Is it too late to buy a Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7?

The Discovery Channel recently singled out the Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 as the best car in which to have invested over the past 10 years, with an average price increase of 669%. So is it too late to buy one? We ask the experts…

Despite initially being built to satisfy the Group 4 homologation requirement of 500 units, theCarrera RS 2.7  soon proved popular with enthusiasts – Porsche responded to demand by increasing the price and building a further 1,080 cars. Four decades later and that demand is stronger than ever: one of the 200 ‘Lightweight’ (officially known as Option M471 Sport) variants famously sold for $1.42m at auction earlier this year.

While the result at Gooding’s Amelia Island sale might have made the headlines, the ducktailed Porsche had been enjoying a steady rise in values for the previous 15 years. “The RS has been one of those indicative cars of the market’s boom and downturn period, much like the Dino or theDaytona,” says Tim Schofield, Director of Motor Cars at Bonhams. “I remember in the late 1990s, an RS might fetch the same £30,000 as a Dino, with Daytonas between £60,000 and 90,000. Now, the Porsche commands the same or more than a Daytona.”

Fall in line

“There’s always going to be one car that causes quite a considerable spike in values; the deck of cards gets shuffled and all the others rise in line,” continues Schofield. Classic Driver even heard of one dealer adding £200,000 to the selling price of an RS he had in stock the day after the staggering auction result – and sold it almost immediately.

“The Gooding result certainly affected the values and set the precedent to a degree,” says Dylan Miles of Fiskens, who has handled the sale of five RS 2.7s in the last 12 months. “But values have been steadily rising simply because it’s such a good driver’s car. It’s incredibly tractable and usable – more so than any other car I can think of from that period, in fact.”

The archetypal driver's car

“Obviously, a Lightweight is the Holy Grail,” continues Dylan Miles, “but I think one of the first 500 Touring models is almost as desirable, as they used thinner-gauge steel and were lighter than the later cars.” Regardless of which variant you choose, the buyer’s emphasis should focus on finding a genuine car: the rise in values has led to several non-original RSs being marketed as the genuine article.

Of course, there’s no way of telling where RS 2.7 values are heading in the future – but considering the car’s eminence at the forefront of the collector car market, prices should theoretically hold steady as long as the market remains healthy. Just don’t spend your time watching every auction result – you’re better off revelling in the excellence of one of the best driver’s cars ever built, and you might well enjoy a nice surprise when it’s time to sell.

Photos: Bonhams

The Typhoon

The Imperial Collection is restricted by one rule ‘design without compromise’. The bike is developed organically as the build progresses without a predetermined layout or time scale. The result is beyond limits, without compare, just pure motorcycle.

This is the very first of our Imperial collection The Typhoon.

The Typhoon from Old Empire Motorcycles on Vimeo.

Transumanza - offroad BMW F800GS across Italy

ANTONIO’S DR650 TRACKER

António is a graphic designer & communication design teacher from Faro, on the south coast of Portugal, which should mean he knows a thing or two about how to make inanimate objects look good and proper. As a result he has combined his love of motorcycles and bicycles with a new venture, The Bike Type, which he hopes will encourage two wheeled mobility in Faro.

This Suzuki DR650 tracker is António’s first motorcycle build, and his toe is now firmly in motorised waters.

The oh so familiar story, a perfectly usable motorcycle left to oxidise in a dusty corner of someones garage. A cousin in Porto turned out to have such a bounty lurking and didn’t need too much fiscal persuasion to part with it. António always dreamed of building a café racer but the DR is fairly lofty steed and dictated the route towards a tracker. With a design mapped out a search for parts could begin.

Plastic might be a revolutionary material but it rarely justifies a place on a shed-built motorcycle. Despite gaping gaps left behind, mass produced plakky panels and body work are perhaps the easiest part of a bike to remove in a quest to add a personalised touch to a build. So, António removed all the extraneous parts and stripped the bike to the frame, causing chaos in his workshop. We’ve all been there, planning and method replaced by enthusiasm and a complete haystack of redundant, mass produced crap.

Once the frame was free from clutter and blessed with a fresh coat of paint reassembly could begin. A Suzuki GT250 fuel tank was sourced from a breakers and united with some fresh paint, and the all important logo. Another breakers yard yielded the muffler, it’s from a Honda but answers on a postcard as to which one.

