IT’S NOT A ZÜNDAPP, IT’S A HONDA CB550

Hidden in a backstreet in the busy Port of Amsterdam is a small fabrication shop called Tin Can Customs. Amidst the clatter and clanging of ships unloading their cargo, Chris Dekker gets on with building motorcycles, furniture, and anything else he feels like.

Being smack-dab in the middle of a huge seaport may explain the somewhat industrial look of this Honda CB550, which sports a battered tank from a German Zündapp. Either that, or whiffs of something strong from a nearby coffeeshop have been drifting across Meneer Dekker’s workbench.

“It’s a commissioned build,” Chris tells us. “The owner, Coen Ruijter, had a CB550 donor bike that used to be his Dad’s. It was stolen many years ago, and returned recently after the bike was ditched in a high-speed chase with the cops.”

Coen wanted an exact copy of another custom he’d seen, but Chris diplomatically steered him in a different direction. “We sat down, and I tried to figure out what he likes and what makes him tick. Eventually we ended up with a few themes: rust, road-worn, authentic.”

Chris hunted down old parts at swap meets—like the headlight and taillight, and an oil tank to use as an electrical box. The Zündapp tank he discovered in a scrapyard, and the beautiful BSA M20 girder forks were a lucky find on eBay.

After grafting on the front end, Chris started reworking the back. “There aren’t many hardtail CB550s around,” he notes. “Probably because the angle of the frame makes it difficult. But after a night’s work, we had some strange curves that defined the bike.”

Chris modified the bottom of the Zündapp tank to fit the frame, and added peepholes to check the fuel level. The handlebars are one-offs, as is the exhaust system. “I could have done the bends in one piece, but the practice of making little segments was worth it. It sounds great.”

The battery box is still there, but the electrics are now hidden in the oil tank under the seat. Sparks come from a Dyna ignition, and the engine itself has been refreshed by another seaport shop, Pancake Customs.

The CB550 rolls on matching 18” wheels: the front is a Honda CM250 hub laced to a BMW rim, and the back is a stock Honda CB750 unit. “With about 1.4 bar in the tires, the ride is an awesome experience,” Chris reports.

All that was left was to give the bike a name. “When rummaging through my old tools, I found a spanner bearing the words ‘Special Alloy’,” says Chris. “So there we had the name.”

“The bike’s not what Coen expected, but it turned out far better than we both hoped for. That’s the fun in hunting down old parts. You don’t know what you’ll find when you don’t buy stuff from a catalog. It makes the build much more organic and fun.”

‘Special Alloy’ premiered at the recent Cosmic Nozems Motorshow in Zwevegem, Belgium. Organized by Motokouture Bespoke MC, it’s a showcase for around 100 customs from some of Europe’s top builders.

After pulling several all-nighters, Chris finished the Honda at 5pm the day before the show. Then he pulled on his helmet and rode ‘Silver Alloy’ 170 miles south, across the border, to the venue himself.

Not surprisingly, the bike was one of the stars of the show. The raw industrial style won’t be for everyone, but in a world of cookie-cutter café racers, it’s a refreshing blast of bracing North Sea air.

Tin Can Customs on Facebook | On Instagram

Build sheet

ENGINE
Build: 1976
Brand: Honda CB550
Type: F2
CC: 544
Ignition: Electric
Carb: Standard
Air Filter: Velocity Stacks by Steel Dragon Performance
Exhaust: Tin Can Customs
Engine has been taken apart and inspected. Basic gasket replacement, hone job and new rings. No major modifications

FRAME
Tin Can Customs modified CB550 frame. Rear axle plates are Harley-Davidson.

FRONT
Front wheel: 18″ BMW rim
Tire: Firestone Deluxe
Hub: Honda CM250
Front Fork: BSA M20 Girder
Handlebar: Tin Can Customs
Levers: Inverted levers
Grips: Tape
Headlight: Unknown, found at swapmeet.

