HARLEY-DAVIDSON FAT TRACKER

The Harley-Davidson Fat Tracker is one of those unusual builds that I love to feature, it started life as a 2009 FLHR Road King and was acquired by Hal’s Harley-Davidson in New Berlin, Wisconsin in 2013. During the winter the team decided to set about creating something from the FLHR that wasn’t a bagger, a bobber or a chopper – they wanted to see if they could build it into a flat tracker – or a fat tracker in this case.

It isn’t everyday that you’ll find a flat tracker with an engine capacity of 107 cubic inches (1750cc), it’s been further modified with a Silver Moon crankshaft, a modified flywheel, Revolution performance heads, CP pistons, 598 cams and a Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle cam plate. That serpentine exhaust is a hand-fabricated, stainless system made in-house by the guys at Hal’s with Supertrapp silencers.

An FLHX fuel tank has been modified to fit, the side panels were inverted and the mounts were moved forward 2 inches to fit the FLHR frame. The frame was further modified with a new aluminium subsection replacing the stock subframe, a mono-shock rear was adopted from a 1125R Buell and the front suspension was replaced with a set of 2013 V-Rod forks.

The belt drive was switched out for a chain drive, the headlight was replaced with an LED fitted number plate and a classic flat tracker tail section was fabricated from aluminium. The build team was made up of Jon Shearer, Jim Kopydlowski, Tom Fritz, Kirk Topel and Wally Klock, and surprisingly, none of them have yet been allowed to take the Fat Tracker out for a spin on the mud.

If you’d like to see more from Hal’s you can click here, if you’d like to see more flat trackers you can click here to take a look at some of our previous features.

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Les frères Tomasini fondent une nouvelle marque, La Torpille !

Depuis 1999, les frères Tomasini, Julien et Florent, créent, soudent et réinventent la bicyclette française, aujourd’hui ils lancent La Torpille.

Créations originales inspirées de l’âge d’or de la bicyclette [1890-1930], La Torpille reflète avant tout un véritable «Art de rouler». Véloce et élégant, chaque La Torpille est un objet unique et de haute qualité. C’est au coeur des Alpes, au bord du lac d’Annecy que les bicyclettes La Torpille sont conçues et réalisées entièrement à la main, dans nos ateliers avec des outils que nous avons développé.

C’est derrière les immenses verrières d’une vieille métallerie que les bicyclettes La Torpillenaissent de l’amour du travail bien fait et de la passion de la technique. Un artisan spécialisé dépose une couche de nickel sur les différents éléments. Enfin, une belle laque est appliquée sur le cadre. Les cadres sont en acier, soudés au TIG, brasés, ou parfois les deux. Nous privilégions le bois et le cuir, excluant au maximum les matières plastiques. « Nous sommes fiers d’avoir conçu des outillages et des méthodes de construction de manière à ne consommer que le minimum d’énergie, d’ inscrire notre travail dans une logique de production raisonnée, de durabilité et de respect de l’environnement. » En réinterprétant certaines techniques et en développant nos propres méthodes, nous avons adopté une posture qui aurait pu être celle des «pionniers mécaniques» de la fin du XIXe siècle.

T1 – Racer – La monture des champions
Cadre surbaissé et cintre de course, véritable torpille de la route, le «Number One» vous replonge dans l’atmosphère des épreuves légendaires de la Belle Epoque.

T2 – Safety – La machine à remonter le temps.
Elégance et confort pour redécouvrir les sensations du cyclisme originel.

T3 – Racer – Sobre et classique
Célérifère ultime, intemporel et incontournable.

T4 – Safety – l’élégance à l’état pur
Dans la lignée des grandes marques de la fin du XIXe siècle le N°4 dévoile toutes les qualités d’un véritable Safety.

T5 – Safety – Petit Safety pour petits Lords.

BALLOONER – «La bicyclette souveraine sur routes et chemins».
Cadre renforcé et pneumatiques «ballon», la bicyclette de la ville et de la campagne.

Partager la publication « Les frères Tomasini fondent une nouvelle marque, La Torpille ! »

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Depuis 1999, les frères Tomasini, Julien et Florent, créent, soudent et réinventent la bicyclette française, aujourd’hui ils lancent La Torpille.

Créations originales inspirées de l’âge d’or de la bicyclette [1890-1930], La Torpille reflète avant tout un véritable «Art de rouler». Véloce et élégant, chaque La Torpille est un objet unique et de haute qualité. C’est au coeur des Alpes, au bord du lac d’Annecy que les bicyclettes La Torpille sont conçues et réalisées entièrement à la main, dans nos ateliers avec des outils que nous avons développé.

C’est derrière les immenses verrières d’une vieille métallerie que les bicyclettes La Torpillenaissent de l’amour du travail bien fait et de la passion de la technique. Un artisan spécialisé dépose une couche de nickel sur les différents éléments. Enfin, une belle laque est appliquée sur le cadre. Les cadres sont en acier, soudés au TIG, brasés, ou parfois les deux. Nous privilégions le bois et le cuir, excluant au maximum les matières plastiques. « Nous sommes fiers d’avoir conçu des outillages et des méthodes de construction de manière à ne consommer que le minimum d’énergie, d’ inscrire notre travail dans une logique de production raisonnée, de durabilité et de respect de l’environnement. » En réinterprétant certaines techniques et en développant nos propres méthodes, nous avons adopté une posture qui aurait pu être celle des «pionniers mécaniques» de la fin du XIXe siècle.

T1 – Racer – La monture des champions
Cadre surbaissé et cintre de course, véritable torpille de la route, le «Number One» vous replonge dans l’atmosphère des épreuves légendaires de la Belle Epoque.

