Baja Deutschland 2014 - 5 minutes onboard with Stensky Lensson

Moto GP: Márquez s'empare de la pole au Mugello / Marquez takes pole to extend perfect run

Qualifié en tête de la grille au Mugello, Marc Márquez s'élancera devant Andrea Iannone et Jorge Lorenzo en première ligne dimanche pour le Grand Prix TIM d'Italie.

Marc Márquez a une fois de plus surclassé ses adversaires samedi après-midi lors des qualifications pour le Grand Prix TIM d’Italie et partira en pole position pour la sixième fois en six courses depuis le début de la saison. Sur une série de sept pole consécutives en comptant celle de Valence 2013, le pilote du team Repsol Honda a bouclé le tour du Mugello en 1’47.270 et n’était qu’à 0.113s du record du circuit. 

Sur le pneu tendre réservé aux pilotes de la catégorie Open et à ceux de Ducati, Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) s’est approché à 0.180s du Champion du Monde en titre pour s’offrir son tout premier départ sur la première ligne de la grille MotoGP™, que complètera Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP). Vainqueur au Mugello ces trois dernières années, le Marjoquin a terminé à 0.251s de Márquez et tentera en course de mettre fin à la série de cinq victoires consécutives de son rival.

En difficulté au début de la séance de 15 minutes, Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) s’est rattrapé sur son dernier tour pour s’assurer un départ en tête de la deuxième ligne, devant Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3) et Cal Crutchlow (Ducati). Espargaró, qui avait déjà chuté vendredi, est tombé sur son cinquième tour et n’a pas pu repartir alors qu’il espérait se battre pour la première ligne, sur laquelle il s’était qualifié en France deux semaines plus tôt.

Son coéquipier Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3), Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) et Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda) seront en troisième ligne sur la grille de départ tandis que Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha Tech3), à 0.521s de la pole, partira seulement dixième pour son 300e Grand Prix.

Pilotes les plus rapides de la Q1, Álvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) et Aleix Espargaró (NGM Forward Racing) se sont confirmés aux onzième et douzième places. Mike Di Meglio (Avintia Blusens) est de son côté qualifié en 21e position.

Rendez-vous sur bwin pour découvrir les cotes de vos pilotes préférés et cliquez ici pour empocher votre bonus de bienvenue !

Having taken MotoGP™ pole at the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM on Saturday afternoon Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) heads the grid again for Sunday’s sixth race of the year, with Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) and Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) also featuring on the front row.

A 1’47.270 lap gave Marquez his sixth consecutive pole this year and his seventh successive top grid spot including Valencia last year, as his perfect form continued.

Click here for the Mugello MotoGP Q2 results in full.

An excellent effort from Iannone (+0.18s) saw him show his pace again to get his first premier class front row start, the perfect response to his two recent DNF results and an ideal performance from an Italian rider on an Italian bike at the Gran Premio d'Italia TIM.

Lorenzo got his third row one result of the year in third place, meanwhile, as he lapped a quarter of a second off Marquez.

Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) still holds the pole record at Mugello with his 1'47.157s time from last year - and he qualified in fourth position with a late lap 0.314s from today’s pole.

A big crash on an out lap ended Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider Pol Espargaro’s session early as he went down at turn nine and was clearly annoyed, but the Spaniard was unhurt and still ended up 5th on the grid.

A good qualifying result for Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team) in sixth saw him outperform teammate Andrea Dovizioso who was eighth.

Sandwiching Dovizioso on the third row are Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech3) and Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP) in seventh and ninth places respectively, with all three qualifying within 0.5s of pole.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) did not get the Q2 result he wanted as he qualified down in 10^th for his 300^th Grand Prix race.

Alvaro Bautista (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) and Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) made it through from Q1 but were ultimately 11th and 12th.

Check out the odds of your favorite riders on bwin and click here to get a sign up bonus of £30.