REAR
Wheel: 18″ stock CB750
Band: Firestone Deluxe
Fender: Flat Fender
Light: Unknown, found at swapmeet. Modified to carry 12 LED lights.
Sissybar: Tin Can Customs

ANCILLARIES:
Batterybox: Tin Can Customs
Electrical Box: Tin Can Customs modified oil tank found at swapmeet. Holds coils, springback ignition switch, fuses and starter solenoid.
Controls: Vintage Honda steps
Gas tank: Tin Can Customs modified Zündapp tank. Found the tank in the scrap bin. New bottom built in, added looking glasses and new gas valves. (Don’t know the English word for this). Petcock! Yeah, that’s it.
Seat pans: Tin Can Customs
Upholstery: Silver Machine

PAINTJOB
Frame was powdercoated, and the oldschool parts were left untouched in order to accentuate the detail and balance between the new parts and old.

VIA 

SKUDDESIGN BLACK BETTY

We don’t feature much Milwaukee Muscle on the Bike Shed, but having just fired up a Buell engined Cafè Tracker I’m reminded of the appeal; that engine note takes some beating. Nicolas Barthelemy of Skud Design is no stranger to making things sound right, whilst maintaining effortless cool. Last year he brought us a stunning Kawasaki W650 Scrambler. Ok, so the woodland setting for the photo shoot played a part but that bike just made you want to go and tear up some dirt.

Leaving Europe behind for the wide expanses of Canada, Nicolas fancied himself a laid back cruiser for the long straight roads of his new home in Montreal, so bought a 2013 Sportster XL Forty Eight upon which he would cast his graphic designing eye before breaking out the tool kit to create Black Betty.

Bratstyle was to be the design palette of choice, with a good dose of Bobber in the mix. In fact, I must praise one of two things; either Google Translate for rehashing foreign so succinctly, or Nicolas for crafting such a wonderful sentence in his second language. “I thus prepared the silhouette of the motorcycle by mixing the aesthetic codes with products resulting from all other horizons in the inspirations BRATSTYLE”.

The rear fender is from an ’84 Softail Heritage, painted black. The kick-up giving over even more stage to the Firestone Deluxe Champions. 5.00 x 16 if you must know.

Indicators are hidden down low, on the swing arm near the pivot point. Neat and out of the way, and painted black they nearly disappear. Progreesive Suspension 412 series 11.5″ shocks keep the back looking squat, improve the ride and go someway towards comfort.

The cow horn bars are by Zombie Performance, with internal cable and wire routing. I’m not usually a fan of this narrow type of bar but with the chunky, oh-so comfortable Harley levers and neat uncluttered setup this works, visually.

The rear light is from a 1928 Ford truck, updated with fresh paint and wiring. Keeping with Stateside heritage the tank has been painted with a 1936 Ford burgundy, which for me looks the business, especially with the chromed trim from a 1947 Renault. A simple Tuck ‘n’ Roll seat is spot on.

The mirror is by Lowbrow Customs, foot pegs by Speed Merchant and air the filter housing is from Harley tuning stalwarts S&S. Again raiding the vintage parts bin, the headlight is an Electroline from 1954.

Canadian legislation is pretty tough on the custom scene so Nicolas hasn’t gone overboard with this build, which has worked in his favour as this is one Harley that fits in The Bike Shed just nicely.

Keep an eye out for Nicolas’ future work on Facebook, with all that spare land aboot the place he’s surely going to build another scrambler.

via The Bike Shed

ERC : Joy for Al-Rajhi, despair for Breen at the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi has won round nine of the FIA European Rally Championship but there was despair for Craig Breen after an electrical problem delayed the Irishman on the closing stage of the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally.

