Moto Guzzi Le Mans by Kaffeemaschine

Written by Ian Lee.

When a builder is passionate about the bike he is working on, you can see it in his work. Axel fromKaffeemaschine has almost reached a state of oneness with Moto Guzzi’s. This stunning build is one in a long line of Guzzi’s that were lucky enough to have received his touch. Given the name ‘Machine 14′, the bike has the stance and smooth lines of a classic cafe racer. When it comes to aesthetics, Axel usually chooses less is more. Built up from a stock Le Mans 3 donor bike, this is very much the machine you would find parked up outside the local Kaffeehaus – just after it clocked the Ton.

The build brief for the Guzzi was simple, with the Swiss client looking for a custom Guzzi with a decent riding position and the ability to carry a passenger. To fulfil the customer’s needs, a new seat was fashioned inhouse by Axel, along with the fuel tank, scalloped to allow for a better riding posture. A set of pillion pegs have been built in the same style as the rear sets, so the sporty aesthetic of the Italian machine isn’t taken away by the ability to take someone for a blast on it. While the bike was stripped down, Axel lightened the look of the machine by detabbing the frame, and running a new wiring loom.

Engine performance has increased as well, with the powerplant being blown out to 1000cc, with the fitment of a lightened clutch and sporty cam being added during the rebuild. The heads are twin spark units, being fed the power by an electronic ignition system. For something different, the exhaust setup features BMW silencers, mounted up using adaptors and the whole lot coated in matte black.

To help with handling, the suspension has been touched up as well. The front forks now feature FAC dampers, with Ikon shocks sitting at the rear. Although Axel was satisfied with the stock twin rotor setup, stainless brake lines have been fitted, running to modern brake cylinders. To add to the build, a set of new high shoulder rims have been spoked and mounted, wrapped in Bridgestone BT45 tyres.

With experience in modifying the Moto Guzzi marque, Kaffeemaschine has managed to produce another clean build. By going their own way and highlighting parts of the build by using their own Kaffeemaschine alloy products, this is definitely something you would want to be happy to go with.

Lappi, champion avant l’heure

Avant le départ de la dernière manche ERC 2014, Esapekka Lappi est d’ores et déjà assuré du titre de Champion d’Europe des Rallyes FIA puisque son seul challenger, Sepp Wiegand, ne participera pas au Tour de Corse après l’incendie de sa Skoda Fabia S2000 lundi en tests.

C’est mardi matin que nous avons été informés de la sortie de route du pilote Skoda Motorsport Sepp Wiegand lors des essais pré-Tour de Corse. De l’herbe s’est enflammée sous la Skoda Fabia S2000 au contact de l’échappement et la voiture a été très endommagée par un incendie.

L’équipe tchèque n’ayant pu acheminer une nouvelle voiture sur l’île méditerranéenne, Sepp Wiegand est donc forfait pour le Tour de Corse. Il était le seul challenger de Lappi au championnat Pilotes, à 34 points néanmoins du Finlandais, et compte 24 et 28 points d’avance sur Craig Breen et Kajetan Kajetanowicz pour le titre de vice-champion d’Europe.

A 23 ans, Esapekka Lappi remporte donc son premier titre européen dans des circonstances un peu particulières, qui ressemblent à celles qui ont accompagné Sébastien Ogier vers son premier titre mondial l’an passé (titré à l’issue de l’ES1 du Rallye de France).

Esapekka Lappi, qui a explosé sur la scène internationale lors du Rallye de Finlande 2012, et son copilote Janne Ferm ont remporté trois rallyes ERC cette saison : Rally Liepaja, Circuit of Ireland et Rallye du Valais. Il est le meilleur performer du championnat 2014 et n’a donc pas usurpé son titre.

Skoda Motorsport et Michelin dominent le rallye européen depuis quatre saisons. Après trois titres consécutifs en Intercontinental Rally Challenge (Hanninen 2010, Mikkelsen 2011 & 2012) et un en Championnat d’Europe « ancienne formule » (Hanninen, 2012), Jan Kopecky a remporté le titre européen « nouvelle version » l’an passé sur une Skoda Fabia S2000. Esapekka Lappi prolonge donc cette belle série en 2014.

L’année prochaine, Skoda Motorsport va lancer sa nouvelle Fabia R5.

