jeudi 10 janvier 2013
STEEL BENT CUSTOMS CB750
Michael Mundy’s Steel Bent Customs is now well established as one of the leading custom shops in Florida, if not the whole south east of the USA. Fifteen bikes rolled out of the Tampa workshop last year, and production is now booked out to April 2013.
Mundy is obviously doing something right in the eyes of US custom fans, and this new 1981 CB750 shows why. It’s the epitome of what the market demands at the moment: sleek, dark and stripped of all artifice.
Called ‘the Hoang build,’ this Honda was a commission. “The client requested that we go fully black, and use a tin color similar to an earlier build called ‘Neck Tat’,” says Mundy. The client also requested a seat long enough to accommodate a passenger, and despite the washboard appearance, “it’s more comfortable than it looks.”
The rest of the bike is super clean and minimalist, a signature of Steel Bent’s work. The blacked-out 4-into-1 exhaust system is terminated with a Cone Engineering muffler, and the motor is now running pod filters with the carbs retuned to match. (“A fine growl with an intoxicating powerband,” says Mundy.) Black clubman-style bars add to the dark and glossy vibe, and the battery is now mounted on the swing arm.
The CB750 is now headed 4,500 miles west to the opposite coast of the US, where it’ll join its new owner in California. Even amidst that hotbed of custom culture, it’s sure to stop the traffic.
Images by Erick Runyon of Choppershotz. For commissions, bookings and fine art prints contact Erick here.
from BIKEexif
Making of Extreme Motorcycle Drifting On Ice - Jorian Ponomareff
mercredi 9 janvier 2013
Dakar, étape 5 : Première victoire de Mini/Michelin
To celebrate the Dakar’s arrival in Chile, Nani Roma claimed the first victory of 2013 for ALL4 Racing Mini – and Michelin’s first stage win on the event since 2001! Better yet for the X-Raid team, overall rally leader Stéphane Peterhansel made it a one-two, whilst back on all four wheels again, Robby Gordon’s Hummer was third-quickest.
Pour fêter l’arrivée du Dakar au Chili, Nani Roma a offert à la Mini ALL4 Racing ses premiers lauriers en 2013 et à Michelin sa première victoire d’étape depuis 2001 ! L’équipe X-Raid a d’ailleurs signé un doublé avec Stéphane Peterhansel. De retour sur ses roues, le Hummer de Robby Gordon a signé le 3e temps.
Etape 5 : Arequipa-Arica (509 km)
For the cars, the start of the fifth stage was 284km from Arequipa, on the edge of the Pan-American Highway on a vast desert plateau. On the start-line, we saw Robby Gordon’s Hummer and the buggy of Carlos Sainz, ready to attack the 172 competitive kilometres that they would go on to complete with respectively the third and fifth-fastest times.
Several kilometres further on, we came across the cars again at the Passage Control that traversed the Pan-American Highway before Tacna, still surrounded by the same mineral vastness. There, at 118km into the stage, Spaniard Nani Roma was already in the lead, ahead of Giniel de Villiers and team-mate Stéphane Peterhansel.
“It was a stage with a lot of variety, and I really enjoyed it,” declared the winner at the finish in Arica. “The first 50 kilometres were rocky and bumpy, then there was a good section along a dry river bed where you could drive like in the WRC, and finally there was some ‘fesh-fesh’ close to the end.”
Second-quickest today, Stéphane Peterhansel has yet to win a stage in the 2013 edition of the Dakar, but he will nonetheless head into Chile firmly ensconced at the top of the leaderboard with an advantage of almost 10 minutes over closest pursuer Nasser Al-Attiyah. The Qatari began the stage in fine form, but gradually lost time and ultimately wound up 6m1s adrift of Peterhansel.
More than 33 minutes shy of the leader (the time he lost in the Nazca dunes), Giniel de Villiers (Toyota) continues to hold the final podium position, four minutes clear of Leonid Novitskiy (Mini).
In his Aston Martin-engined Mitsubishi prototype, Brazilian Guillerme Spinelli lies eighth overall, ahead of Orlando Terranova (BMW M3) and Carlos Sousa (Great Wall). Guerlain Chicherit lost a quarter of an hour with a power steering problem, but the trio of SMG buggies (Chicherit, Chabot and Errandonéa) nevertheless remains inside the overall top ten.
