GP Moto2 ; Rabat signe le meilleur temps du vendredi à Brno / Rabat rules opening day in Moto2™

Le Champion en titre a réalisé le meilleur chrono l’après-midi, malgré de hautes températures de piste.

             

Quatrième des essais libres de vendredi matin à Brno, Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) a réalisé d’importants progrès l’après-midi pour passer en tête du classement avec un chrono de 2’02.714, alors que le temps de référence établi le matin par Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) était de  2’03.082.

Le Français, leader de la catégorie avec 71 points d’avance, a conclu la journée en quatrième position, derrière Tom Lüthi (Derendinger Racing Interwetten) et Simone Corsi (Forward Racing), à 0.260s de Rabat. 

Derrière Zarco, les Allemands Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) et Jonas Folger (AGR Team) complétaient le Top 6, devant Sam Lowes (Speed Up Racing), qui a fini son après-midi sur une lourde chute dans le virage 11. 

Figuraient également dans le Top 10 Julián Simón (QMMF Racing), Dominique Aegerter (Techomag Racing Interwetten) et Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) tandis que les anciens coéquipiers en Moto3™ Álex Márquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) et Álex Rins (Páginas Amarillas HP 40), vainqueur pour la première fois en Moto2™ une semaine plus tôt à Indianapolis, terminaient respectivement aux onzième et douzième positions.

Louis Rossi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) et Xavier Siméon (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) occupent respectivement les vingtième et vingt-et-unième positions avant la troisième séance d’essais qui aura lieu samedi matin à 10h55.

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Tito Rabat goes quickest in FP2 to end the day on top of the combined timesheets ahead of Thomas Luthi and Simone Corsi.

            

EG 0,0 Marc VDS’s reigning Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat ended Friday’s practice on top of the combined timesheets. The Spaniard set the fastest lap of an exciting day in FP2 at the bwin Grand Prix Ceské republiky, with less than a second separating the top ten riders.

It was Rabat who took advantage of glorious conditions at the Automotodrom Brno (With track temperatures reaching 50˚C) to set a 2’02.714, only 0.8s off his own pole record from last year. This was good enough to finish 0.097s ahead of Thomas Luthi on the Derendinger Racing Interwetten Kalex who ended the day second overall.

The returning Forward Racing team saw Simone Corsi (+0.167s) leave it late to set the third fastest time of the day. The Italian, having missed the Indianapolis GP due his team’s financial problems, made up for lost time to finish in third.

Championship leader Johann Zarco (+0.260s) on the Ajo Motorsport Kalex had to settle for finishing the day in fourth after earlier topping FP1. Dynavolt Intact GP’s Sandro Cortese (+0.319s) was in fifth, ahead of Jonas Folger (+0633s) on the AGR Team Kalex in sixth.

Speed Up Racing’s Sam Lowes was in fourth in FP2 with moments to go, but crashed out at turn 11 and had to settle for seventh, ahead of Julian Simon on the QMMF Racing Team Speed Up machine in eighth. Technomag Racing Interwetten’s Dominique Aegerter and Luis Salom (Paginas Amarillas HP40) completed the top ten, with less than a second separating them.

                 

Check out the combined results from Moto2™ FP1 & FP2, FP3 starts at 10:55am local time in Brno on Saturday.

GRAND PRIX ČESKÉ REPUBLIKY ; Lorenzo : « Très dur physiquement »

L’Espagnol a été le plus rapide vendredi à Brno, où les très hautes températures ont été l’un des sujets clés de la journée.

Classé premier puis deuxième de chacune des deux séances d’essais libres qui ouvraient le Grand Prix bwin de République Tchèque vendredi à Brno, Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) a conclu sa journée en tête du classement général en vertu d’un meilleur chrono réalisé le matin, avant que les températures ne montent à niveau extrême. 

D’après les données enregistrées par Bridgestone, les températures de piste allaient de 35 à 39°C pour la première séance, le matin, et se situaient ensuite aux alentours de 49-50°C l’après-midi pour une seconde séance qui a été marquée par plusieurs chutes. Le Majorquin n’est de son côté pas tombé mais a admis que les conditions et la chaleur avaient été difficiles à supporter.

