samedi 28 février 2015
Hammer Of Gods: The HMS H63 RS700
Let’s kick off with some numbers: 750 horsepower and well over 900 newton metres of torque. These are the sort of figures that’d feel much more at home in a two-seater supercar, but what happens when the family has arrived, and two seats just won’t cut it?
This is what happens. Enter the HMS H63 RS700.
Based in the industrial town of Malterdingen close to the Black Forest in Germany, HMS Tuning is the company behind this mile-munching beast.
The car started life off as a facelifted Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG T-Modell that somehow felt too tame for the guys at HMS Tuning. I had the car parked next to a stock C63 wagon and one of my friends joked about H63 being in that Old Spice commercial: Hello, ladies, loo
The aggressive front bumper and bulging fenders of the H63 are from a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Black Series coupe, and are finished in lightweight carbon fibre.
As a result of borrowing parts either right off OEM cars or adapting from them, the H63 does away with the tackiness found in many aftermarket tuned European cars.
The rear fenders are widened to accommodate the wider rear end, which is Mercedes-Benz E63 Bi-Turbo fare. There are no spacers in use here – the width is all real. The rear bumper is also fabricated from carbon fiber and based off a C63 AMG Coupé Black Series item.
To make it all fit custom diff mounts had to be fabricated, and as a result the entire rear diff sits 15mm closer to the chassis than stock.
To get all the power down – despite being one cocktail of a car – the H63 sits on KW Clubsport coilovers that have been adapted for use in this specific car.
Nice sticker with a carbon fibre pattern on it? I’m afraid not. With the widened front and rear fenders, a set of custom side skirts have also been fabricated in carbon fibre onto which the guys at HMS simply placed a sticker, painted over and peeled the sticker away.
The Raiden Files - Portland to Dakar - A Riding Movie
KEVILS LAVA
Back with a bang with their first bike of 2015 are those perennial boxer specialists from Paignton in Devon, Kevil’s Speed Shop. The specialist team Kev has assembled in that beautiful part of Britain are so complete in their knowledge and accomplished in their skill sets regarding the BMW platform that they can create any machine the discerning customer may desire. Clients are of course the lifeblood of the business but occasionally the workshop team have a little space available in their hectic schedule to build a bike without the opinions and cravings of a client, when they do, the resulting machine inevitably has the queues forming and the telephone clamouring.
“Lava” is one such machine. The intention was to build a very minimal BMW R100/7 1000cc street scrambler to show and sell. With rugged off road pretensions and utilitarian simplicity in mind Kevil’s found themselves leafing through the Land Rover colour swatch book for inspiration. Vesuvius was the hue that caught the eye. The burnt orange tone is a familiar foil for the chunky rubber and no nonsense visuals of the classic Land Rover range and on this Beemer has found itself once again married with the sort of styling that summons dreams of overland wanderlust. A two wheeled Defender.
One of the most striking elements of the build is the sheer space around the engine, Kev explains,
“We opted for a aftermarket top engine cover leaving the bike air box free and fitted some k&n style air filters for the jetted up Mikuni carbs.”
Swapping the tank for a cleverly modified 1970’s Kawasaki KZ400 item also assists in the reveal of the lump. The tank is the only part of the bike to receive a dose of the Land Rover colour, with a contrasting graphite grey stripe for good measure.
The tank flows perfectly into Kevil’s own newly developed scrambler rear subframe, it is topped by a skinny diamond stitched leather seat lending the bike a low, purposeful profile. The frame received a high gloss graphite powder coat along with the spoked wheels, fork bottoms and selected engine parts. Kev opted for the ever popular Conti TKC tyres to adorn the rims and maintain the “all purpose” vehicle theme.
The fabrication department chipped in with a sturdy lower fork brace to stiffen up the front end and the appealing headlight guard which protects the cool halo headlamp from errant branches, stones, wing mirrors and the like. I wonder if that colour swatch was displayed on a bull bar wearing four wheeler? The effect and protection are the same.
