Follow Alex Chacon on his around the world charitable journey on a motorcycle, taking one of a kind and incredible selfies to tell a story.
jeudi 23 juillet 2015
Expedition Overlands Central America Expedition Ep2 S2
What it's like to ride the new Africa Twin
Official Honda video "True Adventure Final Episode" showing the new Africa Twin in action off-road. Also, a discussion with the engineers that designed the new Africa Twin that reveals some of the key features that could revolutionize the Adventure Touring segment once the bike is released later this year.
8 Heures de Suzuka 2015 : deuxième épreuve à Suzuka / Round 2 in Japan
Après les 24 Heures Motos mi-avril, la deuxième épreuve du championnat du monde FIM d’Endurance (EWC) se déroulera le 26 juillet au Japon sur le circuit de Suzuka. Dix équipes permanentes affronteront les teams japonais de pointe.
Epreuve facultative, les 8 Heures de Suzuka sont le grand rendez-vous de l’Enduranceoù les meilleures équipes japonaises rivalisent pour la victoire en recrutant des pilotes issus du MotoGP et/ou du Championnat du monde Superbike (WSBK).
La 38ème édition ne fait pas exception à la règle avec la participation notamment de Casey Stoner, double champion du monde MotoGP, de Pol Espargaro et Bradley Smith, coéquipiers au sein du team Monster Yamaha Tech3 en MotoGP cette saison.
Retraité depuis 2012, Casey Stoner effectue son grand retour à la compétition, pour sa première course d’endurance, au guidon de la Honda 634 de Musashi Harc-Pro Racing Team qui reste sur deux succès consécutifs. L’Australien fera équipe avec Michael Van Der Mark, pilote Honda en Championnat du monde Superbike (WSBK), vainqueur en 2013 et 2014 des 8 Heures de Suzuka et Takumi Takahashi.
Yamaha aligne une équipe officielle composée des deux pilotes MotoGP, Pol Espargaro et Bradley Smith pour tenter de remporter une cinquième victoire. Ils bénéficieront de l’expérience du triple champion Superbike du Japon, Katsuyuki Nakasuga.
Il faudra également compter sur YOSHIMURA SUZUKI Shell ADVANCE auteur de la pole position en 2014. La Suzuki n°12 sera confiée à Takuya Tsuda, Josh Waters et Alex Lowes.
La star japonaise, Ryuichi Kiyonari, auteur de quatre victoires aux 8 Heures de Suzuka, fera équipe avec Yukio Kagayama and Noriyuki Haga au guidon de la Suzuki n°17 du Team KAGAYAMA. Il tentera d’enlever une cinquième victoire.
Le Suisse Dominique Aegerter sera au guidon de la Honda 778 F.C.C. TSR, victorieuse en 2011 et 2012 avec Josh Hookes.
Toni Elias, engagé en Championnat du Monde Superbike, disputera ses premières huit heures de Suzuka avec TOHO Racing with Moriwaki (Honda), un des meilleurs teams privés.
Du côté des teams permanents, huitième en 2014 et vainqueur des 24 Heures Motos 2015, le SERT (Philippe/Delhalle/Masson) tentera de défendre sa position de leader au classement général.
Le YART (Parkes/Silva/Morais), le GMT 94 (Checa/Foray/Gines), Honda Racing Team (Da Costa/Gimbert/Foray), SRC Kawasaki (Leblanc/Lagrive/Foret) tenteront de s’immiscer aux avant-postes et de marquer des points au championnat.
BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com, Team R2CL, Team Bolliger Switzerland, Flembbo Leader Team, Team April Moto Motors Events et Motobox Kremer Racing seront également au départ de la 38ème édition des 8 Heures de Suzuka qui sera donné dimanche 26 juillet à 11h30 (GMT + 7) soit 4h30 heure française
After April’s 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans, France, the 2015 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC) resumes with round two at Suzuka, Japan, on July 26. The 10 EWC-registered teams will face opposition from the local experts.
Although not a mandatory round of the EWC, the 8 Hours of Suzuka is a major fixture which sees the discipline’s regulars take on the top Japanese outfits, and it isn’t rare to see MotoGP and/or World Superbike riders make one-off appearances.
This year’s race is no exception since the entry list includes two-time MotoGP champ Casey Stoner, as well as Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith who are team-mates at Monster Yamaha Tech3 this season.
Stoner has been ‘retired’ since 2012 but he has accepted the offer to make his endurance debut on the Honda 634 run by Musashi Harc-Pro Racing Team, winner of the last two visits to Suzuka. The Australian will join Honda WSBK rider Michael Van Der Mark who won the race in 2013 and 2014, and Takumi Takahashi.
