ACE CAFE RADIO

    lundi 10 novembre 2014

    SHANGHAI CUSTOMS GN250


    Shanghai Nesto 1
    I presume the Chinese equivalent of the Highway Code is a simple document. From my time there I recall seeing just one ‘rule of the road’ as such. That appeared to be: Try not to crash into anyone else, if you can. Everything else was handled in a take-it-or-leave-it kind of way. Yet strangely, for the most part it seemed to work; the number of accidents falling way below the expected amount considering the incoherent way the traffic flows through the blue neon lit roads. Be it getting t-boned by an electric scooter, wrestling for lane superiority with one of the numerous VW Jetta taxis or avoiding the random sink holes, a trip through Shanghai can be classed as anything but dull. To do so on a motorbike sends the experience into videogame squeeky-bum-Russian-roulette levels of excitement.
    Shanghai Nesto 2
    In many of China’s urban areas, large capacity bikes are banned in a futile attempt to reduce congestion and smog in city centres. If you want a bike bigger than 250cc in Shanghai, you need a bundle of cash and some seriously good Guanxi to get the requisite documents for a non-domestic bike. So it’s best to just go with the flow, accept the laws and take advantage of the joy of small capacity travel. You’ll soon realise 250cc is more than enough for the city, perfect for a bimble up the Bund and back in time for some Jasmine tea. The custom scene, having breached the Great Wall, is finding builders braving the roads and dodging the rules to produce some fresh new customs in China’s largest city.
    Shanghai Nesto 3
    Matthew, an ex-pat from New Zealand living in Shanghai, got into motorbikes while on holiday in the Philippines. Upon returning to China, he’d found his scooter had, ironically, been Shanghaied so he decided a bike was a far better idea. In Matthew’s own words, it was a piece of crap, so he started investigating doing some custom work on it. This seemed to go well and he started getting requests to buy it. One thing led to another, the day job was soon dispensed with and Shanghai Customs was born. A year and a half later, Matthew and his crew have found their feet and are growing quicker than the city around them.
    Shanghai Nesto 4
    For this build a 1998 example of the venerable Suzuki GN250 was sourced and a plan was formed. More power, less weight, exaggerate the classic form, yet retain the every-day function. Unafraid to dig deep, the engine had a thorough going over. Over-bored to 300cc for a bit more oomph, the rockers, cams, valves and cam-chain were all replaced. Checking over the gearbox, all seemed fine but a new clutch was put in ensuring the bike can handle the stop-start traffic. New Mikuni carbs with pod filters were fitted and jetted to suit and the whole lot breathes out through a slim reverse-cone exhaust, grafted onto the black wrapped 2-1 down pipes.
    Shanghai Nesto 5
    The frame was stripped back, looped and cleaned up. The kink to the rear end giving suspension clearance and enough room for a pillion. The sleek electrics box built between the frame rails houses the CDI, Reg/Rec and assorted relays, while the battery is housed in a separate box, easily accessible just above the swingarm . It’s worth noting that nearly all the electrics on the bike have been replaced. From the alternator and starter motor to the lighting system, the whole lot has been replaced. The ignition has been relocated next to the riders knee and the the rider is provided with not only a new analogue speedo but a digital gear indicator in a custom mount as well.
    Shanghai Nesto 6
    The diamond stitch seat was built upon a custom pan and provides a generous amount of cushion. Wrapped in genuine bovine hide Matthew was considering perhaps using gold thread to pick out the paint but settled for black. Custom mudguards are minimalist but practical, the rear guard suspended from the swingarm to avoid an unwanted badger stripe on wet days. The tank and guards received a simple and sleek paint job, block white with silver panels highlighted by gold pinstriping and the Shanghai Customs logo. Chop Suey Cycles handled the painting detail as well as the coating of the engine in a high temperature finish.
    Shanghai Nesto 7
    A number of small handmade touches adorn the bike. New foot controls provide solid standing and a classic sit-up-and-beg riding position. Picking out the pinstriping the gold oil filler cap also nestles in side of engine. While many of us enjoy a game of hide the indicators in a quest to streamline the looks of our bikes, I cannot blame Matthew for ensuring the winkers on the GN are as visible as possible, given the environment to be tackled. A bates light up front penetrates the city smog, and an LED rear keeps things clean: simple and effective.
    Shanghai Nesto 8
    18 inch Duro tyres wrap the powdercoated wheels at either end; 120 at the front and 130 at the rear give a nice chunky profile for the uncertain streets.  While the suspension is standard, a check over deemed all was well so front gators were added to look after the stanchions. A brake upgrade has improved stopping performance, the bike is now fitted with a Frando disc and modified caliper mount to accept the larger diameter rotor. By all accounts the bike is a hoot to ride around city streets and the Shanghai Customs guys will be sorry to see her go. The photos, taken by Matthew as well, show it to it’s very best and I don’t imagine it will be long before it finds a new home.
    Shanghai Nesto 9
    Matthew is still developing the Shanghai Customs website but it will be in rude health soon. It’s certainly going to be a busy year for the guys with some interesting projects in the pipeline. Next on the cards is an SR400, ready to go in the workshop. After that Shanghai Customs will be stepping into unknown waters developing and building their own bike  from scratch using Chinese power-plants and looking to export them. A new build, clean sheet Cafe or Tracker at an affordable price? Sounds good to us.
    via The Bike Shed

