LA MANETTE - Christmas gift

LA MANETTE // COUTEAU PAR KICK’N'START

LA MANETTE comme son nom l’indique reprend le design d’une manette de frein de moto classique pour en faire un objet du quotidien à l’esprit motard.

Au delà de la réussite esthétique indéniable LA MANETTE est vrai beau couteau made in France qu’on gardera des années; réalisé par un maître coutelier en série limitée, sa lame est en acier 12C27 , son manche en dural poli et possède un rattrapage de jeu BTR qui fiabilise le système d’ouverture / fermeture .

Ouvert il mesure 21.5cm et possède une lame de 9.7cm (environ la taille d’un opinel n°8).

PRIX DE CETTE VERSION 80€

Pour les plus exigeants d’entre vous une version haut de gamme de la manette est également disponible sur commande et réalisée à l’unité par le maître coutelier avec une lame DAMAS à tranchant rapporté et a un dos guilloché.

PRIX DE CETTE VERSION HAUT DE GAMME 250€

Un étui et une sacoche de transport en cuir épais sont également disponibles à la vente.

N’hésitez pas à explorer KICK’N'START qui propose des « bijoux mécaniques », des t-shirts et tout une série de produits assez fun sur le thème moto et rock’n'roll !

PLUS D’INFOS ICI!

from http://4h10.com

HANDMADE COPPER CUP – THE “GARAGE MUG” -CHRISTMAS GIFT

This handmade copper cup is just about the perfect gentleman’s “garage mug“, it’s made by a craftsman in a small factory, by a company that has specialized in tin and copper kitchenware items for over 200 years.

Each cup is made from 100% copper and has been “hot-tinned” on the inside to allow it to hold liquids without oxidising, it can be dropped without braking and holds beer just as well as it holds coffee.

Grab yours here

from Silodrome

Jorge Lorenzo: Rossi won't be a number two rider

From Twowheelsblog

During Nolan’s Christmas party, one of our Italian cousin’s over at Motoblog.it was one of the several journalists present at the party and had the opportunity to interview reigning World champion Jorge Lorenzo and he seemed very impressed not only by the Yamaha rider’s immense talent on track, but also by his smiling and savvy PR confidence.

Here’s the translated interview for you:

Jorge, in 2013 you’ll be in Yamaha with the weight of four world titles. Is it a burden or a relief?

“I see everything from a postive point of view. Four World titles aren’t absolutely a weight, but an incentive. Certainly 2013 will be difficult with Pedrosa, and Marquez who is very strong and Valentino who is back in Yamaha ”

At the last edition of the EICMA you were surrounded by enthusiastic Italian fans, but you’re a Spaniard riding a Japanese motorcycle …

“Yes it is true. I’ve had a great feeling with Italian fans for several years, but now they are getting to know me better because of the events I take part in.”

Will you miss Casey Stoner as a rival?

Miss is a big word … He’ll definitely be missed by everyone for the incredible perfomances he was able to give, his invincibility at Phillip Island and his aggressive riding style. It’ll be difficult to find another hugely talented rider like him, but without Stoner it will be easier for everyone (laughing).

After your last World title what was the the best compliment your received?

“This morning at the airport. I was buying some magazines and a woman told me I was much better looking in person than on TV or in the papers.

Which rider inspired you?

“I’ve always liked Max Biaggi since I started watching the races on TV in 1995 and also “King” Carl Fogarty.

Lorenzo and Rossi together in Yamaha again, but now with the roles reversed …

“I don’t think Valentino will be a number two rider. In Yamaha we’ll have the same bike and we’re both very ambitious, both champions and we both want to win. It’ll be difficult that there won’t be be some friction between us but I think the situation will be better than four years ago.”

Wunderlich SpeedBoarder + R 1200 S - Design-Entwurf

With http://petit-motorcycle-creation.over-blog.com/

Thunder 250 lansiran 2001

Spesifikasi :

• Body Custom by Studio Motor Custom Bike
• Painting & Airbrush by Komet Studio
• Velg Champ 18X3.00 & 18X3.50
• Ban Shinko Radial 120/70-18 & 150/70-18
• Shock Depan Yamaha Byson
• Swing Arm Custom
• Shock Belakang YSS G-Series
• Lampu Depan & Lampu Belakang Aftermarket
• Filter Udara TDR
• Footstep NUI Project
• Stang NUI Project
• Knalpot Custom by Jet Hot

STUDIO MOTOR Custom Bike 

the Cresta Run: Gentlemen, Count Your Bones!

