ACE CAFE RADIO

    vendredi 10 janvier 2014

    RED MAX’S 900SS


    RedMax 900ss FARSide 800
    You may have noticed that we’re big fans of Ducati cafe racers, so when we came across this 900ss from our friends,Redmax Speedshop down in the South of England, we had to get her up on the bike shed asap for your viewing pleasure.
    This donor bike is late 80s Ducati, which is perhaps not the Bologna factory’s finest era in many respects, as they were churning out parts-bin specials, but the 900ss has turned out to be a great donor for some of the nicest customs around. Not only do they look great, but they also handle, are very light, and with a few simple tweaks they are reliable and fast.
    RedMax 900ss RSTankCowl MCU 800
    Paul rode the bike in standard trim for a summer before realising it was destined for better things. He’d seen a couple of cafe’d 900ss customs on the net, which both had different elements he liked, so he knew what he wanted. All he needed to do was find the person to interpret his wishes and he was fortunate to come across Steve Hillary at Redmax Speedshop. Knowing the whole build was going be to managed via correspondence Paul was initially worried whether the guys would be able to understand what he wanted, but his trust in Steve and his crew clearly paid off.
    His brief was to “cafe the 900SS, with 2 into 1 under seat exhaust, sort of rat looking, with less polishing more riding, bikini fairing and old school”, and as the build progressed it quickly exceeded his expectations.
    RedMax 900ss Lside FA 800
    “Photo mockups were produced with me giving Steve the shits with literally hundreds of emails “umming and ahhing” trying to decide the exact route to go, looking at the tank, fairing and seat options available and that big decision, what colour and which graphics…”
    “First off was a fairing. Steve had the plan to use a Norton fairing with a removable headlight cover to maintain the racer look, but the fairing was massive and I was dubious. Steve took my comments onboard and it was shaved down to within an inch of its function and the tight look I wanted was there. Different seat options were looked at that would work with my under seat exhaust along with various upgrades proposed, my confidence in Steve’s work grew to the point I just replied to his further suggestions with “sure, do it”!”
    RedMax 900ss Nose 800
    “The tank was an issue and I really had my heart set on an aftermarket 70′s SS style tank, but that wasn’t going to happen unless I pulled the expense pin on something completely customised. So the next best plan was to cut the side scallops out of the original tank and make her look right. I think this part of the bike is what I really like the most, it changed that bulbous original into a sleek one off custom that’s a credit to Steve and his team…”
    “I made a decision to not worry about doing any major mechanical upgrades apart from the 41mm FCR’s, as the bike is plenty fast enough for what I need. I almost lost the original Verlicchi aluminium swing arm due to a sprocket bolt coming loose, but Steve saved it. Rebuilt the Marzocchi’s on the front, tidied up the brake lines with some Goodrich braided hoses, beautiful new Hagon rear shock that proved a troublesome fit, 916 fluid pots and levers, custom mounted old school looking headlight, a beautiful pair of rear sets to match the cut and coated hangers, coated everything else, and throughout Steve utilised all the existing parts he could and fabricating where he couldn’t…..”
    RedMax 900ss Combo 800 2
    “In the beginning I really thought I knew exactly what colours to paint the frame, tank, seat, stripes, decals, the whole enchilada. This proved to be the most difficult part of the bike for me… When you rely on photo’s of a build to help you make decisions you are pretty much shooting blind when it comes to dimensions and profiles, as we all know bikes can take on so many different looks from all the different angles and perspectives, so that’s when I really had to put my trust in Steve, fuck me, what a killer creation he ended up making.”
    RedMax 900ss RARSide 800
    The bike has now been safely delivered to it’s new owner in Germany. So, is Paul happy with the end result? “Hell yeah!” was the reply, so, top work as usual by Steve Hillary and the Redmax Speedshop crew. You can see more of Red Max Speed Shop’s work on their website and Flickr pages, or here on The Bike Shed.