HONDA AFRICA TWIN 2015 Prototype - first pictures

EICMA 2014, the Legend returns. In heritage of the Queen of Africa and the legendary Africa Twin, Honda shows up with the all new prototype to give rebirth to this legend.

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Brivio aborde le retour de Suzuki en MotoGP™ à Valence / Brivio previews Suzuki’s MotoGP™ return at Valencia

Suzuki participera à la dernière manche de la saison MotoGP™ 2014 en wildcard avec Randy de Puniet et prendra ensuite la piste avec ses pilotes officiels, Aleix Espargaró et Maverick Viñales, lundi pour le premier rendez-vous de la pré-saison 2015.

Après avoir travaillé sur différents circuits dont Sepang, Termas de Rio Hondo, le Circuit of the Americas, Phillip Island ou encore Barcelona-Catalunya, Suzuki va disputer sa première course avec la nouvelle GSX-RR ce week-end à Valence, en la confiant à son pilote d’essais Randy de Puniet.

« C’est un grand moment pour nous parce que ça fait longtemps que nous avons commencé les tests, » a commenté Davide Brivio, le team manager. « Nous attendons ça depuis un moment. C’est notre seule wildcard et c’est la dernière course de l’année mais je suis content d’aller à Valence et je pense que ce sera une bonne récompense pour Randy, pour tout le travail qu’il a fait dans ce projet. »

« C’est la fin de notre préparation et je suis excité. Notre nouvelle aventure commence maintenant. Je suis conscient du travail qu’il y a à faire et ce week-end nous allons prendre note de tout ce que nous aurons à voir durant l’hiver. Ce sera notre première vraie comparaison avec nos concurrents, on ne peut vraiment se jauger qu’en situation de course et c’est donc un rendez-vous important. »

Suzuki a remporté six titres de Pilote Champion du Monde et sept titres Constructeur en 24 ans, de 1976 à 2000, avec notamment Barry Sheene, Marco Lucchinelli, Franco Uncini, Kevin Schwantz et Kenny Roberts Jr.

Leur dernière victoire remonte à celle de Chris Vermeulen au Mans en 2007, à l’époque des 800cc. Il s’agit de l’unique victoire de Suzuki en MotoGP™ 4-temps. 

« Suzuki a une longue histoire en compétition et ce retour est excitant, » a ajouté Brivio. « Je sais que nos adversaires sont très forts et qu’ils ont continué à courir quand Suzuki s’était retiré de la compétition il y a maintenant presque trois saisons. Nous aurons donc du retard à rattraper pour réduire l’écart et beaucoup de choses à apprendre. L’objectif est de pouvoir nous battre avec nos adversaires dès que possible. »

Quant au Test Officiel auquel participeront Aleix Espargaró et Maverick Viñales la semaine prochaine, Brivio a annoncé que les deux Espagnols disposeraient de la même moto que celle que pilotera De Puniet ce week-end :

« La GSX-RR que nous utiliserons pour le test sera la même que pour la course. Randy cèdera sa moto et Maverick et Aleix auront la même. Nous commencerons ensuite notre travail hivernal pour préparer 2015 en nous basant sur les réactions de nos pilotes après leurs premiers tours. »

Suzuki’s return to Grand Prix racing becomes a reality this weekend as the Japanese manufacturer field their evolving GSX-RR at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana.

Randy de Puniet’s presence as a wild card, overseen by the experience and expertise of Davide Brivio, will mark the first time the factory is back on the grid since the 2011 Valencia Grand Prix.

Suzuki have been testing comprehensively in 2014 with sessions at Grand Prix venues such as Sepang, Termas de Rio Hondo, Circuit of the Americas, Phillip Island and Catalunya and have now chosen to rejoin the competitive action.

“This is a big moment for us because we have been testing for so long,” commented Brivio. “We have been waiting for this. It is only a wild card appearance and it is the last race of the year but I’m happy to be going to Valencia and I think it is a reward for Randy for the big job he has done on this project.”

“It is the end of our preparation and I’m excited,” continued the Italian, who has directed Suzuki’s MotoGP™ regeneration for over a year. “This is where the new adventure really starts. I’m aware we have a big job to do, and during the weekend we will take a lot of notes for the work we need to do through the winter. This is our first comparison with our competitors and you can only ever really see where you are through a race situation so it’s an important meeting.”