The Peugeot Rally Academy driver was in sixth overall starting the final run but stopped midday through the 21.05-kilometre test. Heroic repairs by the Irishman and his British co-driver Scott Martin enabled them to reach the finish of the stage, albeit more than 16 minutes slower than stage winner Al-Rajhi. As a result Breen slips out of the top 10, losing out on vital ERC points in the process.

Bruno Magalhães secured fifth overall with the second fastest time on the final stage, despite a rear differential problem on his Peugeot 208T16. Kajetan Kajetanowicz wrapped up a fine runner-up spot – and the inaugural ERC Gravel Masters – by going third quickest with Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari next up, 3.4s quicker than his FIA Middle East championship rival Khalid Al-Qassimi.

Christos Demosthenous clinched the ERC Production Car Cup with the sixth fastest time. Title chaser Martin Hudec completed the final stage with no working second gear on his Mitsubishi Lancer, while championship rival reported an engine problem on his Lancer.

Crews are now heading back to Nicosia for the finish. Click here for live results, text commentary and ERC Rally Radio.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz is the inaugural ERC Gravel Master following his heroic performance on the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally, round nine of the FIA European Rally Championship.

Kajetanowicz scored a total of 191 points from three of the four designated gravel rounds of the ERC in his LOTOS Rally Team Ford Fiesta R5 alongside co-driver Jarek Baran.

Craig Breen finishes runner-up for Peugeot Rally Academy on 160 points with Ott Tänak claiming third in the final table on the back of his stunning victory on the loose-surface auto24 Rally Estonia. He scored 127 points.

Yazeed Al-Rajhi, the overall winner in Cyprus, finishes fourth with Kevin Abbring fifth and Alexey Lukyanuk sixth.

Introduced for the 2014 season, the ERC Masters recognises the achievements of surface specialists competing in the European championship. Robert Kubica clinched the ERC Ice Master award in February. Esapekka Lappi heads the ERC Asphalt Master table with two events remaining. Points are awarded on a 10-6-4-2-1 scale to the fastest five ERC drivers on each stage.

The race - 24 Heures Moto - Michelin

24 Heures Moto : la victoire au SERT, le titre au GMT 94 (Michelin) / victory for Suzuki, the title for Yamaha/Michelin

Le SERT (Dunlop) a remporté la 37ème édition des 24 Heures Moto, dernière épreuve du championnat du monde d’Endurance FIM (EWC). Auteur d’une superbe remontée, le GMT 94 (Michelin), deuxième, enlève un second titre mondial. Le YART (Pirelli) complète le podium. En Superstock, la victoire est revenue au Qatar Endurance Racing Team.

Le SERT, seule équipe officielle à ne pas avoir chuté, renoue avec le succès en remportant pour la 11^ème fois les 24 Heures Moto. L’équipe de Dominique Méliand ne s’était pas imposée au Mans depuis 2008. La Suzuki n°1 de Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle et Erwan Nigon a bouclé 812 tours et a rallié l’arrivée avec deux tours d’avance sur le GMT 94.
Parti de la quatrième place, le SERT a viré en tête au 241^ème tour, samedi, peu avant 22h00, et a conservé les commandes jusqu’au drapeau à damier. Parti prudemment, la Suzuki n°1 a notamment profité des chutes de ses principaux concurrents pour se hisser en tête de la course.
La 37^ème édition est partie sur un rythme effréné. Auteur de la pole position, Kawasaki SRC a mené pendant les trois premiers tours avant de laisser la première position à l’étonnante BMW n°31 du Team Penz13 engagée en Open. Confiée à Sylvain Barrier, cette moto a cédé la tête à la fin du premier relais de ce dernier laissant alors la Honda n°111 mener le temps d’un tour.

