Dani Pedrosa tops day 1 before the rain at Sepang 2 test

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

MotoGP is hexed by the weather, be it during race weekends or pre-season or post-season testing, rain has become an unpleasant companion for the riders and the first day of theSepang 2 test was more or less halted after lunch time because of it, ((Pedrosa, Bautista, Bradl, Colin Edwards and Claudio Corti did a few laps in the rain) so the best lap times were ‘frozen’ from the morning session.

The fastest rider of the day, or rather half day was again Dani Pedrosa who had led all three days during the previous MotoGP test at Sepang two weeks ago, but this time lap times were higher for everyone including Pedrosa whose best lap this morning was 2’01″580, compared to the 2’00″100 that he did at Sepang 1.

Just a little more than two tenths of second adrift was reigning World champion Jorge Lorenzo who continues his usual methodical set-up approach and race pace. Marc Marquezwas third, but he suffered his second crash with the RC213V and fortunately like last time was uninjured.

Probably the surprise of the day was LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl in fourth and just 0.015s from his old Moto2 rival, while Valentino Rossi continues to suffer from a chronic four tenths of a second gap from the front runners with his Yamaha M1 that put him in fifth.

Yamaha satellire rider Cal Crutchlow continues to impress with his Tech3 branded machine as he was 6th a little less than one tenth ahead of Alvaro Bautista who is continuing development of the Showa suspensions for Honda and he was the last rider to be within a second from Pedrosa.

Ducati factory riders were able to cut some of the previous gap they had from Sepang 1, with Andrea Doviziso in 8th and 1.2 seconds adrift while Ducati veteran Nicky Hayden was 9th and three tenths from his new team mate. MotoGP rookie Bradley Smith closed out the top ten but he suffered his first and hopefully last crash with the M1.

Aleix Espargaro also binned his ART but he ended up in 11th ahead of Ducati-Pramac riders Ben Spies and Andrea Iannone, who were separated by just 0.003s. Spies is still recovering from his shoulder problems and Iannone did a three day test at Jerez with Ducati’s test team after Sepang 1 test, so we expected a little more from the MotoGP rookie as we did from test rider Michele Pirro, who is present this time as are both Yamaha test riders Katsuyuki Nakasuga and Wataru Yoshikawa, while Honda has Takumi Takahashi. Missing from the time sheets is Michael Laverty with PBM’s new machine, they are still dialling in the Magneti Marelli electronics.

Sepang 2 day 1 test results:

01- Dani Pedrosa – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – 2’01.580 (43 laps)
02- Jorge Lorenzo – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.235 (25)
03- Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team – Honda RC213V – + 0.362 (23)
04- Stefan Bradl – LCR Honda MotoGP – Honda RC213V – + 0.379 (38)
05- Valentino Rossi – Yamaha Factory Racing – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.448 (25)
06- Cal Crutchlow – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 0.692 (28)
07- Alvaro Bautista – Go & Fun Honda Gresini – Honda RC213V – + 0.782 (32)
08- Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.221 (22)
09- Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team – Ducati Desmosedici GP13 – + 1.563 (46)
10- Bradley Smith – Monster Yamaha Tech 3 – Yamaha YZR M1 – + 2.052 (24)

RENARD GT

Renard Motorcycles was founded in 1938 in Estonia, the company was successful throughout much of WWII until an airstrike destroyed the company factory in 1944. Renard disappeared until 2010 when a team of Estonian entrepreneurs stepped forward to revive the brand with this motorcycle, the Renard GT.

In some respects the Renard GT is a European cousin of the bikes produced by Confederate Motorcycles in the United States, the models made by both companies are based around classic v-twins and use a wide variety of highly advanced components to create bikes that look like the sort of thing Batman will ride in the year 2113.

