mardi 7 juillet 2015
8 HEURES DE SUZUKA : ENDURANCE, VITESSE ET PRESTIGE !
‘High Noon’ W650 – Speedwerks
Delaware-based Speedwerks were in an enviable position. They’d been approached by a long-term customer wanting a balls-to-the-wall café racer that could be ridden hard and ridden every day. The customer, local racer and speed boat enthusiast known only as ‘Richie’, had seen a few Deus café racers and wanted something in a similar vein, but louder and better engineered than anything that had come before. Armed with only a Kawasaki W650 engine stripped of its electric start, Speedwerks surveyed the line-up of modern retro motorcycles for a donor frame and found few that could blend traditional looks with modern geometry and stiffness. So they went about designing one. On the back of a beer-soaked napkin at a local sports bar.
Speedwerks is based less than a mile from Marc Rowe, a local chassis guru who had helped the team with a few previous builds. But building the frame for the W650 was the perfect opportunity to spend some more time working under his tutelage, with Richie not pushing the team for time. “I spent every evening for the next two years drinking beers, bending tubes and making metal chips with Marc,” said Steve Long, head designer at Speedwerks, “He’s the most badass old-school machinist on the planet, period.”
And Marc has the resume to back it up. He’s won Monster Garage and built frames for Aerosmith’s cruiser company Dirico. “If you can imagine it, Marc and Budweiser can make it.” The knowledge that Marc brought to the build, and to the workshop, can’t be underestimated. “I’ve never learned more from one person in my life and unfortunately, his kind are a dying breed”, Steve says.
For a blueprint sketched on the back of a serviette over a few drinks, Marc did a remarkable job creating the tight, stiff frame that pins the W650 engine firmly in place. And its slick lines aren’t just for looks, with the backbone also doubling as a crankcase catch and vent and also a hiding place for clutch cables and the wiring loom, which feed into an Ignitech programmable ignition and lithium-ion battery. The genius of the design doesn’t end there, with the rear fender able to slide in and out of the frame to hold the licence plate. Those two years certainly didn’t go to waste.
And all that careful work on the frame is matched by a no-compromise approach to the suspension, which carefully marries modern stopping power with traditional lines. Up front a pair of conventional 41mm Yamaha forks were shaved down and Race Tech springs and emulators mounted inside.
Speedwerks designed billet radial mounts for Brembo monoblock calipers, so it would have the look of a conventional fork with the stopping power of an improved inverted radial mount. The rear runs a matching brake setup while a pair of Kawasaki ZRX1200R shocks, shortened, re-valved and re-sprung, help keep the tail end of the bike in line.
Just about everything else you see on the bike was designed and manufactured in-house. The chrome-moly swingarm is also their own creation and the arched steel tank, close-hugging front fender and alloy seat pan were all sketched out and manufactured by the capable team.
The level of fabrication doesn’t end there – look closer and you’ll see that all the ancillary parts were also designed by the guys at Speedwerks, including the triple trees, brake hangers and motor mounts which were all CNC’d from billet aluminium.
Despite the ostentatious 70’s-inspired paint scheme completed by John Walls the bike still manages to show an appreciation for the finer touches in a build – and helps me realize how little I know about bike building, fabrication and the black art of frame design. Starting with only an engine, the workshop have managed to create a unique, functional motorcycle held together by a chrome-moly piece of automotive, beer-fuelled genius.
Makes you want to drink more, doesn’t it?
via PIPEBURN
12 Leather Jackets Made with Style, Made for Life
When describing his friend and colleague Albert Einstein, Leopold Infeld classified him as a minimalist of sorts. Einstein kept his hair long to minimize trips to the barber; he went without socks because he could; he neglected suspenders altogether. And though not a stylish man, Einstein proved to live intuitively by a tenet of the style world: “One leather jacket solves the coat problem for many years.” (Einstein and the Theory of Relativity.)
On the scale of luxury purchases, the leather jacket sits somewhere between an uncontracted smartphone and a downpayment for a luxury car. But done right, the jacket will outlast them both. With high cost comes high quality; and over the years,marks of use will be welcome additions in the hide. Scratched zippers, faded spots, a nick or two — they’re all worthwhile, welcome wear that tells a story of experiences more elevated than those told by a cracked phone screen or dented bumper.
