A THING OF BEAUTY, A 1952 PORSCHE 356 IN CAPE TOWN BY MILAN JOSIPOVIC

 BY MOTO VERSO

 

I’m going to keep this simple and say I don’t normally post pictures of cars or motorcycles with half dressed women draped over them. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the female form and think there’s nothing better than beautiful women in cars, it’s just not what this site is about. It’s all about the beauty of automotion whether it be cars, custom motorcycles or stunning photography featuring them.

The reason I have featured these images in the Car Photography section should be obvious, one of the most beautiful cars in the world with one of the most enchanting women on the planet together  in Cape Town, South Africa. The photographs have been taken by Milan Josipovic based in Belgrade, Serbia and is a professional Photographer who works all over the world. The car is a fine example of the 1952 Porsche 356 which I believe was the concept for future Porsches. I’m not sure who the women is but what a perfect match and coupled with the stunning views captured in South Africa the set of images really comes to life and captures a by gone age of classic simplicity and beauty.

Images: Milan Josipovic

Images: behance.net/MilanJosipovic

Dakar, étape 13 : « Chaleco » Lopez 2e derrière Despres /Chaleco Lopez becomes Despres’ closest chaser

Chaleco Lopez (KTM/Michelin) has passed Ruben Faria into second place, but leader Cyril Despres is still 8m15s clear of the Chilean rider.

Le Chilien « Chaleco » Lopez (KTM/Michelin) a pris la 2e place du général aux dépens de Ruben Faria. A une étape de l’arrivée de ce Dakar 2013, Cyril Despres est leader avec 8min15s d’avance sur le Chilien.

Etape 13 : Copiapo-La Serena (735 km)

The penultimate stage of the 2013 Dakar featured a little bit of all the main types of surface encountered in the course of the event since its move to South America. The conditions ranged from dunes, to fast and twisty rocky tracks, some off-road action and fesh-fesh…

The end of the first section was located alongside Ruta 5, the four-lane highway that runs from Copiapo to La Serena. After 246km of competitive action, Kurt Caselli was the day’s fastest rider, 19s ahead of Despres and 42s clear of Lopez. At Km396, however, the American’s KTM/Michelin was reported to have stopped with an engine problem.

Lopez set off from this morning’s re-start in Copiapo intent on stealing second place from Faria. The Portuguese rider started at a quick pace and was second behind Barreda at Km69. He was still second at Km153, just before the dunes, but it was here that the Chilean began to push before keeping up the pressure over the second section…

He went on to claim the stage by a margin of 5m25s over Cyril Despres and has now closed to within 8m15s of the event’s four-time winner, but Saturday’s programme only includes 111 timed kilometres… “Unless something dramatic happens, I can’t win; but coming second would be a great result,” smiled the Chilean at the bivouac in La Serena. “Tomorrow, the rally arrives in my home city, Santiago. I’m sure it will be a fantastic occasion.”

“There are no ‘straightforward’ stages on the Dakar,” noted Cyril Despres who appears to be on target for a fifth outright win. His team-mate Ruben Faria is still on the provisional podium, despite dropping almost quarter of an hour today. Slovakia’s Ivan Jakes is fourth and is hoping to reach the finish in that position after three consecutive retirements.

Paulo Gonçalves was third fastest on SS14 for Husqvarna/Michelin, ahead of the two Joans: Pedrero and Barreda.

Cette pénultième spéciale 2013 offrait un tracé varié, représentatif du rallye avec des dunes, des pistes caillouteuses rapides et sinueuses, du hors-piste, du fesh-fesh… Bref, un condensé de Dakar version sud-américaine.

La fin de la 1^ère partie était située au bord de la Ruta 5, une double voie reliant Copiapo à La Serena. Là, après 246 km de spéciale, c’est Kurt Caselli qui tenait le meilleur chrono pour 19 secondes devant Despres et 42 sur Lopez. Mais au km 396, la KMT/Michelin de l’Américain était signalée arrêtée en raison de problèmes moteur.