For 125 years, the death-defying members of the St Moritz Tobogganing Club have thrown themselves, one by one, headfirst down the steep, narrow Cresta Run. Invented by the British, the Club is British-run to this day but it has always attracted the cream of the international jet set, prepared to risk broken bones – or worse.

This delightful insanity began in the winter of 1884/85, when British visitors to St Moritz turned the lighthearted pastime of tobogganing into a serious sport.W. H. Bulpetts, an English Major, worked with an Australian enthusiast to design an ice channel, three quarters of a mile long, between St Moritz andCelerina. With a total drop of 514 feet through 10 banked turns, and a gradient of up to 1 in 2.8, gaining speed was never a problem. Riding ‘skeleton’ toboggans, heavily ballasted with lead, the officers, gentlemen and aristocrats launched themselves into the abyss, without brakes. Within five years, all riders were using the now traditional headfirst riding position and speeds of up to 80mph became possible.Cresta riders follow the club’s unique rules and customs, with traditional clothing favoured. There is a noticeably military ethos; no bad thing in such a dangerous sport. Although it’s a playground for the rich, the famous and the titled, theCresta Run is not a snobbish clique. Anyone with the courage, the manners and a pure sporting spirit is welcome, regardless of class. It just helps if you like gin and tonic with your adrenalin.Apart from the British, the Cresta Run has attracted a passionate following of international celebrities over the years, including playboy industrialist Gunter Sachs, Fiat patriarch Gianni Agnelli and top auto industry figure, Bob Lutz. Although women have been barred from riding since 1929, the social membership includes such stars as Brigitte Bardot. Relaxed but elegant, the Cresta Runseems slightly eccentric; non-British members see it as a charming last outpost of the British Empire.
© Jason Larraman
Behind the fun, danger still lurks. Between them, innumerable riders have managed to break every bone of the human body at least once. Since 1885, there have been over 500,000 rides and 28,000 falls – but only four deaths. Beginners are lectured with the famous ‘Death Talk’ in their introductory lesson, which includes a collage of interesting X-ray images. Those who do fall are instructed to stand up (if possible) and signal their survival by waving to the Control Tower. Only then may they depart for the krankenhaus (hospital).
© Max Galli / Jason Larraman
There are two starting points on the Cresta Run. Beginners must ride competently from the starting box at Junction, outside the Clubhouse, before being allowed to start from Top, which is considerably higher up the valley. One corner, Shuttlecock, acts as a safety valve and it’s especially tricky from Top. Then taken at over 50mph, riders steer by alignment of the body. Those who get it wrong tend to fly over the top, harmlessly at that point into soft straw and loose snow. Statistics show that one in 14 rides ends there. Fallers then qualify to wear the Shuttlecock Club tie. Steering in the lower slopes is more by movement of the head in the airflow. With one’s face inches from the ice, the notorious ‘Cresta Kiss’ needs no explanation.
© SMTC /Max Galli
Beginners who follow instructions properly, by raking hard with their spiked boots, always get to the bottom safely on their first ride. The risks rise as speed is increased and expert riders use different boots, with no spiked rakes. Everybody feels apprehensive before starting and, once on the move, the Cresta Run feels incredibly fast. Even first-timers are convinced they’ve broken the sound barrier. At lunch afterwards, in the Sunny Bar of the Kulm Hotel, daring exploits can be explained at length. The Run is closed in the afternoons, for maintenance and to avoid damage from the sun.
© Jason Larraman
The Cresta Run is a favourite destination for many members of the British armed forces, including such stars as RAF fighter pilot and World Land Speed Recordholder, Squadron Leader Andy Green. However, the locals often dominate the results and St Moritz greengrocer, Nino Bibbia, won the ‘Grand National’ no fewer than eight times. That honour is now shared by Franco Gansser. Nevertheless, British rider James Sunley holds the record from Top, which he set in 1999 at 50.09 seconds, making an average speed of 53mph.For evening entertainment, there’s always the Dracula Club, by the start of the nearby bobsleigh run. Built in 1974 by Gunter Sachs, even the Dracula Club can seem frightfully British at times. The Cresta season runs from about December 20 until the end of February or early March. The Run is still crafted by hand every year, out of the ice and using the natural contours of the valley. An exhibition, celebrating 125 years of the Cresta Run, is being held until May in the Design Gallery, St Moritz. See www.stmoritz.ch.
Many more pictures of the Lake Parade and Uphill Cresta events can be found in our extensive gallery. Also, do visit the website of official Cresta photographerRyan Larraman, www.crestaphotos.com, where you can order photographs and buy prints of the 125th anniversary celebrations.Text: Jan Baedeker & Tony Dron (himself a wearer of the Shuttlecock Club tie; and for 35 years a member of the St Moritz Tobogganing Club)
Photos: SMTC (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16), Jason Larraman (6, 8, 11), Max Galli (7, 10)