Jorge Lorenzo :

« Nous sommes très bien partis ce matin puis cet après-midi les conditions étaient parmi les plus difficiles de toute la saison. Il faisait très chaud et sur la ligne droite on pouvait sentir la chaleur venant du moteur, c’était donc très dur physiquement. Sans vent, les conditions de piste étaient moins bonnes que le matin mais nous avons réussi à tenir un rythme régulier par rapport à nos adversaires. Au final j’ai essayé tous les pneus et quelques réglages qui nous donneront une bonne direction à suivre pour demain. »

Rossi : « Sa moto a perdu de l’huile et j’ai chuté »

La fuite d’huile d’une moto qui était devant à lui à été à l’origine de la première chute de la saison 2015 pour Valentino Rossi.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) est tombé pour la première fois de la saison 2015 vendredi après-midi à Brno, où l’Italien a glissé sur une fuite d’huile provenant de la moto de Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), qui n’était pas loin devant lui. 

Grâce à un chrono d’1’57.038, l’Italien occupe la sixième position sur le classement combiné, à une demi-seconde de son coéquipier Jorge Lorenzo.

                   

Valentino Rossi :

« Pedrosa a malheureusement eu un problème avec sa moto, elle a perdu un peu d’huile et je suis tombé. L’après-midi a été difficile pour tout le monde parce que la piste glissait beaucoup, que le niveau d’adhérence était très bas et qu’il y avait en même temps beaucoup de bosses. J’étais donc à la limite à chaque fois que j’entrais en virage. C’est allé un peu mieux en fin d’après-midi et j’ai pu prendre la quatrième position mais je dois réduire l’écart, notamment avec Jorge, qui semble avoir le meilleur rythme. »

Márquez : « Lorenzo a un rythme très rapide »

              

Marc Márquez était deuxième sur le classement combiné de vendredi à Brno malgré ses deux chutes.

Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) avait terminé la première séance d’essais en seconde position, à 0.151s de Jorge Lorenzo, et s’est ensuite rapproché du temps de référence en tournant en 1’56.513 dans la seconde séance, pour revenir à 0.014s du chrono de référence. 

Le Champion en titre est cependant tombé le matin comme l’après-midi et espère pouvoir trouver un rythme de course au moins aussi rapide que celui de Lorenzo afin de viser une troisième victoire consécutive après celles du Sachsenring et d’Indianapolis.

Marc Márquez :

« La journée a été très productive, nous avons obtenu beaucoup de données et nous avons constaté que ça n’allait pas être un circuit facile. Je suis rapide sur un tour mais j’ai plus de mal à garder un rythme régulier. Nous avons fini premiers de la seconde séance mais le plus important était de progresser sur notre cadence parce que Lorenzo a un rythme très rapide. Cet après-midi nous étions proches de lui et nous verrons demain si nous pouvons continuer à progresser afin d’être le plus près possible du sommet. »

        

Scorching track temperatures saw a multitude of crashes during MotoGP™ FP2 at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky as Lorenzo forged ahead.

A heat wave has hit the Czech Republic and it produced a session filled with crashes during FP2. A total of seven MotoGP™ World Championship riders fell during FP2, one of the highest rates of attrition for a session so far in 2015, the majority caught out by the greasy surface of Brno is the blazing conditions. While his close rivals fell, Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) stayed upright to end the day on top.

Track temperature during the second MotoGP™ session of the day was upwards of 47°C, reaching 50°C at certain points on track. These are temperatures more akin to Sepang in October, unusual for an August day in Brno. This saw the grip levels drastically reduced in the afternoon session, a major contributing factory to the high number of falls. Qualifying and FP4 on Saturday have similar conditions forecast, the added pressure of producing a single flying lap may see yet more crashes.

                     

Turn 5 saw both Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) fall in the sweltering heat. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) had his second crash of the day in FP2, falling at Turn 7. Both corners were highlighted as the biggest problem areas by multiple riders at the end of the day due to the bumps on entry.  Jack Miller (CWM LCR Honda) highlighted the issue: “I saw a lot of riders going down and it was a little bit scary at the start there. It’s really bumpy here, entering the corner on the brakes it just doesn’t want to co-operate.”

                      

However, it was not due to the weather or track conditions that both Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) and Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) found themselves in the gravel trap. “I had a problem with the front fork which I didn't realise until some oil hit the rear wheel as I was leaning over to the right into turn fourteen. The bike threw me off quite violently and I took a big knock to my left foot,” said Pedrosa after the session. Unfortunately for Rossi there was a small amount of oil on track, causing him to crash for the first time since Sepang last year.