In the ‘Truck’ class, the leadership changed hands yesterday as Gerard De Rooy (Iveco/Michelin) found himself stuck in the sand between two dunes, allowing team-mate Hans Stacey to move past into the lead.
Pour les autos, le départ de la 5e spéciale était à 284 km d’Arequipa, au bord de la Panaméricaine, sur un vaste plateau désertique. Nous avons vu le Hummer de Robby Gordon et le Buggy de Carlos Sainz sur la ligne, prêts à bondir à l’assaut des 172 km chronométrés qu’ils ont finalement achevés aux 3e et 5e places.
Quelques kilomètres plus loin, nous avons retrouvé les autos au CP intermédiaire qui coupait la Panamericana avant Tacna, toujours dans cette immensité minérale. Là, au km 118, l’Espagnol Nani Roma était déjà leader devant Giniel de Villiers et son équipier Stéphane Peterhansel.
« J’ai bien aimé cette spéciale très variée » a commenté le vainqueur au bivouac d’Arica. « Les 50 premiers kilomètres étaient rocailleux et bosselés, puis on a eu une belle piste dans un oued avec du pilotage style WRC, et pour fini, du fesh-fesh près de l’arrivée. »
Deuxième aujourd’hui, Stéphane Peterhansel n’a toujours pas remporté d’étape sur ce Dakar 2013, mais il entre au Chili en tête avec près de 10 minutes d’avance sur Nasser Al-Attiyah. Le Qatari était parti vite dans cette spéciale, mais a rétrogradé peu à peu pour concéder 6min01s au vainqueur.
A plus de 33 minutes du leader (le temps perdu dans les dunes de Nazca), Giniel de Villiers (Toyota) pointe sur le podium provisoire du général avec quatre minutes d’avance sur Leonid Novitskiy (Mini).
Sur sa Mitsubishi motorisée Aston Martin, le Brésilien Guillerme Spinelli a terminé 8e devant Terranova (BMW M3) et Carlos Sousa (Great Wall). Guerlain Chicherit a perdu un quart d’heure (problème de direction assistée). Mais les trois Buggy SMG (Chicherit, Chabot, Errandonéa) pointent toujours dans le top-10.
En Camion, le leadership a changé hier avec l’ensablement de Gerard De Rooy (Iveco/Michelin) entre deux dunes. C’est son équipier Hans Stacey qui était leader ce matin.
Classement étape 5
1. Roma/Périn (Mini), 1h49min40s – 2. Peterhansel/Cottret (Mini), +1min23s – 3. Gordon (Hummer), + 1min41s – 4. De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota), +1min51s – 5. Sainz/Gottschalk (Buggy), +3min41s…
Classement après étape 5
1. Peterhansel/Cottret (Mini), 10h55min32s – 2. Al-Attiyah/Cruz (Buggy), +9min54s – 3. De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota), +33min50s – 4.. Notvitskiy/Zhilstov (Mini), +37min35s – 5. Roma/Périn (Mini) + 37min43s…
Dakar 2013– Leg 5: a one-two for Yamaha/Michelin
David Casteu and Olivier Pain handed Yamaha a one-two finish on SS5 which brought the 2013 Dakar 2013 into Chile. Tonight’s overall top three is an all-French, all-Michelin affair led by Pain, ahead of Casteu (+1m15s) and Despres (+6m7s).
Leg 5: Arequipa-Arica (411km)
Peru declared today to be a public holiday to celebrate the Dakar’s arrival in its southernmost province! As a consequence, there was an exceptionally big turnout of spectators and the highway toll booth at Moquegua was overwhelmed by curious onlookers.
Stage 5, between Arequipa to Arica, was particularly short (136km), but the twisty mountain tracks served as a handy transition which saw Yamaha 450 WRF riders David Casteu and Olivier Pain claim a one-two finish on Michelin Desert Race tyres.