Ce matin au départ de Copiapo, « Chaleco » Lopez n’avait qu’un objectif : prendre la 2^e place du classement général à Ruben Faria. Le Portugais était pourtant parti sur un rythme élevé et pointait en 2^e position derrière Barreda au km 69. Il était toujours 2^e au km 153 avant d’attaquer les dunes. Et c’est là, dans les derniers « sables » de cette édition, que le Chilien a porté son attaque avant de confirmer dans la 2^e partie, sur une piste roulante et bosselée.

« Chaleco » Lopez a remporté cette spéciale avec 5min25s sur Cyril Despres et revient à 8min15s du quadruple vainqueur. Demain, il reste 111 km chronométrés. « C’est impossible, à la régulière, mais une 2^e place serait déjà fabuleuse », déclarait le Chilien devant une nuée de journalistes au bivouac de La Serena. « Demain, on arrive à Santiago, chez moi, ça va être un grand moment. »

« Au Dakar, il n’y a pas de petite spéciale », confiait à son tour Cyril Despres, en route vers un 5^esuccès. Son porteur d’eau, Ruben Faria, qui a perdu près d’un quart d’heure aujourd’hui, est toujours sur le podium provisoire devant le Slovaque Ivan Jakes qui pourrait réaliser un excellent résultat demain après trois abandons consécutifs en début de rallye.

Paulo Gonçalves a signé un nouveau podium en spéciale sur sa Husqvarna/Michelin. Il a devancé les deux Joan, Pedrero et Barreda, une nouvelle fois parti très vite ce matin.

Classement Etape 13

1. Lopez (KTM), 3h44min54s – 2. Despres (KTM), +5min25s – 3. Gonçalves (Husqvarna), +5min29s – 4. Pedrero (KTM), +7min42s – 5. Barreda (Husqvarna), +8min24s…

Classement après étape 13

1. Despres (KTM), 41h37min18s – 2. Lopez (KTM), +8min15s – 3. Faria (KTM), +14min41s – 4. Jakes (KTM), +24min45s – 5. Pedrero (KTM), +43min31s...

Dakar 2013, étape 13 : Gordon, pour 22 secondes / Gordon triumphs by just 22 seconds

After 441 competitive kilometres, American Robby Gordon won the 13th stage of the 2013 Dakar Rally by just 22 seconds over Guerlain Chicherit. In the overall standings, Stéphane Peterhansel continues to lead ahead of Giniel De Villiers, whilst Leonid Novitskiy has regained third place.

Après 441 kilomètres chronométrés, l’Américain Robby Gordon a remporté la 13e spéciale avec 22 secondes d’avance sur Guerlain Chicherit. Au général, Peterhansel est toujours leader devant De Villiers. Novitskiy a récupéré la 3e place.

Etape 13 : Copiapo-La Serena (735 km)

Deprived of victory yesterday by Nani Roma, Robby Gordon exacted his revenge today by flying through the 13^th stage at the wheel of his Hummer. After Orlando Terranova had stolen an early march, the American assumed the lead by the second passage control (153km), before winning the first section ahead of Chicherit’s SMG Buggy. During the stage’s second half, the Frenchman led the way just 24km from the finish, but in the end it was Gordon who prevailed by the slender margin of a mere 22 seconds.

Nani Roma sacrificed his third place in the overall classification in order to ‘protect’ his team-mate Stéphane Peterhansel. The Spaniard, who had begun the day first in the running order, waited for the rally leader in order to complete the stage in team formation. That allowed Russia’s Leonid Novitskiy to regain third position in the overall standings.

The ALL4 Racing Minis didn’t light up the timing screens today with Novitskiy just fifth-quickest, Peterhansel ninth and Roma tenth. Lucio Alvarez set the sixth-fastest time ahead of Carlos Sousa and Ronan Chabot. The first cars only reached the finish of the stage in La Serena under a distinctly cloudy sky at around 7pm, after completing a liaison distance of some 200km.

In the ‘Truck’ class, Russian Andrey Karginov claimed his second successive stage victory ahead of Gerard De Rooy, as Kamaz/Michelin heads towards a one-two-three overall finish in the Chilean capital of Santiago.