Au 34^ème tour, la Kawasaki n°11 a repris la tête. Grégory Leblanc, Matthieu Lagrive et Fabien Foret ont réussi à creuser un écart suffisant pour ressortir en tête lors de leur deuxième ravitaillement. Mais un changement d’adhérence samedi en début de soirée (21h35) et une chute de Fabien Foret quelques minutes plus tard les a relégué à la 16^ème place, à huit tours du SERT.
La Kawasaki n°11 est partie à nouveau à la faute à deux reprises pendant la nuit. Trop endommagée, elle a été contrainte de se retirer à 5h51. Le dernier abandon de Kawasaki SRC remonte au Bol d’Or 2010.
Honda Racing (Da Costa/Gimbert/F.Foray) a également chuté à l’heure de course. Revenue rapidement dans le trio de tête, l’équipe anglaise a ensuite enchaîné les problèmes mécaniques et a dû capituler à 6h00 après avoir plongé dans les profondeurs du classement.

Percuté par un concurrent dès le premier tour, le GMT 94, handicapé de trois tours, est reparti quasi-dernier. Auteur de relais constants et rapides combinés à une excellente gestion de course, le GMT 94 était remonté à la troisième place à minuit.
Adoptant les bons choix pneumatiques à des moments stratégiques de course, notamment lors de l’apparition de la pluie au petit matin, la Yamaha/Michelin n°94 a réduit son retard sur le SERT à deux tours. David Checa, Kenny Foray et Mathieu Gines ont jeté toutes leurs forces pour accrocher une deuxième place et coiffer le titre mondial, le second après celui de 2004.
« Nos produits ont été très performants sur l’ensemble des conditions que nous avons rencontrées pendant la course. Nous avons su opter pour les bons choix au moment opportun. Félicitations à toute l’équipe du GMT 94 qui nous offre un 15^ème titre mondial en endurance. Nous sommes ravis d’avoir contribué au second sacre de la Yamaha n°94 » a déclaré Piero Taramasso, responsable 2 roues Michelin Motorsport.

Le YART (Parkes/Laverty/Morais) termine troisième devant la première équipe Superstock, le Qatar Endurance Racing Team. Deuxième, le Junior Team LMS Suzuki s’adjuge la Coupe du monde d’Endurance.
L’endurance vous donne rendez-vous les 18 et 19 avril 2015 au Mans pour la 38^ème édition des 24 Heures Moto.


The 37th 24 Heures Moto, last round of motorcycling’s 2014 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC), was won by the N°1 Suzuki (SERT/Dunlop). The N°94 Yamaha (GMT 94/Michelin) came second to clinch the 2014 EWC title. Third on the podium was the N°7 Yamaha (YART/Pirelli), while Superstock honours went to Qatar Endurance Racing Team’s N°95 Kawasaki (4th).

SERT, the only official team not to suffer a fall this weekend, picked up its 11^th 24 Heures Moto victory today, its first since 2008. The N°1 Suzuki (Vincent Philippe/Anthony Delhalle/Erwan Nigon) completed 810 laps to beat the N°94 Yamaha by a margin of two laps.
After starting from fourth on the grid, the winning Suzuki eased ahead after Lap 241, just before 10pm Saturday, and then held position until the chequered flag. After a cautious start, it benefited from the successive falls of its main rivals.
The race kicked off at an extremely fast pace, with the pole-winning N°11 Kawasaki leading for the first three laps before being dislodged by the astonishing Team Penz13’s N°31 BMW entered in the ‘Open’ class (fastest race lap).

After an assertive stint by world superbike racer Sylvain Barrier, the German machine lost the lead after its first refuelling stop and was succeeded at the top by the N°111 Honda which led for a lap.
Lap 34 saw the N°11 Kawasaki resume control before building up a sufficiently comfortable safety margin to re-join in front after the bike’s second pit stop. However, a change in the track conditions at around 9:30pm Saturday and a fall later in the evening in the hands of Fabien Foret relegated the green machine to 16^th overall, eight laps adrift of the leading Suzuki.
The N°11 Kawasaki was eliminated for good after excessive damage resulting from two falls during the early hours of Sunday morning. Its retirement was announced at 5:51am. The last time Kawasaki SRC failed to finish a race was the 2010 Bol d’Or.