The Renard GT is powered by a Moto Guzzi Quattrovalvole v-twin with a displacement of 1326cc, it produces 123 hp at 7100 rpm and 134 Nm of torque at 5600 rpm. power is transmissted to the rear wheel via a mechanical 6-speed transmission and a shaft-drive, the suspension is provided by Öhlins on the front and back end and the frame is a single-unit carbon fibre monocoque giving the bike a relatively light weight of 170kgs.

If you’d like to order a Renard GT, click the link here to register your interest.

via SILODROME

La Corona xs650

Barcelona based La Corona’s first build was an instant hit with the cafe/brat/custom aficionado scene for good reason; it’s just a very well put together package with a classy paint job. In fact there’s nothing out of place, from the cross-hatched stitched flat seat to the black painted engine, beige wrapped headers, swept-back 70′s style dirtbike bars, flat Bates headlamp and black rims on trendy Firestones.

The bike is a 1976 Yamaha XS650, built just as the Sex Pistols were tearing-up the rules in the music business. The Chassis and forks have been left as standard, although braking has been delegated to top-notch Brembo 4 Pot Goldlines activated by Radial pump and biting onto a pair of twin 320mm discs, which should all work together to stop the bike almost as quickly as an unlit skip on a dark night.

As with La Corona’s other bikes, the front end is lean and light, with a tiny 60mm speedo to complement that flat, fork-hugging Bates headlamp. Switches are by Posh with all the wiring is tucked away inside the bars, while Domino grips help the rider keep on top of the handling.

Rims are double wall aluminum reinforced Akront wearing Champion DeLuxe Firestones. While the seat and frame work are all bespoke to the build and made in-house, as are the wrapped exhausts, battery box, fender, etc. And it’s all topped off with very tasteful and timeless paint in white with metallic bronze flash with black pinstripe and the understated La Corona tank logo. The bike strikes a perfect balance between being pretty and rugged, and just begs for a short summer ride to the beach with the girlfriend on the back.

See more of La Corona’s bikes on their website and blog, or check the La Corona pages here on the Bike Shed.

THE TEMPLE OF VTEC: SPOON SPORTS’ TYPE ONE

When I think back to the week I spent in Japan last month it seems like another lifetime in the grand scheme of things, yet I still have a few fruits of my labor left to share. Today we’ll take a look at a very impromptu visit the workshop arm of the Honda-tuning gods Spoon, better known as TYPE ONE.

These days, Spoon is a household name within the tuning industry and thanks to video games and movies, the brand has become thoroughly cemented into popular culture. In more recent years, their heavy involvement with Honda’s S2000 platform has catapulted them into a global phenomenon.

Having grown up messing about with countless Hondas myself, Spoon is a company I have a lot of experience with. In fact, I’ve even visited this very shop before – but after hearing it was recently rennovated I knew I had to make a quick stop to check out the refurbished digs. A chance to meet the legendary man behind the brand, Tatsuru Ichishima, couldn’t hurt either.

Much like many other Japanese tuning shops, TYPE ONE is fairly unassuming on the outside…

Unless of course they happen to be moving cars in and out of the shop during rush hour – then the place can become quite the spectacle! Here we see Ichi-san doing his best traffic cop impersonation.

But once you’ve made your way inside its doors, TYPE ONE has lots for the Honda enthusiast to drool over. Just a quick scan through this selection of valve covers gives a pretty good insight into the brand’s specialties.

Due to the constant struggle for space in Japan, TYPE ONE is able to fight a relatively small footprint by cleverly splitting tasks between two separate levels with an extra third-level mezzanine for car storage. It’s here on the top floor where some of the most recognizable images of the shop are captured.

This is also a place where special and rare pieces are displayed, like this Spoon formula engine. The shape of the header is completely unreal and Ichi insisted that I feel each of the runners with my hands in order to properly appreciate it.

Underneath the engine I found one of Spoon’s most rare pieces for the B-Series engine, the increased capacity cast oil pan. While very similar to the GReddy item for the SR20, I don’t believe this particular piece was ever actually sold – I’m sure there are a few Honda enthusiasts who would pay a pretty penny for one.