Privé de victoire par Roma hier, Robby Gordon a donc pris sa revanche aujourd’hui en survolant cette spéciale au volant de son Hummer. Après un bon départ d’Orlando Terranova, l’Américain était pointé en tête au CP2 (km 153) avant de remporter la 1^ère partie devant le Buggy SMG de Chicherit. Dans la 2^e partie de spéciale, le Français était pointé leader à 24 km de l’arrivée, mais c’est finalement Gordon qui s’impose pour 22 petites secondes.

Nani Roma a sacrifié sa 3^e place du général pour « protéger » son équipier Stéphane Peterhansel. L’Espagnol, qui s’élançait en 1^er aujourd’hui, a attendu le leader du rallye pour faire route commune. Le Russe Leonid Novitskiy récupère la 3^e place du classement général.

Les Mini ALL4 Racing n’ont pas animé la course aujourd’hui avec Novitskiy (5^e), Peterhansel (9^e) et Roma (10^e). Lucio Alvarez a pris la 6^e place devant Carlos Sousa et Ronan Chabot. Les 1ères autos n’ont rallié le bivouac de La Serena sous un ciel très nuageux, que vers 19h après 200 km de liaison.

En Camions, le Russe Andrey Karginov a remporté sa seconde victoire consécutive devant De Rooy. Les Kamaz/Michelin filent vers un triplé à Santiago du Chili.

Classement étape 13

1. Gordon/Walch (Hummer), 3h40min53s – 2. Chicherit/Garcin (Buggy SMG), +22s – 3. Terranova/Fiuza (BMW), +4min41s – 4. De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota), +8min08s – 5. Novitskiy/Zhilstov (Mini), +8min35s…

Classement après étape 13

1. Peterhansel/Cottret (Mini), 36h44min46s – 2. De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota), +44min38s – 3. Novitskiy/Zhilstov (Mini), +1h29min31s – 4. Roma/Périn (Mini), +1h40min26s - 5. Terranova/Fiuza (BMW), +1h52min40s…

1955 MERCEDES-BENZ 300SL GULLWING

The 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing is either at the very top of every discerning persons Top 10 Cars list, or it’s damn close. It’s sometimes bumped from the number one spot by other iconic automobiles like the E-Type Jaguar, the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato or the Ferrari 250 GTO but I’m yet to meet anyone with even a modicum of taste who isn’t enamoured with the 300SL.

The Gullwing was fitted with a 215hp, 2,992 cc SOHC 6-cylinder engine with (advanced for the era) Bosch mechanical fuel injection. The engine was mated to a 4-speed manual transmission and the car had coil spring independent front suspension, coil spring and swing-axle rear suspension as well as 4-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

From a performance perspective the Mercedes-Benz 300SL was a revelation, it once famously out paced a Douglas DC3 spotter plane in Mexico’s 1952 La Carrera Panamericana and even now in modern traffic, the 300SL can keep up or (quite often) pull away.

This 300SL is headed for the RM Auctions’ Arizona sale on the 18th of January 2013, if you have a spare $800,000 – $900,000 hiding amongst the sofa cushions you might want to register to bid.

Photo Credits: Pawel Litwinski ©2012 Courtesy of RM Auctions

from SILODROME

1962 Parilla 250cc Wildcat Scrambler + 1966 BSA Victor 441cc

1964 Bultaco 200cc Matador

Vidéo : Passion - Dakar XtreM Adventure powered by Michelin

Video: Saint-Bonnet-Le-Froid

Monte Carlo: End of Day 3 – Loeb: one day from 7th ‘Monte’ success! /Loeb à la veille d'une 7e victoire au ‘Monte’!

With three of the 2013 Rallye Monte-Carlo’s four legs completed, Loeb continues to enjoy a handsome lead. The Citroën/Michelin driver has pulled even further clear of Volkswagen rival Sébastien Ogier (+1m47.4s), while Evgeny Novikov (Ford/Michelin) has earned a place in the provisional top three. There was no real drama, but the mixed stage conditions kept the drivers on their toes all day.

Alors que la troisième des quatre étapes du Rallye Monte-Carlo 2013 a pris fin, Loeb occupe toujours le commandement avec une avance considérable. Le pilote de la Citroën/Michelin a encore creusé l'écart sur son rival de Volkswagen, Sébastien Ogier (+1'47"4), tandis qu'Evgeny Novikov (Ford/Michelin) s'est approprié une place dans le tiercé de tête provisoire. Il ne s'est rien passé de vraiment fâcheux mais les pilotes ont dû rester sur leurs gardes en raison des conditions changeantes prévalant dans les spéciales.