Yamaha will have a factory team with MotoGP Pol Espargaro and Bradley Smith drafted in to try to secure the make’s fifth victory. They will benefit from the experience of team-mate Katsuyuki Nakasuga, three-time Japanese superbike champion.
Another likely front-runner is YOSHIMURA SUZUKI Shell ADVANCE which started last year’s race from pole position. Its N°12 Suzuki will be shared by Takuya Tsuda, Josh Waters et Alex Lowes.
Local star Ryuichi Kiyonari, four-time 8 Hours of Suzuka victor, will team up with Yukio Kagayama and Noriyuki Haga on the N°17 Suzuki (Team KAGAYAMA).
Switzerland’s Dominique Aegerter will race on the Honda 778 F.C.C. TSR that won in 2011 and 2012 with Josh Hookes.
WSBK runner Toni Elias will make his debut in the Japanese race with one of the most competitive private teams, TOHO Racing with Moriwaki (Honda).
The EWC-registered teams’ ranks include this year’s Le Mans-winner SERT which came eight at Suzuka in 2014. Its three riders (Philippe/Delhalle/Masson) will be out to defend the French team’s position at the top of the provisional standings.
YART (Parkes/Silva/Morais), GMT 94 (Checa/Foray/Gines), Honda Racing Team (Da Costa/Gimbert/Foray), SRC Kawasaki (Leblanc/Lagrive/Foret) will also be out for a top finish and championship points.
The other EWC teams entered for the 38th 8 Hours of Suzuka are BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com, Team R2CL, Team Bolliger Switzerland, Flembbo Leader Team, Team April Moto Motors Events and Motobox Kremer Racing. The race is due to start at 11:30am local time (GMT+7) on Sunday, July 26.
SPIRIT OF THE SEVENTIES CHROME ROADSTER
Cafe or Scrambler? When sketching out a new custom motorcycle design their are an abundance of options to consider, but before you can even begin to get lost in the details you have to rough out an idea and that usually starts with picking a genre. Some machines lend themselves better to certain styles than others but for Chris, his Triumph Bonneville offered a blank page. He boiled it down to that key question that so many have pondered before, Cafe or Scrambler? Cafe or Scrambler? Chris pinned his colours to the latter and headed off to see the chaps at Spirit of the Seventies with a head full of ideas. Ideas that would change very quickly.
“I didn’t expect it to go down the cafe racer route I was thinking lighter, slightly lower Scrambler. I just really wanted to push the weight down as much as possible. I even considered the carb Scrambler at first to get a smaller tank. But as we discussed the project, it turned out that a cafe racer is just what I wanted.”
Tim and Kev at Spirit have some mighty pedigree when it comes to tinkering with Hinckley’s finest, their Bike Shedarchive is a feast of inspiration for the would be Bonnie adapter. Chris was keen on their blend of short muscular roadsters with a mix of trials and tracker influences, after some discussions a budget was proffered and a spec and design agreed.
The stance was the key ingredient that steered the build away from scrambler territory, low and squat were the chosen adjectives and their implementation process began with the wheels. Both hubs were sent away to be rebuilt with wider 17″ rims and new stainless spokes before some fat, grippy dual-sport rubber was squeezed on. The subframe was shortened and a SOTS rear fender & solo seat combo was made. Chris chose to keep the rear pegs for the occasional short hop with a pillion but only the small of bottom need apply. The cut frame ends were practically tidied up with the installation of LED indicators.
Kev takes up the build story,
“The standard clocks were lowered using a bespoke bracket, and billet headlight brackets were fitted to tighten up the front area, along with a SOTS bobbed front fender on an adapted oe bracket-cum-fork brace to suit the smaller front wheel. A performance boost came in the form of progressive springs up front, adjustable shocks at the back, some proven airbox mods and a SOTS high-level Slash-Cut exhaust system in the middle. The bike was then setup and tuned to suit.”
“The standard clocks were lowered using a bespoke bracket, and billet headlight brackets were fitted to tighten up the front area, along with a SOTS bobbed front fender on an adapted oe bracket-cum-fork brace to suit the smaller front wheel. A performance boost came in the form of progressive springs up front, adjustable shocks at the back, some proven airbox mods and a SOTS high-level Slash-Cut exhaust system in the middle. The bike was then setup and tuned to suit.”