INSOLITE : R12 Davaï 2014 (condensé)

Voyage en side-car en hiver de Thiers (France) au lac Baïkal (Russie) puis en Mongolie, avec un budget (hors essence) de 4 euros par jour et par personne. Eric Dumas et François Thomas sont partis de Thiers (Puy-de-Dôme) le samedi 25 janvier 2014, ont traversé l'Italie, la Slovénie, la Croatie, la Serbie, la Roumanie, la Moldavie et l'Ukraine avant d'entrer en Russie le 14 février, puis ont continé vers l'Est, traversant les monts de l'Oural pour s'enfoncer en Sibérie, jusqu'à Irkutsk (11 mars, apr!ès 46 jours de voyage) puis ils ont roulé sur le lac Baïkal gelé (12 mars). Ensuite, Sabine, la fille d'Eric, les a rejoints à Irkutsk et elle a pris place dans le side-car pour se rendre en Mongolie, où François a passé quelques jours avec eux. Enfin, Bruno Bohrer a remplacé Sabine début avril, et Eric l'a déposé à Irkutsk le 20 avril. De là, Eric est rentré seul, arrivant à Thiers le samedi 17 mai, après avoir parcouru 21500 km avec sa BMW R12 de 1939 !



Cette vidéo est un résumé de l'aventure partagée avec Eric par François et Sabine (les vidéos de Bruno seront mises en ligne par ses soins). Elle est un hommage à ceux qui nous ont soutenus lors de la préparation de cette aventure et à tous ceux qui nous ont aidés lors de la progression de notre voyage, et particulièrement à ceux qui nous accueillis, et auprès de qui nous avons vécu des moments inoubliables.
Une version plus "documentaire" en plusieurs épisodes sera disponible ultérieurement. 
Enfin, je tiens à saluer l'audace, le courage et la détermination de mon ami Eric Dumas, qui ont été aussi déterminants que ses talents de pilote et de mécanicien

‘73 Honda CB750 – Wes York

, by Andrew in Brat, Classic. via PIPEBURN

“I had to cut the tree down that was growing through the old bike I found.” It reads like some kind of urban legend or biking folk law, right up there with the story of the guy who wheelied all the way home after he punctured the front. That and the one about loud pipes saving lives… but we’re here to tell you that sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And the guy with the saw? Introducing Wes York from Indianapolis, Indiana and his rather sawdusty Honda CB750 brat.

“Two years ago I found a ‘73 CB750 and a ‘74 CB550 that had been rotting away in a field in Illinois for over 20 years. I had to cut down a tree growing through the wheel to remove the bikes (yes, seriously) but after we got them out I discovered the 750′s motor was free.”

Wes says that he’s always had an appreciation for the industrial age and it’s relics because of their raw, mechanical, do-it-yourself feel. To him, a vehicle is best appreciated when it is stripped down to its purest form, without any fancy paint jobs or flashy chrome. Or leaves, we guess.

“To achieve this raw, mechanical look I started with a new frame and cut off just about every extra tab and the rear section of the frame to weld in the new hoop. I machined the top triple flat, installed clip-on bars and replaced the gauges with a GPS unit to make the highest point of the bike the fork tops.”

Wes then obtained an original Ford Model A tail light and converted it over to 12 volt to make it usable. He also managed to get his hands on a 1978 Super Sport tank and decided to sand it and the motor down to give them a brushed metal look. The wheels were blasted, powder coated, re-laced with new spokes and wrapped in vintage Firestone tires to complement the retro/industrial look.

“The bike had an original 4-into-1 Kerker header that I wrapped in exhaust wrap and left as an open pipe. I made a custom flat seat with diamond stitching to try to distance my look from the traditional cafe tail section that I feel is a little over used now-a-days. In the end, I couldn’t be more happy with the outcome of the bike and I look forward to starting the next project. It means a lot to me to bring a motorcycle like this back to life that was certain to rust away and die.”

Wes also took the time to say a huge thanks to his family and friends for their help. He also wanted us to mention his wife for her complete support in his ‘sometimes frustrating but satisfying hobby.’ Awe, shucks, Wes.

URBAN MOTOR BRAT BOB

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Whether it’s a classic resto-mod or a R nineT café-tracker, Urban Motor’s Peter Dannenberg sure knows how to tweak a BMW to perfection. Every build that rolls out of his Berlin workshop is über-clean and cohesive—even when he’s been asked to inject a little Brat style into it.

Such was the case with this particular project. Based on a 1987 R80 Monolever, it was commissioned by a “young dude from Cologne” who, according to Dannenberg, “wantedUrban Motor‘s interpretation of a ‘city-cruising-bobber-brat-style-Beemer’.”

In true bobber style the R80′s been stripped of all superfluous bits and pieces. The fuel tank is from a Honda CX500 Custom, and cuts a unique line with the modified subframe and hand-made seat. Dannenberg also dropped the front suspension by nearly three inches, installing Wilbers progressive springs and a new Wilbers rear shock.

