SHOP VISIT: SEE SEE MOTOR COFFEE CO.

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Thor Drake owns Portland’s finest custom motorcycle store. He is also improbably tall, and his name is pronounced ‘Tor’ with no ‘h’. You could say he’s the living embodiment of the city’s unofficial slogan: “Keep Portland Weird.”

If the name sounds familiar, that’s probably because Thor runs The One Motorcycle Showand organizes the 21 Helmets exhibition, both regular fixtures on the US custom calendar.

But most days you’ll find Thor at his See See Motor Coffee Co. establishment, which is the kind of business we’d all like to run. It’s essentially a motorcycle café that also sells cool gear, books and magazines—and has a couple of workshops tucked away at the back.

When did you start See See? We’ve been in action for seven years. I started it with Drake McElroy and a loose idea: that a dirt bike would be a good platform for a café-styled bike.

We grew up playing in the dirt, and wanted something fresh and new to work on. So Drake built a YZF450 and I built an XR400. We built bikes that looked good and performed well, with some classic design cues.

Where did that logo come from? I had a strange dream about the logo, and built a name and brand around it. The logo was a hat tip to the fact that motorcycles make me very happy. A lot of stuff at the time was all about skulls and being ultra tough: we just wanted to make something different.

We came up with the See See name to be less motorcycle-centric, but it also refers to the style of bikes we like: metric or “cc” bikes. The “See See” also comes from the eyes on the logo.

When did you open the store? On 10 June, 2010. It was a small shop on the industrial north side of Portland. We were one of the first Poler Stuff and Biltwell dealers.

How did you pick your location? Our location found us—we don’t have deep pockets, and that was a huge factor. We’ve now moved to central Portland, on one of the main roads. But we’re pretty isolated as far as businesses go, there’s not much around us.

My partner George Kassapakis assured me it would be a good spot, but I didn’t see it at first. But after we gutted the building I saw huge potential. It was four months of 12-hour days just getting the coffee side open.

What’s it like inside? When you walk in the door you will notice 130-year-old barn wood. The front of the coffee bar is sheet metal I used in my last workshop as flooring. The whole back wall is stuff I pulled down during the renovation. The uprights on the bar are old frames, and I even used my old coin collection for covering ugly hardware.

George and I built the whole place, and I’m damn proud of that.

What do you sell? Premium Stumptown coffee, breakfast pastries by Roman Candle Bakery, sandwiches made in-house, and other tasty treats. We have hot dogs for lunch, and they are damn good. Some say the best. We have a couple of craft beers, wine and domestic lagers too (like Rainier Beer).

We also sell motorcycle parts, helmets, jackets, safety gear and lifestyle clothing. It’s a curated mix of big and small brands—such as Icon, Bell, Biltwell, Brixton and Danner. PlusChrome bags, Electric Sunglasses, and stuff from Loser Machine and Busch Bros. And even Deus ex Machina.

We have an expanding in-house line of See See gear too, and make a few parts of our own—like mini switches.

What are the workshops like? One side is a tiny machine bay, and the other is for tuning and assembly. We don’t mess around with any maintenance, with the exception of our own bikes. We do about four customer bikes a year.

We always try to build motorcycles that are fun and different. We just did a custom Rokonfor Danner Boots—I was real excited to do that one. Somehow we’ve got labelled as café-style builders, but we have only done a few. And even those are pretty different from the standard café style.

You sound busy. It’s a careful balance. You need to make it worth your time, but you don’t want it to be too much like work. You see a lot of builders get burnt out by trying to make motorcycle building their main business. It can turn from a hobby to a poorly paying job pretty quick. Someday I want to be old and still excited to build motorcycles.

I don’t get to spend as much time as I would like in the shop itself. I think about it all day long, but business work (i.e., emailing) takes up most of my time.

Has See See lived up to your expectations? We are still open. I think that deserves a high five! But it’s been mountains of work.

Running a small business in the USA can be tricky. It requires a ton of balance between work and pleasure, and most of the time the lines are blurry. I would say 70 percent of the time I’m doing work that’s just like any industry, across the board. If you want to own something nice, you have to clean it and take care of it—and that’s not glamorous work.

But I wanted to add to the motorcycle scene, something I enjoyed. Growing up as a skate rat in skateboard shops, you learn to foster your community. I’ve always wanted to be inclusive and open, showing people like myself a little knowledge and acceptance.