    Moto GP ; Un retour décevant pour De Puniet et Suzuki


    Victime d’un problème avec sa boîte de vitesses, Randy de Puniet n’a pu couvrir que les douze premiers tours du Grand Prix Generali de Valence, qu’il disputait en wildcard avec Suzuki.

    Randy De Puniet, Team Suzuki MotoGP, VAL FP2

    Suite aux problèmes qu’il avait rencontrés avec le moteur de la GSX-RR lors des deux premières journées, Randy de Puniet a malheureusement eu une course gâchée par un autre problème technique, qui concernait cette fois-ci sa boîte de vitesses.
    Après avoir commencé à travailler avec Suzuki en tant que pilote d’essais en 2013, le Français bénéficiait d’une wildcard pour disputer son premier Grand Prix de l’année mais n’avait malheureusement pas la chance de son côté. De Puniet va maintenant rejoindre le Championnat du Monde Superbike tout en conservant son rôle de pilote d’essais avec le team MotoGP de Suzuki, qui travaille cette semaine avec ses nouveaux pilotes titulaires : Aleix Espargaró et Maverick Viñales.
    Randy de Puniet : « Nous savions que le week-end n’allait pas être facile mais nous ne nous attendions pas à avoir ces problèmes. Tout le monde a fait de son mieux au sein du team mais ce n’était pas suffisant pour finir et j’ai souffert de problèmes avec la boîte de vitesses. C’est dommage parce qu’avec ces conditions pour la course, j’aurais pu me battre pour une bonne position. Maintenant l’heure est venue pour moi de me tourner vers le Superbike. Je pense avoir fait du bon travail avec Suzuki cette année et je suis impatient de voir et d’écouter les réactions des nouveaux pilotes. »
    Satoru Terada - Directeur du Team Suzuki MotoGP : « Ça a été un week-end difficile pour le team. Nous avons eu des problèmes techniques et nous n’avons pas pu trouver de solution satisfaisante. Nous sommes désolés pour Randy parce qu’il a fourni beaucoup d’efforts ces deux dernières années, au cours du développement de la moto, et nous avons apprécié qu’il donne le meilleur de lui-même pour la dernière course de la saison. C’était notre première course en trois ans et nous avons beaucoup appris, principalement sur ce qu’il nous manque. Demain nous aurons deux jeunes pilotes qui testeront nos motos et nous sommes impatients d’avoir leurs réactions. Nous devrons d’abord résoudre nos problèmes, écouter les requêtes de nos pilotes et ensuite préparer les tests qui auront lieu à Sepang en février prochain. »


    Moto GP ; Lorenzo mène la première journée du Test de Valence / Lorenzo fastest on Monday in Valencia test


    Jorge Lorenzo a été le plus rapide lundi à Valence, où commençait la pré-saison MotoGP™ 2015 et où Marc Márquez a prêté l'une de ses motos à son frère Álex pour quelques tours de piste.