Perhaps the biggest ramification of the crash is Pedrosa’s doubts over continuing the weekend due to pain in his foot. Pedrosa’s left foot, which he has broken before and has extensive metal work in, received the blow: “I went to Clinica Mobile for a check-up and they performed an x-ray on my left ankle. Thankfully they confirmed there was no break or fracture, just a heavy contusion so I will have some treatment tonight and see how the situation is in the morning."

Not only did Lorenzo lead the way but also with Pedrosa potentially out of the running, or at least racing at below being fully fit and confident, Lorenzo’s chances of a race win grow. A crash can lose a championship as easily as a podium can win one, riders will have to take extra care if the conditions continue as even a small mistake can have dramatic consequences in conditions such as these.

Rossi: “His bike lost some oil and I crashed”

Oil from another bike results in Rossi’s first crash in 2015, work to do at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky.

For the first time in the 2015 season Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and his Yamaha M1 parted company involuntarily. During Free Practice 2 Rossi was behind Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) when the Honda rider encountered a problem with his front fork, resulting in a crash for the pair due to liquid on the track. Fortunately Rossi escaped injury and returned to track on his second bike soon after.

A 1’57.038 in FP1 secured the experienced Italian sixth overall on combined times, half a second from his teammate at the top of the timing sheets. Rossi feels that he is at a disadvantage, especially compared to Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) who had the best pace at the end of Friday. Qualifying on Saturday will be crucial; Rossi has frequently had to battle through the pack on race day, damaging his chances of winning races.

Valentino Rossi: “Unfortunately Pedrosa had a problem with his bike and it lost some oil and I crashed. This afternoon was difficult for everybody because the track is very slippery and the amount of grip is very low and at the same time there are a lot of bumps, so every time I entered the corner I was pretty much at the limit. At the end of the afternoon it went a bit better and I went into fourth position, but I have to recover a disadvantage, especially the one to Jorge, who seems to have the best pace.”

Marquez: “Lorenzo has a very fast rhythm”

Marc Marquez ends Friday practice second overall and admits his target is to try and close the gap to Jorge Lorenzo.

                 

Marquez ended FP1 in second place, just 0.151s behind the pace of Lorenzo. In FP2 Marc managed to improve and finished the session on top with a 1’56.513. He was one of the few top riders to improve on time from the morning, despite crashing late on in the session at turn seven, fortunately walking away from the incident. His time placed him second for the day in the combined times. Marquez had also crashed earlier in FP1 too. The Spaniard is aiming to make it three wins in a row after taking victory at the Sachsenring and Indianapolis.

Marc Marquez: “Today was a very productive day, we have obtained a lot of data and we have seen that this will not be an easy circuit. I am fast over a single lap, but I am finding it harder to set a constant pace. In FP2 we finished first, but more importantly we have made a step forward with our pace, because it seems that Lorenzo has a very fast rhythm. This afternoon we got close to him and we will see if tomorrow we can continue to improve, in order to be as close as possible to the top.”

                             

The Complete Start of the 2015 Gumball 3000 Supercar Rally

Complete coverage direct from the start grid of the 2015 Gumball 3000 supercar rally from Stockholm, Sweden to Las Vegas, Nevada!



100 supercars depart the Swedish capital to an amazing crowd and an awesome atmosphere, with plenty of revving and activity to keep the crowd buzzing!



Join me for my epic adventure on the 2015 Gumball 3000 supercar rally from Stockholm to Las Vegas via Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, a flight to the USA, Reno, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Taking part as Team Shmee with two cars on the grid, in Europe the McLaren 650S Spider Shmeemobile and Bentley Supersports support/media car, and in the USA linking up with itswhitenoise in the Porsche 918 Spyder and Camaro support car. Without a shadow of a doubt, we were in for an incredible journey.

Spirit of the Gumball

'Spirit of the Gumball' follows the emotional journey of Charles Morgan and his wife Kiera, as they endure the gruelling 3000 mile drive from New York to Los Angeles on the 2012 Gumball 3000 rally.

Grandson of HFS Morgan, Morgan Motor Company founder, Charles embodies everything the luxury automobile marque represents; he's British, eccentric and has a passion for adventure second to none. A Gumball regular, in 2012 Charles decided participate in the Morgan 3-Wheeler, the manufacturers latest release into the market, to prove to the world that this little car has the ability to hold its own against the industries big guns.

The endurance proves to be a test of endurance and emotions for both man and machine, as Mr and Mrs Morgan experience America at a gruelling pace. Pushed past breaking point, Kiera suffers from sun stroke and exhaustion, but Charles' British stiff upper lip keeps them going, as they stay calm and drive on....