But, as you know, the motorcycle world is pretty quick to judge, classify and discriminate. I never understood this.

What kind of people visit See See? This is the best thing—we have no specific type of customer. If I had to categorize them at all, I would say they are all nice people.

We get a lot of young families, older enthusiasts, and lots travellers who stop in on their trips. On the motorcycle side we get it all as well. We love all types of motorcycles, so we cater to all types of bikes.

What’s it like being based in the hipster capital of the world? Well, if you like motorcycles, good food and the wilderness, and you don’t have millions of dollars, Portland is a pretty damn good place to live.

I lived here before the word “hipster” was the common name for young people. The word is too broad for my taste—I don’t even know what it means. Maybe it’s someone born between 1975 and 1987? Or is it a haircut? I have heard a lot of talk about skinny jeans, but punks wear the same style. So do cowboys for that matter.

What bikes do you ride yourself? Oh boy! Dirt: ’14 KTM 500 XC-W, ’75 Husky CR250 and a ’86 Honda CR250. Flat track: ’78 Trackmaster Yamaha TT500, and a ’74 Framer Yamaha MX250. Street: ’74 Cone shovel FLH Harley Davidson, ’10 Triumph Scrambler 900, ’79 SR500 (owned since I was 17 years old), and a ’99 Ducati Monster 750.

We’ll come and visit. When are you open? We’re open seven days a week. Sometimes we have night events. I love having night events.

See See Motor Coffee Co., 1642 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland | Facebook | Instagram

Photos by Michael Antonovich.

via BIKEexif

PETER’S GPZ750

Peter rode Sportsbikes, Peter had one too many close calls, Peter stopped riding sports bikes. A change of approach was required and one beery night trawling through ebay the solution presented itself. Dutch’s big Zed Thou was a machine that had many admirers (indeed the first time I met him was after I had chased it up the Camden Road) but it was Peter that secured the big beautiful beast.

“That summer riding the ’78 z1000 brought back everything that made me first fall in love with bikes as a teenager. The noise, the smell, the wayward handling – all those things which can be so clinical on modern sportsbikes. There was one itch however which had not been scratched. I had not built the Big Zed, and I really wished that I had.”

“Built not bought” is a phrase that encapsulates the shed dwellers dreams. The sense of pride as you ride in the knowledge that the nuts, bolts and heavy metal singing away beneath you were combined by your own hands is reason enough for the hours spent skinning knuckles. For Peter it was a feeling he craved that the big Zed just could not sate and so he set about planning his own build.

“It all started with the tank. Someone on the Z1OC forum had it in the classifieds. I’d always loved the shape of those ‘70’s Kawasaki tanks and this one was from a z900 LTD. I just had to find something that I could put it on.”

Keen to look beyond the usual pool of donors that are starting to command silly money Peter decided to seek out an old flame, the Kawasaki GPz750,

“I once pushed a GPz unitrack 3 miles along a dark motorway in the rain. Despite this I kept a soft spot for these mid-‘80s Kwaks because I had one as my first ‘big’ bike. It was great until the bottom end gave up resulting in that damp trek.”

After investigating the measurements of the top fame rails Peter was convinced his prized tank would sit well in this new home, so he again took to ebay, hoping for the same luck that found him Dutch’s Zed.

“I bought a tidy looking, but non-running ’85 GPz750 unseen. The seller assured me that it had been fine the previous year, but upon awaking from it’s winter slumber it had refused to run right and the brakes were seized. It was the kind of price that I didn’t have to think twice about. On the way home with it on a borrowed trailer I went right past another eBay GPz750 that hadn’t sold, so I stopped off, offered beer-money and came home with the pair.”

“A strip and clean of the carbs brought the non-runner back to life so I rebuilt the brakes and put an angle grinder on my birthday list.”

With the birthday request met, Peter set to work de-tabbing and tidying the rear frame. To install the classic rear frame loop he sought the assistance of a local engineering workshop who also assisted with the welding of new tank mounts.

“The tank itself went on with some minor modifications (repeated blows to the underside with a heavy mallet).”

Peter was very conscious that he did not want to build a clone of the Zed he already owned, the best way to achieve this was of course to use his own hand made parts. He used sheet aluminium and wood to form the seat base before carving foam of various densities into the desired shape. He had the seat cover stitched up by a professional. The minimalist mudguards were fabricated from generic aluminium units and were dispatched to the powder coater, along with the frame and swing arm, for a layer of satin black goodness.