Suzuki celebrated its six Rider World Championship titles - and seven Constructor’s titles - in a 24-year spell from 1976 to 2000, with winners such as Barry Sheene, Marco Lucchinelli, Franco Uncini, Kevin Schwantz and Kenny Roberts Jnr in the saddle.

As they return to racing Suzuki will ultimately target a second victory in the MotoGP (four-stroke) era after Chris Vermeulen gave the marque a win in the 2007 French Grand Prix at Le Mans under the 800cc engine regulation. Suzuki’s last MotoGP podium appearance was at the 2008 U.S. Grand Prix courtesy of Loris Capirossi.

“Suzuki has a long racing history and it is exciting to be part of the comeback,” enthused Brivio. “I am aware that the competition are very strong and they have kept racing while Suzuki stepped away for almost three seasons, so we need to catch up and recover the gap and also learn as much as possible to get to their level. The target is to be in a position to challenge our competitors as soon as we can.”

Valencia is the last stop of 18 on the 2014 MotoGP trail but it is one in which Suzuki has enjoyed reasonably decent showings in previous visits. John Hopkins captured a podium finish with third place in 2007, Capirossi was ninth in 2008 and Alvaro Bautista also broke into the top 10 back in 2010.

Suzuki’s work will extend beyond practice, qualification and the race across Friday, Saturday and Sunday respectively as the primary 2015 test will take place on Monday where tyre warmers will come off for new recruits Maverick Viñales and Aleix Espargaro.

“The GSX-RR will be the same for the test as used in the race,” says Brivio. “Randy will hand over the bike and it will be the same spec for Maverick and Aleix. We will then start our winter work and our job for 2015 based on the comments and the feedback from those first laps with those riders.”

ERC, Tour de Corse : Conclure en Beauté…/ a stylish end to the season!

Le Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA 2014 se conclut ce week-end sur l’Ile de Beauté. Le Tour de Corse, dont le parcours a été profondément remanié, a peut-être attiré le plus beau plateau de la saison avec 17 voitures S2000 / R5 / RRC.

A l’issue du Rallye du Valais, il ne reste plus que deux pilotes en lice pour le titre européen 2014, et deux pilotes Skoda Motorsport. Avec 34 points d’avance sur Sepp Wiegand, le Finlandais Esapekka Lappi est en bonne position pour succéder à son équipier Jan Kopecky, lui-même champion Asie-Pacifique cette saison.

Peu de suspense donc pour le titre, mais la bagarre pour la victoire s’annonce tout bonnement somptueuse sur les routes corses. Après avoir remporté le Rallye de l’Acropole en mars dernier, la Peugeot Rally Academy aimerait remporter une autre épreuve mythique, le Tour de Corse. Deux Peugeot 208 T16/Michelin sont engagées pour Craig Breen et Kevin Abbring.

Trois champions de France sont attendus au départ sur des Ford Fiesta R5 et RRC : Julien Maurin, Stéphane Sarrazin et Bryan Bouffier, vainqueur de la dernière édition. Autre ancien vainqueur du Tour de Corse en 1993, François Delecour reprendra son duel de Porschistes avec Romain Dumas entamé au dernier Rallye de France-Alsace.

Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Fiesta R5), Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot 208), Jaromir Tarabus (Skoda S2000), Robert Consani (Peugeot 207), Jean-Mathieu Léandri (Peugeot 207) ou encore Eric Camilli (Peugeot 207) sont autant de candidats au podium. Le titre européen Junior se jouera également ce week-end entre Stéphane Lefebvre et Andrea Crugnola.

La 57^e édition du Tour de Corse, qui retrouve une date automnale, se déroulera au sud de l’île, entre Porto Vecchio et Ajaccio où se tiendra d’ailleurs la remise des prix officielle du Championnat d’Europe FIA 2014 au Palais des Congrès dimanche soir.

Mais avant cela, un parcours « corsé » attend les concurrents, avec des spéciales empruntées il y a quelques dizaines d’années autour de Porto-Vecchio et de Sartène le vendredi, puis des spéciales plus connues des pilotes actuels vers Ajaccio le samedi.

La plupart des spéciales mesurent plus de 25 kilomètres, commeSorbollano-Pont d’Accoravo(ES2/5, 26,10 km),Sartène-Orone(ES3/6, 26,66 km),Acqua Doria-Col de Bellevalle(ES7, 28,26 km) ouSarrola-Plage du Liamone(ES9/11, 26,68 km). Sur les petites routes tortueuses de l’Ile de Beauté, au revêtement parfois dégradé et recouvert de feuilles par endroits, elles s’annoncent donc longues et éprouvantes.