The braking has been upgraded via a Brembo PS16 master cylinder and Stahlflex stainless steel brake lines. Look closely, and you’ll see a rather trick brake line junction tucked beneath the headlight. K&N filters and a bespoke cut-off plate replace the stock airbox. The exhaust system is custom-made, with the headers wrapped in Thermo-Tec heat wrap. Practical tires were chosen for the 18” rims—Avon’s Roadrider AM26.

One requirement was that the bike should meet Germany’s strict TÜV regulations. To that end Dannenberg fitted alloy fenders, Blaze LED turn signals (that double as a tail light at the rear) and a 5 3/4” headlight; and fabricated a license plate bracket with LED illumination.

The throttle and clutch lever are Tomaselli items, and the rear-sets are from Tarozzi. LSL supplied the handlebars and mirrors, with Beston grips and Minda multifunction switches. There’s also a very discreet Motogadget Motoscope Mini speedo with a small LED warning light panel.

A modest color scheme was chosen: matte grey for the tank and fenders and heavy doses of black for everything else. It works beautifully, and turns the bike into a true sleeper—understated, but laced with Urban Motor‘s signature attention to detail.

Photos courtesy of Tim Adler Photography.

via BIKEexif

The most beautiful classics of Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014

Lake Como glistens in the sun; Rivas bob in the water; a jazz melody plays from somewhere afar; and elegantly dressed folk stroll among the refined automotive classics in the garden of the Grand Hotel. Villa d’Este 2014 was a true feast for the senses…

Were the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held monthly rather than annually, the sense of occasion might be diluted.

As you stand there, Aperol in hand, with gravel crunching under the soles of leather shoes around you and waiters buzzing around with platefuls of club sandwiches, you begin to wonder: why can’t life always be like this? But were the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este held monthly rather than annually, the sense of occasion might be diluted. This year, the organisers turned to topical fiction to heighten that sense: ‘The Great Gatsby’ was given its own class, glamorising the type of cars that might have appeared in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s original novel.

Gatsby glamour

Fictional Long Island millionaire Jay Gatsby would no doubt have felt at home in the grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d'Este in Cernobbio. Making up the Great Gatsby display in the hotel garden were four magnificent 1920s machines: a Chapron-bodied Hispano-Suiza H6B, a Duesenberg A Straight Eight, a Hooper-bodied Rolls-Royce Phantom I, and a Packard 640 Custom Eight – any of which could have been a centrepiece in Gatsby’s theoretical fleet.

Windswept to victory

From the 1930s onwards, aerodynamics began to play a vital part in the formation of coachwork: streamlining determined the silhouette. On Lake Como, the aero-shaped classics are always a highpoint of elegance – particularly impressive this year was the 1936 Lancia Astura Type 233 by Pinin Farina, one of Italy’s first luxury convertibles. Its refurbishment was deemed to be of the highest order, and won the jury-decided Trofeo BMW Group Classic for the most sensitive restoration. Also notable in the ‘Gone With The Wind’ category was the Wendler-bodied BMW 328 Coupé Streamline, the unorthodox design of which helped to achieve a respectable 108mph during a test run back in 1937.

4,000 lire for a winner

Also revelling in aerodynamic splendour was Sir Anthony Bamford’s ‘boat-tailed’ Rolls-Royce Phantom II, the winning car in the single-marque Rolls-Royce display. Fellow collector Corrado Lopresto also brought along a stunning open car to enter in the ‘Gone With The Wind’ category – hisAlfa Romeo 6 C 1750 GS Spider Corsa – and could be recognised, as always, by his sunglasses, small dog and extended Italian family in tow. Lopresto’s car was originally produced in 1931 as a Zagato roadster, but gained its gorgeous current coachwork in the hands of Carrozzeria Aprile in 1938. The little-known company had rebodied the car following an accident, asking 4,000 lire for the final product. Following a recent comprehensive restoration, the audience of the Concorso signaled its approval by voting it the visitors’ favourite classic, thus securing the coveted Coppa d’Oro for Lopresto and family.

Return to elegance

Visitors to the Concorso d’Eleganza have historically taken a shine to the Alfa Romeo 6C. In 1949, aTouring-bodied 6C 2500SS was voted the most beautiful car of the show, and ‘Villa d’Este’ was henceforth added as a suffix to the car’s name. In the post-War years, the Italian marques were quick to return to the elegance of the past. The development of the sporty Ferrari body was celebrated, from Ghia’s plump-but-comfortable 195 Inter, to Vignale’s squat and dynamic-looking 212 Inter and Pininfarina’s 250 Europa, the latter’s elongated silhouette setting the trend for almost every Grand Tourer since. 