“I fabricated a new battery tray by folding aluminium sheet and set about modifying the old wiring loom to suit the new layout. Spending time in the bike shed is the perfect antidote to my desk-bound job in I.T., but working with decrepit wiring must stretch anybody’s idea of fun and this was definitely the low point. It was eventually finished however… and done properly because this is one area that I do have some experience with.”

The stance of the bike was improved by cutting the front forks down about an inch and fitting a second hand pair of CBR600 clip-ons that set Pete back a measly tenner. The top yoke is drilled and fitted with LED warning lights, a small speedometer rounds off the tidy cockpit. The chunky oversized tyres are Pirelli Scorpions.

“Then, just as suddenly as it started, it was finished and I was taking it up the road on a shakedown run. That itch had finally been scratched.”

Peter completed the GPz within a tight budget creating a fabulous machine which he can proudly declare as “built not bought”. Aside from the few hundred hours of his own time, the bike set him back no more than £1000 including the cost of the donor. And what of that second GPz? Well it is still in the shed and Pete has some ideas for it….

via The Bike Shed

Royal Enfield 350 ‘Nevermore’

Written by Ian Lee.

On the streets of India the cycle of choice tends to be the Royal Enfield. Reliable, easy to work on, spares aplenty, there is little that is not appealing about the retro motorcycle marque. Except if you want to stand out that is. Rolling out of India’s top new custom workshop, this bike is an idea executed with the mindset of a truly different bike being created. Scratch built around a late model Royal Enfield engine, Mean Green Customs have shown what it takes to stand out from the crowd, with their stealth bike concept. In a sea of Royal Enfield bobbers, this hard tail is something else, the mechanical engineer who created this masterpiece yearning to build something unique – and a chance to put his home made frame jig to use.

On deciding to undertake a build, Aditya Green decided he needed to create something different to the current trend of bobbing Royal Enfield bikes. Being a mechanical engineer by trade, the Indian builder has the skills to scratch build a lot of components, allowing him to produce a bike in a style that is all his own. Starting off with the mainstream Royal Enfield engine, Aditya decided the standard OHC powerplant would suffice for motivating the machine. Slight performance mods are found the fitment of K &N pod filters on the air intake, and a custom block hugging exhaust system.

With the desire for a stealthy look to the machine, the frame was built with ‘low and sleek’ in mind. With the custom frame draped so low over the engine, the 18 inch high wall tires utilised on the build hardly increase the height of the bike. The triple trees and fork setup has been made in house at Mean Green Customs, with the speedo housing as part of the top plate. Incorporated into the top plate as well are all the necessary warning LED units. Built into the front levers are LED units, to be used as front end indicators.

Continuing the sleek lines of this sweet ride, the tank and fairings have been fashioned from bare steel, with the rear fairing taking a few attempts to get to the finish Aditya wanted in the build. This was mainly to follow the lines of the tank and seat, plus incorporate the two shocks mounted under the seat. Incorporated into the seat pan are the brake lights, covered in mesh to hide them when not in use.

To keep the bike looking tidy, a cylinder was fashioned up and mounted on the frame. The cylinder contains all necessary electrics and the ignition switch for the bike, ensuring there is no messy harness showing on this rolling work of art. To keep the battery hidden away, a stainless casing was fashioned up and mounted.

With two very different ideas working against each other – that of stealth versus standing out – Aditya of Mean Green Customs has managed to create something which is the best of both worlds. Utilising his engineering skills, he has shown what is possible with the right tools and mindset on a build. We’re pretty sure this bike will stand out on the streets of India – or any street in the world for that matter.

via PIPEBURN

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Enduro ISDE ; victoire des Bleus en Argentine

C'est fait ! L'équipe de France Trophée est à nouveau championne du monde par équipe. 3e victoire consécutive et la 6e depuis 2008 . Les Juniors français sont médaillés d'argent.

L’Equipe de France d’Enduro s’est imposée une nouvelle fois aux championnats du Monde d’Enduro par Equipes (ISDE) qui se sont déroulés du 3 au 8 novembre à San Juan, en Argentine. C’est lahuitième victoire de la France dans cette compétition qui fêtait cette année son 89e anniversaire. Les tricolores restent ainsi invaincus depuis 2008 (hormis en 2011 en Finlande où l’Equipe Trophée n’était pas engagée.
La France signe donc son sixième succès de rang et confirme l’exceptionnel niveau des pilotes Français, par ailleurs sacrés champions du Monde individuels à deux reprises avec Christophe Nambotin (KTM, E1) et Pierre-Alexandre Renet (Husqvarna, E2) cette saison.