A titanium wrapped, two-into-one, high level exhaust system married with twin scrambler silencers provides the audio accompaniment whilst a tiny led tail light and discreet rear indicators fitted into the subframe supports provide the visual alerts for the trailing masses.
“As With all Kevils BMW Builds all the framework is refurbished & powder coated , all the mechanicals including the engine , transmission & differentials are completely rebuilt replacing all bearings & seals ,every single electrical component is upgraded including the wiring loom ,the fuel system is replaced for new & the braking system is over hauled , all this work is carried out by our experienced team of technicians ,providing our customers with a reliable quality product.”
Another beautiful bike, as we have come to always expect and enjoy from Kevil’s Speed Shop. We doubt it will take too long for a customer to realise that the designs of the team are far superior to their own imaginings and for “Lava” to garner a proud new owner, contacts are on the website. Head over to Kevil’s resplendent Bikeshed page to see more of their sumptuous Boxers and pick your favourite – this latest is mine.
via The Bike Shed
THE WRIGHT STUFF: CHURCH OF CHOPPERS FXR
The Brooklyn Invitational is one of the most prestigious motorcycle shows in the States. If you’re a builder and you’re invited to present a bike, you have well and truly Arrived.
It’s not a huge show, so it’s an elite list of builders. Within that elite is Jeff Wright: he’s received the treasured invitation an incredible five times in a row.
Wright runs Church Of Choppers and he’s a man at the very top of his profession. This beautifully balanced FXR is one of the best examples of his work: It was a project that took several years, and was the star of last year’s Invitational.
When launched, the FXR Super Glide was pitched as the Harley that separated the men from the boys, with a rubber-mounted engine and better dynamics than usual. (A certain young Erik Buell was involved on the engineering side.)
For his custom build, Jeff chose a 1990-spec FXR with a factory reconditioned 81 cubic inch Evo engine. He’s boosted power with a Keihin FCR carburetor, a Dyna S electronic ignition, hand-fabricated exhaust piping and a stubby Racefit muffler.
For better control in the twisties, Jeff’s fitted forks from a later-model Dyna, plus piggyback shocks from Mach/Modified. They’re bolted to a custom swingarm, with saucer-sized Beringer rotors helping to haul the bike down to a stop.
The sheet metal is all-new. It gives the bike an elegant and lithe appearance—traits you wouldn’t normally associate with a Milwaukee product. Look closer, and the detailing is equally impressive, with immaculately machined parts, piping and brackets.
It would have been easy to finish off the FXR in subdued, monochrome hues. And I’m betting that’s what most builders would have done.
But Jeff has chosen the brightest of primary colors: red for the tank and front brake rotor, green for the tail unit, and blue for the rear brake mount. The shock springs are a vivid orange, and the clear ignition cover is yellow.
It shouldn’t work, but it does: the motorcycling equivalent of Pop Art. If you’d love to add this FXR in your own art collection—or garage—you’ll be glad to know it’s for sale atNortheast Sportscar in Brooklyn, NY.
Interested? Get in touch via email.
via BIKEexif
INDY MILE: GASOLINA’S CUSTOM SR400 TRACKER
In Melbourne, Australia—on the Yarra River’s shorefront—you’ll find an outfit called Gasolina. It’s an unusual but very appealing business: a restaurant-cum-motorcycle design studio that doubles up as an event venue.
A few months ago, Gasolina played host to Yamaha Australia when they relaunched the SR400. The Yamaha guys must have had a good time, because shortly afterwards they delivered a fresh SR400 to Gasolina’s chief designer, Carl Cerra.
Carl has twenty years in automotive design under his belt, so he was the perfect candidate to pen some custom designs for the SR.
A few sketches later, Carl had settled on a direction. Drawing influence from Kenny Roberts’ illustrious career with Yamaha, he decided to build a modern-day street tracker—dubbing it the “Indy Mile”.
