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    mercredi 8 octobre 2014

    Himalaya on a Bullet.

    High up in the Himalayas, life is very different, the faces and places we encountered were unlike anywhere else on earth. We are now part of a small group of adventurers who have tackled this route, as we know, the Himalayas are not for the faint-hearted, the mountains sheer magnitude is a test in itself, add to that the high altitudes, unpredictable weather, the risk of landslides, sheer drops, roads that are mud, water and sand, sudden border closures and route changes and you realise why this is one of the most challenging motorbike adventures on the planet. I rode with nomadicknights.com
    It seemed that the harder the day the bigger the smiles, and at night wherever we rested our tired and often bruised bodies, we shared our many tales of the day’s ride with a drink or two.
    We can now all claim to have riden the highest road in the world (18,340ft), we wound our way up into the mountains, through remote valleys, over beautiful desolate high passes and through the pristine and remote ranges of the India/Tibet border. We slept in tents by huge mountain lakes and under awe-inspiring snow clad peaks.

    Himalaya on a Bullet. www.nomadicknights.com from Iain Crockart on Vimeo.

    Les brèves du mercredi…/ Wednesday’s WRC notes: France

    Dani Sordo, premier pilote latin du Rallye de France 2014, a échoué au pied du podium, et le premier pilote français, Bryan Bouffier, a pris la 9e place. Aucun Latin sur le podium et qu’un seul Français dans le top-ten, ce n’était jamais arrivé au Rallye de France depuis 1973…
    Les quatre marques représentées en WRC ont gagné au moins une spéciale au Rallye de France : Volkswagen avec Latvala, Ogier, Mikkelsen, Citroën avec Ostberg, Ford avec Kubica et Hyundai avec Sordo.
    Jari-Matti Latvala est le 3e pilote finlandais à s’être imposé sur un rallye WRC pur asphalte, après Markku Alèn (Corse) et Tommi Mäkinen (Sanremo).
    Ce n’est pas un problème d’embrayage qui a retardé la Porsche 911 de François Delecour, mais une touchette dans la descente deVallée de Munster(radiateur),à la même chicane qui avait surpris Novikov il y a deux ans.
    Ce même François Delecour, ainsi que le pilote la Renault Clio N°101 Julien Tonnelier, a écopé de 200 € d’amende pour sous-vêtements ignifugés non-conformes.
    La FFSA célébrait les 20 ans de l’opération Rallye-Jeunes ce week-end et s’est félicitée des résultats obtenus au fil des années. Les deux représentants de Rallye-Jeunes en Alsace, Eric Camillia (2e) et Yohan Rossel (5e), ont brillé en catégorie J-WRC. Malgré tout, cette opération de détection des jeunes talents pourrait être abandonnée la saison prochaine.
    Jean-René Perry a remporté l’Opel Adam Cup 2014 et sera pilote Opel l’an prochain en Championnat de France. Ses trois principaux challengers au titre (Bernardi, Jouines, Fostier) sont sortis de la route. Les concurrents de l’Opel Adam Cup s’élançaient après ceux du Rallye de France-Alsace et ne parcouraient que les 1ères boucles de spéciales.
    Bien peu fiable depuis le début de saison ERC, la Peugeot 208 T16/Michelin de Kevin Abbring a vu l’arrivée du Rallye de France-Alsace à la 14e place, juste derrière la Polo R WRC de Seb Ogier. Le Néerlandais a nettement dominé la catégorie RC2, mais il n’était pas inscrit au championnat WRC-2.
    Assuré du titre mondial J-WRC, Stéphane Lefebvre va piloter une Citroën DS3 R5/Michelin au prochain Rallye d’Espagne et peut-être également au Wales Rally GB. Il va également disputer le Tour de Corse (ERC) pour tenter de rafler un second titre Junior cette saison.
    Après cinq éditions (très bien) organisées en Alsace-Vosges, les rumeurs ont couru tout le week-end selon lesquelles le Rallye de France 2015 ne se déroulerait pas dans cette région.
    La VW Polo R WRC/Michelin a remporté sa 20e victoire mondiale en 24 rallyes disputés. Le Rallye de France-Alsace est le 3e rallye le plus rapide de la saison (115,07 km/h de moyenne) derrière la Finlande et la Pologne.
    Bryan Bouffier essaie de réunir le budget pour disputer le Tour de Corse (ERC). Son père, Philippe, participe en ce moment au Tour de Corse Historique sur une Renault 5 Turbo. Quant à son copilote, Xavier Panseri, il sera au départ du Rallye Dakar 2015 au côté de Krzysztof Holowczic sur une Mini ALL4 Racing/Michelin.
    Dani Sordo was the best-placed ‘Latin’ finisher on the 2014 Rallye de France (4th), while Bryan Bouffier (9th) was the best-placed Frenchman. It’s the first time there hasn’t been a Latin on the podium and a French driver in the top 10 on France’s WRC round since 1973…
    The four carmakers represented in the WRC all won at least one stage in Alsace, namely Volkswagen (with Latvala, Ogier and Mikkelsen), Citroën (Ostberg), Ford (Kubica) and Hyundai (Sordo).
    Jari-Matti Latvala is the third Finn to win a ‘pure’ asphalt WRC rally after Markku Alèn (Corsica) and Tommi Mäkinen (Sanremo).
    It’s not a clutch problem that delayed François Delecour’s Porsche 911 but radiator damage after an ‘off’ at the same chicane on the ‘Vallée de Munster’ stage that caught out Novikov two years ago.
    Delecour and amateur Julien Tonnelier (Renault Clio) were fined €200 for wearing non-compliant flame-resistant underwear.
    The FFSA celebrated the 20th anniversary of its immensely successful Rallye Jeunes operation at the weekend. Its two representatives in Alsace were Eric Camillia and Yohan Rossel who came second and fifth in J-WRC. Even so, this talent-spotting scheme could be dropped in 2015.
    The 2014 Opel Adam Cup was won by Jean-René Perry who will get to drive an Opel in next year’s French championship. His three chief threats (Bernardi, Jouines and Fostier) all crashed. The Opel Adam Cup runners started after the Rallye de France-Alsace field and only contested the opening loops.
    Despite reliability issues since the beginning of the year, the Peugeot 208 T16/Michelin of Kevin Abbring came 14th overall in Strasbourg, just behind Ogier’s Polo R WRC. The Dutchman dominated the RC2 class but isn’t registered for the WRC-2 championship.
    Now that he has clinched the 2014 J-WRC title, Stéphane Lefebvre will drive a Citroën DS3 R5/Michelin in Spain and perhaps on Wales RallyGB. He will also contest the Tour de Corse in his bid to claim the European championship’s Junior title, too.
    After five slickly-organised WRC qualifying rounds in the country’s Alsace and Vosges regions, it is rumoured that the 2015 Rallye de France will be based elsewhere.
    The VW Polo R WRC/Michelin claimed its 20th world class win from 24 starts last weekend.
    The Rallye de France-Alsace was the third-fastest round of 2014 to date (average: 115.07kph), after Finland and Poland.
    Bryan Bouffier is seeking a budget to contest the Tour de Corse (ERC). His father, Philippe, is currently taking part in the Tour de Corse Historique in a Renault 5 Turbo, while his co-driver Xavier Panseri will navigate for Poland’s Krzysztof Holowczic (Mini ALL4 Racing/Michelin) on January’s Dakar.
     