Dans cette longue et difficile compétition que sont les ISDE, cette année disputée dans la chaleur argentine, l’Equipe de France a fait preuve de brio et de solidarité pour aller triompher des Américains, Espagnols, Allemands et Australiens leurs plus sérieux rivaux.
Emmenée par un Pierre-Alexandre Renet au sommet de sa forme, vainqueur par ailleurs du classement individuel, l’Equipe de France a imposé un gros rythme à la course pendant les premières journées, avant de gérer l’avantage acquis sans prendre de risques inutiles dans les difficiles spéciales sablonneuses et poussiéreuses des dernières journées.
Champion du Monde E2, Pierre-Alexandre Renet réalise une semaine parfaite en remportant le classement scratch.

Composée de Pierre-Alexandre Renet, Christophe Nambotin, Marc Bourgeois (Yamaha, E1), Jeremy Tarroux (Sherco, E1), Anthony Boissière (Sherco, E2) et Fabien Planet (Sherco, E3), l’Equipe Trophée s’impose avec plus de 9 minutes d’avance sur les Etats Unis et conserve donc le Trophée acquis l’an passé en Sardaigne.
L’Equipe de France Juniors prend de son côté la seconde place de sa catégorie, derrière les USA. Composée aux trois quarts de jeunes espoirs de l’Enduro Français, l’Equipe s’est battue toute la semaine pour conserver la coupe acquise l’an passé, mais s’incline finalement de peu face aux Américains. Derrière leur capitaine Loïc Larrieu (Husqvarna, E2) victorieux l’an passé, Jeremy Carpentier (Honda, E2), Theo Bazerque (Sherco, E2) et Anthony Geslin (Yamaha, E1) ont fait de brillants débuts dans cette compétition si spécifique et font partie du vivier d’espoirs qui permettront à la France de rester pendant de nombreuses années l’un des grandes nations de l’Enduro.

D’après le communiqué de la FFM, Photo P.Haudiquert/FFM

Classements finaux
Trophée
1. France, 19h33’21’’56
2. USA, 19h43’07’’78 (+9’46’’22)
3. Espagne, 20h28’47’’28 (+55’25’’72)
4. Allemagne, 20h38’56’’28 (+1h05’34’’72)
5. Argentine, 28h14’19’’62 (+8h40’58’’06)
Junior
1. USA, 12h03’43’’65
2. France, 12h05’25’’72 (+1’42’’07)
3. Australie, 12h09’21’’57 (+5’37’’92)
4. Allemagne, 12h48’40’’49 (+44’56’’84)
5. Argentine, 12h58’17’’93 (+54’34’’28)

Classement final Trophée WT
Classement final Junior JT
Classement final féminin WoT

Moto3 ; Álex Márquez – un nouveau Champion du Monde dans la famille Márquez / Alex Marquez – a new World Champion in the family

Troisième à Valence, Álex Márquez s'est proclamé Champion du Monde Moto3™ à la fin de sa troisième saison en Grand Prix.

Álex Márquez est arrivé dans le Championnat du Monde en 2012, après avoir fait ses armes avec le team 125cc de Monlau Competition dans le CEV. En 2010, il court déjà sous la direction d'un certain Emilio Alzamora, qui mène cette année-là son frère Marc Márquez vers le titre de Champion du Monde 125cc.

Il manque la première manche du Championnat d'Espagne en 2010 parce qu'il n'a pas encore atteint l'âge règlementaire, fixé à 14 ans, mais fait ses débuts lors de la deuxième épreuve et prend la onzième place, la position qu'il occupera dans le classement général à la fin de l'année.

Il progresse très vite en 2011 et obtient le titre de vice-Champion d'Espagne avant de s'emparer du titre du CEV Moto3 en 2012. Parallèlement, il participe à une dizaine de Grands Prix et rentre dans les points dès le premier, à Jerez, avant de finir sixième à Barcelona-Catalunya lors de sa troisième course.

En 2013, il s'attaque à sa première saison complète en Championnat du Monde, sur une KTM du team Estrella Galicia 0,0 et sous la direction d'Alzamora. Le plus jeune des frères Márquez monte sur le podium à Indianapolis et obtient trois troisièmes places consécutives à Silverstone, Misano et Aragón, avant de décrocher une première victoire au Motegi, au Japon, et de prendre le titre de Rookie of the Year.