    Jorge Lorenzo, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, MotoGP Valencia Test

    Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a signé le meilleur chrono de la première des trois journées du Test Officiel de Valence en 1'30.975 et a essayé quelques nouveautés sur son YZR-M1, que Yamaha a commencé à alléger en prévision d'une perte de poids de 2 kg imposée par le règlement technique de 2015. Valentino Rossi s'est classé quatrième, à 0.275s de son coéquipier et derrière les deux pilotes de Monster Yamaha Tech3, Pol Espargaró et Bradley Smith, qui avaient pour mission d’évaluer de nouvelles pièces pour Yamaha.
    Vainqueur du Championnat du Monde Moto3™ la veille, Álex Márquez a eu le privilège de tester l'une des RC213V de son frère Marc Márquez, qui était en piste à ses côtés. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) a fini la journée en sixième position, à 0.627s de Lorenzo.
    Alex Marquez & Marc Marquez, MotoGP Valencia Test
    Andrea Dovizioso a terminé en septième position tandis que Andrea Iannone, son nouveau coéquipier, a réalisé le cinquième temps sur une moto similaire à celles que les deux Italiens utilisaient pour la saison 2014. Ducati ne disposera de son prototype 2015 qu'en février prochain, pour les tests de Sepang, et avait donc décidé de ne participer qu'à la première journée d'essais à Valence.
    Chez Pramac Racing, Yonny Hernández et Danilo Petrucci, nouvelle recrue du clan Ducati, ont respectivement pris les dixième et treizième places sur la feuille de temps. Les deux pilotes roulaient sur GP14 mais Hernández passera sur la GP14.2 à partir de mardi. 
    Le team CWM LCR Honda a accueilli ses deux nouveaux pilotes, Cal Crutchlow et Jack Miller. Le Britannique a donc fait ses débuts sur RC213V tandis que Miller a bouclé 61 tours avec la Honda Open 2014 pour sa première journée en MotoGP™. Chez Marc VDS Racing, Scott Redding s'est classé quinzième pour sa première journée sur RC213V, à deux secondes du temps de référence.
    Aleix Espargaró et Maverick Viñales ont commencé à travailler avec Suzuki et ont respectivement fini aux 14e et 17e positions.
    Chez Aprilia, Alex Hofmann s'est chargé de faire la majeure partie du travail avant que Marco Melandri et Álvaro Bautista n'entrent en piste en fin de journée. Le constructeur italien testait différentes entrées d'air mais aussi un nouveau moteur à rappel pneumatique.
    Le team NGM Forward Racing inaugurait aussi une nouvelle équipe avec Stefan Bradl et Loris Baz. Les deux pilotes se sont concentrés sur le châssis et les suspensions afin de s'adapter le plus rapidement possible à la Forward-Yamaha.
    Les essais continuent mardi et mercredi de 10h à 17h et peuvent être suivis en direct grâce au Live Timing de motogp.com.
    Le Live Vidéo sera par ailleurs disponible mardi de 11 à 13h puis de 14 à 17h. A retrouver en fin de journée : résumés vidéo, inteviews et reportages exclusifs.
    Alvaro Bautista, Factory Aprillia Gresini, MotoGP Valencia Test
    Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was Monday’s fastest rider in the post-GP Valencia test, with the day also featuring MotoGP™ World Champion Marc Marquez showing his brother Alex Marquez how to ride a premier class prototype.
    Lorenzo’s fastest time of 1’30.975 was the best of the day as he and his teammate Valentino Rossi worked on various updates to their YZR-M1. Rossi was fourth fastest and 0.275s off Lorenzo’s time, the Italian behind Monster Yamaha Tech3 pair Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith as Yamaha locked out the top four.
    Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, MotoGP Valencia Test
    Alex Marquez got a nice present for winning the Moto3™ title on Sunday as his brother Marc Marquez rode a few laps with him on the elder brother’s Repsol Honda RC213V machines. Marquez’s Honda teammate Dani Pedrosa was sixth fastest overall, 0.627s down on Lorenzo.
    Bridgestone brought the same tyre specifications as the race weekend to help the teams with cross-referencing their data, with only the harder rear tyre featuring a slightly different spec.
    Andrea Dovizioso was seventh fastest and new factory Ducati Team colleague Andrea Iannone was fifth, as they worked with a similar package to that which they ended the 2014 season on. Their 2015 bike will only be available from Sepang testing after the winter break and they therefore ended their test on Monday.
    Yonny Hernandez was 10th and his new Pramac Racing teammate Danilo Petrucci was 13th as they tested only the GP14, whilst Hernandez will switch to the GP14.2 from Tuesday.
    The new look CWM LCR Honda team were hard at work with new recruits Cal Crutchlow and Jack Miller both on track. Crutchlow ended the day eighth on his new RC213V, with Miller further down the timesheet notching up 61 laps on a 2014 Open Honda as he adapted to MotoGP. Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team) ended the day 15th, as he too tested the RC213V and lapped two seconds slower than Lorenzo.
    Spanish pair Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales started their Suzuki adventure with rookie Viñales in 17th - roughly a second behind his more experienced new teammate. Espargaro was 14th overall and 1.34s off P1 pace.
    Evolving Aprilia machines were tested by Alex Hofmann, with Marco Melandri making an appearance late in the day for the new Factory Aprilia Gresini team. Alvaro Bautista also featured, with the Italian manufacturer experimenting with differing air intake options and a new pneumatic valve engine.
    NGM Forward Racing welcomed Stefan Bradl and Loris Baz as the team focused their work on chassis and suspension, with the new riders adapting to the Forward-Yamaha package.
    The test will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday (10am-5pm), with Live Timing available throughout on motogp.com.
    There will also be live video coverage of the test on motogp.com from 11am-1pm and 2pm-5pm on Tuesday. There will also be highlights videos at the end of each day, plus all the latest news and exclusive features.
    Marco Melandri, Factory Aprillia Gresini, MotoGP Valencia Test