T2 – Safety – La machine à remonter le temps.
Elégance et confort pour redécouvrir les sensations du cyclisme originel.

T3 – Racer – Sobre et classique
Célérifère ultime, intemporel et incontournable.

T4 – Safety – l’élégance à l’état pur
Dans la lignée des grandes marques de la fin du XIXe siècle le N°4 dévoile toutes les qualités d’un véritable Safety.

T5 – Safety – Petit Safety pour petits Lords.

BALLOONER – «La bicyclette souveraine sur routes et chemins».
Cadre renforcé et pneumatiques «ballon», la bicyclette de la ville et de la campagne.

via http://fixie-singlespeed.com

Partager la publication « Les frères Tomasini fondent une nouvelle marque, La Torpille ! »

1964 FERRARI 275 GTB/C SPECIALE

This 1964 Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale is due to be auctioned on the 15th of August 2014 – many are predicting that it will be one of the most valuable cars on the face of the Earth when the auctioneers hammer falls on the final bid.

The reason for this value is due to the car’s rarity, historical significance and racing pedigree. Only 3 275 GTB/C Speciales were ever made and the other 2 are locked away in private collections where it’s believed they’ll stay for at least another generation.

Each of the 3 275 GTB/C Speciales were powered by a 320hp, Type 213/Comp 3286cc lightweight block V12 engine with 6 Weber 38 DCN carburettors, power was fed to the rear wheels via a 5-speed manual transaxle transmission, and the car sits on 4-wheel upper and lower wishbone coil-spring independent suspension, with braking provided by 4-wheel disc brakes.

The bodywork on this coupe was hand formed from such thin aluminium that mechanics had to be careful not to lean on it even lightly – large dents could be left in the shell exceedingly easily. Despite the fact that the Ferrari 275 GTB/C Speciale was designed from the start to be a Le Mans winner only 1 of the 3 cars made actually raced at the French circuit, where it finished 3rd over all – beating many of the prototype-class cars and setting a record for the best finish by a front-engined car.

The 275 GTB/C Speciale you see here was the first one made, it never raced and has been in careful private ownership for its entire life. In recent years it’s been campaigned in vintage racing events – usually wiping the field clean and taking the top step on the podium.

No one I’ve spoken to is will to make a prediction as to how much this Ferrari will sell for on the 15th, some have suggested that this model could be the first motor car to ever break into the 9-figure price bracket – but we’ll have to wait and see.

Click here to visit this car’s listing and read more about it’s history.

Photo Credits: Darin Schnabel ©2014 Courtesy of RM Auctions

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AUTO FABRICA YAMAHA SR500

The English workshop Auto Fabrica is fast developing a distinctive style. It’s the reduction of the motorcycle to its simplest form, finished to the highest standard with low-key paintwork. And it’s incredibly easy on the eye.

If there’s a four-wheeled parallel, it’s those super-sanitary hot rods—the ones with seams removed, door handles flushed into the bodywork, and subtle improvements to stance.

“We wanted to create something that hadn’t been done before,” say Bujar and Gaz, the obsessive builders behind Auto Fabrica. “Something every creative person, design company or maker strives for. The SR500 is a bike that people love to modify, so we had our work cut out. We wanted this bike to be unique, but keeping that understated feel we go for.”

The stock Yamaha SR500 has good bones, and this one was stripped down to the barest of those bones before being fitted with completely new bodywork.

The look is a balanced blend of ‘old school’ and modern design: A nod to the past while focusing on the future. “You see a lot of retro these days, and we didn’t want to create just another retro bike. We wanted a timeless one.”

To create the one-off tank, Auto Fabrica employed a huge industrial ‘English Wheel’ that was once used to form aluminum sections for aircraft wings. (“A great tool and a lovely piece of engineering.”)

The tank is crafted from 2mm aluminum sheet and holds an unusually practical 15 liters. Aluminum is also used for the seat and tail unit, bringing down the weight of the build.

Auto Fabrica engineer and manufacture their own exhausts in house, and for the SR500 they have built a full stainless steel, hand-bent rig. To join the sections they used a TIG welder: “We wanted the welds neat enough to be left exposed, and take advantage of the natural coloring created there.”

The stance of any custom is vital, and this one hits the spot. “We re-calved the forks to accommodate a two-inch drop at the front, and then sourced a set of 325mm Marzocchi shocks to raise the bike at the rear.” The visual balance is perfect.

Reducing the visual bulk of the SR500 took a lot of time and head scratching. There’s no front fender, and no visible fender at the rear. The battery has also gone: this SR500 is kick-start only. (“Everyone loves the feeling and empowerment of kicking a large single!”). The alternator cover has been modified to reduce mass, and clip-on bars add to the clean, slender aesthetics.

As with all the bikes that roll out of this English workshop, the paint and detailing is factory-level. Auto Fabrica have chosen a neutral grey for the tank and seat unit, with a large swage of white highlighting the form of the tank.

The hardware was mostly left raw, with the engine cases being aqua blasted and polished. To soften to the clinical effect, the seat is upholstered in a natural tan-colored leather.

On the performance front, the bike has been treated to a VM36 carburetor jetted to suit the new exhaust system. The riding position is much-improved, and the weight loss has boosted acceleration and improved the handling.

It’s undoubtedly a fair-weather road bike, but none the worse for it. The perfect steed for zipping through the traffic on England’s twisty, busy east coast roads.

Stay up to date with new Auto Fabrica builds via Facebook and Instagram. You’ll find our previous coverage here.

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