Parmi les favoris au titre avant même le début de la saison 2014, Márquez doit relever un véritable défi puisqu'il est opposé à son coéquipier Álex Rins, le vice-Champion, mais aussi l'Australien Jack Miller et l'Italien Romano Fenati. Il doit en plus s'adapter à une nouvelle machine, ayant quitté KTM pour passer sur Honda.

Sur le podium dès la première course de la saison, au Qatar, Márquez doit attendre la fin du mois de septembre pour enfin passer en tête du classement général devant Miller. Arrivé à Valence avec onze points d’avance sur l’Australien, Márquez décroche le titre grâce à une troisième place et un total de dix podiums dont trois victoires.

Vainqueur du Championnat du Monde Moto3™ à peine une mois après le second sacre de son frère aîné en MotoGP™, Álex Márquez est maintenant prêt à faire ses débuts dans la catégorie Moto2™ en 2015, une année qui pourrait être une étape menant à l'éventuelle réunion des frères Márquez en MotoGP™.

Ses statistiques :

- Álex Márquez est le onzième pilote espagnol à remporter le titre en 125cc/Moto3™ après Angel Nieto (1971/72/79/81/82/83/84), Jorge Martínez (1988), Álex Crivillé (1989), Emilio Alzamora (1999), Dani Pedrosa (2003), Álvaro Bautista (2006), Julián Simón (2009), Marc Márquez (2010), Nico Terol (2011) et Maverick Viñales (2013).

- Il est le premier pilote titré sur Honda depuis Tom Lüthi en 2005 (125cc).

- A 18 ans et 186 jours, il est le quatrième plus jeune Champion du Monde après Loris Capirossi, Marc Márquez et Dani Pedrosa. 

- Márquez a remporté le titre après avoir été sixième du classement général, avec 44 points de retard sur Jack Miller suite à la sixième course de l’année (Mugello).

- Álex et Marc Márquez sont le premier duo de frères à remporter un titre chacun en 66 ans d’histoire du Championnat du Monde.

Biographie

Date de naissance : 23 avril 1996

Lieu de naissance : Cervera, Espagne

Premier Grand Prix : Jerez 2012, Moto3

Première Pole Position  Barcelona-Catalunya 2014, Moto3

Premier Podium : Indianapolis 2013, Moto3

Première victoire : Motegi 2013, Moto3

Courses : 45

Victoires : 4 

Podiums : 15 

Pole Positions: 3

Meilleurs tours : 7  

Titres mondiaux : Moto3™ (2014)

Carrière en Championnat du Monde :

2012: Moto3 – 20e, Suter Honda, 11 courses, 27 points

2013: Moto3 – 4e, KTM, 17 courses, 213 points

2014: Moto3 – Champion du Monde, Honda, 18 courses, 278 points.

With his third place in Sunday’s lightweight class race at Valencia, Alex Marquez has confirmed the 2014 Moto3™ World title at the end of his third year in Grand Prix racing.

Before coming into the World Championship Marquez had honed his skills in his native Spain, racing in the Team Competition Monlau 125cc in the FIM CEV Repsol. The year was 2010, Marquez was already riding under the tuition of a certain Emilio Alzamora and his brother Marc Marquez was en route to winning the 125cc World Championship.

At the beginning of that year Alex could not compete in the first race of the Spanish championship as he was still five days away from reaching the minimum age of 14 required to compete. However in the second race of the season, held at the Circuito de Albacete, Marquez debuted with an 11th place and ended the year ranked 11th in the standings with 24 points.

In 2011 his progress was significant and he finished the season as the runner-up, before winning the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ title in 2012. Meanwhile he had started to make regular appearances in Grand Prix, debuting with a 12^th place finish at Jerez in 2012, finishing sixth in just his third GP at Barcelona-Catalunya and notching up 11 World Championship rides in total that year.

In 2013 Marquez undertook his first full season in the World Championship riding a KTM for the Estrella Galicia 0,0 team under the watchful eye of Alzamora and in the second half of the season the podium results started to come. A second place at Indy, three consecutive third places at Silverstone, Misano and Aragon and his first victory in Motegi (Japan) in the penultimate race of the year made Marquez the Moto3 Rookie of the Year.

