Dakar, étape 9 : deuxième victoire de Coma

Marc Coma (KTM-Michelin) a signé le meilleur temps de la neuvième spéciale du Dakar 2014 longue de 422 kilomètres entre Calama et Iquique. Le leader du rallye a devancé son dauphin au général, Joan Barreda (Honda-Michelin) et Cyril Despres (Yamaha Factory Racing – Michelin).

Une nouvelle étape difficile et variée attendait les concurrents ce matin au départ de Calama. Après une première partie rapide, ils enchaînaient avec les immenses dunes du désert de l’Atacama pour terminer par une descente vertigineuse longue de trois kilomètres avec des passages à plus de 30 % pour rejoindre Iquique sur les bords du Pacifique.

En tête lors des premiers kilomètres, Barreda n’a rien pu faire contre le retour de Marc Coma parti en troisième position ce matin. Le Catalan enlève sa 23^ème victoire d’étape sur le Dakar, la deuxième cette année. Il relègue Barreda à 1min21s à Iquique et conforte ainsi son leadership au général. Cyril Despres, ralenti en fin de spéciale pour préserver son carburant, termine troisième à 5min28s du vainqueur.

Alain Duclos (Sherco-Michelin) a connu une nouvelle journée galère. Trahi par des problèmes mécaniques, il est contraint de rallier le bivouac « à la ficelle » derrière son coéquipier Francisco Errazuriz. Le Franco-Malien, auteur d’une belle première semaine, abandonne tous espoirs de figurer sur le podium final.

Marc Coma est solide leader au génral avec une avance de 40min19s sur son compatriote Barreda. Les malheurs de Duclos permettent à Jordi Viladoms (KTM-Michelin), sixième du jour, de respirer à la troisième place avec désormais 28min21s d'avance sur Israel (Speedbrain-Michelin). Olivier Pain (Yamaha Factory Racing – Michelin) complète le Top5 à 2h16min10s. Cyril Despres poursuit sa remonté en gagnant une nouvelle place. Il pointe désormais à la huitième position à 2h29min56s.

Demain cap au Sud avec la 10^ème étape (688 km dont 631 km de spéciale) qui mènera les concurrents à Antofagasta. Sable et fesh-fesh seront au menu avant d’admirer le somptueux rocher de La Portada à quelques encablures du bivouac d’Antofagasta en serpentant les pistes des mines de la région. Premier départ à 7h25.

Classement étape 9 :

1.Coma (KTM-Michelin) -2. Barreda (Honda-Michelin) +1min21s - 3. Cyril Despres (Yamaha-Michelin) +5min28s - 4. Pedredo (Sherco-Michelin) +8min43s – 5. Svitko (KTM) +9min42s

Classement général :

1.Coma (KTM-Michelin) -2. Barreda (Honda-Michelin) +40min19s – 3. Viladoms (KTM-Michelin)  +1h38min45s – 4. Israel (Speedbrain – Michelin) +2h06min07s - 5 Pain (Yamaha –Michelin) +2h16min10s

David Knight remporte l’Eddy’s X-Treme

Ce week-end a eu lieu le round 1 de la série Eddy X-Treme : le nouvel officiel Sherco s’est imposé face à Graham Jarvis !
1. David Knight, 2. Graham Jarvis, 3. Danny Mc Canney
Classement complet

David Knight dans ses œuvres

Graham Jarvis

Héros anonymes !

TOP 5 YAMAHA XS650 CUSTOMS

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

It feels like the Yamaha XS650 has been around forever, and that’s not far from the truth: it was offered in various guises from 1968 until 1985. But the air-cooled, parallel-twin engine has an even longer history—it was based on a 500cc German Horex copied by the now-defunct Hosk Motorcycles.

The XS was conceived as an alternative to the classic British twins, and the original XS ‘Standard’ was styled in the vein of contemporaries such as the Triumph Bonneville T120. Riders of a more relaxed persuasion could choose the cruiser-styled ‘Special,’ which had a teardrop tank and high, swept back bars.

The XS was popular among racers, with Kenny Roberts piloting it to victory in the 1973 AMA National dirt track series. It’s since become even more popular on the custom scene, probably due to its familiar engine and natural good looks. Here we’ve picked five of our favorite Yamaha XS650 customs, showcasing its versatility and potential.

An-Bu ‘Skull Tiger’ It’s always refreshing to see a bike that bucks trends—such as this extreme XS from An-Bu of Japan. It was built for the 2013 Yokohama custom show in An-Bu’s signature style—part Mad Max, part Tokyo street culture. The mostly-black colour scheme is punctuated only by the red Hinomaru dot on the ’60s style fairing, and the camouflage-style tank paint. There’s also a full custom exhaust system, and the engine’s been bored out, had its compression raised and been tuned for maximum torque. As if it wasn’t punk-rock enough already, the words printed on either side of the fairing are lyrics from Sex Pistols’ Pretty Vacant. [More about this bike | An-Bu Custom Motors]

Classified Moto ‘Ripper’ Very few builders could get away with painting a bike’s frame powder blue—but Classified Moto’s John Ryland is one of them. What started out as a client project eventually became a BMX-inspired homage to SE’s legendary P.K. Ripper pushbike. It’s a little more playful than Classified’s usual fare, but Ryland’s signature touches are still there—such as the nickel-plated tank and perforated panels on the tail. The kick start lever has a BMW pedal attached to it, and the Classified Moto logo on the tank uses Thrasher magazine’s font. While building the XS, Ryland simultaneously tore down and rebuilt a 2010 P.K. Ripper to match it, complete with a set of iconic Skyway Tuff II mag wheels. [More about this bike | Classified Moto]