It was Nice-based Casteu’s first success since the 2010 Dakar. “It was no stroll, I can tell you, because all the top guys are still in the running,” he emphasised at this evening’s overnight camp. “The conditions were fast and very rocky. I caught Olivier after a few kilometres and we ran together after that…”
Pain continues to top the provisional leaderboard as the event arrives in Chile, while Cyril Despres – who was fifth today – is the Yamaha pair’s closest chaser. He appears to be waiting for the ideal moment to pounce with the help of his team-mate Ruben Faria (sixth overall). Perhaps Thursday’s 455km stage in the Atacama Desert will provide that opportunity…
Tuesday’s stage winner Joan Barreda continues to experience a series of ups and downs but is still fourth in the order, despite being halted by a fuel pump problem at Km72 today. Meanwhile, his Husqvarna team-mate Paulo Gonçalves took a wrong heading at the beginning of the stage and was followed in his error by a number of other bikers…
Stage 5 classification:
1, Casteu (Yamaha), 1h39m42s. 2, Pain (Yamaha), +1m9s. 3, Pedrero (KTM), +2m58s. 4, Botturi (Husqvarna), +3m25s. 5, Despres (KTM), +4m7s. Etc.
Overall standings after Leg 5:
1, Pain (Yamaha), 10h10m38s. 2, Casteu (Yamaha), +2m24s. 3, Despres (KTM), +3m9s. 4, Barreda (Husqvarna), +5m38.5s. 5, Viladoms (KTM), +7m22.6. Etc.
Indian motorcycles concept for a new era
A new generation concept for the Indian spirit. A board tracker for the electric age. Wojtek Bachleda was kind enough to let me photograph and post his Final semester student project.
Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C3: Mako Shark styling for the showroom
The third generation of GM’s all-American sports car was as different from its predecessor as the Sting Ray was from the original Corvette. ‘Coke bottle’ styling was all the rage, and so was massive power — the C3 ’Vette came with some of the biggest engines ever seen in the era of ‘total performance’.
The appearance of the new ‘Stingray’ (note that the car is no longer a ‘Sting Ray’) was a result of a styling exercise, the ‘Mako Shark II’, designed by Larry Shinoda under the overall direction of Bill Mitchell.
Carrying over many of the mechanical components of the second-generation Corvette, the new car had a more curvaceous body that featured an abrupt Kamm tail and long, long bonnet. The ‘invisible’ wiper blades and retractable headlamps hinted at aerodynamic requirements necessitating smoother lines than before, particularly when you consider such special engines such as the 427ci L88 and ZL1, both offering well over 400bhp and colossal torque.
Wheels and tyres were bigger than before, with flared wheelarches introduced in 1970 to cover the wide rubber needed to lay down such power. At this time, options such as the ZR1 package (racing suspension, brakes, anti-roll bars and other high-performance components added to tuned, 5.7-litre LT-1 cars) meant that America’s finest could more than hold its own with the equivalent Aston Martin or Ferrari.
The ‘big block’ cars, rather than being limited to small production runs for engine homologation for the Can-Am series, sold rather well: in the 1970-72 model series, the LS5 454ci (7.4-litre, with 390bhp) made up a quarter of total production. By this time, though, the engines had to run on lower-octane fuel, so perhaps it’s understandable for buyers to go for the most potent possible combination. During this period, convertibles became scarcer (and so did manual transmission) as the new Stingray coupé featured a ‘T top’ as standard, with the early cars also having removable rear screens.
The series of cars ran from the heady days of the late-60s ‘muscle’ era (1968) to the time of safety impact bumpers, emissions equipment and unleaded petrol (1982).
The example you see here is available from Classic Driver dealer Gallery Brummen and is a 1972 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 454 for sale at 35,950 euros. As with all coupés of this model year, it has a ‘Targa’ split roof, and is attractively finished in metallic gold with a brown interior. Very 1970s, very ‘Stingray’.
| Related Links For further details on this car for sale, please visit the Classic Driver Marketplace You can also see other cars from The Gallery Brummen in the Classic Driver Marketplace Got that Corvette fever? Click HERE for more |
Text: Steve Wakefield (ClassicDriver)
Photos: The Gallery Brummen
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