Honda Racing (Da Costa/Gimbert/F.Foray) also suffered a fall, around the one-hour mark. The British team lost no time emerging in the top three but a sequence of mechanical woes side-lined it for good at 6am.

The N°94 Yamaha was hit by another bike under braking for the first corner of Lap 1 and was forced to pit for repairs before re-joining, practically in last position, three laps adrift. Its three riders bounced back, however, to produce a polished performance. By Saturday midnight, they were on the podium and then eased into second place during the early hours of Sunday.
GMT 94 then dealt perfectly with the mixed conditions that greeted teams at sunrise and made some judicious tyre choices for the Michelin-equipped ‘R1’ to close the gap to the leader from five to two laps. After that, David Checa, Kenny Foray and Mathieu Gines kept a cool head to collect second overall and make sure of GMT 94’s second world title after that secured in 2004.
“Our tyres proved very competitive in all the different types of conditions and we succeeded in ensuring that the Yamaha was always on the right rubber at the right moment. Congratulations to everyone at GMT 94 and thanks for helping us to claim our 15^th world title in endurance racing. We are delighted to have played apart in the team’s second place this afternoon,” said Piero Taramasso, manager of Michelin Motorsport’s two-wheel programmes.

Third place ended up in the hands of YART (N°7 Yamaha, Parkes/Laverty/Morais) ahead of the Superstock winner Qatar Endurance Racing Team. Junior Team LMS Suzuki came second in the Superstock class to win the discipline’s 2014 World Cup.
 

Live Streaming 24 Heures Moto Le Mans (FRA)

24 Heures Moto : le SERT leader, le GMT 94 en embuscade après 20 heures

A quatre heures du drapeau à damier, le SERT est toujours en tête des 24 Heures Moto mais ne compte plus qu’un seul tour d’avance sur le GMT 94. Le YART complète le podium provisoire.

Si la pluie avait épargné les concurrents pendant la nuit, des averses éparses, à partir de 7h00, sont venues perturber la stratégie des équipes encore en lice. Deuxième à cinq tours du SERT après 16 heures, le GMT 94 est revenu à un tour grâce une excellente gestion de course.
Alors que la pluie a fait son apparition vers 7h00, le GMT 94 a immédiatement chaussé des pneus « mixtes ». Tardant à rentrer au stand, le SERT, plus lent, a concédé un premier tour. La pluie a ensuite redoublé à partir de 9h00. Très à l’aise dans ces conditions, le GMT 94 le plus rapide en piste, a repris un nouveau tour à la Suzuki n°1. La Yamaha n°94 a profité d’un problème électronique la Suzuki n°1 lors d’un ravitaillement à 10h22 où Vincent Philippe a dû effectuer un demi-tour dans la voie des stands, pour revenir à deux tours. Optant pour un mauvais choix de pneumatiques, le SERT a cédé du terrain lors de la 20^ème heure et ne possède plus qu’un seul tour d’avance sur le GMT 94.
Les conditions de piste très délicates ont piégé plusieurs concurrents. Leader de la catégorie Superstock, le Junior Team LMS Suzuki a été le premier à en faire les frais à 8h26 et a cédé le leadership de la catégorie au Qatar Endurance Racing Team qui avait réussi à se hisser à la troisième place du général bénéficiant de la chute du YART peu après 9 heures. L’équipe autrichienne est parvenue à reprendre le meilleur sur le Qatar à 11h00.
Deuxième équipe Superstock, le Junior Team LMS Suzuki est cinquième. Bolliger Switzerland, National Motos, la BMW Open n°31du Penz13, Team R2CL et la Métisse, deuxième équipe Open, complètent le Top 10.
Il reste quatre heures de course. Le SERT parviendra-t-il à remporter une 11^ème victoire aux 24 Heures Mot ? Le GMT 94 enlèvera-t-il un second titre mondial ? Réponse à 15 heures sur www.motoracinglive.com.