Although Friday’s menu included just three stages, the total competitive distance still amounted to 92km, and those tests were all Monte Carlo classics where this rally has frequently been won or lost in the past.

Unsurprisingly, though, the nine-time world champion Sébastien Loeb, who is chasing his seventh Monte win this week, didn’t put a foot wrong. He even succeeded in extending his lead over second-placed Ogier by 12 seconds. After posting the fastest time on SS11 and SS13, he was visibly pleased with his day’s work at the end of ‘Sisteron-Thoard’. “I can’t complain,” he said. “It’s nice to have taken a bit more time out of Ogier, but it perhaps wasn’t really necessary…”

The Volkswagen driver lost those 12 seconds in one chunk, on ‘Sisteron-Thoard’, after he was reported to have spun and stalled at an uphill hairpin. “A good day, all okay,” he nevertheless commented briefly at the Stop Control in Thoard.

Ford’s Russian driver Evgeny Novikov continued to impress today and was second fastest on SS12 (‘St Nazaire’). The reward for his effort is a footing on this evening’s podium after easing past Citroën’s Dani Sordo in the afternoon. “It’s fine for us,” he smiled before beginning the long road section southeast to Monaco.

While Sordo dropped third to fourth, Volkswagen’s new recruit Jari-Matti Latvala has gained a place to appear in fifth position. “That was a good stage for us,” he reported after claiming the second fastest time on SS13, behind Loeb. “I am much more pleased with the car now,” he added, and he effectively seemed far happier than we have seen him since the start.

Another driver who has clearly grown in confidence since the start is Monte rookie Mads Ostberg (8^th, Ford), who even picked up his first stage win of the season on the demanding ‘St Nazaire’ test (SS12). “I’ve learned a great deal once again and it was interesting to see how the Michelin snow tyre performed on clear asphalt. It felt a lot better than I would have imagined and that was good for my confidence. This has definitely been my best day so far, and I’m now looking forward to reaching the beaches and the Riviera!”

The other top-10 runners who will join him on the 224km drive to the Principality are Hirvonen (Citroën, 6^th), Hanninen (Ford, 7^th), Bouffier (Citroën, 9^th), who lost time with an off on SS11 and a poor tyre choice for SS12, and Prokop (Ford, 10^th).

Le menu de vendredi ne comprenait que trois spéciales mais celles-ci totalisaient quand même une distance de 92 km contre le chronomètre et ces épreuves faisaient toutes parties des classiques du Monte Carlo où le sort de la course a fréquemment été scellé dans le passé.

Sans surprise, le nonuple champion du monde Sébastien Loeb n'a malgré tout pas fait le moindre faux pas dans sa quête d'une septième victoire au 'Monte' cette semaine. Il est même parvenu à accroître de 12 secondes son avance sur Ogier, classé deuxième. Après avoir signé le meilleur temps dans l'ES 11 et dans l'ES 13, il était manifestement content de sa journée de labeur à l'arrivée de ‘Sisteron-Thoard’. “Je ne peux pas me plaindre”, expliquait-il. “Avoir distancé Ogier encore un peu plus est une bonne chose, même si ce n'était peut-être pas vraiment indispensable…”

Le pilote de Volkswagen a perdu ces 12 secondes d'un seul coup, dans ‘Sisteron-Thoard’, où il aurait fait un tête-à-queue avec moteur calé à la clé dans une épingle à cheveux de la montée. “Une bonne journée, tout va bien”, commentait-il néanmoins laconiquement au contrôle d'arrivée de Thoard.

Evgeny Novikov, le pilote russe de Ford, a poursuivi sa prestation impressionnante aujourd'hui et a réalisé la deuxième meilleure performance dans l'ES 12 (‘St Nazaire’). En récompense de ses efforts, il a pris pied sur le podium de ce soir après n'avoir fait qu'une bouchée de Dani Sordo et de sa Citroën dans l'après-midi. “C'est bien pour nous”, disait-il en souriant avant de prendre la direction du sud-est pour entamer le long parcours de liaison qui conduit à Monaco.

