BMW R80G/S DIRT TRACKER BY BLITZ

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

The popularity of BMW’s classic R-series shows no signs of waning. Still, it’s unusual to see a R80G/S get the custom treatment. Given the heritage of the Gelände/Strassedesignation, you’re more likely to spot one in stock trim, or kitted out with parts from the likes of HPN and Touratech.

The owner of this ’81 G/S had other things in mind though. After having bought it as a non-runner, he dropped it off at Blitz Motorcycles‘ workshop with a dead engine, rusty carbs, and a photo of a vintage Norton dirt tracker as inspiration.

Blitz gave the engine a complete top-end rebuild, ditching the Bing carbs and airbox in favour of Mikuni VM34s with K&N filters. They then overhauled the wiring to simplify it, installing a new ignition system and a lithium-ion battery—the latter stashed away in a small custom-made box under the seat. Vintage, USA-spec Triumph handlebars were fitted, with Blitz’s signature mini-switches, and a tiny speedometer mounted to the left of the engine.

To give the G/S more of a dirt tracker stance, the front wheel size was dropped to 18 inches—allowing Blitz to fit Dunlop K180 tires both front and rear. Stainless steel, ’2-into-2′ exhaust headers were fabricated and, along with the mufflers, ceramic-coated in cobalt grey. The rear shock was also replaced.

A bespoke seat and rear loop were made, as well as a tail unit with integrated LEDs. Out front, Blitz mounted an old rally car spotlight and built discreet fork-mounted LED blinkers, fashioned after similar units by Japan’s Speedtractor (with their approval).

The client had only one special request—that blue housings be used for the throttle cables. Blitz obliged, fitting a blue, vintage Yamaha AT2 fuel tank to match, and powder coating the frame dark blue. The fork legs, wheels, engine covers and handlebars were all powder coated gloss black, with white grips and a single white number board adding a touch of contrast.

The practice of mounting an old tank—in the condition it was found—is a hallmark of Blitz’s aesthetic, and something that tends to polarize opinion. In this case it works perfectly—adding a touch of patina and character to an otherwise completely refurbished machine, and complimenting its stripped down lines.

As for the client, according to Blitz’s Fred Jourden he was well pleased with the finished product. He had not expected (to use his own word) such ‘radicality’ from a ‘German cow.’

Photos by Gary Jézégabel. Visit the Blitz website to see more of Fred and Hugo’s builds, and follow their news via the Blitz Facebook page.

Harley-Davidson Ice Racing featuring the H-D Street

COULD 30-YEAR-OLD LAND ROVERS BECOME MOT-EXEMPT?

BY: Theo Ford-Sagers

A new EU directive could mean that Land Rovers more than 30 years old won’t need to pass an annual MOT test.

Land Rovers more than 30 years old could become MOT-exempt

Europe-wide Roadworthiness Testing legislation, agreed in Brussels last month, is scheduled to come into effect in April, and the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) will then have until April 2018 to decide how to incorporate the directive into UK legislation. Part of the legislation includes exempting ‘classics’ from MOT testing on a rolling 30-year exemption basis. If introduced this year, it could potentially be applied to all Land Rovers built before 1984.

LRO takes the view that all vehicles should be checked for road safety at regular intervals by a certified professional, and never has supported the idea of abolishing the MOT for older vehicles – which currently applies to vehicles registered before 1 Jan 1960 in the UK. Even if the new legislation goes ahead, the owner of an MOT-exempt vehicle would still be responsible for their vehicle’s road safety, and legally liable for any damage caused by mechanical failure. We think it’s too risky to rely on owners who are not vehicle technicians to assess the safety of their own vehicle.

 According to the new directive, a vehicle qualifies for exemption if:

1. 'It was manufactured or registered for the first time at least 30 years ago.’
2. 'Its specific type […] is no longer in production’.
3. 'It is historically preserved and maintained in its original state, and has not sustained substantial changes in the technical characteristics of its main components.’

For vehicles as modifiable and long-lived as Land Rovers, that leaves plenty of wiggle room. Does a 1983 One Ten count as ‘no longer in production’ when the largely similar Defender 110 is still being made? Would swapping a 2.5-litre diesel for a 200Tdi (based on the earlier 2.5) count as a ‘substantial change’? What about a Tdi engine in a Series Land Rover? And how would you classify a well-preserved 1970s-built V8 Series I trialler? Despite being heavily modified, some vehicles can still be ‘historically preserved’ and a classic in their own right.

Nothing is yet set in stone. The form of the Brussels agreement, as a directive rather than a regulation, allows the UK government some flexibility in how it interprets the legislation, and whether it wants to adopt it at all.

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), representing 550 member clubs, is liaising with the DfT, and has said that it aims ‘to ensure that as testing becomes more modern and automated, it still remains possible to test older vehicles’. 

For more information, visit the FBHVC’s website at fbhvc.co.uk

from http://www.lro.com

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