Spoon unquestionably carved out a niche for themselves with the surging popularity of the B-series engine in the late ’90s, but they’re definitely pumping out greater variety these days. One of the packages that seems to be on the rise in popularity is their NSX crate engines and rebuild services.

I decided to head back downstairs to have a look at the engine building room and was quite surprised to see just how many motors were in the shop! I guess Hector must have put a little too much boost through the T-66 turbos on the three Civics he took to racewars!

Fast and Furious references aside, I was pretty impressed at how seriously committed the guys at Spoon are to doing something well. I found this gentleman taking some measurements in the midst of a balance and blueprint job.

Here we see some components that were too far out of balance to be considered acceptable. If I recall correctly, one of the pistons was going to be discarded completely and replaced due to what most shops would consider a very minor variance.

Spoon’s ideology has always been to keep things simple and balanced and they’ve done a pretty good job of proving that with a little focus and a serious commitment to upholding your values, you can accomplish great feats.  To Ichishima, power is nothing without balance and durability.

Because of this, Spoon has often be criticized for selling parts that don’t necessarily make a lot of power, but one thing they do well is stand the test of time. This is partially because many of their components are factory derived pieces while others are simply limited by the classes of racing that Spoon usually choose to partake in – like the Super Taikyu series.

TYPE ONE also offers similar obsessive-compulsive services for transmissions as well, although the day of my visit there wasn’t much torn apart.

In addition to the major overhauls, TYPE ONE’s main bread and butter comes from regular maintenance and repairs. Here Ichi is showing me a typical repair sheet that a customer would receive after bringing their car to Spoon for upkeep.

Once you’ve left your car in Spoon’s hands, you can rest assured that a member of TYPE ONE’s crack team of mechanics will be pampering your car. When they aren’t busy completing customer builds, the shop hands are working around the clock to button up Spoon’s demo cars like this EK9 endurance racer which we’ll take a deeper look at soon.

Aside from having meticulous Honda fanatics working on your car, it’s quite an honor for many Honda lovers to have their engine bays adorn the official TYPE ONE service stickers. Believe it or not, even these little badges alone are worth money to the right enthusiast.

I’ve already briefly mentioned Spoon’s popularity amongst the S2000 crowd, but I was blown away by the number of these cars on hand in the shop. I’m sure that on the right day you could probably walk through the doors and find nothing but Honda roadsters inside.

While there is much to be said about Spoon’s entire line of parts for the car, I would have to say it’s their unique body kit that really caught a lot of people’s attention off the bat. In addition to looking like a badass mother, the aero is also completely functional and regularly proven on the circuits by Spoon and its customers.

Yet the same kit seems just as at home on the streets. It’s really quite remarkable how little difference there is between the S-Tai racer and this clean standard example. Looks good enough to buy doesn’t it? Well, if you’re in the market, you’re in luck because it’s actually for sale.

That’s right, Spoon’s latest business ventures have been in the form of buying and reselling cars like this very S2000. They’ll pick up a car they see potential in, then make sure it’s completely up-to-snuff mechanically before reselling it in roadworthy condition. This concept first began a few years ago when the brand announced they would be creating bespoke left-hand-drive NSX Type-Rs.

But that’s not to say that Spoon has given up on selling parts! The Spoon Sports line of tuning parts are still as popular as ever with staple items like the Momo-constructed steering wheel consistently selling out in stores around the world.

Meanwhile other classics like their iconic brakes also remain best sellers as newer items like the CR93 wheels are being added all the time.

There’s no doubt that Tatsuri Ichishima is a very busy man, but also one completely filled with passion for what he does. Although I didn’t really learn anything “new” about Spoon, I must admit that meeting the man behind the company has certainly put his vision into perspective. I think it’s safe to bet this won’t be the last you hear about him.

TYPE ONE

Spoon Sports

from SPEEDHUNTERS