Against all odds, they cross the finish line in Los Angeles hoping to win the coveted 'Spirit of the Gumball' accolade.

Spirit of the Gumball Trailer from ali walker on Vimeo.

Meeting a 4x4 Legend: "The Ugly Jeep"

Fred Williams meets the Jeep that almost flunked him out of high school and sent him down the 4x4 road. Nicknamed "The Ugly Jeep," it's a beat up 1951 Jeep CJ3a built to be inconspicuous in an era when trucks were better known for chrome and wild graphics. 

Yamaha Yard Built XJR1300 ‘Iron heart’

Written by Martin Hodgson.

Old world craftsmanship, timeless quality and innovation in design are two things that go hand in hand with both the Yamaha Yard Built Specials and Shinichi Haraki’s Iron Heart Selvedge Denim range. With the all new 20^th Anniversary Yamaha XJR1300 part of the Yard Built program and Iron Heart a company dedicated to providing the very best in denim and jean wear to the motorcycling world it made sense the two would team up.

As Shun Miyazawa, Product Manager at Yamaha explains “Haraki-san and I have been friends for some years, primarily based on our mutual respect for the other’s belief in the importance of craftsmanship in the construction of our products. Iron Heart and Yamaha share a respect for traditional, timeless design where appropriate, blended with innovative, cutting edge technologies to create products that combine the best of both worlds. We wanted to work with Haraki-san for some time, and finally this year we have had the opportunity.”

In automotive terms great craftsmanship has for as long as man has modified machines largely begun with hand formed metal. At first glance many of the tins on the Yamaha/Iron Heart build could appear to be reworked factory items but they are in fact the workmanship of Ken’s Factory in Japan who took on the job of building this one off machine. The front fender is massaged out of aluminium until it was both as straight as a die and truly hugged the front rubber.

The fuel tank too is a handmade item, cut from aluminium and then fettled and shaped until perfection was achieved. This build is not about being in your face, it possesses a level of artistic merit that requires a keen eye to appreciate. So too the seat base, tail section and side covers, all done the old fashioned way without looking at all out of place on a brand new machine.

“What I wanted to achieve was a beautiful café racer that fits perfectly into the Iron Heart universe,” commented Shinichi Haraki. “The bike is designed to be for a mature rider, not a kid. My inspiration came from 70s and 80s Japanese and European bikes that look like real bikes. Nothing has been modified or added that makes it shout more than it should, there is no design influence without function, it’s a real bike for grown-ups.”

With the barebones of the canvas laid out it should come as no surprise that a motorcycling giant and a style icon would deliver in the looks department. Just like the rest of the build this bike is about refinement over raunch and the deep indigo blue paint job gives the Yamaha a wonderful nod to the styling of the sophisticated gentleman’s motorcycles of the late 70’s.

Contrasting against the almost black indigo paint is the signature Iron Heart orange that gives life to the Yamaha speed blocks and pin striping, with both the Yamaha and Iron Heart logos finished in gold leaf. Atop the Ken’s Factory pan is Iron Heart’s own 21oz Selvedge Denim seat, stitched to perfection in their classic orange and finished off with pure silver rivets.

If hand formed metal work and pin striped paint is a nod to a classic era of yesteryear, CNC turned parts created on multi axis machines are a way to add some 21st century styling without losing any of the elegance. Items like the clock case, front and rear indicators and headlight brackets have been turned into life from solid blocks providing form from pure functionality.

The grips and the foot pegs also created in this way are given a mix of paint and machined metal for a truly industrial look. With Yamaha having already fitted a set of world class Ohlins shocks, Magura bars lower the front stance for the rider and further enhance the XJR’s café credentials. If the aesthetics weren’t enough already a set of big dollar spoked Kineo lightweight wheels of the tubeless variety take care of the rolling stock and look as good as the price tag.

Powering the XJR 1300 is one of the great air cooled engines of the modern era, it’s the biggest capacity of its kind but it is more than just about muscle. Sure with 108nm of torque a 911 Turbo on a rolling run but a DOHC 4 valve head, brilliant fuelling and 20 years of refinement mean you can tickle the throttle in any gear without pause or hesitation.

Drilling out baffles might be what we do as teenagers but multinational corporations do things a little differently and nothing says quality and sophistication like the exquisite set of titanium headers exhaling for the 1251cc engine. With all parties involved wanting just the right sound Ken’s Factory went to great length to get the twin stainless mufflers just right and they work flawless with the rest of the system.