Tandis que Sordo chutait de la troisième à la quatrième place, Jari-Matti Latvala, la nouvelle recrue de Volkswagen gagnait une position et était désormais pointé cinquième. “Cette spéciale s'est bien déroulée pour nous”, rapportait-il après avoir été crédité du deuxième temps dans l'ES 13, derrière Loeb. “Je suis beaucoup plus satisfait de la voiture maintenant”, ajoutait-il. Il arborait en effet une expression beaucoup plus réjouie que celle qui se lisait sur son visage depuis le départ.

Pour ses débuts au 'Monte', Mads Ostberg (Ford, 8^e) a lui aussi visiblement gagné en confiance depuis le départ. Il s'est même adjugé sa première victoire en spéciale de la saison dans le difficile tronçon chronométré de ‘St Nazaire’ (ES 12). “J'ai encore une fois appris pas mal de choses et il est intéressant de constater comment les pneus Michelin 'neige' fonctionnent sur un asphalte dégagé. Je me sentais bien plus à l'aise que je ne l'aurais imaginé et cela m'a mis en confiance. Cette journée a été la meilleure pour moi jusqu'à présent et je suis maintenant impatient de rejoindre les plages et la Riviera!”

Les autres pilotes classés dans les 10 premiers qui se joindront à lui pour effectuer le parcours de 224 km menant à la Principauté sont Hirvonen (Citroën, 6^e), Hänninen (Ford, 7^e), Bouffier (Citroën, 9^e), qui a perdu du temps à cause d'une sortie de route dans l'ES 11 et d'un choix de pneus peu judicieux dans l'ES 12, et Prokop (Ford, 10^e).

from best-of-rallylive

Lambretta LD125: Aren't we all just a little mod?

The Lambretta might have been Italian-born but it was the dream transport of any mod, worldwide. Especially popular among the besuited enemies of the rockers were the Li and TV models but the success of the brand is based on its predecessor, the legendary Lambretta LD.

The ‘L’ in LD stood for luxury, a reference to the full-sized leg shields and side panels and it was this series – launched in 1951 – that was really the start of the popular success story of the ‘cute’ two-wheeler. Originally equipped with a 125cc engine, it was replaced three years later by a more powerful 150cc unit, but even the air-cooled single-cylinder 125cc engine developed almost five horsepower. Not too bad in a scooter that weighed only 70kg or so.


But it was the more sophisticated design of the Lambretta LD that really made it a winner: thanks to the bodywork, mud and dirt from the road was no longer a problem. And, let’s face it, a mod is only a mod when sitting behind the handlebars of a Lambretta.

Related Links The pictured Lambretta LD will be offered by Bonhams in Paris on 7 February 2013; see theClassic Driver Marketplace for more details A selection of two-wheelers with interesting histories can also be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace

Text: Charis Whitcombe(Classic Driver)
Photos: Bonhams

Leon Camier and Jules Cluzel ready to start tour de force testing

This weekend at the Almeria circuit there won’t be only Tom Sykes and Loris Baz with their Kawasaki’s, but also present will be the Crescent FIXI Suzuki team with Leon Camier in his season with the British based team and World Superbike rookie, Jules Cluzel who was the 2012 World Supersport runner-up.

The Suzuki’s last test was at Aragon in October with Camier finishing third overall and team decided to skip the November test at Jerez with the rest of the SBK teams, so the two days at Almeria will be a proper shakedown test for the riders and their Suzuk GSX-R’s after the winter break before they head to Jerez next Tuesday for another test and before they ship up everything and head to Australia for two further tests ahead of the season opener at Phillip Island on February 24th.

Leon Camier said, “I’m really looking forward to the test and seeing the progress the guys have made in the winter. I know that they have refined the bike quite a bit and that is has more power than last year, so I’m really excited about riding it. We will also have the new 17inch wheels to test, so it will be good to see how the bike behaves with them. I’m sure, that with everything the crew has done back at the workshop, we will be a lot nearer where we want to be. I’ve managed to do lots of riding during the break, including some Enduro and push-bike trials, and I’m off to do a bit of dirt-track before I go to Almeria, so that should sharpen me up nicely for the two tests.”