Our Picks:
Billy Reid Morgan Jacket ($1,795), Schott Cowhide Fitted Motorcycle Jacket ($750), Alexander Wang Padded Cotton-Twill and Leather Jacket ($695), Belstaff Weybridge Jacket ($1,995), Rick Owens Slim-Fit Hooded Jacket ($2,665), Coach Bleeker Leather Racer ($998), Saint Laurent Classic Racing Jacket ($4,750), Acne Studios Abel Dark Brown ($1,750), Vince Coastal Blue Bomber Jacket ($995), Isaac Sellam Experience Leather Blazer ($2,217), Neil Barrett Paneled Hooded Jacket ($1,869), All Saints Armoury Leather Bomber Jacket ($685)
Porsche 911 Targa with the Singer touch is a West Coast wunderkind
When the Californian car guys of Singer lay their hands on a Porsche, the result is always breathtaking. Now the unique punk-rock car company has transformed a Porsche 911 Targa 4.0 into a Super-Porsche, which debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed...
To improve a Porsche 911 is a tough job. Not many car companies can, but Singer pulls it off every time it touches one of the iconic, rear-engined marvels. This 911 Targa is its latest miracle work and, this time, Singer went above and beyond what it has achieved so far. “It's basically a faithful rendition of the work that we do on the coupés,” says Singer founder Rob Dickinson. “The Targa presents us with new challenges, but also an opportunity to add our jewellery to the car.”
The 911 Targa in question still looks rather retro, but there’s little retro inside. A body stiffened with carbonfibre, a modified 4.0-litre flat-six – churning out around 390 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque – announce the arrival of the 21st Century, which has been injected into the veins of this classic 911. And, of course, Singer has left its mark not just when it comes to technology. As with all its previous offerings, Singer has ‘ennobled’ the brightwork (including the iconic hoop) of this sports car by rendering it in nickel – the company’s calling card.
Singer is well known for its innovative and groundbreaking restoration work, and its latest project leaves nothing to be desired. The Teutonic beauty makes its maiden appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend.
Text: Frank Diebel
‘81 Yamaha XV920R – Hageman Motorcycles
Written by Marlon Slack.
It’d be over five years ago that I first saw a café’d Yamaha XV. It was the same British racing green model that you’ve probably all seen by now, planted in a European backstreet across some scattered fallen leaves. Something in the back of my mind clicked, thinking it was a great reshaping of a forgotten middleweight cruiser. That was the last one I saw for a while but now, years later, it seems that they’ve been popping up with increasing regularity and with an increasing level of fit and finish. Heading up this accelerando of quality builds is Hageman MC in Tampa, Florida, who have wheeled out this scrambler-inspired 1981 XV920R.
The bike started years ago with only one part – the fuel tank. Taken by the looks of the old XT500 alloy gas tank, Greg Hageman had the paint scheme replicated by local workshop Moecolors. It was an LSD-tripped version of the original, with some serious flake in the in the silver along the sides surrounded an obnoxious candy tangerine. It looked fantastic but Hageman MC didn’t really have a bike that it’d work with, so it was placed on a shelf to wait for an appropriate project. Fast forward a few years and Hageman already had the café racer look down pat with a slew of builds, so they took the opportunity to use the outlandish XT tank on something a little different.
Greg says, “I’ve been building a ton of cafe racer Viragos and wanted to build an aggressive upright bike with more of a street fighter-style.” For pointers, he turned to another famed bike builder for inspiration. “A huge influence on this build was Classified Moto. I have a great deal of respect for their work and like their all-function style.” And he’s not the only one, as the work that Classified Moto do is excellent. Sure, their bikes all sort of look the same, but they’re so damn nice it’s okay to roll out a few of them. It’s like the bike building version of Oasis.
To get the bike upright Hageman MC had to sure up the suspension for the new riding position. “I had Hagon revalve and build me a shock for the rear. We then built a set of proper forks complete with a Tarozzi fork brace to stiffen things up.” While at the bottom end they laced up the hubs to some new wheels, running a whopping 17×3.5 front and 17×4.25 rear to make the most of available tyre sizes. And also, y’know, because it looks mean as hell.
The engine had a bit of attention as well, with Hageman fitting one of their own exhaust systems. Greg says “The exhaust is a two into one with a muffler I designed, and the bike has a low mellow tone.” The air and fuel system also had a workover. “I mounted a set of dual VM Mikunis with velocity stacks for the Handbuilt show, but changed the stack out for filters for the real world.”
Like their other builds, Hageman wanted the bike to be “clean, simple and straightforward” so a new shorter sub frame was made up and a new seat fitted by Tuffside, with the resulting shorter lines giving the bike much of its visual lightness. Everything was powder coated in gloss black by faithful local workshop Profab.