With everything getting progressively closer to terra firma the bars aimed upwards as per the original scrambler inclination. The riding position is exactly tailored to Chris so he can make the most of the dynamic improvements to the engine and handling. He describes it as a refined brute, with a sound addictively good…
The beautiful chrome tank was one of the highlights of the donor bike, it was a short lived factory optional extra that this machine picked up as it rolled off the production line in 2013. SOTS are discerning enough to recognise when not to change for changes sake and left the resplendent receptacle as is. The mudguards, side covers and headlight were treated to a subtle black and red makeover by D-Lucks Custom Paint allowing the chrome every opportunity to shine.
“This bike was never supposed to be a radical departure, it was done very much in our “shop” style, but one that hopefully proves a few choice mods can go a long way to changing a bike’s attitude and feel.
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Chris fittingly enough has recently opened up a Cafe in Leeds, where his beautiful machine will no doubt draw a crowd. His intention is to use the bike for reconnaissance missions to local farms and food suppliers, combining his business with a healthy dash of pleasure.
via The Bike Shed
What happens when a Jaguar XK120 goes Supersonic?
The Jet Age was an exciting, romantic time and, naturally, car manufacturers were keen to cash in on what was a burgeoning industry, even if their wares were firmly rooted to the ground. The Jaguar XK120 Supersonic is what happens when you let an inspired designer run wild...
The lucky few
Italian designer Giovanni Savonuzzi originally styled this jet-inspired body – aptly christening it the ‘Supersonic’ – in 1953, for a Conrero-tuned Alfa Romeo 1900 in light of the Mille Miglia in which the car was set to compete. However, a nasty accident and subsequent fire during the race rendered the car a write-off, prompting a determined Savonuzzi, now employed by Carrozzeria Ghia, to build a small number of further bodies. These were primarily to be fitted on Fiat 8V chassis, no doubt due to its relative inexpensiveness compared with other Italian sports cars of the day.
Inevitably, the ultra-streamlined body took the fancy of a handful of wealthy customers around Europe, explaining how three ended up on Jaguar XK120s (as if they weren’t pretty enough). The car shown is one of two ordered by a French businessman who, allegedly, never actually paid for the cars – the Parisian dealership through which the order was placed repossessed the pair as a result.
To the last detail
Aside from its deep metallic red paint, distinguishing this particular example from its two Anglo-Italian siblings (the body of one was sadly later transferred to a Shelby Cobra) is the cylinder head that houses three, two-barrel Webers as opposed to twin SUs, giving a substantial performance increase. Suffice to say, this Jaguar doesn’t just look fast…
Indulge in the details for a moment – that pronounced high waistline that spans the entire length of the car; the yawning front grille, neatly divided by elegant polished struts; those subtly integrated quad exhaust pipes, a masterpiece in themselves; and those small rear-lights, suspended in turbine-esque clusters. It’s dramatic – theatrical, even – and scarcely recognisable as the comparatively non-descript XK120 on which it is based. It’s culture and creativity personified – we absolutely adore it.
A star in the making
A star of both the Paris and Cannes motor shows in 1954, as well as a number of in-period andsubsequent concours events (including last year’s Chantilly Arts & Elegance, where it was awarded a special prize), the Supersonic will be offered by RM Sotheby’s at its Monterey sale on 13-15 August. While its pre-sale estimate has yet to be revealed, at auction back in 2007, this very car fetched 753,000 euros. With matching numbers, just 22,000km on the clock and only one other in existence, we expect the bidding to sail well past that when it crosses the block in August.
Photos: Darin Schnabel, courtesy of RM Sotheby's © 2015
You can find the full catalogue for RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale listed in the Classic Driver Market.
Snapshot, 1965: Brigitte Bardot shoots back
In 1965, Brigitte Bardot starred in the movie ‘Viva Maria’, directed by Louis Malle in Mexico. During a break in the filming, ‘BB’ clearly enjoyed standing – or rather, lying – on the other side of the camera.
There are two Marias in the film: Maria number 1 (played by Brigitte Bardot) is the daughter of an Irish anarchist, while Maria number 2 (Jeanne Morreau) works as a singer in a circus. The two Marias team up to work in the circus and – after inventing striptease – their act enjoys huge success, until the two become revolutionaries and face all sort of threats together. No wonder Bardot took things a little quieter between takes. Here she is, relaxing in the sun by the swimming pool in Cuernavaca - and pointing the camera at Paris Match photographer Gerard Gery, who had come to take pictures of the filming. The only pity is that Bardot’s ‘return’ shot didn’t appear in the magazine.
Photo by Gerard Gery/Paris Match via Getty Images
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