Luckily craftsman are still plentiful in Faro so António fabricated a seat base and took it to a local outfit to be upholstered. It’s good to see comfort finally making a more frequent appearance on the subframes of customs in recent months.

A mini speedo and similarly diminutive indicators ensure some legal requirements are met whilst a generic chrome lamp differentiates the front end from the DR’s original angular unit.

The forks were refreshed with new oil and seals, gaitors suggesting a degree of off road desire, even if the trimmed down front mudguard hints otherwise.

Tarmac biased rubber is a rare feature on street trackers these days but I’m sure António has a blast drifting the tail out on Faro’s cobbled thoroughfares.

If you want to see more photos from the build process click here otherwise António’s Facebook page is a resource for Faro residents to get together and talk bikes, maybe over a few bottles of Sagres.

via The Bike Shed

BACKYARD BUILD: DAVE LEHL’S HONDA CB550

We get quite a few emails from readers asking why we focus so much on pro customs, and not backyard builds from talented amateurs. It’s partly because pro builders push the envelope more often, but it’s also because it’s much harder for amateurs to hit the sweet spot—which is a well-crafted build and fantastic photography.

This Honda CB550 from Colorado-based Dave Lehl ticks both boxes. It helps that Dave is a photographer by trade, but he’s also got unusually good taste—knowing what to change, and what to leave alone.

Dave is a true shed builder: a self-taught mechanic who built the CB550 by trial and error. “I have what I call ‘creative ADD,’” he admits. “If I don’t have at least one fabrication project going on in my life, I go crazy. I’ve built bicycles, flipped condos and done home remodels—and I was dying to try my hand at building a bike. “

At that point, Dave’s father discreetly stepped in. He hit the pavement in his hometown of Pueblo, looking for a 70s street bike that had seen better days. And when he came across a 1978 non-running Honda CB550, he snatched it up for $500 a week before Christmas.

“On Christmas morning he gave it to me under a red tarp in the garage,” says Dave. “And by noon I had the fairing, windshield, racks and air box off.”

Since this was Dave’s first bike, he was cautious about what to cut off or modify. But over the next two years he tore it down and removed all the unnecessary tabs and the center kickstand, and ground down and recreated the worst of the factory welds.

“I also took the exhaust off and sold it to a guy in England for $400,” says Dave, “which knocked the total investment down to $100. I then got rid of the 19″ front wheel and laced an 18″ rim to the hub to balance the bike out.”

Dave then made a new seat pan, which hides a recessed battery box. There are few wires to be seen, and that’s how it likes it. But it’s the ultra-slim taillight that attracts the most questions. It’s tucked under the new seat unit, and above the rear fender, which is a modified wheel cover from a 1931 Ford Model A.

The rest of the CB550 is a classic home build: Dave did everything except for the paint, upholstering and wiring. To finish it off, he’s fitted clip-on bars, new shocks, new levers and new cables. And despite the shoestring budget, it looks just great.

Dave’s now been bitten by the bug, and next on his list is a 1979 Kawasaki KZ650. “This one should take a few months rather than years, though,” he says.

We’ll be keeping an eye out for it.

Dave Lehl website | Facebook | Instagram

via BIKEexif

Rombo director's cut

A short movie by myself shooting in Italy with Red Epic and Compact Prime Zeiss lenses.
Custom Motorcycle,Travelling,Photography.
Rombo director's cut from Daniele Brunelletti on Vimeo.
Backstage here: vimeo.com/104894450

WRC ; Citroën garde Kris Meeke / Meeke to stay at Citroën

Après une campagne 2014 à la fois prometteuse et irrégulière, le Britannique Kris Meeke et son copilote Paul Nagle resteront chez Citroën Racing en 2015. Le nom de leurs équipiers sera dévoilé ultérieurement.

Pour sa première saison complète en WRC, Kris Meeke a alterné le bon et le moins bon, mais le bilan est plutôt positif. Le bon, avec quatre podiums (Monte-Carlo, Argentine, Finlande, France). Le bon aussi en Allemagne et en Australie où le Britannique a occupé la tête de l’épreuve au volant de sa Citroën DS3 WRC/Michelin.

Le moins bon avec une sortie de route en Allemagne alors que sa première victoire mondiale se profilait à l’horizon. Le moins bon aussi avec une mauvaise passe Suède-Mexique-Portugal, ou encore cette touchette au dernier Wales Rally GB alors qu’il pouvait conclure sur le podium. Cette dernière « bêtise » aurait d’ailleurs pu coûter la 2^e place du championnat Constructeurs à l’équipe Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi WRT !