    Dan's GN400 5
    “It all started a year ago with a Bet.”  Ah, that legendary precursor to many a high story surfaces once again. Nothing quite prompts a burst of pull your finger out motivation than the pressure of a nay saying peer. For Dan Naylor, an IT man from Surrey, the wager was born as he was helping a friend with the cutting and welding of a custom tank for his Streetfighter project. Dan casually quipped that his mates bike would take years to complete and that he could buy and finish one of his own for a quarter of the price before it ever saw completion. The hook was baited and the fish bit, Dan had himself a mission. Two days post the stake was set, for the dizzying sum of 150 British pounds, Dan purchased the base of the bet, “A pig ugly ’81 Suzuki GN400 which had been stuck in a shed for 12 years”.
    Dan's GN400 4
    Dan approached the build with a little heritage in modification, “My custom fever started very young with bmx’s, at 19 I brought a 56′ VW Beetle that I built and dragged raced and lately with a 68′ Porsche.” But it hasn’t all been about cars, Dan has long had his own slow burning two wheeled project, which no doubt was further delayed by the little Suzuki’s arrival, “I have been collecting parts for a 500 Triumph pre unit bobber for what seems like for ever.”  We will be intrigued to see that one when it eventually surfaces Dan, but back to the Suzuki.
    Dan's GN400 3
    Dan started stripping the bike and cutting away the parts that did not meet his approval. “I’ve always liked the tracker/brat style clean and simple look.” The stance was the first element to get right, he internally lowered the forks and dropped them through the yokes, he fabricated the rear seat hoop and relocated the the top and bottom rear shock mounts. Still not quite content, despite the bet enforced time pressure, he decided to take an inch off the rear end.
    Dan's GN400 2
    For the seat and rear mudguard Dan looked to his long standing non motor powered hobby of skating, “I haven’t quite grown up yet. I can still be found riding my BMX in the woods and trying kickflips in the garden.” Two old decks were re-imagined over and under the frame loop, perfectly fitting its kick, and fulfil the job perfectly. It is not the first time that the cross over between the skate and bike scenes has manifested itself in the Shed, BMX pedal kickers are a common and useful mod and this nx650 and xs650 have both gone for an unusua fly screen approach, but Dan’s seat is my favourite board adaptation to date. BMX stunt pegs replace the standard foot pegs and that appears to be a wrap of deck grip tape around the upper fork shrouds.
    Dan's GN400 1
    The tank proved one of the biggest build challenges, Dan ended up buying 3 before settling on the best one for the job. A BSA Bantam unit carried the day but required modifications along with the frame to make it sit just right. One of Dan’s goals was to hide as many wires and cables as possible by routing them through the frame, the bike now runs on the generator and has most of its switch gear hidden away. The front brake caliper is off a BMW F650 with a KX125 master cylinder up top and the exhaust is a tweaked, cut back, wrapped version of the original.
    Dan's GN400 6
    “It took me 6 months and was a budget build. On the road its the closest thing to a BMX light and nimble. On sunny days I even commute on it. I finished the bike 3 days before the BSMC III show and was luckly enough to get a last minute entry”.
    The bike was one of the first to be seen by punters as they entered the show positioned in reception by the coat check and really got people talking and their creative ideas flowing. It is great to finally hear the little machines story and to have it here on the digital Shed. Now will that pre unit Bobber be ready for the next show Dan? Would a wager help expedite its completion? Speaking of wagers, Dan departs with a cheeky post script.
    “P.S.  My mate still hasn’t finished his build!”.
    via The Bike Shed

