Yard Built Goes Racing at Dirt Quake IV

This year’s annual Dirt Quake event in the UK, Dirt Quake IV proved a great opportunity to prove this theory and give one of Yamaha’s latest Yard Built creations a proper work out. Yamaha teamed up with recent collaborators Deus Ex Machina to bring the Yard Built ‘D-Side’ trackside for some dirt track action.

Faster Sons: Building Bikes to Believe in

Yamaha has pioneered the Sport Heritage segment in the last years, leading the market in offering easy to customise factory motorcycles.
From the unprecedented hype generated in the custom/retro bike sector Yamaha’s first ‘Faster Son’ was born, a natural evolution of our Sport Heritage bike building philosophy. 

‘Faster Sons’ tips its hat in respect to the bikes that came before, whilst also showing pride in the faster sons of today and tomorrow, because above all, we love to ride.

Born Free

Big Bikes in Baja Motorcycle Tour

We rode with RawHyde Adventures on their Big Bikes in Baja motorcycle tour. The tour traveled 1,600 miles (2,500 km) to the mid-point of the Baja peninsula and back to the border again over seven days. Tour stops included Mike's Sky Ranch, San Felipe, Coco's Corner, a whale tour in San Ignacio, riding on the beach in San Quintin, the pine forests around Santa Veronica, traveling along part of the Baja 1000 course and more.



 For more information on the tour check out our review here:
http://www.advpulse.com/adv-rides/big...

Auto Fabrica’s Type 6 blends simplicity and refinement to perfection

Based on a Yamaha XS650 – a genuine barn-find from a farm in Cornwall – the Auto Fabrica Type 6 is a clutter-free powerhouse in the spirit of the Japanese design theory of Kanso, which cultivates the idea of simplicity. This unique bike is now for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

Exquisite build

The Auto Fabrica Type 6 motorcycle is an amalgamation of Italian looks, Japanese engineering and British creativity but there is more to this unique bike than meets the eye. “This bike is one of four XS650s we rescued from a farm in rural Cornwall,” says Auto Fabrica co-owner Bujar Muharremi, “a lucky find that effectively kick-started our company.” The cornerstone of this English custom motorcycle builder based in Southend-On-Sea, the XS650 barn-find received extraordinary levels of TLC to effect its transformation into a magnificent machine. With hand sketching and Photoshop rendering, Muharremi and his crew first created a virtual version of the bike, before they laid their hands on the XS650. “We spent a lot of time trying to balance clean graphics with highly complex and organic surfacing, to achieve a clean yet interesting design,” he explains.

Virtually perfect

Once the virtual work was completed, it was time to roll up their sleeves. The XS650 frame was modified by moving the headstock back and lowering it by two inches. The tank and the seat base of the Type 6 form a single unit made of 2.5-millimetre aluminium. The forks and headlamp display were modified, a tailor-made stainless steel exhaust was fitted and a Laverda SF750 twin leading shoe hub at the front was coupled with a 19-inch spoked rim, as well as an 18-inch alloy wheel with stainless spokes added at the rear. The engine was rebuilt with 0.5-oversize pistons and converted to a single carb. “Inspired by some other great builds, we took the time to design a single carb conversion,”says Muharremi. “We continued the line of the exhausts all the way through to the filter.”

Text: Frank Diebel

Photos: Julien Brightwell / Bujar Muharremi for Auto Fabrica

You can find the Auto Fabrica Type 6 for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

The 17-year-old student who realised his Porsche dream

Once upon a time, Hanno Hagen discovered a rather unhealthy Porsche 356 in San Francisco. Today, it’s a gleaming jewel of a car. And in between were many years of hard work, trouble… and love...

Californian liaison

He wasn’t the first young man to meet the love of his life when still a student. But in Hanno Hagen’s case, it wasn’t a California Girl. The 17-year-old discovered something quite different in the streets of San Francisco: his dream car, a Porsche 356 A 1600 Coupé. "I always say it was meant to happen," explains Hagen. "My parents and I were driving through San Francisco, when all of a sudden my mother pointed out a beautiful old ‘Jaguar’. My father and I convinced her that it was actually a Porsche. It was our last day in town, and although I was only there as an exchange student, I instinctively knew that I had to own that car – and return it to its former glory." Without hesitation, he took steps to persuade the owner to sell it to him, and some months later the Porsche arrived by container ship in Germany. Hagen would then have his hands full for the next eight years. All this took place 11 years ago, and while the student has become a dentist, the battered Porsche has become a uniquely beautiful gem.

A buyer without a licence

"The engine started," recalls Hanno Hagen, describing the circumstances of this fateful meeting, "but you could see the street through the floor of the car. It must also have been involved in an accident, because the both the front and rear bodywork was pretty battered." Further evidence of the Porsche’s lively past came when Hanno later discovered four previous owners. For the young man – still without a driving licence – the purchase of such a car was a (very expensive) dream. But even as a young boy, he had helped his father, a passionate amateur mechanic with his own workshop, to restore a classic moped. Which probably explains why Hagen Senior didn’t throw up his hands in horror when his son decided to buy the car on the spot.

