team will field the trio we saw in Germany, namely Neuville and Sordo, plus Bouffier who will be on more familiar ground (in 2010, he won the ‘national’ event organised in parallel to the main rally).

Three weeks’ later, in Spain (October 23-26), the three cars will be in the hands of Neuville, Sordo and Paddon. The latter contested this event last year in a Ford Fiesta RS WRC (8^th).

TWENTYNOTHINGS KZ750

There’s a common theme running through our scene, yours not ours as in ours, you know what I mean. People out there in all walks of life are loving what they see on Bike Shed, Pipeburn, BikeExif etc and figure, why not have a crack themselves. The bug bites, the virus sets in and despite the antidote of family, children, perfectly good jobs and life’s general constraints, rational and logical grown ups everywhere are wondering how they can scratch a living by building bikes. Yup, I can hear the groan now from the old guard and well established; but why the heck not? The world needs more carpenters, welders and mechanics so why not customisers too. We’d all be better off not having to look at hum drum, plastic clad monotony on our roads.

Chris Langer and Yana Tzanov, Newfoundland natives based in Ontario, Canada are two such sensible guys who are infected with the custom virus. They run a design studio in Toronto so at least they have something to to keep beans on the table while they indulge this new found passion.

This 1979 Kawasaki KZ750 B Twin was found on a farm, needing a little TLC to say the least. But before this could begin Chris and Yana made the most of Canada’s short summer, fitted new tyres, a pair of drag bars, a fresh battery and enjoyed 4 weeks of riding before wetness and cold arrived. To be fully prepared for the winter strip down a workshop manual was purchased and many hours of Pinteresting, Googling and searching ensued until a shared vision was mapped out; a raw and simple Cafe-Tracker would be the goal.

In a now decidedly chilly garage the engine was removed and the rest of the bike stripped down to the frame, which had pillion pegs, unwanted brackets and lugs ground off, and the new rear loop welded in before painting. Whilst at it the engine was given a coat, with the fin edges shaved afterwards for a more pro look. Carbs and stater motor are rebuilt but the engine was low mileage and sound so a service and tune up all that was required.

DimeCity and TownMoto came to the rescue with multiple deliveries of upgrade parts; Mini gauges, rear shocks, bar end mirror, switchgear and headlamp are all lighter, better made and cooler looking than stock parts, as are the Emgo Shorty Mufflers.

Knee indents have been formed into the original tank, beneficial to ergonomics and to maintain visual flow through to the seat. Titanium silver metallic paint is snazzy yet subtle at the same time, with Chris’ design handiwork on the side in place of original decals.

The wiring harness had been chopped, bodged and extended a few times since ’79 so hours labouring over a soldering iron and accompanying electrical schematics were needed, with perseverance all conquering. The same diligence is on show with the saddle, an old leather jacket offered a new lease of life as a very fine looking, and ready patinated seat pad. Added to somewhat of a rarity on customs these days, carbon fibre. Using a shop bought kit of weave and resin the guys have fabricated a very tidy tail and seat pan, top marks, especially as this is their first attempt, not helped by freezing garage temperatures nearly halting curing of the resin.

After much hard work, long cold nights, lessons learned and good times had; Chris and Yana are over the moon with their KZ.

“For a 35 year old bike, she rides a bit better than expected. When we replaced the suspension it increased the height of the back-end by 2 inches, giving more pitch in the front, it makes the bike handle corners and turns much better.
She has quicker handling and is much more responsive than she was pre-build. The engine idles well and just sounds amazing… not too loud and she has a unique rumble.. and it’s a comfortable ride.”

With no cure for this customising virus, the guys are eager to start their next bike which I’m sure we’ll feature in The Shed before too long.

via The Bike Shed

Analog Motorcycles - Indian Continental Scout

Shot on northeastern Illinois country back roads for the release of Analog Motorcycles' newest creation, the Indian Continental Scout. A completely custom designed and fabricated motorcycle in the vein of a replica racer, featuring an original but hand built 1949 Indian motor and a Track Master frame.

pensive