    BSMC GEAR GUIDE #28


    BSMC Gear Guide #28
    This week’s Gear Guide features old school Motocross pants and classic Steve McQueen ISDT goggles, alongside the latest and most comprehensively tooled up Leatherman, and the super cool Ronin leather jacket from Roland Sands. If you ride an old rattler, then the Lowbrow GT grips will preserve the nerve ends in your digits. Plenty of tasty gear to invest your hard earned readies in….
     ROLAND-SANDS-RONIN-JACKET-1
    ROLAND SANDS RONIN JACKET
    Hailing from Long Beach, California, Roland Sands was the1998 AMA 250GP National Champion road racer. He’s also an award-winning designer for Performance Machine, and owner and founder of Roland Sands Design. Not only does he have a reputation for building high end custom bikes, he also designs an impressive collection of motorcycle gear aimed primarily at the custom scene.
    ROLAND-SANDS-RONIN-JACKET-3
    The Ronin is primarily an urban jacket. The shell of the jacket is unapologetic in it’s cafe racer styling. A single breast pocket, sleeve zip pocket and two additional zippered pockets lower on the front of the jacket provide enough outer storage without being fussy. Two side zippers for fit adjustment run up the bottom of each side of the jacket.
    The inside of the jacket is satin poly lined. Interior storage includes two stretchy mesh cargo pockets, a soft lined electronics pocket with snap and an chest pocket with zipper.
    It doesn’t come with built-in armor, but has pockets for elbow, shoulder and back protection specifically designed for Roland Sands Armor.
    ROLAND-SANDS-RONIN-JACKET-2
    The jacket is built with hand finished washed and waxed .9mm – 1.1mm cowhide in a performance riding fit, with rotated, pre-curved sleeves, dropped back length, and relaxed collar opening. It has perforated leather interior trim, and perforated sleeve venting.
    This a rugged and good looking jacket that comes in brown, black, clay, black and smoke, and oxblood with black sleeves.
    BOLLE-CHRONOSOFT-STEVE-MCQUEEN-GOGGLES-1
    BOLLE CHRONOSOFT STEVE MCQUEEN GOGGLES
    BOLLE-CHRONOSOFT-STEVE-MCQUEEN-GOGGLES-2
    These are almost exact replicas of the goggles worn by Steve McQueen in the ISDT International Six Day Trials and Mojave Desert Races. it classic retro styling but with contemporary technology. They have a sealed double-lens system and Bollé’s equaliser system to prevent moisture fogging. The lenses are incredibly strong, with a ballistic PC outer lens that’s 2.1mm thick with anti-scratch coating, and a ballistic inner lens: 1.1mm thick with anti-fog coating, that passes Ballistic Resistance STANAG 2920 standards. They have a panoramic field of vision and can be worn over prescription glasses. The ventilated frame is comfortable and the wide adjustable 45mm strap keeps the goggles securely in place.
    BOLLE-CHRONOSOFT-STEVE-MCQUEEN-GOGGLES-3
    They look great worn on top of an open face helmet and you can wear them under or over the helmet itself, although the fit on the face will be a bit better if you wear the strap over your head.