Eight years to fulfil a dream

Over the next eight years, the classic Porsche was completely stripped down – including the four-cylinder engine – and rebuilt. "You could say that the 356 consists of 100 per cent original parts," says Hagen today, "but when removing the engine, we found that it had already been exchanged once before – so it’s not a case of matching numbers." Needless to say, the father-and-son team called in expert help when they hit their own limitations. To repair the body damage, for example, Porsche specialists Boxer Motors in Dotternhausen came to their aid, while a specialist took care of the restoration of the leather seats in the passenger compartment. "To pay for all this, I had to earn money while I was a student. The agreement with Boxer Motors was that the cost of the repair shouldn’t exceed the market value of such a classic." And that’s a target he’s achieved, despite the fact that the total money invested by Hanno Hagen over the years is around 70,000 euros. 

A rare gem in Fjord Green

Today, the 356 A is not only in amazingly good condition, it’s also a very rare example of its genre, as the (now) 28-year-old discovered when he turned to the experts at Porsche Classic in Zuffenhausen to explore the history of the coupé. He learned that his Porsche 356 A, built in 1958, was first sold by the well-known US importer Max Hoffmann and is considered a so-called ‘hybrid’ model that marks the transition from the 356 model series A to B. And understandably, the 75HP Fjord Green coupé has been kept true to its original and rare specification, even down to the cognac brown leather in the interior. "I even have a certificate," says Hanno, not without pride. Of course, selling the love of his life is completely out of the question, especially when he has already taken his beloved to second place in the Schauinsland Klassik rally.

A project to follow the project

But what does one do when one has fulfilled a lifelong dream, and Hagen’s roadworthy Porsche now awaits him in the garage? Well, he’s currently toying with the idea of converting an old motorcycle to a café racer.

Photos: Frederik Dulay / Post production: Manuel Wagner

You too can fulfil your dream: the Classic Driver Market is the place to find true love.     

Kawasaki KZ400 – Garaje 57

Hand built in Colombia by a pair of craftsman who were on a tight deadline to make a big show in the USA, this 1974 Kawasaki KZ400 is anything but rushed and far from factory. Esteban Pasquale and Gustavo Pasquale are the co-owners of Garaje 57 based in Bogotá that specialises in hand-built motorcycles with no discrimination between vintage Vespa’s all the way through to Modern Ducati sports bikes. But give them a 70s Kawasaki and… well, just take a look for yourself.

When Sergio Manrique a Colombian Tattoo artist brought them this project and gave the guys total design autonomy they knew they had just the bike for a special occasion. With an invitation to bring one of their creations to The Handbuilt Motorcycle Show in Austin, Texas, they knew lying beneath the rusty old tins of the KZ400 was the skeleton of a bike that they could fashion by hand and simple tools into something truly special. With their backs against the wall having to get the bike transported to another continent, clear customs and make it to the show, Garaje 57 rose to the occasion.

A complete teardown was the first port of call and where many might simply de-tab the frame or go a little further and construct a new subframe the boys at Garaje 57 wanted to go extreme. It’s fair to say that more than 50% of the frame is now completely new; the backbone was extended with large diameter round tube, from there two supports run down to the lower cradle and swingarm support, while a custom looped subframe triangulates between the rear supports and the single backbone. The work and welds are flawless with only additional bracing and the vital mounting points retained for an ultra-clean look. Not content with building such an incredible frame the guys then spent a week cleaning and using a brass brush to finish the frame to draw out the unique colours of the raw steel before sealing it all in with clear powder coat.

With the frame finished off they had the perfect place to rest the 398cc four stroke twin, but you couldn’t slot in a dirty 70’s lump to such a nice frame. So the engine too received a full strip down and was completely rebuilt from top to bottom. The cases received a bunch of Garaje 57 elbow grease and are now heavily polished, with the barrels blacked out and the heads also cleaned up. The factory Keihin CVB carburettors have been polished and then the boys turned quite literally to their lathe to produce two velocity stacks from a solid piece of 7075 aluminium.

So happy with the look of the machined items they turned out some more including giving every bolt on the bike the lathe finish to their heads. Like the rest of the build the exhaust shows off exactly what Garaje 57 is all about, quality materials, hand crafted, time consuming, it’s automotive perfection. The entire system is built from straight pieces of stainless steel that is lobstered together and so committed to perfection are our Colombian friends they did every weld using the back purging process.

From the beginning the vision was to create a low and slim lined machine with only the bare necessities fitted. The stock KZ400 tank is a nicely shaped item, but wanting to further expose the engine the choice was made to use a smaller tank from a Honda XL 125. Just like the frame the tank is brought back to its best metal finish, clear coated and topped with another lathe turned piece in the form of a slimline gas cap. Diving back into their metal work bag of tricks the seat is a single piece of aluminium that is formed at the back to create a low height hump. No welds, not cuts, just hand formed metal work that also includes a cut out for the LED rear light strip. Providing a brilliant contrast to the variety of metal finishes is the single piece of bold colour in the form of the maroon leather covered seat.