BSMC GEAR GUIDE #26

Check out some cool stuff from Redwings, Rev’it, El Solitario, Duke & Sons and Draggin in this weeks Gear Guide.

 

PRODUCT REVIEW – REV’IT WINDSOR JACKET

Rev’it have yet again come up with a great technical solution in the Windsor jacket that keeps out the elements, offers protection and looks great. Its parka style is perfect for the city, easy to stash, and get on and off quicky. It also works well off the bike.

The Windsor is made from a lightweight breathable fabric that’s suitable for the spring, summer and autumn weather. It has a removable hood, a two way front zipper and a chest air vent system. It has stash pockets, a napoleon pocket and an inner pocket. It’s adjusted via tabs and a draw-chord and lined with 3D mesh.

It offers a moderate level of protection with Knox Lite CE approved protection at the elbow and shoulder as standard, and has a compartment for a back protector.

I’ve had mine since the summer, and it works really well. It’s cool in the warm weather as it’s well ventilated, but zipped up it provides good insulation. It’s water resistant and very practical for a city commute. I personally prefer it with the hood removed, but the hood does come in handy when off the bike in the rain.

The Windsor provides “…a great balance between performance and fashion”.

http://www.revit.eu

PRODUCT REVIEW – REDWING 213 BOOTS

I’m a Redwing junkie. A hopeless case. I’ve worn them for years and have loved every pair I’ve ever owned. They are my staple on and off the bike. I recently picked up a pair of 213s as a more dressy alternative to the thick white Vibram soled mocs and Engineer boots.

The 213 was built “…with a purpose in mind and a job to do.” Introduced at a time when the growth of America was on the rise and seeing a boom in industry, these moc toe oxfords were designed for the American factory worker. The moc toe style is classic Red Wing work with Oxblood Mesa leather, brown Neoprene cushion, triple stitching, and a Goodyear welt construction.

The 200-Series was originally introduced in 1959 for factory workers who needed a work boot able to stand up to the demands when climbing ladders and walking the factory and still deliver superior comfort.

This leather is water, stain and perspiration resistant, and has a more natural look and feel because less finishing materials have been applied, allowing its natural beauty to shine through. Oil-tanned leather is exceptionally durable.

These are terrific, they’re a great colour and as comfortable and hard wearing as you’d expect from Redwings. The stepped sole sits well on the pegs and they work well with jeans and smarter chino.

If you look after these and oil them regularly, these will last decades.

http://www.redwingheritage.eu

EL SOLITARIO MAXWELL PATERNOSTER LIMITED EDITION SILK SCARF

It’s about to get chilly out there, so the scarves are coming out. The best scarf I’ve seen in ages is the result of the collaboration between some the Shed’s great mates, El Solitario and Maxwell Paternoster. Mavericks and anarchists alike, the design on this is both mad and brilliant.

Made in conjunction with French manufacturer A Piece Of Chic, these hand-made and printed silk scarves are made in Lyon, where silk printing has been a tradition since the Renaissnance. It measures 70 x 70cm.

Silk is perfect, it’s warm and insulating in the cold, and breathable in warmer weather. This is a little bit of luxury that’s a welcome relief from the itchy crusty old fleece thing that’s been giving me a rash for years.

http://elsolitariomc.com

 

DUKE & SONS LEATHER – TOOL ROLL

Jan at Duke & Sons is fast garnering a reputation for producing stellar quality leather goods. Anyone who witnessed him working at the BSMC III at Tobacco Dock earlier this year will have seen the care and attention to detail he dedicates to his products.

His latest creation is a hardy tool rool that can be mounted on your ride via the frame, bars, or rack. The handmade leather tool roll is made from two different leathers and the ten pockets are reinforced with rivets. The handmade straps are 3.2 mm (0.125 inch) thick to make sure you can mount the roll to your bike. The roll measures 30 x 50 cm (11.5 X 19.5 inch) and is big enough to store essential tools when going out for a ride.