     REIGN-MINUTEMAN-VINTAGE-MOTOCROSS-PANTS-1
    REIGN MINUTEMAN VINTAGE MOTOCROSS PANTS
    These classic styled Motocross pants hark back to the glory years of the 70’s, before manufactures felt the need to splatter their logos all over the place and employ vile dayglo colours.
    “We’re not remaking vintage gear, we’re reinterpreting it. Old school looks with new school materials and techniques means you get the look of “back in the day” with the ease of just throwing them in the washing machine.”
    The durable Maxdura™ ripstop base pant is fully lined with soft, vented, birdseye mesh.Traditional quilted hip and knee pads, as well as heat shield areas are covered in butter-soft, top-grain washable leather. The waist has side stretch panels and a five position belt for excellent comfort and a tailored fit.
    They have three pockets, a hidden, wallet-sized, zippered back pocket and two zippered front pockets that can also be left open for venting on hot days.
    The pants are triple-stitched in the high-stress areas of the seat and crotch.Velcro closures at the ankle allow a reduced “in-the-boot” cuff profile. Stretch panels at the knees, behind the calves, and in the crotch enhance mobility and fit.
    These will do the business at ScrambleOn! and next years Dirtquake. They’re pretty good for buzzing around town in too.
    LEATHERMAN-SUPER-TOOL-300-BLACK-3
    LEATHERMAN SUPER TOOL 300 BLACK
    This is the latest edition to the Leatherman family, and it really is the nearest thing to a complete tool kit you can wear on your belt. It has an incredible number of applications.
    LEATHERMAN-SUPER-TOOL-300-BLACK-1
    It has nineteen integrated tools: 420HC stainless steel clip point knife, 420HC sheepsfoot serrated knife, needlenose pliers with cap crimper, regular pliers, 154CM replaceable wire cutters, 154CM replaceable hard wire cutters, stranded wire cutters, wire stripper, electrical crimper, 5/16″ screwdriver, 7/32″ screwdriver, 1/8″ screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, wood/metal file, saw, bottle opener, can opener, Awl with thread loop, and a 9″ | 22cm ruler.
    It has black coated comfort sculpted stainless steel handles with cut outs for access with gloves on. A stainless steel body and all locking blades and tools. It has a lanyard ring, a Molle nylon sheath and a 25 year warranty.
    LEATHERMAN-SUPER-TOOL-300-BLACK-2
    It has a removable bit driver with ten bit options in five double ended bits: Hex 4mm & 5mm, Hex 6mm & 1/4″, Torx #10 & #15, Phillips #0 & #3 and screwdrivers 0.75″ & .200″.
    You can also purchase and optional bit kit of twenty one double ended bits.
    This is one serious bit of kit, that takes Leatherman to whole new level, and will fit into the tiniest nook on your bare arsed custom.
    LOWBROW-GT-GRIPS-1
     LOWBROW GT GRIPS
    LOWBROW-GT-GRIPS-2
    Sometimes it’s the simple things that make the difference – like spongy comfortable grips. Made from injection molded Krayton rubber, these are great if you ride an old thumper. I have them both on my CB750 (that’s not really supposed to vibrate, but does) and on my Norton Commando, which below 3000rpms (before the isolastics start working) vibrates like a pneumatic drill. These soften out the ride significantly. They’re a nice wide fit that sit comfortably in the hand.
    LOWBROW-GT-GRIPS-3
    They come in black, oxblood, teal, and grey and in 7/8” and 1”.
    LOWBROW-GT-GRIPS-4
    Lowbrow are custom builders out of Ohio, and make bits fit for function on custom bikes.