Back at the lathe and mill a custom set of risers have been fabricated from the same high end aluminium as many of the other parts on the bike. But these aren’t any ole risers; they have been machined to house a small motogadget digital dash, while also clamping a set of drag bars. Rather than use the 1970’s switch blocks that can be difficult to restore, more machining created a set of alloy button housings which are complemented perfectly by the Italian Kustomtech levers. The wiring from the switch blocks is part of the completely new loom that is hidden in an aluminium tray along with a lithium ballistic battery.

With the Kawasaki now slim and clean the low element of the design comes courtesy of the standard front forks absolutely slammed through the triple trees. To get the bum down closer to terra former a set of custom lowered rear shocks now slot into the new mounting points. The 1974 original rims were restored with soda blasting and then topped with black powder coat for a durable finish.

Wanting a tyre that was a mix of café and tracker the choice of Avon Mark2s is spot on and the classic tread pattern a perfect match. The finishing touches come in the form of the heavily bobbed front fender, a vintage headlight that is mounted with stainless brackets the guys whipped up and a handmade aluminium side stand made by… you guessed it, Garaje 57!

While in the US the bike was given a finishing touch from Rafael Portillo at VURO who fabricated the rear brake support from stainless steel and then upon invitation from Esteban and Gustavo named the bike. For evermore this hand crafted Kawasaki that has been subject of hundreds of hours of manual labour, crossed continents and drawn huge crowds at one of the industry’s leading shows will be known as “Angelina”. Ella es Hermosa!

via PIPEBURN

Oschersleben 8 hours -

Le circuit d’Oschersleben, situé à proximité de la ville de Magdebourg en Allemagne, recevra ce samedi 22 août la troisième manche du championnat du monde d’Endurance moto (FIM EWC). Cette course de 8 heures pourrait bien donner une idée du futur champion du monde puisque la lutte est très serrée pour le titre entre l’équipe du SERT (Suzuki Endurance Racing Team) et celle du GMT94 Yamaha.

Avant de se retrouver en Allemagne, les principaux protagonistes du FIM EWC (Endurance World Championship) ont participé le mois dernier aux 8 Heures de Suzuka. Cet événement exceptionnel dans la saison a accueilli un plateau extraordinaire avec pas moins de cinq pilotes de MotoGP qui avaient fait le déplacement au Japon. Alors que le champion australien Casey Stoner a chuté en début d’épreuve, c’est la Yamaha officielle aux mains de Pol Espargaro, Bradley Smith et Katsuyuki Nakasuga qui s’est imposée à l’issue d’une course extrêmement disputée.

En terminant quatrième de l’épreuve nippone, le Suzuki Endurance Racing Team place son équipe en tête des teams permanents et conforte ainsi son avance au championnat du monde. Mais il est menacé par le GMT94 Yamaha, sixième à Suzuka et deuxième team permanent, qui n’est qu’à 29 points en deuxième position. Sachant qu’il y a 35 points à glaner pour le vainqueur des 8 Heures d’Oschersleben, la compétition pour le titre reste ouverte ! Sans compter que le Team Bolliger Switzerland, souvent très performant en Allemagne, n’est qu’à deux points en troisième place et peut prétendre à un beau résultat.

 

De nombreux autres favoris peuvent s’imposer Outre-Rhin. Ainsi, le SRC Kawasaki, qui a été contraint à l’abandon à Suzuka pour sa première participation, a tous les atouts en main pour s’assurer une belle revanche. Il en est de même pour le Honda Racing qui a remporté l’épreuve l’an passé ainsi que pour le Monster Energy Yamaha YART qui s’est adjoint les services du pilote de Superbike Max Neukirchner.

Disputant la catégorie Superstock l’an passé, BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com y avait décroché la pole position devant les ténors de la catégorie avant de terminer quatrième en course. Ils sont également de sérieux clients à la victoire dans la catégorie reine.

 

Dans cette catégorie Superstock justement, le Junior Team Le Mans Sud Suzuki arrive en Allemagne en tête du classement mais également en favori pour la course. Il faudra néanmoins surveiller le Team Traqueur Louit Moto 33 qui, comme lors des 24 Heures Motos au Mans, sera son plus grand adversaire avec le Tati Team Beaujolais Racing et AM Moto Racing Compétition.

A suivre aussi, l’équipe Yamaha Viltais Expériences qui a choisi de nouveaux pilotes, ainsi que les teams allemands et anglais. Le Völpker NRT 48 by Schubert Motors joue à domicile tandis que les pilotes britanniques du Jackson Racing se sont illustrés dans d’autres compétitions cette saison, et que l’équipage Prime Factors Racing  a recruté le spécialiste de la discipline et ancien pilote Steve Plater comme team manager.

 

Les 8 Heures d’Oschersleben sont l’épreuve phare d’une semaine de la moto qui accueille de nombreuses compétitions motocyclistes mais également des animations et des concerts pour la plus grande joie du public allemand.