Marquez therefore began the 2014 season as a potential title candidate but there were challenges to overcome with the likes of his teammate Alex Rins, Australian rider Jack Miller and Italian hotshot Romani Fenati also in the hunt for victories. Marquez also had a new machine to adapt to as his team made the switch from KTM to Honda.

After an intense preseason, the new Honda machine lined up on the grid for Qatar ready for battle and Marquez registered his first podium of the season there – in second place. Nine more podiums would follow and Marquez would win three races as he charged to the title, with a particularly strong second half of the season.

The title was confirmed with third place in Valencia and the Marquez family had a new World Champion to celebrate. As Alex Marquez moves up to Moto2™ in 2015 he hopes to continue his progress and one day challenge his brother Marc in MotoGP™.

Alex Marquez title winning facts

- Marquez is the 11th Spanish rider to win the 125cc/Moto3 World title, joining: Angel Nieto (1971/72/79/81/82/83/84), Jorge Martinez (1988), Alex Criville (1989), Emilio Alzamora (1999), Dani Pedrosa (2003), Alvaro Bautista (2006), Julian Simon (2009), Marc Marquez (2010), Nico Terol (2011) and Maverick Viñales (2013).

- He is the first rider to win the lightweight-class World title on a Honda since Thomas Luthi won the 125cc championship in 2005.

- Marquez has won the title after being sixth in the championship standings and 44 points behind the then championship leader, Jack Miller, after the sixth race of the year at Mugello.

- Alex and Marc Marquez are the first pair of brothers to win World titles in the 66 year history of the world championship series.

Biography

Date of birth: 23^rd April 1996

Place of birth: Cervera, Spain

First Grand Prix: Jerez 2012, Moto3

First Pole Position: Barcelona-Catalunya 2014, Moto3

First Podium: Indianapolis 2013, Moto3

First Win: Motegi 2013, Moto3

Race starts: 45

Wins: 4

Podiums: 15

Pole Positions: 3

Fast laps: 7 

World titles:  Moto3™ (2014)

World Championship career:

2012: Moto3 – 20^th, Suter Honda, 11 race starts, 27 points

2013: Moto3 – 4^th, KTM, 17 race starts, 213 points

2014: Moto3 – World Champion, Honda, 18 race starts, 278 points.

MotoGP : Márquez s'offre une dernière victoire et un nouveau record à Valence / Marquez ends season in style with record 13th victory

Marc Márquez s’est imposé devant Valentino Rossi et Dani Pedrosa au Grand Prix Generali de Valence pour s’offrir sa treizième victoire de la saison, un nouveau record pour la catégorie reine.

Absent de la première ligne pour la troisième fois de la saison seulement, Marc Márquez (Repsol Honda) a conclu son exceptionnelle saison 2014 avec une treizième victoire ce week-end au Grand Prix Generali de Valence, dépassant le record que Mick Doohan avait établi pour la catégorie reine avec douze victoires en 1997.

Rapidement passé devant Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) et Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) au départ de la course, le double Champion du Monde MotoGP™ a doublé Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) et Andrea Iannone (Pramac Racing) juste après le premier tiers de la course et a ensuite mené jusqu’à la ligne d’arrivée.

En pole pour la première fois depuis 2010, Rossi a fait tout son possible pour tenter de rivaliser avec Márquez mais a fini à plus de trois secondes de l’Espagnol. L'Italien s'assurait tout de même un treizième podium cette année, soit un de moins que Márquez, et le titre de vice-Champion du Monde MotoGP™ 2014 tandis que Pedrosa complétait le podium, à dix secondes de son coéquipier. 

En tête durant les dix premiers tours de la course, Iannone, qui s’était qualifié en seconde position, a choisi de changer de machine pour passer sur pneus pluie pour le dernier tiers de la course, au même moment que Lorenzo. Un pari qui n’a pas payé puisque la pluie n’aura fait qu’une très brève intervention. Iannone a ainsi fini dernier, à une quinzaine de seconde de Mike di Meglio (Avintia Racing), tandis que Lorenzo a jeté l’éponge à cinq tours de l’arrivée et fini sa course aux stands. 

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducat) et son coéquipier Cal Crutchlow en ont profité pour se disputer la quatrième place, revenue ià l’Italien pour seulement 0.068s d’avance sur son coéquipier, qui quitte Ducati après une belle performance.