Début novembre, dans les montagnes corses, les conditions météo peuvent également compliquer la tâche des concurrents. Pour parer à toutes les conditions, les équipages Michelin disposeront de pneus Compétition-Client R11 (soft), R21 (medium) et R31 (hard).

Le Shakedown et la Qualifying Stage (2,64 km) se dérouleront jeudi matin avant la cérémonie de départ à Porto-Vecchio, à partir de 20h00. Le 57^e Giru di Corsica débutera vraiment vendredi matin avec l’ES1Palavèse-Barrage de l’Ospedale (14,93 km) à partir de 8h31. Arrivée samedi 8 novembre en fin d’après-midi à Ajaccio.

The 2014 FIA European Rally Championship draws to a close this week in Corsica. The event’s exciting new route has attracted 17 S2000, R5 and RRC cars – the best entry of the year.

With a single round remaining, only two drivers are still in contention for the 2014 European crown, namely Finn Esapekka Lappi and Germany’s Sepp Wiegand (+34 points). One of them is poised to follow in the footsteps of fellow Skoda Motorsport star Jan Kopecky, this year’s Asia-Pacific champion.

Despite the lack of suspense in the title fight, the battle for outright victory on the Corsican stages promises to be a real thriller.

After claiming March’s Acropolis Rally, the Peugeot Rally Academy will be hoping to add another classic to its 2014 record with one of its 208 T16/Michelin drivers, Craig Breen or Kevin Abbring.

The entry list also features three French champions in R5 or RRC Ford Fiestas – Julien Maurin, Stéphane Sarrazin and the 2013 Tour de Corse victor Bryan Bouffier.

Meanwhile, the 1993 Corsica winner François Delecour will resume the scrap he started with fellow Porsche fan Romain Dumas on the recent Rallye de France-Alsace (WRC).

Other likely front-runners are Kajetan Kajetanowicz (Fiesta R5), Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot 208), Jaromir Tarabus (Skoda S2000), Robert Consani (Peugeot 207), Jean-Mathieu Léandri (Peugeot 207) and Eric Camilli (Peugeot 207), while the visit to the Mediterranean island will decide whether the 2014 ERC Junior crown goes to Stéphane Lefebvre or Andrea Crugnola.

The 57^th Tour de Corse sees the event revert to an autumn date and action will take place in the southern mountains between Porto-Vecchio and Ajaccio.

Day 1’s programme features a number of stages around Porto-Vecchio and Sartène that were last used around 10 years ago. Competitors will then move on to more familiar territory nearer Ajaccio on Saturday.

Most of the tests are more than 25km in length, such as Sorbollano-Pont d’Accoravo (SS2/5, 26.10km), Sartène-Orone (SS3/6, 26.66km), Acqua Doria-Col de Bellevalle (SS7, 28.26km) and Sarrola-Plage du Liamone (SS9/11, 26.68km). And with a carpet of fallen leaves adding to the usual challenge, drivers face a tough couple of days to wrap up the season.

Also, the weather conditions in the Corsican highlands could well complicate life for competitors. To cover all the scenarios, Michelin’s partners will be able to choose from the French firm’s R11 (soft), R21 (medium) and R31 (hard) asphalt tyres.

Shakedown and the qualifying stage (2.64km) will take place on Thursday morning before a start ceremony in Porto-Vecchio the same day at 8pm. Competitive action will kick off at 8:31am on Friday morning with Palavèse-Barrage de l’Ospedale (14.93km).

After Saturday’s late-afternoon finish, Ajaccio will also host the official 2014 European Rally Championship prize giving ceremony on Sunday evening.

How Jaffa Cakes helped the last Vulcan bomber to fly again

At the 2014 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the sole remaining airworthy Avro Vulcan bomber took to the skies of Sussex, much to the spectators' delight. Amy Shore went to investigate the heartwarming tale of community spirit behind the bomber's extended lifespan...