---

 The Classic Driver 

Getting Ready for the Cresta

The St Moritz Tobogganing Club is an institution like few others. Since 1885, men of courage have dared to plunge head-first on a toboggan down the famous Cresta Run. With the official season opening on 19 December, Classic Driver follows one Cresta rider preparing for the 2012/13 season. 

Much has been written about the SMTC – most of it inaccurate. This is due, in part, to the careful way the Club protects its members from outside intrusion. It has created the ‘myth’ - but it underplays the hard work of the organising committee and its many Arbeiters to make every Cresta season an unforgettable happening. The construction of the Run (and the installation of timing equipment) involves many day-and-night shifts before it can be officially declared open.


And that’s just for the Run. Our rider will need a toboggan on which he can rely to complete the 3/4-mile course. Urs Vescoli, himself a very successful skeleton rider with international experience, is one of the few craftsmen in the world who make the special ‘carriages’ for the SMTC. His metalworking workshop is located in the sleepy valley between Zurich and Chur, on the way to St Moritz.There are three types of toboggan: American, Traditional and Flat Top. The two most commonly used are the Traditional (with its sliding seat) and the faster Flat Top. We accompanied our rider as he collected his new Traditional (built the same way as it was in the 1930s), and he explained why the sled, which takes many days to make, looks as it does: “It’s pared to the absolute minimum – nothing is surplus”. Every single toboggan is handmade and unique.
It's hard to imagine descending the ice channel lying on more than 66lb of heavy sleigh, as it, plus the rider, rapidly accelerate on the glassy surface. The rider will quickly reach high speeds, with the ever-present danger of a ‘Cresta Kiss’ – the removal of skin from the face as it makes contact with the icy run – which has left deep scars in some of the riders' faces.Clearly, Bentley didn't consider the transportation of Flat Tops when it designed the interior packaging of the latest Continental GTC. It doesn't fit in the boot. So there’s only one thing to do: place the sled in the area behind the front seats. It’s a one-way trip, after all, and the roof is going to stay open. This isn't seen as a problem by the Club Member we are accompanying.

Arriving in a snowy St Moritz - and entertained by some interesting Cresta stories - we park outside the Junction Hut, the place where the toboggans are stored. ‘Junction’ is the starting point for the intermediate-distance runs. ‘Top’ is 352 yards higher and a run from Top can be made in just over 50 seconds, with an average of around 53mph and a terminal speed at ‘Finish’ of close to 80mph.There’s much activity. The huge red safety ‘cushions’ are being put into place at ‘Shuttlecock’, the course’s most famous curve, an accident at which qualifies the rider for membership of the Shuttlecock Club. On average, one in 19 riders will exit at Shuttlecock - hence the 25 safety mats which protect the unlucky from harm. It takes the 12-strong team of experienced Italian and Portuguese course-builders nearly two months to build the Run: first, they build the section from Junction to Finish, which takes just under four weeks. Then, while nine of them support the daily Cresta riding, the remaining members of the team create the section from Top to Junction in around three weeks.

Together with 'our' Cresta rider, we pass through the metal gates with the hexagonal orange, red and white ‘SMTC’ badge, and cross the threshold to the members-only club. The Clubhouse Dressing Room is where the riders prepare for the run. Alongside the modern racing suits are the traditional wrist, knee and elbow pads that have been used for over 100 years. One can imagine the electric atmosphere here, early on a sharp, icy morning – when the ice is at its best.The Club’s predominantly ‘British’ atmosphere is in keeping with the fact that the SMTC is primarily about enjoying oneself, both on the course and, importantly, at social occasions. Not for nothing does the selection committee, when considering a new application for membership, ask itself “Will they be a fun member?” The SMTC is unique, but as long as applicants show courage and are willing to join in with the traditions of the Club and its members, they will always be welcome.

Related Links A history of the Cresta Run: 125 Years of the Cresta Run: Gentlemen, Count Your Bones!  The website of the St Moritz Tobogganing Club: www.cresta-run.com The website of Urs Vescoli: www.vescoli.com

Text: J. Philip Rathgen (classicdriver.com)
Photos: Jan Baedeker