    CB750 image courtesy of Michael Jershov www.mjstudio.co.uk
    via The Bike Shed

    BRISKO GARAGE XJ900


    Brisko Garage XJ 1
    When images of this post apocalyptic Yamaha XJ 900 first arrived in the Bike Shed inbox, I naturally began to prepare my Mad Max references; depicted before a decrepit derelict factory, all bare metal, rivets and anger, it seemed an obvious route to pursue. Then I read Stefano Briscolini’s accompanying words, and a completely different bike emerged. The story of the build of this beast is one of beauty, loss and inspiration. In Stefano’s words.
    “It ‘s the story of a journey, a parallel trip, but in opposite directions. Two characters: a young and beautiful friend, the dancer Veronica Spotti, and an elegant lady, a 1983 Yamaha XJ900″
    Brisko Garage XJ 2
    When Stefano found the Yamaha it had been lying in a corner of a garage for more than 10 years, “The dust that covers her makes impossible to distinguish its original colours, her upholstery is scaly, the plastic is crumpled. Time has not even left a trace of chrome. But if you look carefully under the engine, the forks, the shaft drive, there are no stains, not a single oil leak… Then you realise that this lady is just waiting to come back to life.”
    But on that cold October day back in 2012 as Stefano was enthusiastically loading the Yamaha aboard his truck he received the tragic news that his friend Veronica had passed away. On the day of the funeral the entire town of Abbiategrasso came to a standstill in mourning. Stefano wrote of her,
    “She always smiles and when she is on stage she shows power and determination you don’t expect. Shyness becomes fighting spirit. She lives in symbiosis with the music. You hardly see her standing still if only there is a good rhythm in the air. Later, when you look at her, deeply absorbed in her thoughts, you understand that behind her eyes full of light and her smile it lies a world of her own… A world full of desires and dreams that sometimes seem light years away.”
    Brisko Garage XJ 3
    Stefano’s enthusiasm for the project was completely destroyed, the bike was tied so closely with the time of loss that he could not contemplate working on it. Back under tarp went the Yamaha for many months, until Stefano reached a decision, “I dedicated my build to Veronica: to bring the Lady Yamaha back alive helped to relight the memory of my friend. That’s the way “Vero SP900” was born.”
    Brisko Garage XJ 4
    “I wanted to pull off something that was out of the ordinary, out of the norm, the stereotypes, the usual… something that was a little ‘crazy, bringing together elegance and self determination, class and ruthlessness. No plastic, no frills, no bright colours.” Stefano set to work in his den of creation. He completely stripped the bike and began modifying the frame, he fabricated a shortened subframe and removed any unused brackets. The rims, fork sliders and swingarm were sent for a matte black powder coat while the crankcases and other engine parts were treated with high temperature paint and marked with his Brisko Garage Emblem.
    Brisko Garage XJ 5
    The engine, forks and shaft drive were overhauled and at the rear adjustable Gazi shock absorbers were fitted. The custom rear brake rod and foot pegs were handcrafted out of billet aluminium. Stefano also installed a Z750 brake master cylinder, adjustable clutch lever, Tommaselli throttle command and conical air filters. The exhausts were shortened and fitted with open custom mufflers that were sandblasted and treated with high temperature paint.
    Brisko Garage XJ 6
    If the style of Stefano’s work looks familiar you may well be trying to recall his previous Bike Shed contribution, an XV 750 with some intriguing engineering solutions and a distinct steampunk style. He revels in the hand forming of metal parts such as the headlight nacelle, dashboard, seat unit and the bespoke aluminium front fender. “living materials such as iron and aluminium, because to mold them you have to put so much physical strength and sweat that the transmitted energy is pure life!”
    Brisko Garage XJ 7
    A Yamaha 550 donated its tank which was modified to fit before being brushed bare and sealed. Other everyday items that contributed themselves to the build were a canvas backpack that was transformed into a saddle bag and an Armani leather skirt. Clearly it was a skirt of the appealing revealing variety as the seat is made up of minimalist strips of black leather and suede.
    Brisko Garage XJ 8
    Other notable examples of Stefano’s handiwork include the Ducati Diavel style muduard/numberplate extension, the repositioned ignition system, the integrated LED lights and indicators and the perforated riveted metal stripe that runs the length of the bike. Also admire the routing of the clutch cable through the aluminium fly screen.
    Brisko Garage XJ 9
    Stefano built this motorcycle with sweat, passion and also tears. It was a cathartic journey that has resulted in a unique machine through which Stefano remembers his friend Veronica. Her fighting spirit, power, determination and elegance. Bravo Stefano, thank you for sharing your build and your story.
    via THE BIKE SHED

    Rizoma BMW R Nine T







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