Hugely important to any of the Yard Built projects has been maintaining as much of the basis of the motorcycle itself, this means no cutting and welding of the frame. The idea being that not only does the project serve as an inspiration to Yamaha’s customers but it also means many of the parts on the Iron Heart XJR will be released as aftermarket parts so that those that wish to recreate this über cool machine can do so for themselves. And who wouldn’t want their own Yamaha special, with parts by Ken’s Factory and dressed to the nines in Iron Heart Denim, in an industry built on style these guys do the best in show.

via PIPEBURN

The Supercar-Slaying Crossover

                                

Nissan fits the bill perfectly here: a mainstream yet reserved manufacturer that every once in a while produces something wild and makes us smile and forget about all the curiously-styled electric cars and toaster-on-wheels minivans they offer. Granted, they’ve pretty much had us all with the Skyline, the Silvia and the Fairlady, but in recent years – aside from the range-topping GT-R – there hasn’t been much to really wow us.

I’ve often wondered why Nissan never takes the German approach to building cars. I mean, if you are going to develop a car like the GT-R, which is powered by one of the most epic force-induced V6 engines ever made, why not drop that engine into a few more cars in your line up? I’m not talking about making slightly massaged versions with a body kit and a louder exhaust over the stock car. No, I mean making more cars like this badass Juke-R.

This really hit home after I got the chance to drive this crazy little machine… albeit for only two minutes. It was a hot lap on a makeshift track, so I did get to put this interesting creation to the so-called test. Insane doesn’t even begin to describe what 485hp and all-wheel drive feels like in a compact package like the Juke. The whole idea seems so far fetched I’m surprised it actually materialised. There are rumours that Nissan’s execs didn’t even know that Nissan Europe commissioned the RML Group in the UK to build the Juke-R – nor was anyone expecting such great feedback from the project. But I guess when you step away from the norm and do something crazy, people take notice.

Walking around the Juke-R you can’t help but approach it all with a smile on your face. It seems almost cute that they chose this platform for the project, but believe me this is one very serious piece of hardware executed with the highest level of knowhow. The approach was pretty simple – spawn a car that would embody the mechanical equivalent of a GT-R having a wild night with a compact crossover. There are many details that point to the fact that this is as far from a stock Juke – like the R35 NACA ducts on the bonnet.

The track is identical to the R35 – the GT-R’s front and rear subframes and ancillaries being transferred right over to the Juke. Obviously a lot of cutting, welding and fabricating was needed to shoehorn everything in place, mated to slightly stiffer R35 suspension set a little lower than it is in the GT-R. That’s due to the fact that the Juke is a much taller vehicle, hence requiring a little rethink on the whole roll center and overall balance of the finished car.

Along with the oily bits the R35’s Brembo brakes and 20-inch wheels were also part of the swap, as were the sticky Bridgestone Potenza tyres that help generate that impressive amount of mechanical grip that the GT-R is renowned for.

The Juke-R’s stance is brutal; the composite wheel arch extensions just managing to envelop the wider track and wheel combination.

Along with the front bumper, RML also designed and produced a whole new rear bumper which has a functional diffuser integrated into its lower section to give the Juke-R a purposeful appearance. The best touch of all has to be the exhausts though – not only for the way they exit from the corners of the bumpers, but how they are presented within carbon fiber outlets to shield the surrounding plastic front the generated heat.

Hold your headless horses – it’s the new Ferrari 488 Spider

Ferrari has announced the 488 Spider, the hard-top convertible version of the 488 GTB coupé – and with 660bhp and 203mph capabilities, it’s the fastest and most powerful Ferrari convertible to date, eclipsing even the F50…

 

The new car uses a similar hard-top set-up to its predecessor, the 458 Spider, apparently saving 25kg in comparison to a fabric roof set-up. Thanks to the spaceframe chassis, it’s also said to have the same torsional rigidity as its 488 GTB sibling (and is supposedly 23% stiffer than its reclining-roof predecessor). What’s more, aerodynamic tweaks to the car – including a ‘bespoke’ rear engine cover flanked by two rear buttresses – mean the new car steals the F50’s long-held crown as not only the fastest and most powerful, but also the most slippery Ferrari convertible to date. Prices are to be revealed when the car is officially launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Photos: Ferrari