    DEUS EX MACHINA: SIBLING RIVALRY


    Deus Ex Machina motorcycles
    Two new Deus Ex Machina motorcycles have just rolled out of the Venice, California workshop. Affectionately called Sibling Rivalry, these custom Hondas are high-performance variations on the same theme: turning a street-legal enduro bike into a badass ‘super single.’
    ‘Boodaak’ (above and below) and ‘Dakdaak’ are hand-built, motocross-engined café racers tuned for the track and fully competition-capable.
    Deus Ex Machina motorcycles
    Both motors were custom tuned by Jim Wood at Southland Racing Products. Boodaak is powered by a HRC Johnny Campbell spec Honda XR650R motor with oversized valves and a Carrillo rod, while Dakdaak (below) runs a Honda CRF450X Stage Two motor with two-millimeter oversize stainless steel valves for longevity.
    Deus Ex Machina motorcycles
    Hand-made chromoly frames and custom chromoly swingarms keep things moving in the right direction, with serious stopping power coming from Beringer six piston brakes up front and Brembos in the rear. The aluminum gas tanks are hand-fabricated, there’s a sprinkling of classy Rizoma parts throughout, and the custom-made seats are clad with Kushitani leather for maximum comfort in the saddle.
    Deus Ex Machina motorcycles
    Bridgestone Battlax BT-003 rubber provides reassuring grip on both bikes, and the suspensions have been tuned by Ed Sorbo at Lindemann Engineering.
    “Boodaak is torquey, and fairly smooth,” says Deus’ Michael Woolaway, “with a big, long power band and super good turning.” Dakdaak turns quicker and is much lighter, we’re told. “The motor runs between 400 and 12,500 rpm and is built to run at the rev limiter all day long. Or for about 50 hours, anyway.”
    Deus Ex Machina motorcycles
    And the names? Apparently they’re derived from the sound of the engines as you roll on (boooo) and off (daaaak) the throttle. I bet they’re as fun to ride as they are to say.
    More details of the bikes will be on the Deus website soon; meanwhile, keep track of the Deus Customs USA operations via their Facebook page.
    from BIKEEXIF

    Porsche, Porsche, Porsche at RM Arizona


    For the annual season kick-off in Arizona, RM Auctions will offer three exceptional Porsche racing and sports cars: a 718 RS 61 Spyder, a road-legal 906 Carrera 6 and an ultra-rare 356 A Carrera 1500 GS Speedster. We're already dreaming…

     Ex-Bob Donner and Don Wester 1961 Porsche 718 RS 61 Spyder

    This RS 61 Spyder (chassis number 718-066) boasts a successful competition history, claiming numerous podiums in the SCCA and USRRC championships. Although we’re still waiting for photos of this particular car, RM promises that it has been faithfully restored and is in fantastic condition. The car is returning to the market for the first time in 20 years and is likely to make between 2.8m and 3.2 US dollars, according to RM. 

    Street-legal 1966 Porsche 906 Carrera 6

    This Porsche 906 Carrera 6 (chassis number 906-116) placed first at the Norisring in 1968, and at the Hockenheim finale in 1969. What’s more, this is one of three known 906s that is fully road-legal. It has a traceable history (all owners are documented since delivery in 1966), has been lovingly restored and is ‘ready to race’. It’s expected to make between 1.2m and 1.6m US dollars. 

    1957 Porsche 356A 1500 GS Carrera Speedster by Reutter

    A stunning 356A 1500 GS Carrera Speedster completes the trio. Built in 1957 with a Reutter body (chassis 83087), this rare example is fresh from a restoration and equipped with a four-cam GS racing engine. Its estimated value is between 1.1m and 1.5m US dollars. 
    Photos: RM Auctions
    RM’s Arizona sale takes place on 16-17 January at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. For more information, visit rmauctions.com.

    La 8e « Nuit des Lions » partira du Neubourg (27)


    Dix Porsche au départ !
    Dix Porsche au départ !
    Samedi 11 janvier prochain, 58 équipages prendront le départ du rallye Historique « La Nuit des Lions ». Pour la première fois, les bolides en lice s’élanceront de la place du Vieux Château au Neubourg. C’est Vincent Legenne au volant de son Opel Commodore GS de 1974 (double vainqueur) qui aura l’honneur d’ouvrir la marche.
    Le plateau pour cette huitième édition est très varié avec en lice 10 Porsche de modèle différents, plusieurs Lancia dont la très désirable Lancia Fulvia HF, 3 superbes et performantes Triumph TR6 et un « gros cheptel » de Mini et Austin de tous les modèles.
    Assurément les amateurs de belles mécaniques seront ravis. Les voitures seront stationnées sur la Place du Vieux Château entre 10 heures et 14 heures. Cette épreuve est organisée par le Rétro Rallye Sport et les Rétros du Plateau.
    > Site internet : www.retro-rallye-sport.com