The tool roll is handmade like all other Duke & Sons Leather products and made to order. Looks pretty damn good too!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/203464853/handmade-leather-tool-roll

DRAGGIN JEANS – K SHIRT

So we’ve all got a leather jacket to wear on the bike, and we all know leather is the best protective material to wear on a bike. But sometimes you just want to wear a denim jacket or a flannel shirt, which of course looks cool and is light and airy and all fine until you take a spill. Then you’re not feeling so clever.

This shirt is the ideal compromise. This long sleeve shirt is fully lined with knitted DuPont™ Kevlar®, and is Double Kevlar® lined at elbows, forearms and top of shoulders. It can be worn against the skin and under a light jacket, and heaven forbid you take a tumble, your flannel shirt will almost certainly disintegrate, but this will hold.

It’s fully washable and the fabric softens with wash and wear, although it’s fine against the skin out of the box. It’s fully breathable, and feels just like a light sweatshirt.

The K Shirt is not armoured, but will prevent you from getting skinned in the event of a slide up the tarmac.

The unisex K shirt is the sister product to the K-Legs reviewed last week.

https://www.dragginjeans.net/accessories/k-shirt-unisex/flypage.tpl.html

via The Bike Shed

24 Heures Moto : le SERT caracole en tête après 16 heures / solitary SERT on top at H-8

Alors que l’on vient de passer le cap des deux tiers de la course, le SERT compte cinq tours d’avance sur le GMT 94 (Michelin). Le YART complète le podium provisoire alors que la nuit a été fatale à la Kawasaki N°11 et la Honda n°111.

Il est 7 heures, le jour est en train de se lever et la pluie a fait son apparition il y a une dizaine de minutes. Les équipes encore en piste sont toutes repassées au stand pour chausser les pneus « pluie » ou « mixte ».
L’équipe de Dominique Méliand déroule son tableau de marche depuis le début de la course et est sortie de la nuit, tant redoutée par les concurrents, sans encombre. La Suzuki n°1 de Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle et Erwan Nigon en tête depuis le 241^ème tour (21h49) compte désormais cinq tours d’avance sur le GMT 94 auteur d’une belle remontée suite à la chute au premier tour.
Le YART est troisième à six tours des leaders devant deux équipes engagées en catégorie Superstock. Le Junior Team LMS Suzuki a profité de la nuit pour prendre la tête aux dépens du Qatar Endurance Racing Team qui pointe désormais en cinquième position.
Bolliger Switzerland, National Motos, Louit Moto 33 (Superstock), Team R2CL et la BMW Open n°31 complètent le Top 10.
Reléguée à la 16^ème place à huit tours des leaders suite à une première chute à 21h52, la Kawasaki n°11 est partie à deux reprises à la faute lors de la 12^ème heure de course. Matthieu Lagrive a chuté une première fois dans les Esses bleus à 2h15. Une troisième chute quelques minutes plus tard a ruiné les espoirs de Kawasaki d’enlever une cinquième victoire consécutive. L’abandon est confirmé à 6h04.
Suite à la chute dans la deuxième heure de course, la Honda n°111 a enchaîné les ennuis techniques. Après plusieurs passages dans le box, Honda Racing a été contraint de capituler peu avant la 16^ème heure de course (5h51) sur casse moteur.
En tête après 16 heures, le SERT marque 10 points supplémentaires. Le GMT 94 empoche neuf points et compte désormais 108 points contre 64 points pour le SERT. Même une victoire du SERT n’offrirait pas un 14^ème titre à Suzuki. Seul Bolliger Switzerland peut priver le GMT 94 d’une seconde couronne mondiale en cas d’abandon de la Yamaha n°94.

 

Art&Moto 2014

via www.artemoto.pt