The Avro Vulcan: designed in 1947, this sinister-looking 83,500lb war machine flew high enough on bombing raids to avoid being seen by either radars or (since it was camouflaged) by enemy aircraft below. Long past its expected lifespan, there is now only this one remaining airworthy example: XH558, which served with the RAF from 1960 to 1984 . But in 1997, Dr Robert Pleming started work on restoring XH558 to its former glory. On jet fuel, the Vulcan has a range of some 2,600 miles. Nowadays, however, it is only thanks to 100 boxes of Jaffa Cakes that it's able to fly at all, as Taff – the Vulcan’s lead engineer throughout its lengthy restoration – explains. 

A Jaffa Cake crisis

“During the restoration, we exclaimed to social networking followers that the restoration team had run out of Jaffa Cakes and were forced to resort to lonely cups of tea. Later that day, a Tesco van arrived at the hangar with 100 boxes of Jaffa Cakes for the team,” Taff recalls as he hands me my own cup of tea and, not surprisingly, a Jaffa Cake. 

XH558 had an astonishing 10,000 visitors last year, and this year's tours are proving just as popular. That's just how the man behind the restoration, Chief Executive Dr Robert Pleming, wanted it. The very modest Pleming took on the restoration project back in 1993 and admitted that he didn’t quite realise the extent of the £7 million effort at first. “The most challenging aspect of the restoration was the funding. When we first applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund, our application was turned down. Then in August 2006, we completely ran out of money and truly thought that this was the end of the restoration. The public saved the project and have donated the majority of the funding to restore XH558 and it wouldn’t be here without them – it’s the people’s aircraft”

Nothing lasts forever

Sadly, the end of the Vulcan’s life is imminent, with its remaining lifespan standing at just one more year, eight years after the restored plane's first test flight in October 2007. “The aspects critical to flight have a set lifespan of how much wear and tear they can handle and we are slowly creeping up to that limit. However, we are confident that it will last until the end of 2015.” The chief pilot of the XH558, Martin Withers, adds that they’re taking the ‘every little helps’ approach to extending its lifespan, making small changes everywhere they can. All technicians working on XH558 are ex-RAF.

When asked what would become of the Vulcan after its retirement, Pleming stated that there are very early plans for it to become a centrepiece at a new college he intends to open, aimed at 7-14-year-olds who want to get into engineering (with a particular focus on attracting more girls to the field).

“We worked out that if you take the total cost of the restoration and apply it to the estimated amount of smiles that it’s given the public, you’d find that it cost about £1 a smile, which we think is completely worth it!”

Photos: © Amy Shore for Classic Driver

Cortina GT "Rock Star"

Cortina GT "Rock Star" from Cool & Vintage on Vimeo.

MOTO GP ; Lorenzo et Rossi engagés dans un duel pour le titre de vice-Champion / Lorenzo and Rossi to do battle for runner-up spot at season finale

La dernière manche de la saison 2014 aura plusieurs enjeux importants pour les pilotes du team Movistar Yamaha MotoGP.

Séparés de seulement douze points, Valentino Rossi et Jorge Lorenzo se disputeront ce week-end le titre de vice-Champion du Monde MotoGP™ sur la piste du Circuit Ricardo Tormo de Valence. Les deux coéquipiers se battront pour un titre individuel mais joueront aussi le titre de Team Champion du Monde pour Movistar Yamaha MotoGP face à Repsol Honda.

Après une tournée outre-mer réussie, Rossi arrive en Espagne avec l’ambition d’ajouter un autre podium à sa saison 2014 et a déclaré : 

« Ce ne sera pas une course facile. Je suis deuxième au championnat et avoir douze points d’avance est positif mais l’écart n’est pas suffisamment important pour que je puisse me relâcher ce week-end. Jorge est dans une bonne période. Il a été très rapide sur la seconde partie de la saison et il voudra gagner en Espagne pour me prendre cette deuxième place. Nous devons nous concentrer pour viser la victoire. Mon team et moi-même allons faire de notre mieux, comme toujours. Valence ne figure pas parmi mes circuits préférés mais ce n’est pas un problème. Cette saison, nous avons été forts sur des circuits qui ne me réussissent pas. Les trois dernières courses se sont bien passées et je pense que nous pouvons faire une autre bonne course à Valence. Je suis confiant. »

Vainqueur haut la main à Valence l’an dernier, Lorenzo espèrera profiter du soutien du public local pour terminer sa saison 2014 au sommet du podium. Le Majorquin s’est imposé à Valence en 2010 et 2013 et avait pris la troisième place en 2009.