You can find hundreds of modern and classic Ferraris for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

EASTERN SPIRIT GARAGE GS750

Honda’a venerable CB, especially in 750 guise, has been one of the most popular donors for custom builds over the last few years. For good reason too, reliable, relatively fast, plentiful supply of parts, tried and tested performance upgrades and importantly for newcomers to the scene is the wealth of information available to assist you on a project. Back in the day Honda had a near decade jump on the competition, with Suzuki finally making a break from an all two stroke line up in 1976, launching the GS750. During that R&D period Suzuki were able to implement some tech to rival Honda, and reputedly spent a fortune in the process. The result was a better handling and more powerful seventies superbike that was produced in large enough numbers to now offer the current custom scene an alternative base for café racers and brats.

Lukas and Sylwester of Eastern Spirit Garage in Poland have tried their hand at both, and have really warmed to the Suzuki, with its arguably more pretty twin cam engine. With this 1977 model and further builds they hope to play their part in pushing the GS as a viable alternative for those seeking the clean and simple lines of bikes for the late seventies and early eighties.

Unless you’re a ‘Shed virgin you’ll be aware of the process by now. Strip, clean, de-tab and loop frame, set-up trade account with local powder coater, stock-up on black paint. Obviously the guys have gone to a great deal more trouble than that, as is clearly demonstrated in these excellent photos. Once the frame was back from said applier of black stuff the bodywork started to take shape.

The tail and seat unit is traditionally café in style and perfect in proportion, with the tail light sunk-in resulting in a super tidy rear end. The arching line from here to the front of the tank is no accident, Lukas and Sylwester spend their fair share of time sitting, looking a bike in profile in a bid to achieve the cleanest and most flowing lines. They clearly have the eye, demonstrated here and also by Bike Exif who ran a feature on How to Build a Café Racer using an early build as a guidefor aesthetics.

The slim and low GS fuel tank lends itself so well to this style of build and suggests speed, even when stationary. Also good to see is a break from the ubiquitous Monza cap, here a larger more vintage type is fitted, similar to those found on pre-war racing cars.

Being the ’77 model twin discs were standard fit, but here the guys have beefed things up with callipers from a newer model, whilst the rear is more modern still, from a GSX, all linked by braided hoses. The wire wheels are freshly rebuilt to black powdered rims and stock hubs, using stainless spokes of course.

Clip-ons are free from all but the essentials, giving a more racy feel. The front brake master cylinder is from the parts bin and a good bit younger than the donor, upping pressure and overall stopping power.

As with previous builds the front lamp is from a classic Polish motorcycle, the projectile shape allowing plenty of room to hide the neat little speedo, dash lights and ignition.

The front end has been lowered properly, rather than just dropped in the yokes, and new rear shocks balance the stance.

There’s no point going to all this cosmetic effort without treating the engine to a refresh so that was stripped and inspected. Testament to the Suzuki engineers and previous owners as the bores needed only a light hone and a new set of rings. Gaskets, seals and the timing chain were also renewed. Rebuilt carbs are now black, with machined aluminium mini velocity stacks. Header pipes from the larger GS850 were chosen for their tighter arrangement of curves and therefore improving visual speed. The single side silencer must sound pretty quick too.

With a quick scout on eBay it appears that there are still some unmolested donor GS750s up for grabs, but anyone who has embarked on a project of this quality will be aware of the potential financial pitfalls. Not brave enough or don’t have the time? Drop the guys an email and ask about arranging delivery of this beauty, it’s for sale.

via The Bike Shed

Alfred, perhaps the happiest classic Mercedes in the world

Fortune seems to smile on Alfred, a Mercedes W123, as he has neither ended up on the scrapheap, nor is he withering away in a garage somewhere in cold and rainy Germany. Far from it – the lucky gent serves as a beach and party shuttle for two young ladies in Portugal. Heaven indeed...

A change is gonna come

“Alfred has been with us for a number of years,” says Ricardo Silva, who runs the classic car showroom Cool & Vintage in Lisbon, and has often entertained us with his delightful car videos. “Whenever we were filming, Alfred was there – either as a dolly or as transport car for the crew. But now we need a van and it's time to let Alfred go.” As a token of their gratitude for many years of faithful service, Ricardo Silva and his colleagues have composed an emotional movie homage totheir loyal Mercedes. Let’s hope his next owner keeps him as happy.

'Alfred' the W123 Mercedes E300 turbodiesel is currently for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

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