Ken Block takes his Ford F-150 RaptorTRAX out to the Baldface Lodge in Nelson, British Columbia to put it to the test as the ultimate backcountry snowboard expedition vehicle, along with fellow Monster Energy athletes Zak Hale and Ethan Deiss.
vendredi 20 mars 2015
NZ Made 1962 Ferrari GTO Replica
Rod Tempero motor body builder based in Oamaru, New Zealand created this awesome 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO, Here's the story.
NZ Made 1962 Ferrari GTO Replica from John Rietveld on Vimeo.
NZ Made 1962 Ferrari GTO Replica from John Rietveld on Vimeo.
‘71 Honda CB450 – Bas Rovers
Featuring non-professional builders is something we don’t do nearly enough of here at the House of Burnt Pipes. There’s something incredibly honest about a guy toiling away in his freezing and/or boiling garage at all hours of the night. And for what? Greasy, skinned knuckles and a constantly empty wallet – that’s what. But there’s something else that can also emerge. Something wonderful. Something that art critics have called one of the purest forms of folk art ever created. So here’s Netherlandian Bas Rover’s own little folk art masterpiece, a hardtail Honda CB450 bobber.
“My name is Bas Rovers. I’m from the Netherlands and I am proud to say that I’m addicted to motorcycles. All sorts, shapes and sizes – I love working on them and building them almost as much as I do riding them. I am an amateur builder and this is my latest project. It took almost two years to complete, and it was worth every single second.”
Bas used the bike to race in the Classic Bike Championships in Belgium. He’d purchased the bike about 10 years previously in the Netherlands as a derelict street bike and built it up from there.
The running gear and frame were okay, but the rest was beyond repair. It didn’t matter though, as Bas bought it with the sole intention of taking it racing. He got stuck in and overhauled the engine, building it up as quite a nice little circuit screamer.
“I raced it for almost two seasons until a crash put me and the bike out of contention. Not wanting to return to racing, it was then stored in boxes for a couple of years until I decided to rebuild it for the road; to create a hardtail bobber but with a racer twist. So it was completely redone from the ground up. I also wanted it to have a hard-core, well-used feel to it.”
If Honda came looking for their bike back, they’d find that only part of the frame, the engine, front forks and rear hub are the original items. “Everything else is hand-built, modified, custom or sourced from other bikes and suppliers,” says Bas.
“The front brake is from a Suzuki GT750, the rims are Borranis and the clip-ons and levers are Cuppini items. The aluminium battery box and stainless steel exhaust were made by a friend, and I wired a new custom loom from scratch. The tank is a replica Sportster tank, painted and aged by another friend.”
“Maybe I’m a little too close to the project to be unbiased, but I think the end result looks pretty good,” gleams Bas. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Not by a long stretch.
via PIPEBURN
‘81 Yamaha XV920R- Hageman Motorcycles
Most custom bike shops would gnaw off an arm to build a ride for biking royalty like Billy Joel. It’s the kind of job that can really put a shop on the map. So it says a lot about a builder when they not only complete such a feat, but then set themselves the task of going one better – just because they can. Welcome to the mind ofGreg Hageman; one of the world’s greatest Yamaha customisers and builder of today’s gobsmackingly classy XV920R.
“It’s an ‘81 XV920R,” mentions ‘the Hage’ as we chat to him on the other side of the world. “I picked it up over a year ago and developed a plan in my head for it. I wanted something similar to the Vinago bike I built for Billy Joel, but maybe a touch simpler, lighter, faster and a little more gritty. A bike that was kind of showing its age, but in a graceful way.”
Greg built this bike for himself, so he had an enviable amount of control over the design and engineering. “I shaved close to 150lb/70kg off of the original bike; if it wasn’t needed it was gone, including a section of frame in front of the swing arm. I had been wanting to do this mod for years and have been following a builder and racer in Germany named Sepp Koch who has mastered this weight-reducing tweak.”
“If you look at the Viragos he builds and races, you’ll see he shaves every possible ounce of weight off of these bikes; then he actually takes them to the track.” Sep assured Greg that the frame mods would still leave the bike plenty strong, as the original design used the engine as the stress member that the rest of the bike then hangs off. “It also gives the bike more of that Vincent look. You’ll note I drilled the heck out of this bike, too. I like to think that it looks like some alloy-eating termites have got to it.”
The bike’s suspension up front is includes progressive fork springs, a re-valve and a dropped stance. The rear consists of a special Hagon shock made to Greg’s specifications. The wheels are a 19 x 1.85 for the front and an 18 x 2.15 out the back, with new alloy-shouldered rims and stainless spokes. The tires getting their push on are Dunlop K75s. “I wanted retro-style tires, but not some useless old bricks. With the power to weight ratio of this thing, the rear tire will still break loose shifting into 3rd, so rubber connection is crucial.”