    LE CASTING DE TOP GEAR FRANCE DÉVOILÉ


    PAR ALEXANDRE LAZERGES

    La déclinaison française de l’émission automobile de la BBC vient de dévoiler son casting. Un trio de choc pour un programme culte.

    Le casting de Top Gear France dévoilé

     © Visual Press Agency

    Ca y est le casting de Top Gear France, la déclinaison française de l’émission de voiture culte de la BBC, vient d’être dévoilé après plusieurs longs mois d’attente. Depuis l’été dernier, la planète automobilo-médiatique bruissait de rumeurs sur les potentiels présentateurs. Ce sera finalement l’acteur et réalisateur Philippe Lellouche, dans le rôle de chef de bande, l’ancien pilote des 24H00 du Mans Bruce Joanny (Pescarolo Sport) pour le coup de volant et enfin Le Tone, ancien rédacteur en chef du magazineIntersection. Ce dernier sera l’expert en culture automobile. Moins célèbre que Philippe Lellouche, Le Tone a pourtant déjà connu la gloire en tant que musicien et auteur du tube électro suave « Joli Dragon » en 1999. Le Tone est, entre autres, amateur de vieilles BMW en en particulier de la Série 3 E30 dont il possède un splendide exemplaire 325 i. Bref ce trio de choc a largement de quoi devenir aussi désopilant que les anglais Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hamond et James May.

    Ainsi s’achève donc le suspense qui aura duré plusieurs mois. Le nom de Stéphane De Groodt revenait le plus souvent et il confiait même à GQ dès le mois de juillet qu’il avait été approché par la filiale française de la BBC. « Ça m’aurait beaucoup amusé il y a trois ans, maintenant j’ai d’autres priorités » nous avouait-il. Il faut dire que, depuis, cet ancien pilote devenu acteur et auteur à succès est désormais mis en avant comme un des grand talents de Canal+.  Il n’allait pas présenter une émission sur RMC Découverte, la chaine du groupe BFM.

    Reste la question principale. L’émission française sera-t-elle à la hauteur de la matrice britannique, le programme Télé le plus regardé au monde avec 350 millions de téléspectateurs ? A en juger les moyens conséquents déployés pour le seul casting : 2 voitures de sports, 2 voitures « low budget », une équipe complète de techniciens pour la prise de vue et une autre entièrement dédiée aux véhicules, sans compter la location d’un circuit plusieurs jours d’affilée … il semble que les moyens soient aux rendez-vous. La rédaction quant à elle reste entièrement sous le contrôle de la BBC ce qui garantirait une certaine indépendance vis-à-vis des marques automobiles. Evidemment le Stig reste totalement anonyme.  Les tournages commenceront d’ici quelques jours pour une diffusion au printemps.
    via GQ

    Moto GP ; Rossi se confirme comme vice-Champion du Monde MotoGP™ 2014 / Rossi converts pole to second in race and championship


    Deuxième en course à Valence, Valentino Rossi a terminé la saison 2014 avec une treizième podium et le titre de vice-Champion du Monde MotoGP™.

    Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, VAL RACE
    Surpris de se qualifier en pole position samedi après-midi, Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a été devancé par son compatriote Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) au départ de la dernière course de l’année mais a pu rattraper son retard sur l’Italien en compagnie de Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda).
    Une fois passé devant Iannone, Rossi a essayé de suivre Márquez mais n’avait plus suffisamment de pneu pour tenir le rythme du  Champion du Monde en titre. L’Italien finissait cependant l’année avec le titre de vice-Champion du Monde.
    « Je suis très content parce que je finis une bonne saison avec une bonne course, » a affirmé Rossi. « La course a été difficile aujourd’hui parce qu’il était impossible de comprendre les conditions. Nous avions bien travaillé et nous avons été forts. Je n’étais pas très loin de Marc et je me sentais bien sur la moto. Nous avions par contre un problème sur le côté droit du pneu, nous nous en étions rendu compte lors des essais. Le pneu a souffert à cause des températures et des conditions de piste et je ne pouvais pas suivre Marc dans les virages à droite. »
    « J’étais très content après ma course au Qatar, je savais que je pouvais être compétitif mais c’est très dur avec Marc. J’ai eu beaucoup de podiums et beaucoup de points mais seulement deux victoires ! Marc en a remportées 13, il y a une grosse différence. Nous devons nous concentrer sur la moto et le team pour faire un gros pas en avant en 2015. »
    Valentino Rossi, Marc Marquez, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP, Repsol Honda Team, VAL RACE
    Having started from pole position for the first time in over four years, Valentino Rossi secured second at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana – also confirming his runner-up spot in the 2014 standings.
    A surprise pole position put Rossi in prime position to battle teammate Jorge Lorenzo for that second place in the championship. Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) led off the line with Rossi settling into second behind his compatriot.
    The Ducati rider was able to create a one second gap to Rossi, before a charging Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) aided Rossi in catching, and passing, Iannone. Rossi then set about trying to stay with the 2014 MotoGP™ World Champion, but tyre wear meant he was not able to match the pace of Marquez.
    Several brief spits of rain had riders questioning whether or not to stay on slicks, Rossi elected to do as Lorenzo gambled on wet weather tyres. The gamble did not pay off and Lorenzo was forced to retire, ensuring Rossi’s second place in the general classification with 295 points.
    “I’m so happy because I finished this positive season with a good race. Today was very difficult, the conditions were impossible to understand. We worked well and I was strong. I wasn’t so far from Marc and I felt good on the bike. We had a problem on the right side of the tyre, we knew about it during the practice. The temperature and condition of the track made the trye suffer a lot so I couldn’t stay with Marc through the right handers,” Rossi commented on today.
    Looking back at the season as a whole, “After Qatar I was very happy for the race, I thought I could be competitive, but fuck it’s difficult with Marc. A lot of podiums and points, but only two victories! Marc won 13, a big difference. We have to focus on the bike and the team to make a big step in 2015.”

    SHOP VISIT: SEE SEE MOTOR COFFEE CO.