« Nous arrivons à la dernière course du championnat et c’est toujours excitant de rentrer en Espagne pour terminer la saison, » a commenté Lorenzo. « Nous avons déjà assuré la troisième place au championnat à Sepang et j’espère me battre pour la victoire à Valence. Je pense que c’est une meilleure piste pour la M1 que celle de Sepang. J’avais gagné là-bas l’an dernier et j’espère que nous pourrons tenter d’en faire autant cette année. »

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP returns to Spain to wrap up the 2014 MotoGP™ season this weekend at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana.

With just 12 points separating Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo in their battle for second in the championship, the Ricardo Tormo Circuit sets the scene for an intense battle on Sunday. However, the teammates will not only be gunning for personal glory, as the Team’s Title is still up for grabs for Movistar Yamaha MotoGP.

After three successful weekends overseas Rossi arrives in Spain with the intention to defend his second place in the championship by claiming another podium finish. The highly experienced nine-time World Champion has taken two premier class wins at Valencia in 2003 and 2004 and claimed multiple other podiums there, with a second place in 2002 and 2009 and third places in 2005, 2008 and 2010.

Rossi commented, “It won’t be an easy race. I’m second in the championship and being 12 points ahead is good, but this gap is not sufficient enough to play a passive role this weekend. Jorge is in a good moment. During the second part of the season Jorge was very fast and he wants to win in Spain and try to take the second place from me. We must focus on finishing the season with a victory just like we aim to do at all races. My team and I will do our best, as usual. Valencia isn’t one of my favorite tracks, but that doesn’t bother me. In this season we were strong also in the tracks that aren’t favorable to me. The three races in a row went well, I won another race, and for this reason I think that we can do a good race in Valencia. I am confident.”

Having won a phenomenal race at the Valencia track last year, Rossi’s teammate Lorenzo arrives in his home country with confidence. He looks forward to the support of the passionate Spanish crowd as he aims to finish the season with another thrilling battle for victory. So far Lorenzo has claimed two premier class victories at this circuit in 2010 and 2013 and a third place podium position in 2009.

The Spanish rider stated, “Finally we face the last race of the championship and it’s always exciting to come back to Spain to close the season. We have already saved third position in the championship after the race in Sepang and I hope to fight for the win again in Valencia. I think this is a better track for our Yamaha M1 than Sepang. I won here last year and hopefully we get to try this again this year.”

CLUTCH CUSTOMS’ SUBLIME KAWASAKI KZ650

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Kawasaki KZ650s don’t come across our desks too often. So we were intrigued to see this one from Monsieur Willie Knoll at Paris’ Clutch Custom Motorcycles.

Willie has an obsession with lines and details, and a knack for nipping and tucking a bike until everything sits just right. Equally impressive is his eye for finishes—Clutch bikes are delightfully grungy, but never looked slapped together.

It’s a style that the Kawasaki KZ650 wears well. For starters, Clutch have massaged its stance into place, by fitting an 18” wheel from a US-spec KZ1300 up front. They’ve also lowered the suspension eight centimeters at the front and four at the rear. The tires are Dunlop K180 in matching sizes: 18/5.00.

Hooked up to the new front wheel are forks and brakes from a Triumph Speed Triple, connected via a custom-machined triple tree setup and front axle. Out back is a pair of shocks from Hagon—built specifically to match the swingarm, which Clutch shortened.

As for the bodywork, the stock fuel tank is retained, but Willie’s redesigned the front and tunnelled it for a better fit. He’s edited the frame too—with a slight kick in the rear supporting a new hand-made seat.

Other hand-made items include the fenders, gas cap, battery box and foot pegs—for both rider and passenger. More discreet lighting components have been fitted too.

Clutch treated the 1981-spec engine to a full rebuild, installing a set of K&N air filters and a pair of Spark mufflers. They also rewired the bike using Motogadget components, including a new speedo and switches. Along with a set of clip-ons and Brooks leather-wrapped grips, it makes for a super-neat cockpit.

In typical Clutch fashion, the finishes are a subdued mix of raw and glossy textures and colors. The result is sublime: a Kawasaki KZ650 that looks perfectly at home in the style capital of the world.

Clutch Custom Motorcycles | Facebook | See our archive of previous Clutch builds.

via BIKEexif

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WRC ; Sordo reste chez Hyundai / Sordo to stay at Hyundai

L’Espagnol Dani Sordo reste dans l’équipe Hyundai Motorsport en 2015 et 2016 où il aura pour équipier Thierry Neuville. Il disputera au moins dix rallyes la saison prochaine avant de mener une campagne complète en 2016.