Europe’s love affair with travel

In the Fifties, Europe’s elite no longer took the train, opting for more personal transport in the shape of a sporty convertible for their jaunts to France and Italy. The United States, too, was becoming fascinated by the European roadster, with cars such as the Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider America and Albrecht Graf Goetz’s startling BMW 507 proving real hits. Arguably the most popular, though, was the Mercedes 300 SL, represented at the show by an ivory-coloured roadster with its original red hardtop, once driven by Rudolph Caracciola on a promotional tour of the U.S.A. Another stunning drop-top was the Ferrari 250 GT California Spider, brought to Villa d’Este by British collector couple Nigel and Sarah Allen. The car was delivered in 1959 to a man named Harvey Schur as an 18th birthday present, and took a ‘Best in Class’ win at Villa d’Este 2014 following a ‘Best in Show’ award at the 2013 Salon Privé. 

Gentleman drivers spoiled for choice

The Fifties was the decade of the gentleman driver: passionate racers equipped with the necessary financial resources to take part in such an expensive sport. But the frenzied privateers faced a problem, which the Concorso presented for us, too – which car to choose? How about the wonderful Maserati A6GCS, one of the stunning entries from the special class celebrating the Trident marque’s centenary. Or maybe you’d prefer a Fiat 8V, an aluminium Mercedes 300 SL ‘Gullwing’ or a Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France?

A snarling Maserati 450S , voted 'Best of Show'

In addition to the GT athletes, there were some thoroughbred racers on show, such as the Jaguar D-type and Albert Spiess’s snarling Maserati 450 S that was voted 'Best in Show' by the judging panel. Also present was another warhorse of the time, Norman Dewis’s Jaguar XK120, complete with a bizarre-looking Plexiglass dome above the driver, with which he reached the record speed of 277.410km/h at Jabbeke in October 1953. Choice for the gentleman driver in the Sixties was no easier, as proved by the stunning array of cars lined up on the shores of Lake Como. This included the breathtaking and now legendary Scaglietti-bodied Ferrari 250 GTO, a Porsche 904 GTS and a Shelby American 427 Competition Cobra, voted by the judges as the most ‘Iconic Car of the Year’. 

The rare and the unusual 

At the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este you not only get to see the most elegant and the fastest, but also some of the rarest and most unusual cars ever seen. For example, the one-off, aluminium-bodied Ferrari 250 GT SWB designed by a 21-year-old Giorgetto Giugiaro for Bertone in 1959. The car had a fine mesh radiator grille, a vast rear window and wore the race-bred Campagnolo steel wheels, rather than the elegant wire Borranis. Another interesting car was the Mercedes-Benz 230 SL, individualised by Tom Tjaarda for Pininfarina in 1964. Unfortunately, the pretty coupé never made production. 

The Great Gatsby of Tokyo

The biggest eye-catcher of the Concorso, however, was the super-futuristic 1969 Fiat Abarth 2000 Scorpione by Pininfarina. The wedge-shaped car with its folding cockpit and exposed rear engine belongs in the collection of Japanese Abarth fanatic Shiro Kosaka, who has actually opened a museum in Tokyo to house the wild design study and other important Abarths. Kosaka’s huge entourage was certainly quick to ward off any onlookers who came a little too close to his prized car. And so the show ended quite conclusively where it had begun – with the Great Gatsby, but of Tokyo rather than New York. 

Photos: Rémi Dargegen for Classic Driver © 2014

Classic Driver reports live from the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014 – and is kindly supported by Berenberg private bank. For the latest articles from Lake Como, click here.

Rossi entame son 300e Grand Prix / Rossi’s 300th Grand Prix weekend underway

L’épreuve du Mugello est toujours un rendez-vous particulier pour Valentino Rossi, vainqueur en Toscane à neuf reprises et parti pour un 300e Grand Prix.

Valentino Rossi passera ce week-end au Mugello le cap des 300 Grands Prix sur l’un des circuits où il a remporté le plus de victoires au fil des ans. L’Italien portait un hashtag ‘#thisforSIC58’ sur sa combinaison aujourd’hui pour l’ouverture du Grand Prix TIM d’Italie, le jour où Marco Simoncelli entrait dans le Hall of Fame du Championnat du Monde en tant que MotoGP™ Legend.