Unsurprisingly, Greg chose his favourite Virago carbs; a set of Minkuni VM34s with velocity stacks, nylon filters and brass screens. Next, the exhaust. ‘It’s a modified Mac with a repro pea shooter muffler. The handlebars are clip-on Tarozzis with shorty levers. The electrical set-up is pretty sparse; there’s only an LED headlight, tail light and stoplight. There’s no horn or signals, just the basics to keep things simple.” Amen to that.
The seat is a design Greg came up with to try to emulate a little touch of Black Shadow styling. By the looks of it, he’s hit the nail square on it’s little HRD head. The Fenders are stainless steel for both the front and rear. And from all reports, the bike ended up being a blast to ride. It also looks beautifully different from most of what’s being put out right now. “It’s very quick and hopefully just a little classy,” says Greg.
“Unfortunately, like all the bikes I build for myself, I come to the point where bills need to be paid and garage space runs out. So I sold the bike to a buyer in Denver, Colorado. I have to keep the business moving forward and don’t have the luxury of constant cash inflow, as I’m a one man show.”
One man or one hundred, if a shop turns out builds like this as regularly as our Mister Hageman, we’re pretty sure their future’s going to be looking bright. We look forward to his next build, which should be along any minute now…
[Photos by Erick Runyon & Gears and Glory]
via PIPEBURN
Carter Asmann turns coffee stains into café doodles
Southern California-based industrial designer and fine artist Carter Asmann has produced a curious series of works called 'Coffee Ring Drawings', which focuses largely on motorcycles – and came about completely by chance…
An artist looking for a (coffee) break
“The project began by accident while I was sketching one day, and has evolved into an on-going study and exploration of mixed materials,” Asmann tells us. What started as a rogue stain on his sketching pad quickly became the focal point of his characterful drawings, which mainly centre on classic two-wheelers such as a BMW R90 and Dues Ex Machina’s surfboard-carrying Honda C70, but have also been joined by a Porsche 930 Turbo and a 1970s Canon camera. “I find the juxtaposition of the intricate machines and the organic coffee stains visually compelling,” says Asmann. So do we, Carter.
Photos: Carter Asmann
Carter Asmann's coffee drawings can be purchased as prints through his online store.
You can find numerous classic motorcycles for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
Mohamed Al-Fayed’s wild Mini to be sold at auction
At the Bonhams Members’ Meeting auction at Goodwood later this month, one of 500 Mini ‘Rose’ special editions will go under the hammer – probably the only one wearing a leopard-print dress. And if that doesn’t make it unusual enough, the wild Mini was bought new by Mohamed Al-Fayed…
A leopard can’t change its spots, but a Mini can sprout them
In 1989, 500 examples of the special-edition Mini Rose were produced. Egyptian billionaire and then-owner of Harrods, Mohamed Al-Fayed, bought one new to add to his personal fleet housed in Barrow Green Court. At some point, the car was passed down to one of his daughters who, in 1999, commissioned the striking leopard-print paintwork. She also specified unusual details such as black wheels, a polished ‘skull’ gearknob, and a petite leather-rimmed steering wheel by Mountney. These quirky features no doubt played a part in it being named ‘Most Bonkers Mini’ at its first event appearance during the 2012 ‘Minis in the Park’ gathering.
The leopard-print Mini Rose will be offered by Bonhams at the Goodwood Members’ Meeting sale on 21 March, carrying a modest estimate of £4,200 to £5,600.
Photos: Bonhams
You can find many classic and personalised Minis for sale in the Classic Driver Market.
Brave Classics builds bicycles for wine connoisseurs
Have you been looking for a secure way of carrying your bottle of Château Petrus during a Sunday afternoon bike ride? Then you’re likely to approve of the vintage bicycles being produced in Germany by a company called Brave Classics…
The bespoke, bottle-carrying bicycle
Those who spend their Sundays squeezed into Spandex shorts, astride a carbonfibre bicycle, might not fully understand the point of the nostalgic two-wheelers from Brave Classics. But for style-conscious gentlemen who consider their steed to be as much a fashion statement as a means of transport, they could be just the ticket. “Our bikes offer not only optimum riding comfort, but can also be custom-built on request,” explains managing director Peter Lechner. “The colour palette of course includes traditional shades such as brown, beige and white, but also statement colours like bright pink and lime green.” There are also numerous accessories with which you can give your mount the full personalisation treatment, including leather saddlebags and the aforementioned wine holder. Sounds to us like the perfect excuse for a leisurely ride to your local winery.
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)