Jules Cluzel was confirmed by the team and the end of October, after John Hopkins announced that he was taking sabbatical from racing to try to solve his hip issues, so Almeria will be the French rider’s first contact with the Suzuki Superbike.

“I’ve had over two months of waiting to ride the FIXI Crescent Suzuki GSX-R and am now really excited that the time is here to get out on track. I don’t really have an idea of what to expect from a 1000cc machine, how it will feel and handle and mostly how much quicker it will be, but I know I am really looking forward to whatever happens. I have done lots of training through the winter to get fitter and stronger and I had an operation to cure my arm-pump issues and that has been a success, so I feel really good and ready to go. I’ve ridden at Jerez before, but have never been to Almeria, so it’s a good place to start my experience on the bike, as I don’t know the track or the GSX-R, so I can take it steady to start with and get to learn both,” said Cluzel.

Team boss Paul Denning said, “The FIXI Crescent Suzuki team has been working relentlessly since the end of last season to produce a faster, sharper and more competitive GSX-R1000. These two tests in Spain will give us the opportunity to understand what we have achieved, but at the same time we need to manage our expectations and treat them as shakedown tests – the laps in Spain will provide Jules with his first kilometres on a Superbike and allow Leon time to get back up to speed after a long winter break. The atmosphere in the team is very positive and the attention to detail that the guys here – and our partners at Yoshimura and all our technical suppliers – have put into the bike has been extremely impressive. Without turning a wheel, we know that the technical platform of the 2013 FIXI Crescent Suzuki is much stronger and it will be nice to start working with it later this week.”

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti: Star of Detroit 2004

Nine years ago, at the 2004 North American International Auto Show, Ferrari revealed the striking 612 Scaglietti, a four-seater coupé with a 315km/h top speed...

The new car, with its Pininfarina-styled bodywork echoing the famous 1950s ‘Ingrid Bergman’ Ferrari 375 MM, was the first of a new generation of Ferraris with even more power (533bhp from its 5748cc V12) and robotised-manual, six-speed transmission, although a traditional manual was still an option.

It replaced the 456 GT and has only recently been superseded by the 4WD FF.

The big GT (it was 4902mm long) soon became the favoured vehicle for Ferrari owners with families. In common with the 599 GTB, which was launched at the 2006 Geneva Show, the 612 Scaglietti offered blistering acceleration above 250km/h. Performance-wise, the cars were dramatic improvements on even the already potent 575 Maranello.



Handling and braking on the 612 Scaglietti was on a par with the company’s two-seaters, too, with carbon composite material discs an option and – later – standard equipment. 

Inside, the hand-built nature of the car was such that no two are likely to be the same. Later in its life the 612 Sessanta (2007) was offered as an edition limited to just 60 pieces to celebrate six decades of Ferrari. The car came with 19in forged aluminium wheels, black chrome exhaust tips and a three-position electrochromatic glass roof.


Nowadays, a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti can be purchased for as little as £50,000 – 60,000 from an independent dealer, with official Ferrari agencies offering warrantied cars for a touch more. The car offers stellar performance that will eat a DB9 or Vanquish for breakfast, genuine practicality for four (with a small boot, though) and dramatic styling from Pininfarina.

Related Links The 612 Scaglietti seen in the pictures is currently being offered by Auto Salon Singen; to see the full advert, click here To browse the rest of Singen's inventory, click here. Both modern and classic Ferraris can be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace.

Text: Steve Wakefield (classicDriver)
Photos: Auto Salon Singen

MOTOR ROCK : W650 CUSTOM

The Kawasaki W650 was and still is, an unashamed Triumph rip-off. Evolving out of previous Triumph/BSA copies, the W650 has become a true master of disguise, appearing in many the custom build and frequently embarrassing the trained bike-spotter (Gee! That’s a nice Bonnevi…..wait a minute!)