Dimanche, Rossi deviendra le deuxième pilote à atteindre les 300 GP, après son compatriote Loris Capirossi, en 65 ans d’histoire du Championnat du Monde.

Quelques chiffres concernant sa carrière :

- Rossi a participé à 299 des 837 Grands Prix qui ont eu lieu depuis le lancement du Championnat du Monde en 1949. Il a donc participé à 35,7% des Grands Prix.

- Rossi a gagné sur sept motos différentes : 125cc Aprilia, 250cc Aprilia, 500cc Honda, 990cc Honda, 990cc Yamaha, 800cc Yamaha et 1000cc Yamaha.

- Rossi est le seul pilote à avoir gagné sur 500cc 2-temps, 990cc 4-temps, 800cc 4-temps et 1000cc 4-temps.

- Au cours de sa carrière, Rossi a couru sur 36 circuits différents et s’est imposé sur 27 d’entre eux. Aucun autre pilote ne s’est imposé sur autant de circuits.

- Le Circuit de Catalunya et le Mugello sont les deux circuits qui ont le plus réussi à Rossi, vainqueur à neuf reprises sur chacun des deux.

- Jerez est le circuit où Rossi a le plus couru, avec un total de 19 participations en Grand Prix.

- 16 ans et 315 jours séparent la première (Brno 1996, 125cc) et la dernière (Assen 2013, MotoGP™) victoires de Rossi en Grand Prix. Seul Capirossi a fait mieux mais sera battu si Rossi parvient à remporter une autre victoire.

The visit to Mugello is always special for Valentino Rossi, as a nine-time winner at the track, but Friday’s activity in Tuscany was particularly poignant for The Doctor.

As Rossi reaches the remarkable milestone of 300 Grands Prix at the circuit where he has enjoyed so much success over the years, he wore a special ‘#thisforSIC58’ message on his leathers in practice on the day that late rider Marco Simoncelli was inducted as a MotoGP™ Legend in a midday ceremony at Mugello.

On Sunday Rossi is scheduled to become just the second rider in the 65-year history of Grand Prix racing to reach the milestone of 300 GP race starts, the other being fellow Italian Loris Capirossi.

Below are a collection of statistics relating to Rossi’s long career in Grand Prix racing:

- He has taken part in 299 of the 837 Grand Prix events staged since the start of the World Championship series back in 1949. This means that he has taken part in 35.7% of all Grand Prix events

- Rossi has won GP races on seven different motorcycles: 125cc Aprilia, 250cc Aprilia, 500cc Honda, 990cc Honda, 990cc Yamaha, 800cc Yamaha and 1000cc Yamaha

- He is the only rider to have won on 500cc two-stroke, 990cc four-stroke and 800cc four-stroke and 1000cc four-stroke machines

- During his career Rossi has competed at 36 different Grand Prix circuits

- Of these 36 circuits, he has taken at least one GP win at 27 of them. No other rider in the history of motorcycle Grand Prix racing has won at as many different circuits as Rossi

- The circuits at which Rossi has had most GP wins are Catalunya and Mugello, where he has won nine times at each of them

- The circuit at which Rossi has made most Grand Prix appearances is Jerez, where he has made 19 GP starts across the three classes

- Rossi’s victory at the Dutch TT last year, 16 years and 315 days after his first GP win in the 125 class at Brno in 1996, made him the rider with the second-longest winning career across all classes, after Capirossi. If Rossi wins another Grand Prix, he will take this record away from Capirossi

stop !!

Shades of Gatsby: The styles of Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014

In some cases, colour can be merely a distraction. Classic Driver brings you the faces and scenes of Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014 in a high-contrast, monochromatic gallery...

The light given off by Lake Como in the early summer is unique; the play of sun and shadow between mountain and lake has provided artistic vision to countless Italian artists, photographers and directors – indeed, Luchino Visconti spent his summers in Cernobbio. Classic Driver's Creative Director Jan Baedeker has now followed suit, and shares his monochromatic impressions of Villa d'Este 2014 in our large gallery.

a suivre surclassicdriver.com

Photos: Jan Baedeker for Classic Driver © 2014

Classic Driver reports live from the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014 – and is kindly supported by Berenberg private bank. For the latest articles from Lake Como, click here.