    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    Thor Drake owns Portland’s finest custom motorcycle store. He is also improbably tall, and his name is pronounced ‘Tor’ with no ‘h’. You could say he’s the living embodiment of the city’s unofficial slogan: “Keep Portland Weird.”
    If the name sounds familiar, that’s probably because Thor runs The One Motorcycle Showand organizes the 21 Helmets exhibition, both regular fixtures on the US custom calendar.
    But most days you’ll find Thor at his See See Motor Coffee Co. establishment, which is the kind of business we’d all like to run. It’s essentially a motorcycle café that also sells cool gear, books and magazines—and has a couple of workshops tucked away at the back.
    Thor Drake, co-founder of See See.
    When did you start See See? We’ve been in action for seven years. I started it with Drake McElroy and a loose idea: that a dirt bike would be a good platform for a café-styled bike.
    We grew up playing in the dirt, and wanted something fresh and new to work on. So Drake built a YZF450 and I built an XR400. We built bikes that looked good and performed well, with some classic design cues.
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    Where did that logo come from? I had a strange dream about the logo, and built a name and brand around it. The logo was a hat tip to the fact that motorcycles make me very happy. A lot of stuff at the time was all about skulls and being ultra tough: we just wanted to make something different.
    We came up with the See See name to be less motorcycle-centric, but it also refers to the style of bikes we like: metric or “cc” bikes. The “See See” also comes from the eyes on the logo.
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    When did you open the store? On 10 June, 2010. It was a small shop on the industrial north side of Portland. We were one of the first Poler Stuff and Biltwell dealers.
    How did you pick your location? Our location found us—we don’t have deep pockets, and that was a huge factor. We’ve now moved to central Portland, on one of the main roads. But we’re pretty isolated as far as businesses go, there’s not much around us.
    My partner George Kassapakis assured me it would be a good spot, but I didn’t see it at first. But after we gutted the building I saw huge potential. It was four months of 12-hour days just getting the coffee side open.
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    What’s it like inside? When you walk in the door you will notice 130-year-old barn wood. The front of the coffee bar is sheet metal I used in my last workshop as flooring. The whole back wall is stuff I pulled down during the renovation. The uprights on the bar are old frames, and I even used my old coin collection for covering ugly hardware.
    George and I built the whole place, and I’m damn proud of that.
    What do you sell? Premium Stumptown coffee, breakfast pastries by Roman Candle Bakery, sandwiches made in-house, and other tasty treats. We have hot dogs for lunch, and they are damn good. Some say the best. We have a couple of craft beers, wine and domestic lagers too (like Rainier Beer).
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    We also sell motorcycle parts, helmets, jackets, safety gear and lifestyle clothing. It’s a curated mix of big and small brands—such as Icon, Bell, Biltwell, Brixton and Danner. PlusChrome bags, Electric Sunglasses, and stuff from Loser Machine and Busch Bros. And even Deus ex Machina.
    We have an expanding in-house line of See See gear too, and make a few parts of our own—like mini switches.
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    What are the workshops like? One side is a tiny machine bay, and the other is for tuning and assembly. We don’t mess around with any maintenance, with the exception of our own bikes. We do about four customer bikes a year.
    We always try to build motorcycles that are fun and different. We just did a custom Rokonfor Danner Boots—I was real excited to do that one. Somehow we’ve got labelled as café-style builders, but we have only done a few. And even those are pretty different from the standard café style.
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    You sound busy. It’s a careful balance. You need to make it worth your time, but you don’t want it to be too much like work. You see a lot of builders get burnt out by trying to make motorcycle building their main business. It can turn from a hobby to a poorly paying job pretty quick. Someday I want to be old and still excited to build motorcycles.
    I don’t get to spend as much time as I would like in the shop itself. I think about it all day long, but business work (i.e., emailing) takes up most of my time.
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    Has See See lived up to your expectations? We are still open. I think that deserves a high five! But it’s been mountains of work.
    Running a small business in the USA can be tricky. It requires a ton of balance between work and pleasure, and most of the time the lines are blurry. I would say 70 percent of the time I’m doing work that’s just like any industry, across the board. If you want to own something nice, you have to clean it and take care of it—and that’s not glamorous work.
    But I wanted to add to the motorcycle scene, something I enjoyed. Growing up as a skate rat in skateboard shops, you learn to foster your community. I’ve always wanted to be inclusive and open, showing people like myself a little knowledge and acceptance.
    But, as you know, the motorcycle world is pretty quick to judge, classify and discriminate. I never understood this.
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    What kind of people visit See See? This is the best thing—we have no specific type of customer. If I had to categorize them at all, I would say they are all nice people.
    We get a lot of young families, older enthusiasts, and lots travellers who stop in on their trips. On the motorcycle side we get it all as well. We love all types of motorcycles, so we cater to all types of bikes.
    A look behind the scenes at Portland's favorite custom motorcycle shop, See See.
    What’s it like being based in the hipster capital of the world? Well, if you like motorcycles, good food and the wilderness, and you don’t have millions of dollars, Portland is a pretty damn good place to live.
    I lived here before the word “hipster” was the common name for young people. The word is too broad for my taste—I don’t even know what it means. Maybe it’s someone born between 1975 and 1987? Or is it a haircut? I have heard a lot of talk about skinny jeans, but punks wear the same style. So do cowboys for that matter.
    What bikes do you ride yourself? Oh boy! Dirt: ’14 KTM 500 XC-W, ’75 Husky CR250 and a ’86 Honda CR250. Flat track: ’78 Trackmaster Yamaha TT500, and a ’74 Framer Yamaha MX250. Street: ’74 Cone shovel FLH Harley Davidson, ’10 Triumph Scrambler 900, ’79 SR500 (owned since I was 17 years old), and a ’99 Ducati Monster 750.
    We’ll come and visit. When are you open? We’re open seven days a week. Sometimes we have night events. I love having night events.