“The intent was to make it look like a factory bike from Yamaha,” he explains. “Instead of taking a new bike and simply trying to make it look old, we wanted it to look like a production tracker—with a little retro flavor.”
To increase the challenge, all the mods had to be bolt-on. The frame and drivetrain had to be left untouched, for warranty and reliability’s sake. That way, the Indy Mile could be offered in kit form—simple and affordable enough for the average garage builder to put together.
Starting with clay molds, Clay redesigned the Yamaha’s bodywork around the stock tank. He then made the new ducktail rear section, side covers and headlight shroud using fiberglass. (The final production version of the kit will use ABS plastic.)
On top of the tail section is a custom-made seat, and at the back are an integrated tail light and turn signals. The front mudguard has been borrowed from a dirt bike. The front suspension’s been left stock, but aftermarket gas units have replaced the rear shocks.
Gasolina rounded out the parts list with Biltwell Tracker bars, Pirelli Scorpion tires, and off-the-shelf grips and gauges. Danmoto built the gorgeous exhaust system to Carl’s spec.
When it came to paint, putting a modern spin on King Kenny’s iconic yellow, black and white livery was a no-brainer. Carl mocked up the design and Andy at Metzeffects executed it.
Indy Mile’s mash-up of past and present is especially apt when you consider that the SR400 now has fuel injection—but is still kick-start only.
If you dig it as much as we do, you’ll be happy to hear that the kit is expected to go into production later this year.
Gasolina website | Facebook | Instagram | Photos courtesy of Ben Galli Photography
via BIKEexif
ICON 1000’S KATANA – NEW JACK
Here in the shed we are very excited to be showing you the world exclusive on Icon 1000’s latest build, I’m especially excited as one of their past builds; the Magnificent Bastard inspired my build The Gambler. Icon are renowned for building bikes and clobber that function, last and have a unique edge that sets them apart from anything else out there. Today is Icon 1000’s launch date for their new product lines and the bike’s release purposefully coincides. The 1000 range of gear, some of which has already featured in our Gear Guide, is as tough and distinctive as their bikes.
Before I ramble on about this awesome bike, here’s the press release:
Legendary, or so conventional wisdom would have one believe, the 1982 Suzuki Katana was a machine before her time. A Nippon-Sax- on gamble that the masses were ready for starship styling to replace their conventional silhouettes. Thirty years on, she’s the darling of the ball, but in ’82 few where interested in dancing with the silver dame.
The New Jack is ICON 1000’s reimagination of what could have been. One possible future.
Built within the confines our Portland based headquarters, the New Jack uses a host of pilfered Suzuki kit, custom fabbed components, and a splash of Honda.
The New Jack is ICON 1000’s reimagination of what could have been. One possible future.
Built within the confines our Portland based headquarters, the New Jack uses a host of pilfered Suzuki kit, custom fabbed components, and a splash of Honda.
For me a custom motorcycle doesn’t have to fit in a box, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Café Racer, a Brat Style, a Scrambler, a Streetfighter or a mix of types; it needs to make you think and throw out little surprises, I inverted my rear shock on my Ducati Café build, just because I could and it wasn’t how the factory designed it, well keeping on the theme of shocks, the Katana was always a twin shock, as is the final result, but once again Icon have done things a little differently by putting them in a mono-shock location, but as a pair, it’s a great touch that most builders wouldn’t even think of. The Nitron NTR Race Pro shocks, with 3-way independent damping have their remote canisters mounted above, these will keep things properly planted, whether cruising, tracking or stunting, and we expect the Icon team to do all 3 and more with this bike, especially some track action if the Continental Race Attack Slicks are anything to go by!
The press release ended with a little mention of Honda, well the front end is Honda, the Yokes are from a CBR 929 Fireblade, whilst the forks come from the 954 and wear carbon fibre protectors, the wheels were liberated from a VTR RC51 SP2, so should shave a few pounds and braking discs have been uprated to Pro-Lites with Pro performance pads. The Icon logo brands the fork legs in a subtle gold to match the disc inners and calipers.