Pol Espargaró (Monster Yamaha Tech3) a pris la sixième place pour se confirmer à la même position dans le classement final du Championnat du Monde MotoGP™ 2014, devant son frère Aleix (NGM Forward Racing), septième en course comme dans le classement général.

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP), Michele Pirro, en wildcard avec Ducati, et Scott Redding (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) complétaient le Top 10 à l’arrivée. 

De retour pour un dernier Grand Prix avant de s’engager dans le Championnat du Monde Superbike, Randy de Puniet a souffert de nombreux problèmes avec le moteur de la nouvelle GSX-RR au long du week-end et a malheureusement été contraint à rentrer au garage dès le treizième des trente tours de la course. 

Yonny Hernández (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing) avait lui aussi dû abandonner un peu plus tôt. 

Cliquez ici pour accéder aux résultats et ici pour accéder au classement final de la saison 2014.

The MotoGP™ race at the Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana saw Marc Marquez score a record 13^th premier class win of the season, ahead of Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa. The result sees Rossi clinch the runner-up spot in the championship.

Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) set a new record for most victories in a single campaign in the top class, having equaled Mick Doohan’s total of 12 wins in 1997 last time out in Sepang.

The race saw light rain fall, with Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Iannone electing to move onto bikes set up for the wet on lap 20, a decision which would prove costly for both.

Crossing the line in second place Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) notched up the 13^th rostrum result of a remarkable season for him too and the Italian also clinches second in this year’s championship. Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) was third in the Valencia contest, registering his tenth podium result of 2014.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) beat Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team) to the line for fourth place by just 0.068s in their final race together as teammates.

Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech3) was sixth in the race to confirm sixth in the championship in an excellent rookie season. Aleix Espargaro (NGM Forward Racing) crossed the line 0.284s behind his brother in seventh, giving him seventh place overall in the standings.

Stefan Bradl (LCR Honda MotoGP), wild card Michele Pirro (Ducati Team) and Scott Redding (GO&FUN Honda Gresini) completed the top ten.

On lap 11 Marquez had taken the initiative and took the lead from pole man Rossi and early race leader Iannone (Pramac Racing). At the half way stage Iannone made a mistake and ran through the gravel trap dropping back from the front group, having set the early pace.

On lap 20 Lorenzo and Iannone took the decision to swap bikes as light rain fell. Lorenzo then pulled into the pits on lap 26 having worn down wet tyres on a track which remained relatively dry, whilst Iannone ended up 22^nd.

Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing) was forced to retire during the early stages with a technical problem. Suzuki’s MotoGP return also ended with Randy De Puniet (Team Suzuki MotoGP) in the pits.

Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) suffered a small crash, but was able to remount and recover to 14th.

For full MotoGP race results click here.

ERC, Tour de Corse : Le bon Tour de Sarrazin ! / Sarrazin’s laurels!

Stéphane Sarrazin et son copilote insulaire Jacques-Julien Renucci (Ford/Michelin) ont remporté le 57e Giru di Corsica-Tour de Corse, dernière manche du Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA. Bryan Bouffier (Ford) et Kevin Abbring (Peugeot) complètent le podium. Esappeka Lappi est Champion d’Europe 2014.

Deux semaines après avoir remporté le Criterium des Cévennes, épreuve mythique du Championnat de France des Rallyes, le Français Stéphane Sarrazin s’est imposé sur un autre « monument » du rallye, le Tour de Corse, au volant d’une Ford Fiesta RRC équipée de pneus Michelin.

Véritable touche-à-tout du sport automobile, Stéphane Sarrazin (39 ans) a mené carrière en Karting, Formule 3, Formule 3000, Formule Un, Endurance, Grand Am, et Rallye où il a été Champion de France en 2004 et pilote officiel Subaru en WRC… Cette année, Stéphane évolue en Championnat du monde d’Endurance FIA (Toyota Racing) et en Formula E (Venturi Grand Prix). Malgré un planning très chargé, il a trouvé le temps de disputer son 5^e Tour de Corse, une épreuve qu’il affectionne.

En provenance directe de Shanghai, Stéphane a vite trouvé le rythme sur les petites routes de l’Ile de Beauté. Le Tour de Corse 2014 s’est résumé en un duel Sarrazin/Bouffier. Les deux hommes, au volant de machines identiques, ont conclu la 1^ère journée séparés par 1.7 seconde. Au cours de la seconde étape disputée autour d’Ajaccio, Stéphane Sarrazin a peu à peu creusé l’écart sur le vainqueur sortant Bryan Bouffier, qui a frôlé la correctionnelle dans l’avant-dernière spéciale.