    See See Motor Coffee Co., 1642 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland | Facebook | Instagram
    Photos by Michael Antonovich.
    via BIKEexif

    PETER’S GPZ750


    Peter Combens GPz750 1 THUMB
    Peter rode Sportsbikes, Peter had one too many close calls, Peter stopped riding sports bikes. A change of approach was required and one beery night trawling through ebay the solution presented itself. Dutch’s big Zed Thou was a machine that had many admirers (indeed the first time I met him was after I had chased it up the Camden Road) but it was Peter that secured the big beautiful beast.
    “That summer riding the ’78 z1000 brought back everything that made me first fall in love with bikes as a teenager. The noise, the smell, the wayward handling – all those things which can be so clinical on modern sportsbikes. There was one itch however which had not been scratched. I had not built the Big Zed, and I really wished that I had.”
    Peter Combens GPz750 2
    “Built not bought” is a phrase that encapsulates the shed dwellers dreams. The sense of pride as you ride in the knowledge that the nuts, bolts and heavy metal singing away beneath you were combined by your own hands is reason enough for the hours spent skinning knuckles. For Peter it was a feeling he craved that the big Zed just could not sate and so he set about planning his own build.
    “It all started with the tank. Someone on the Z1OC forum had it in the classifieds. I’d always loved the shape of those ‘70’s Kawasaki tanks and this one was from a z900 LTD. I just had to find something that I could put it on.”
    Peter Combens GPz750 3
    Keen to look beyond the usual pool of donors that are starting to command silly money Peter decided to seek out an old flame, the Kawasaki GPz750,
    “I once pushed a GPz unitrack 3 miles along a dark motorway in the rain. Despite this I kept a soft spot for these mid-‘80s Kwaks because I had one as my first ‘big’ bike. It was great until the bottom end gave up resulting in that damp trek.”
    After investigating the measurements of the top fame rails Peter was convinced his prized tank would sit well in this new home, so he again took to ebay, hoping for the same luck that found him Dutch’s Zed.
    “I bought a tidy looking, but non-running ’85 GPz750 unseen. The seller assured me that it had been fine the previous year, but upon awaking from it’s winter slumber it had refused to run right and the brakes were seized. It was the kind of price that I didn’t have to think twice about. On the way home with it on a borrowed trailer I went right past another eBay GPz750 that hadn’t sold, so I stopped off, offered beer-money and came home with the pair.”
    Peter Combens GPz750 4
    “A strip and clean of the carbs brought the non-runner back to life so I rebuilt the brakes and put an angle grinder on my birthday list.”
    With the birthday request met, Peter set to work de-tabbing and tidying the rear frame. To install the classic rear frame loop he sought the assistance of a local engineering workshop who also assisted with the welding of new tank mounts.
    “The tank itself went on with some minor modifications (repeated blows to the underside with a heavy mallet).”
    Peter Combens GPz750 5
    Peter was very conscious that he did not want to build a clone of the Zed he already owned, the best way to achieve this was of course to use his own hand made parts. He used sheet aluminium and wood to form the seat base before carving foam of various densities into the desired shape. He had the seat cover stitched up by a professional. The minimalist mudguards were fabricated from generic aluminium units and were dispatched to the powder coater, along with the frame and swing arm, for a layer of satin black goodness.
    Peter Combens GPz750 6
    “I fabricated a new battery tray by folding aluminium sheet and set about modifying the old wiring loom to suit the new layout. Spending time in the bike shed is the perfect antidote to my desk-bound job in I.T., but working with decrepit wiring must stretch anybody’s idea of fun and this was definitely the low point. It was eventually finished however… and done properly because this is one area that I do have some experience with.”
    Peter Combens GPz750 8
    The stance of the bike was improved by cutting the front forks down about an inch and fitting a second hand pair of CBR600 clip-ons that set Pete back a measly tenner. The top yoke is drilled and fitted with LED warning lights, a small speedometer rounds off the tidy cockpit. The chunky oversized tyres are Pirelli Scorpions.
    Peter Combens GPz750 9
    “Then, just as suddenly as it started, it was finished and I was taking it up the road on a shakedown run. That itch had finally been scratched.”
    Peter completed the GPz within a tight budget creating a fabulous machine which he can proudly declare as “built not bought”. Aside from the few hundred hours of his own time, the bike set him back no more than £1000 including the cost of the donor. And what of that second GPz? Well it is still in the shed and Pete has some ideas for it….
    via The Bike Shed