Shoehorned into the frame is a 1200cc Bandit power plant, the original 1100cc motor just wasn’t ever going to be brutal enough, velocity stacks and a custom exhaust take care of what goes in and what comes out… and we can only imagine that when the gases are exiting, this thing will howl. Now you can’t just go throwing bigger motors into bikes and not expect to have to make some adaptations, mainly in strengthening the frame, so the Katana has been braced and reinforced with 1/4” plate for extra rigidity.
Out back the Katana gets another upgrade, this time from one of its own; a TL1000R was kind enough to donate its swingarm. The main frame sees more fabrication for the clearance required for the turquoise twins and to house the battery box. The tail unit on New Jack has been fabricated by the boys in Portland to offer a continued theme from the front end’s futuristic looks, the original bike’s seat unit, whilst practical, comfortable and purposeful; fell behind in the styling department.
Up front New Jack keeps the original silhouette of the standard top fairing, but loses the big ugly square headlight and utilises the space with an oversized oil cooler, sitting like a movie villains teeth within a gaping jaw. Above, a clear fly screen ensures the pilot doesn’t receive too much blast from both wind and bugs, and the 82 graphics give a nod to the original bike’s birth year. An LED light strip within the lower lip allows this tactical fighter to continue through the darkest of nights.
A single seat is all that is required for this spaceship; one pilot heading to ‘One Possible Future’, the latter part being one of Icons many taglines, along with ‘Stay Frosty’ and ‘Go Fast Look Flash’, all very befitting to the Katanas makeover, talking of looking flash, the guys often add great fabrication details to their tanks, they did a Triumph Tiger and made the tank resemble a Jerry Can, well here we have the ‘Endurance’ look going on, it’s been dished and the seams have been rolled and whilst I don’t think the tank is split, it does looks bloody flash with twin fillers… just as the rear suspension looks great as a pair.
Icon are always keen to share the love and let those that help make their bikes function have some of the limelight, so the parts suppliers have their acknowledgment on the side scoops, Nitron for the suspension, PBI Sprockets, Regina chain, Continental rubber… you get the idea!
Pointless over engineering at its very best… darn it I want a tank with twin fillers!
Now we could have shown you an abundance of additional images, some of them with the bike being ridden hard; we’re talking rolling burnouts, power slides and wheelies. We even had images of the bike with a hot chick and a cool truck, but obviously you’re all too sophisticated for that sort of thing… right? Well if you want to see more, Icon will be releasing the images on their website in the Bikes section, where you can also see their past builds, whilst you’re there, do check out their gear too, they honestly do have some great stuff and we look forward to seeing more of the new products very soon and will undoubtedly be featuring some in a future Gear Guide.
Thanks to all the guys at Icon for giving us this exclusive and for building such a variety of cool bikes, keep it up guys.
To follow Icon on your chosen social portal, hit the relevant link:
via PIPEBURN
The Mercedes-Benz Pullman makes limousines cool again
It’s not just the Maybach that’s returned from the pages of history – Mercedes-Benz is now bringing back the legendary name of Pullman. The top-of-the-range S-Class will debut at March’s Geneva Salon as the new Mercedes-Maybach Pullman...
It was the limousine of presidents and of kings – the Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman. Now the elongated state limousine returns: six and a half metres long – and about half a million euros to buy – the new Pullman will be the most luxurious vehicle produced by the marque, and a serious competitor for Rolls-Royce. The Pullman is not only a good metre longer, but also 10cm higher than the normal S-Class, offering in-car luxury that is more in line with a first-class jet. When it comes to the engine, customers can choose between a six-litre V12 with 530HP and 830Nm of torque; and a 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 with 455HP and 700Nm. The limousine will debut in early March at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
Photos: Mercedes-Benz
You can find Mercedes-Benzes of all eras (and sizes) in the Classic Driver Market.
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