Mule Motorcycles ‘MLAV’ Street Tracker This is the third Mule build that we’ve featured in a ‘Top 5′—with good reason. Richard Pollock has a penchant for building über-clean trackers, with a level of attention to detail that borders on obsessive. This XS is built around a custom chromoly steel frame, with billet triple clamps housing the forks from a Honda CBR900RR. Engine mods abound—the most noticeable being a 750cc big-bore kit. The tail unit has a classic flat tracker shape, but is made from carbon fibre. It’s a perfect match for the British racing green Storz tank. [More about this bike | Mule Motorcycles]

La Corona XS650 I realise I may get raked over the coals for selecting a bike with wrapped pipes, Firestones and a thin seat—but I’m doing it anyway. Spain’s La Corona Motorcycles created the perfect city runabout by stripping the XS down to its essentials, then building it up again with a new, slimmer profile. The tank is from a Suzuki DS, finished in a tasteful two-tone paint scheme. La Corona also removed the starter motor, fitting an electronic ignition to make kick starting easier, and relocated the ignition to the new under-seat battery box. Without an electric start, switchgear on the flat track bars could be kept to a minimum, adding to the bike’s overall air of simplicity. [More about this bike | La Corona Motorcycles]

Drogo Michie’s Flat Tracker Although this ’78 XS looks like it’s ready to blast around a dirt track, it was actually built for London’s streets. It belongs to Drogo Michie, who turned to various shops to execute his vision. Flat track specialists Red Max Speed Shop supplied a Champion seat, Trackmaster tank and Koni rear shocks, and took care of the frame mods and powder coating. Co-Built built the bespoke exhaust system—complete with removable baffles. The paint was done by Kevin Hooper, and was inspired by a ’70s BSA flat tracker. Despite being destined for urban use, Michie ended up taking to the track after all, racing in the UK novice class. [More about this bike | Red Max Speed Shop]

That’s our pick of the best Yamaha XS650s. What’s yours?

Our previous Top 5 covered the Harley Sportster.

from BIKEEXIF

The Maserati story: Three-pronged attack

It's 2014 and time to celebrate 100 years of Maserati, the legendary Italian marque which made its first car in, er, 1926...

Ok, maybe it's not really a century since the first Trident-badged car turned a wheel - but it was in December 1914 that the Societa Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati was established in Bologna, adopting the town's trident of Neptune insignia as its badge.

Family business

Initially, Alfieri and  brothers Bindo and Ettore prepared Isottas for racing, then tuned and raced for Diatto until it stopped production in 1926 -  leaving the Maseratis to make the first car bearing their own name, an eight-cylinder, Diatto-based racer in which Alfieri scored a class win in that year's Targa Florio to lay the foundations of the trident legend.

Further victories impressed industrialist Adolfo Orsi, who bought the firm and took it to victory at the 1939 Indianapolis 500 before car-making was temporarily abandoned.

Production resumed post-War with a series of beautiful road cars with bodywork by Pinin Farina, Zagato and Frua atop the A6 chassis. The early 1950s also saw Fangio score the first of a string of race victories for the marque, culminating in his fifth and final World Championship win in 1957 driving the legendary 250F - the model that also gave Stirling Moss his big break in F1.

Good times and bad

Despite Fangio's glorious victory, '57 was a black year for Maserati which lost several drivers in a string of unrelated accidents. This led the firm to axe its 'works' team, although it continued to build cars for other people to race, notably the legendary, tubular-framed 'Birdcage' models of the early 1960s. 

And it was during those Swinging 60s and into the 70s that some of the most evocative Maserati road cars were developed, including the Bora, Mistral and Ghibli. Their stunning looks and slightly naughty image attracted the likes of celebrities ranging from the Shah of Iran to Peter Sellers, and from the astronaut Wally Schirra to singer Sandy Shaw. Peter Ustinov had one, too, along with Alain Delon, Luciano Pavarotti and Kirk Douglas.

It was in the same era that ownership of Maserati passed to Citroën, a partnership which led to the development of the mongrel Citroën SM (Citroën body and hydraulics, Maserati engine - what could possibly go wrong?)  as well as the Merak SS, the Khamsin and the Quattroporte II. But then Citroën went bankrupt, leaving Maserati to be saved by the Italian government.

Renaissance

Ownership shifted to Alessandro de Tomaso and, by the 1980s, the lovely mid-engined road cars had been replaced by boxy, front-engined, rear-wheel-drive coupés such as the Biturbo, Shamal and Ghibli II, designed by Italian styling house Giugiaro.

Maserati's renaissance proper began in 1993, however, when Fiat bought the company and launched the 3200 GT of 1999, which developed into the 4200 Coupé and Cabriolet, with the GranTurismo and Quattroporte arriving after that under Ferrari ownership.

Now back under the wing of Fiat, Maserati looks to be in rude health, with the new Ghibli expected to reinforce the marque's presence on the world stage with an annual production figure in the order of 25,000 cars.

Alfieri would no doubt approve - although the thought of the optional diesel engine might have him spinning in his grave. Probably at around 8,000rpm.

Photos: Getty Images / Maserati

Many classic Maseratis can be found in the Classic Driver Market.