The mantra of clean and simple extend beyond frame and seat, with Tarozzi pegs taking point on the original mid set peg location while the electrics have been stripped and built around a Motogadget M-unit, running bar end indicators along with an LED headlight, tail light and rear turn signals.
And above all that sits the XT-inspired tank, in all its garish glory. The upright stance of the XV might make it look a little like a scrambler, but Greg at Hageman MC is quick to correct that. “I’ve gotten some criticism for not putting fenders on this bike, let me stress, it’s NOT a scrambler. And I did offer the new owner a set of fenders, but he likes the bike the way it is.” And the owner absolutely loves it. “It couldn’t have gone to a better buyer. He loves the bike, understands what it was built for and uses it hard.” And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
[Photos by Erick Runyon]
via PIPEBURN
Tommi Mäkinen Leads Toyota GAZOO Racing’s WRC Return in 2017
Toyota GAZOO Racing has determined its team structure leading up to Toyota’s return to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) in 2017.
Toyota President Akio Toyoda will serve as team chairman while Tommi Mäkinen*, a celebrated WRC veteran, will be offering his expertise as team principal. With comprehensive oversight from Mäkinen, who holds four drivers’ titles over his 18-year WRC career, the team will strengthen its vehicle development capabilities and work toward 2017.
Team name
|
Toyota GAZOO Racing
|
Vehicle
|
Yaris WRC (length: 3910 mm; width: 1820 mm)
|
Team chairman
|
Akio Toyoda
|
Team principal
|
Tommi Mäkinen
|
Message from Team Chairman Akio Toyoda:
Whenever I’m behind the wheel, I always think: “it is the road that makes the car.”
For Toyota to make ever-better cars, we have to get a feel for all the kinds of roads that are out there.
Rallying requires us to drive on the very roads our customers use every single day, and I believe it is the perfect training activity, ultimately helping us to strengthen our products.
As the pinnacle of rallying, WRC is the best way to experience roads all over the world—that’s why Toyota is returning to the championship. And I am very happy and excited to have Tommi Mäkinen heading up our WRC team.
I first met Tommi in 2013. At that time he was my instructor, helping me improve my driving technique. In the end, he taught me a lot more; he showed me the appeal of rallying and the relationship between vehicle development and rallying.
Tommi has abundant experience and fresh ideas for vehicle development, both of which will be valuable assets to us. After talking to Tommi, I felt: “I want to work with him; I want him to help us make better cars,” and that’s how I came to ask for his support with this project. With Tommi behind us, Toyota will forge ahead with our return to WRC and also our efforts to make ever-better cars.
Rallying allows both participants and spectators to feel the enjoyment of cars, and it encourages car manufacturers to hone their skills. We have been away from WRC for a long time as a manufacturer. I have huge respect for the manufacturers, drivers, team members, and fans that make this wonderful competition what it is, and I’m thrilled to bring Toyota back to WRC. Please join me in supporting Toyota GAZOO Racing.
Akio Toyoda
For Toyota to make ever-better cars, we have to get a feel for all the kinds of roads that are out there.
Rallying requires us to drive on the very roads our customers use every single day, and I believe it is the perfect training activity, ultimately helping us to strengthen our products.
As the pinnacle of rallying, WRC is the best way to experience roads all over the world—that’s why Toyota is returning to the championship. And I am very happy and excited to have Tommi Mäkinen heading up our WRC team.
I first met Tommi in 2013. At that time he was my instructor, helping me improve my driving technique. In the end, he taught me a lot more; he showed me the appeal of rallying and the relationship between vehicle development and rallying.
Tommi has abundant experience and fresh ideas for vehicle development, both of which will be valuable assets to us. After talking to Tommi, I felt: “I want to work with him; I want him to help us make better cars,” and that’s how I came to ask for his support with this project. With Tommi behind us, Toyota will forge ahead with our return to WRC and also our efforts to make ever-better cars.
Rallying allows both participants and spectators to feel the enjoyment of cars, and it encourages car manufacturers to hone their skills. We have been away from WRC for a long time as a manufacturer. I have huge respect for the manufacturers, drivers, team members, and fans that make this wonderful competition what it is, and I’m thrilled to bring Toyota back to WRC. Please join me in supporting Toyota GAZOO Racing.
Akio Toyoda
Inscription à :
Articles (Atom)