Après Volkswagen Motorsport qui a reconduit ses trois pilotes – Ogier, Latvala, Mikkelsen - pour la saison prochaine à l’occasion du dernier RallyRACC, Hyundai Motorsport a annoncé aujourd’hui ses deux pilotes pour 2015 et 2016.

Comme Thierry Neuville, l’Espagnol Dani Sordo va poursuivre l’aventure avec le constructeur sud-coréen. A 31 ans, Dani a disputé 116 rallyes WRC, signé 37 podiums et remporté sa seule et unique victoire en 2013 au Rallye d’Allemagne. Champion du monde Junior en 2005, il a ensuite été pilote officiel Citroën, Mini, Ford et Hyundai cette saison, pour le retour de la marque en WRC.

Dani a disputé six rallyes au volant de la Hyundai i20 WRC/Michelin. Il était 3^e du Rallye Monte-Carlo avant son abandon. Il a offert le premier temps scratch à cette nouvelle voiture au Rallye du Portugal où il avait pris la tête à l’issue de l’ES3. Dani a terminé deuxième et assuré un doublé historique pour Hyundai au Rallye d’Allemagne.

« Dani a fait preuve d’une grande régularité cette saison sur différents types de terrain », a résumé le boss Michel Nandan. « Nous sommes heureux de poursuivre notre collaboration avec lui en 2015 et 2016. L’an prochain, il participera à au moins dix rallyes au côté de Thierry, avant une saison complète en 2016. »

Hyundai Motorsport n’a pour l’heure pas communiqué sur l’engagement d’une troisième voiture en 2015. Rappelons que l’équipe coréenne va homologuer une nouvelle i20 WRC la saison prochaine.

 

 

Spaniard Dani Sordo will remain with Hyundai Motorsport until the end of 2016 alongside Thierry Neuville. He will contest at least 10 rallies in 2015 ahead of a full campaign the following year.

Following Volkswagen Motorsport’s recent confirmation that it will keep Ogier, Latvala and Mikkelsen for 2015, Hyundai Motorsport has announced its two drivers for 2015 and 2016...

Like Neuville, Sordo is to stay with the South Korean carmaker.

The 31-year old has taken part in 116 WRC events and finished 37 times on the podium. He secured his only win date in Germany in 2013.

After claiming the 2005 Junior world title, he became a factory driver for Citroën, Mini and Ford before being recruited by Hyundai for its WRC comeback season this year.

Dani has taken part in six events in the Hyundai i20 WRC/Michelin and was running third overall on the Rallye Monte-Carlo before retiring. He earned the new car’s first stage victory in Portugal where he emerged in front after SS3. He later came second on the Rallye Deutschland to contribute to the make’s resounding one-two triumph in Germany in August.

“Dani has demonstrated impressive consistency this season on different types of terrain,” says team boss Michel Nandan. “We are pleased to continue our collaboration with him into 2015 and 2016. Next season, he will take part in at least 10 WRC events, alongside Thierry, before a full season in 2016.”

Hyundai Motorsport still hasn’t committed to a third car for 2015 when it is expected to homologate a new i20 WRC.

‘86 Benelli 654 Sport – Inglourious Basterds Cycles

You have to admit, the global custom motorcycle scene at the moment is anything but boring. While the current generation waxes lyrical about their new-school café racers and brats, the old school revel in their baggers, billet and bobbers. Each to their own, we say. But what if your own isn’t one or the other? Well, here’s a perfect case in point; Bologna’s Inglourious Basterds Cycles. Equally comfortable with classic Americana builds as they are with old-school bobbers and retro racers, they’ve just taken their second AMD trophy in as many years with a bike that couldn’t be more different from their previous builds. Introducing “Madiba.”

The boy’s Benelli 654 Sport is a build channeling a rather cool late 7os-style café racer vibe with some neat aesthetic and technical additions that make it a whole bunch of unique. “The idea of placing the air intakes inside the gas tank was really as an homage to the tradition of the in-line four and it’s unique ‘rack’ carb set-up,” says head basterd, Vincenzo Ciancio. “We wanted to take the bike’s defining technical feature and make it an amazing visual feature as well.”

