SUPER MOTOR COMPANY LUCKY PUNK

We hear a lot about the rise of the Chinese-built motorcycle, and how it’s going to change the industry in the western world. Well, this is the story of a westerner trying to beat the Chinese at their own game. And yes, it’s messy.

The star of this cautionary tale is Dimitri Hettinga, who runs Holland’s Super Motor Company. (You may know Hettinga from his previous appearances on Bike EXIF, courtesy of a pair of sharp-looking Super Cub customs.) The bike in question is a beautiful production-ready lightweight called ‘Lucky Punk.’

“Building a bike in China?” says Hettinga. “How hard can it be?” Very hard indeed, it turns out.

Nearly two years ago, Hettinga mocked up a new design. A small-capacity supermotard with a vintage trials vibe. It ended up with a weight of 101 kg and 27 bhp—which means a power-to-weight ratio similar to a heavier Triumph Bonneville or Moto Guzzi V7. So far, so good.

“Then it all went downhill. China is a nightmare to work in. The language barrier is one to take into account, but the mentality is hard to ignore. It’s Kafka’s paradise.” The first engine from a Chinese supplier had the wrong spec, and was delivered without a balance shaft. “The vibrations were intense. If you had false teeth, you would have lost them after a minute.”

The basis of the Lucky Punk is a ‘dragon bone’ frame: a pressed-steel backbone that is widely available in China. To keep the bike looking as clean as possible, Hettinga selected a 4.5Ah Li-ion battery the size of a pack of cigarettes. It’s stowed under the seat, along with the rest of the electrical necessities.

The litany of disasters even included the fabrication of the exhaust. “We gave precise CAD drawings to the factory that was going to do this pipe. But once we got there to do the first fitment it was all off. In the end it took us two days to get it right, accompanied by lots of swearing and a bucket load of incomprehension. But the result is now spot on.”

There were glimmers of hope. “We are friends for life with the people of the paint factory,” says Hettinga. “They are unbelievably skilled, and the only ones we encountered that had a sense of perfection. They let us mix our own color by hand. They gave the tank extra rubdowns till they were happy with the result. We changed the color several times—no problem. Great and easy to work with, given that we could not understand each other!”

The last hurdle was critical: shipping the Lucky Punk prototype to the huge Chinese motorcycle fair in Guangzhou, where it could go on display to the trade and the public. “We arranged to ship the bike by air, and the courier lost the bike!”

For three days, the bike disappeared. “We were about to miss the Fair altogether. When we arrived in Guangzhou, the bike was still missing. And even at 5pm, the day before the fair, the bike was still missing. Then we got a call: the bike was found!” Hettinga picked it up at 4am on the day of the Fair at the cargo facility of the airport, and assembled the bike in the parking lot of the Fair itself.

Lucky Punk rolled into the Fair complex just after 9am, and took its place in the booth of Yinxiang Motors—the factory that produces the Super Motor Company’s Cub-based bikes. “Over the next few days, we drew a lot of attention. But many of the Chinese did not understand the bike—the price was too high, it’s too expensive to build, blah blah. But, happily, we met some like-minded enthusiasts. We now have five distributors from around the world to work with.”

So was it worth the ineptitude and insanity? “Yes, it was.”

Lucky Punk is now being readied for production, and will hit European markets in the first quarter of 2015. The 125cc version will cost 2,500 euros and the 250cc version 3,000 euros.

It’s a great price for a great-looking bike. And after all that stress, we think Dimitri Hettinga deserves success.

Keep tabs on the adventures of Super Motor Company via their website and Facebook page.

via BIKEexif

NIGHTRUN

NIGHTRUN - Box One Collective from Box One on Vimeo.

FOUNDRY’S MATCHLESS BOBBER

Coming into the scene from modern bikes and sports-nakeds, old school brands like Matchless have never really been on my personal  radar. I appreciate the heritage and the die-hard classic following, but I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with one, and certainly not a bobber. But that’s exactly what happened when I saw this bike in the flesh at the BSMC III exhibition, built by Foundry Motorcycles.

The lucky owner of this bike is Mick, a Buell-riding paramedic who actually wanted to by “Old ’56“, Foundry’s T110 bobber, but with old T110′s being hard to get hold of, and unable to wrench Old ’56 away from it’s owner, he had to ‘settle’ for something else. …I think he got an upgrade.

After plenty of Foundry coffee and a number of Saturday deliberations, plan T110 morphed into a sweet running Matchless G9 and the challenge of creating a similar look and feel was on. Tom & Simon tell it from here…

“Mick wanted the option of ‘returning to standard’, which is always a challenge, but not an uncommon request and the Matchless having a bolt on subframe is perfect for that. The 500cc G9 has a good looking pre-unit engine and when well set up, has plenty of grunt for the type of bike Mick was after, an early 50’s period style hard tail bobber.”

“The frame’s not as good looking or inconspicuous as the Triumph with a dubious looking cast centre section, but removing the rear sub fame and springs and replacing with a Foundry built hard tail cleaned the look of the frame considerably. … Mick tracked the build pretty closely and as suggestions were made, produced his own Photoshop renderings to check out our ideas, …pretty good for a paramedic.”