    Royal Enfield 350 ‘Nevermore’


    Nevermore_3223
    Written by Ian Lee.
    On the streets of India the cycle of choice tends to be the Royal Enfield. Reliable, easy to work on, spares aplenty, there is little that is not appealing about the retro motorcycle marque. Except if you want to stand out that is. Rolling out of India’s top new custom workshop, this bike is an idea executed with the mindset of a truly different bike being created. Scratch built around a late model Royal Enfield engine, Mean Green Customs have shown what it takes to stand out from the crowd, with their stealth bike concept. In a sea of Royal Enfield bobbers, this hard tail is something else, the mechanical engineer who created this masterpiece yearning to build something unique – and a chance to put his home made frame jig to use.
    Nevermore_20
    On deciding to undertake a build, Aditya Green decided he needed to create something different to the current trend of bobbing Royal Enfield bikes. Being a mechanical engineer by trade, the Indian builder has the skills to scratch build a lot of components, allowing him to produce a bike in a style that is all his own. Starting off with the mainstream Royal Enfield engine, Aditya decided the standard OHC powerplant would suffice for motivating the machine. Slight performance mods are found the fitment of K &N pod filters on the air intake, and a custom block hugging exhaust system.
    Nevermore_5
    With the desire for a stealthy look to the machine, the frame was built with ‘low and sleek’ in mind. With the custom frame draped so low over the engine, the 18 inch high wall tires utilised on the build hardly increase the height of the bike. The triple trees and fork setup has been made in house at Mean Green Customs, with the speedo housing as part of the top plate. Incorporated into the top plate as well are all the necessary warning LED units. Built into the front levers are LED units, to be used as front end indicators.
    Nevermore_12
    Continuing the sleek lines of this sweet ride, the tank and fairings have been fashioned from bare steel, with the rear fairing taking a few attempts to get to the finish Aditya wanted in the build. This was mainly to follow the lines of the tank and seat, plus incorporate the two shocks mounted under the seat. Incorporated into the seat pan are the brake lights, covered in mesh to hide them when not in use.
    Nevermore_10
    To keep the bike looking tidy, a cylinder was fashioned up and mounted on the frame. The cylinder contains all necessary electrics and the ignition switch for the bike, ensuring there is no messy harness showing on this rolling work of art. To keep the battery hidden away, a stainless casing was fashioned up and mounted.
    Nevermore_8
    With two very different ideas working against each other – that of stealth versus standing out – Aditya of Mean Green Customs has managed to create something which is the best of both worlds. Utilising his engineering skills, he has shown what is possible with the right tools and mindset on a build. We’re pretty sure this bike will stand out on the streets of India – or any street in the world for that matter.
    Nevermore_6

    Nevermore_5Nevermore
    via PIPEBURN

    guépard ..

    Photo : Wowee, I'm just 10 followers away from 7000! That's a lot of people! I'm so grateful for each follower and thank you so much for appreciating my work! 󾌵
Photo by My Boudoir - Make-Over Boudoir Photography
MUAH: Sarah Elliott - Hair & Makeup Artist