Other notable modifications to the bike include the rear suspension and the cleverly recessed exhaust pipes. “The rear was designed with a shock absorber working in an extension rather than a compression mode. It allows the owner to vary the geometry of the tail modifying the trim on the vertical axis as well as the stiffness/softness of the spring.” Vinny also notes that the hand-tailored stainless steel mufflers rotate the spent dino gasses upwards and past the carb intakes via a 2 mm reduction in the pipe’s diameter to improve the power low in the rev range. The muffler stage takes the exhaust pipes from four to two and on into a twin-hole escape port neatly built into the bike’s tail.

“Considering that ‘Madiba’ was conceived to be a sports bike, we decided to make some of its newer parts out of magnesium and aluminium in an attempt to make the bike lighter and easy to ride. And if you look closely, you can also see our new ‘stardust’ metal finishing effect. It’s a brand new technique that adds a beautiful, shimmering on the bike’s rims and engine parts.”

As the café racer concept is a sport, DIY and urban genre all rolled into one, Vincenzo was careful to balance the elegant, aggressive and sporty aspects of the build. But when it came to the trait that gave the bike its name, the ever-powerful biker idea of freedom was the clear winner. “The name ‘Madiba’ was given to the machine in honor of Nelson Mandela. We finished the build during the same night that the great man departed.”

Vincenzo, along with his friend and workshop assistant Massimo, started the Inglourious Basterds Cycles project in early 2013. Immediately after they created “Calliope,” an Indian Chief which pulled in the gold at the 2013 Italian Nation Championships. Their second creation was “Bastarda senza Gloria” (or Bastards without Glory – the name of the aforementioned Tarantino film in Italy), 1st place winner at the 2013 AMD show. “And our latest is what you see here; a Benelli 654 Sport.”

“In our company we manufacture and sell bikes, custom pieces and special accessories that are all handmade. Our motorcycles are conceived to be ridden and enjoyed, not just to be flaunted in showrooms. We are always excited to build new custom bikes for our customers. Interpreting their desires and needs, we hope to create machines that are perfectly suited to their owners. Our philosophy is to create one-of-a-kind motorcycles and our usual approach is to be as different as possible from all the other builders.”

And in case you were wondering, it just so happens that Madiba is currently up for sale. Get in touch if you have a cool €27,000 burning a hole in your pocket. Trust us, your pants will thank you.

Vincenzo (R) and his second in charge, Massimo (L)

[Photos by Antonio Cellini]

via PIPEBURN

DIRTY GEISHA: MARIA MOTORCYCLES XT600

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Turning old dualies into retro customs is all the rage lately. We’re not complaining—done right, the results are sharp looking, easy-going bikes.

The process comes with challenges: Most thumpers built in the ’80s and ’90s celebrated function over form. They’re delightfully utilitarian, but that means builders have to contend with clumsy bodywork and awkward lines.

That’s why Maria Motorcycles almost didn’t take on this particular project, a 1992 Yamaha XT600. “It’s one of the most common bikes here in Portugal,” says Maria’s Luis Correia, “but definitely a very difficult base to work on.”

Correia and his crew decided to fuse the vibe of old, small-capacity city bikes with the go-anywhere attitude of a dual-sport. Their first hurdle was the XT600’s asymmetrical, oil-carrying frame. Working around it, they managed to fabricate a new subframe and reroute the exhaust headers—adding a Spark muffler in the process.

After much effort, they also managed to fit an old Honda CB360 fuel tank. Right behind it is a hand-made seat, wrapped in leather. The electrics and a Lithium-ion battery are tucked away in a custom-made aluminum box underneath.

The motor’s been stripped, rebuilt and repainted entirely in black. Maria also lowered the forks and installed a Hagon spring kit, and re-laced both wheels. The front has dropped in size from 21” to 18”—giving the XT a little more visual balance.

A tidier headlight, taillight and speedo, and a set of vintage enduro-style handlebars round off the package. The tires are Heidenau K60s—a popular choice among dual-sport riders.

Most of the XT600’s finishes are dark and subtle, but Maria couldn’t resist adding a splash of color. “Most people see it as a dirty and aggressive bike,” says Luis, “but the lollipop color of the tank suggests the lovely curves of bikes like Vespas.”

“That’s why we’ve named it the ‘Dirty Geisha': a beautiful and elegant girl crossed with a rough, all-terrain truck!”

As for the dash of orange on the headlight: that was added just for kicks.

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via BIKEexif