This one however, from Japanese builders Motor Rock, simply wasn't satisfied with being a blue-collar Bonneville clone; it wanted something more. This plucky young Kawasaki decided to have a crack at being the mythical Vincent! Thankfully however, it hasn’t done a very good job of it and while its Vincent influences are clear, it’s actually been transformed into a stately, well-proportioned grand-tourer in the British and Italian style of the '50s and 60s. In the end, its a become a damn sight more original than a Triumph copy, copying a Vincent and we rather like it!
 

Now, my Japanese ain't what it used to be and info on the Motor Rock site is thin on the ground so the only details I can provide for the build are what I can see in the photos which isnt going to be particularly enlightening because I know bugger-all about the intricacies of the W650. Its safe to say though that the frame, particularly the rear has been completely transformed. The traditional dual shocks have been moved in under the seat a la Vincent, the rear guard has been mounted to the swingarm allowing a close fit between the it and the tyre. The seat has been modified to mimic a 1960s Italian item and the tank is from god-knows-what.The work is impeccable- have a look at the quality of welding on the swingarm below to see what I mean.

Photos: Motor Rock 

via wideopenmoto

Yamaha kicks off 2013 season with slick teaser video

The latest edition of Ducati’s Wroom at Madonna di Campiglio will be capturing a lot of headlines and space in the next few hours - and following days - with interviews, images and videos of the Ducati and Pramac teams, but Yamaha Factory Racing team has decided to do a little of their own 2013 pre-season campaigning of their own, and if we weren’t slightly jaded we’d wonder about their timing.

So following the ‘Welcome Home Vale! video with all of Valentino Rossi’s past successes with Yamaha before his two year unsuccessful stint with Ducati that they released earlier this month, they have now turned out this very slick video of reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo and his returning team mate with some teaser shots of the new 2013 YZR-M1.

via TWOWHEELSBLOG

Passion - Dakar XtreM Adventure powered by Michelin

The word ‘passion’ comes from the Latin passio which means ‘suffer’, ‘endure’. It is an ingredient you need in abundance if you want to reach the finish of the Dakar, probably the world’s most punishing rally. Passion is what is fuelling the surviving competitors, service crews and volunteer staff alike as we approach the end of the event’s second week.

That said, you occasionally feel that some people have more passion than others. Take Robert Van Pelt, for example. Aged just 19, the Dutch biker is contesting the Dakar for the very first time on a Honda which is entered in the so-called ‘Malle-Motos’ class, where no outside servicing is permitted. “My father has done the rally several times in the same class, but this year he is competing in a truck. I caught the virus for motorbikes and for this incredible event from him. Needless to say, I’m exhausted, but I’m also determined to make it to the finish,” promises Robert who is currently 43^rd overall.
The 10 Michelin tyre fitters who are following the Dakar are just as passionate about their mission. Nicolas, Ceric, Laurent, Philippe, Alexis and their colleagues have worked late into the night every day since the start. “Between us, we fit or remove more than 250 tyres each day. The figure even reached 600 during the ‘rest day’ at San Miguel de Tucuman,” remarked one of them between two gulps of water, while his colleagues were busy manhandling big truck tyres. “We tend to finish at around one or two o’clock in the morning. We’re very tired, but we will keep going all the way to the end…”
The 200 or so officials who make sure that the rally runs smoothly have passion to spare, too. Pascal used to take part on the event on two wheels but now he runs the bivouac ‘In’ and ‘Out’ time controls. Meanwhile, his colleagues who look after safety on the stages, or who man the passage controls and road section time controls spend hours every day waiting for the competitors in conditions ranging from dust and sandstorms to heavy rain and scorching sunshine.
“It can be a round-the-clock job some days,” notes Pascal. “This year, the last competitor to show up at San Miguel de Tucuman was the rider of the N°286 quad bike who arrived at 6am. We’re up and running in time for the departure of the first biker and, at the next overnight camp, we wait until the last competitor arrives. There are 10 of us in our team and we work as two or three groups. Once the last biker has left, one of the groups takes the plane to be ready for when the first competitors arrive at the next bivouac, and so on… We don’t get much sleep, but we should make it all the way to Santiago…”
One person who won’t take part in the finish festivities is Etienne Smulevici who was excluded from his 31^st Dakar in Arica after missing too many ‘Way Points’. Even so, he has promised to come back in 2014. That, too, is what we call passion!