Le pilote de la Peugeot Rally Academy Kevin Abbring (Peugeot 208 T16/Michelin) a conclu sa saison par un podium. Il n’avait plus vu l’arrivée d’un rallye ERC depuis le mois de mai. Son équipier Craig Breen a dû se retirer le 1^er jour (différentiel).

Le Français Eric Camilli (Peugeot 207 S2000) a terminé à la 4^e place, son plus beau résultat sur la scène européenne à ce jour. Il devance un autre pilote tricolore, Romain Dumas (Porsche), finalement 5^e après l’abandon du Champion de France Julien Maurin (Ford). Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot) a récupéré la 6^e place, devant le 1^er pilote corse Jean-Mathieu Léandri (Peugeot).

Malgré sa sortie de route, le Finlandais Esapekka Lappi (Skoda/Michelin) est Champion d’Europe des Rallyes FIA 2014. Le pilote officiel Skoda était assuré du titre avant le départ du Tour de Corse puisque son seul rival, Sepp Wiegand, n’a pas pris le départ (accident en essais).

Stéphane Lefebvre (Peugeot 208 R2/Michelin) a réussi l’exploit de remporter trois titres cette saison ! Champion du monde Junior et WRC-3, le voilà désormais Champion d’Europe Junior après une 2^e place au Tour de Corse derrière l’Italien Andrea Crugnola. Les catégories 2-roues motrices et Production ont été gagnées par le Corse Pierre-Antoine Guglielmi (Renault Clio).

La saison 2014 s’est achevée à Ajaccio, face à la Mer Méditerranée. Le Championnat d’Europe des Rallyes FIA 2015 s’élancera dans 57 jours en Autriche (Jännerrallye, 4/6 janvier).

The 57th Tour de Corse, final round of the 2014 FIA European Rally Championship, was won by Stéphane Sarrazin and his Ajaccio-based co-driver Jacques-Julien Renucci (Ford/Michelin). They were joined on the podium by Bryan Bouffier (Ford) and Kevin Abbring (Peugeot). Esappeka Lappi is the 2014 ERC champion.

Two weeks after winning the French Championship’s Criterium des Cévennes, Sarrazin added another French classic to his score with victory in Corsica driving a Michelin-equipped Ford Fiesta RRC.

The 39-year old all-rounder, who has competed in karting, Formula 3, Formula 3000, Formula 1, endurance racing and Grand Am, was the 2004 French Rally Champion and part of Subaru’s WRC factory squad. This season, he is racing in both the World Endurance Championship (Toyota Racing) and in Formula E (Venturi Grand Prix), yet he found time to contest one of his favourite events – the Tour de Corse – for the fifth time.

Following last Sunday’s 6 Hours of Shanghai (FIA WEC), he flew straight to the Mediterranean island where he soon found himself locked in a duel with last year’s winner Bouffier. In identical cars, the two Frenchman were split by just 1.7s after Day 1, but Saturday’s stages nearer Ajaccio saw Sarrazin pull gradually clear, while his rival almost threw away second place on the penultimate test.

Abbring (3^rd, Peugeot 208 T16/Michelin) rounded off his season on the podium after finishing an ERC round for the first time since last May. His team-mate Peugeot Rally Academy was eliminated by a differential problem on Day 1.

Frenchman Eric Camilli (Peugeot 207 S2000) was fourth, his best ERC finish to date, ahead of compatriot Romain Dumas (Porsche) who benefited from the retirement of the French champion Julien Maurin (Ford). Bruno Magalhaes (Peugeot) recovered sixth spot, while the best-placed Corsica driver was sixth (Jean-Mathieu Léandri, Peugeot).

Despite crashing out, Finn Lappi (Skoda/Michelin) made sure of the 2014 European title before the start when his only challenger Sepp Wiegand had to withdraw from the Tour de Corse due to a pre-rally testing accident.

Stéphane Lefebvre (Peugeot 208 R2/Michelin) added a third title to his tally. The 2014 Junior and WRC-3 champion collected the Junior ERC crown with second place in Corsica behind Italy’s Andrea Crugnola.

The 2WD and Production class was won by Corsican Pierre-Antoine Guglielmi (Renault Clio).

FIA European Rally Championship action will resume in 57 days’ time with Austria’s Jännerrallye on January 4-6.