“The colour was probably the area of greatest debate. It’s so tempting on a bike of this type to stick with a black frame and just colour the tanks, but we wanted to give it a different feel altogether. We moved away from Mick’s original idea to keep the Matchless chrome, maroon and gold tank and the light grey frame and darker grey tanks worked out really well. The only nod to the original Maroon and gold scheme is the tank badge and the Foundry Brand on the oil tank courtesy of Dennis at D-Lucks, he matched the ‘worn’ look of the tank badges perfectly.”

“Originally, the pipes were to be wrapped like ‘Old ‘56”, but Tom produced such a neat pair of short twin pipes with double flared ends that they were left unwrapped. They’re un-baffled and sound great, not too loud, but with a perfect crackle.”

Simon built the seat cantilevered seat from scratch, starting off with a long nose tucked into the cut out at the back of the tank and on coil springs, but it looked contrived and all wrong. Version two shortened the seat and moved it back and onto scissor springs. The balance of the bike was restored again and the riding position’s now really comfortable. The tank ‘cut out’ now houses most of the electrics.

“We feel that with all good custom machines, the art is in getting the balance and attitude of the machine correct and with the ‘old school’ bikes our aim is to give the impression that the bike could have come out of the factory looking as it does now. There’s a lot of work to give the impression that nothing has changed!”

Other Modifications include:- Handmade oil tank and battery box, Custom rear fender, 12 volt conversion, LED Rear light, 7 inch ‘hot rod’ headlamp with machined mounts, Modified Teledraulic forks with exposed springs, Custom bars with Amal levers and grips, Side mounted original Smiths speedo, Skateboard wheel chain guide, Rebuilt 19 inch wheels with painted rims S/S spokes and Avon Tyres, Rebuilt Magneto and customer overhauled engine and gearbox., Canister type remote oil filter

“The bike’s probably lost about 50 kilo’s and is a hoot to ride, with the usual reservation about 60 year old drum brakes. After numerous visits and total emersion into the custom bike world, his Missus still can’t see what all the fuss is about, but Mick’s got his dream bike.”

We think this bike strikes the perfect balance between a classic motorcycle and a timeless build. The components and silhouette may be classic, but the bobber stance and finish suggest something a little fresher and completely relevant in the modern retro custom scene. But sod all the justification and opinion. It’s just beautifully put together, extremely pretty, and I want one.

Check out Tom & Simon’s shop & cafe in Chichester and see more from them online on The Bike Shed’s Foundry MC pages and on their Facebook and Website.

via The Bike Shed

Shooting in style: The best retro-look cameras

The market for high-resolution digital cameras in retro styles from the 50s and 60s is booming. Here are some of the best, as well as a selection of classic accessories…

Those who frequent events such as the Goodwood Revival or the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Estewill understand the problem: you’ve invested many an hour choosing an appropriate, stylish outfit, only to leave the house with a chunky, plastic-looking SLR on your shoulder. But there is a solution. Since the rise of the hipster movement and smartphone apps such as Hipstamatic and Instagram, major camera manufacturers have returned to their roots, creating modern-day cameras with the appearance of classics from the 50s and 60s. The following cameras will not only ensure your style isn’t tainted, but that your photos are just as (pin) sharp. 

Leica M Anniversary Edition ‘100 years of Leica photography’

Leica has made the transition from analogue to digital rather successfully; in fact, the company’s current cameras are perhaps as coveted as they have ever been. To celebrate its 100^th anniversary, Leica has released a limited run of 500 of the legendary M rangefinder. The Max CMOS image sensor in full-frame format, 24 megapixels and impressive lenses make the Leica the first choice for today’s serious reporters and photographers. But be warned: those switching from a point-and-shoot or SLR should be prepared for more complex controls. 

Nikon Df

Those who miss the ease of the Nikon F3 or FM will be pleased with this camera. With the Df, Nikonhas produced a no-frills, purist’s SLR, which dispenses with such frivolities as video shooting and other additional modes. It also has a traditional shutter-speed dial, infinitely easier than having to scroll through cumbersome menus. 

Fujifilm X-T1

With its retro design and mechanical controls, Fujifilm’s X series has already earned a large following. Released earlier this year, the X-T1 boasts a mirrorless system with an APS-C sensor that ensures high levels of ease and efficiency. The excellent viewfinder, high image quality and weatherproof housing make the X-T1 a compact SLR alternative for professionals. 

Olympus OM-D E-M10

Large electronic viewfinder, high-performance 3-axis image stabiliser and autofocus, built-in flashand WiFi – the Olympus OM-D E-M10 feels right up to date, despite its chic vintage looks and mechanical feel. The camera is robust and ergonomically designed, and can be combined with the Prime lenses from the OM-D series. 

Sony A7R

A full-frame sensor with up to 36 megapixels in a compact camera? Such systems with minimal space were barely conceivable until the introduction of the Sony A7R. In addition to the impressive picture quality, lightweight body and numerous manual controls, with its Zeiss optics, the higher quality Leica M-system lenses can also be used. 

Camera accessories from Hard Graft

The British leather and felt manufacturer Hard Graft has identified the photographer as a target customer, producing a number of attractive belts and bags that will make any retro camera a little bit easier to use, while still satisfying the aesthetes.