« En misant sur Kris Meeke cette saison, nous avions fait un pari », rappelle Yves Matton, Directeur de Citroën Racing. « Il s’est amélioré course après course jusqu’à devenir un pilote complet. Nous avons vu un vrai tournant lors du Rallye de Finlande. Son approche était la bonne. Il a su engranger de l’expérience toute la saison, montrer sa pointe de vitesse, mais aussi être parfois plus patient. Kris est un pilote compétitif sur toutes les surfaces, capable d’aller vite sur asphalte et sur terre. Cette polyvalence est un atout pour Citroën Racing. »

« C’est fantastique d’avoir l’opportunité de continuer cette aventure », a réagi Kris Meeke. « Depuis l’an passé, Citroën Racing me donne une chance de prouver ma valeur. Cette première saison complète fut une année d’apprentissage. Durant la seconde moitié du calendrier, j’ai pu montrer une partie de mon potentiel. Il reste du travail, mais je vais pouvoir profiter d’une base solide pour continuer à progresser. Avec l’expérience, tout devient plus simple. Je connais bien l’équipe et nous nous comprenons. Je me sens comme dans une famille chez Citroën ! »

A 35 ans, Kris Meeke a disputé 53 rallyes mondiaux depuis 2002 et signé 4 troisièmes places, remporté 9 spéciales. Troisième du championnat Junior 2005 (Citroën C2 R2) et Champion Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2009 (Peugeot 207 S2000), Meeke a débuté sur une World Rally Car en 2011 chez Mini avant de rejoindre Citroën au Rallye de Finlande 2013.

Le nom de son équipier sera connu prochainement lorsque les discussions en cours seront finalisées. Mads Ostberg reste sur une bonne note puisqu’il a conclu sa première saison avec Citroën par un podium au Pays de Galles. Mais sera-t-il au départ du Monte-Carlo sur une Citroën ?

After a promising but also inconsistent year, Briton Kris Meeke and his co-driver Paul Nagle are to stay at Citroën Racing for 2015. The names of their team-mate will be revealed shortly.

Kris Meeke’s first full WRC campaign has been quite positive overall, but one of ups and downs. The ups were podium finishes in Monte Carlo, Argentina, Finland and France, plus Germany and Australia where he appeared momentarily in front in his Citroën DS3 WRC/Michelin.

The downs were his crash in Germany with victory in his grasp, as well as his unhappy phase in Sweden, Mexico and Portugal, and perhaps his ‘moment’ in Wales where another top-three result was possible. The incident came close to depriving Citroën-Total Abu Dhabi WRT of second place in the 2014 Manufacturers’ championship.

“When we chose Kris for this season, we took a bit of a gamble,” recalls Yves Matton, Citroën Racing Team Principal. “But he has improved with pretty much every event and he has now become a complete driver. The real turning point was at Rally Finland. He adopted the right approach. He has managed to acquire experience throughout the season. He has shown not only that he has real pace but also that he can be more patient at times. Kris is a competitive driver on all surfaces, capable of being quick on tarmac and asphalt. This versatility is a real asset for Citroën Racing.”

“It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to continue to work together,” says Meeke. “Last year, Citroën Racing gave me a chance to prove my worth. My first full season has been spent learning about the WRC. In the second half, I was able to show part of my potential. There’s room for improvement but I now have some decent foundations to build on next year. With experience, everything becomes that bit easier. I know the team well and we understand each other. I feel like I’m part of the Citroën family.”

Meeke, 35, has started 53 world class rallies since 2002, harvesting four third places and nine stage wins. After coming third in the 2005 Junior-WRC (in a Citroën C2 R2) and winning the Intercontinental Rally Challenge in 2009 (Peugeot 207 S2000), he made his debut in a World Rally Car in 2011, with Mini, before joining Citroën for the 2013 Rally Finland.

Discussions regarding his team-mate for next year are being finalised. Norway’s Mads Ostberg concluded his first season with the French firm with a podium finish in Wales…

BSMC GEAR GUIDE # 34

A tough good looking jacket from Icon, cool fitted womens selvedge jeans from SJC, a warm new vest from ELMC and a great twist of the helmet bag from El Solitario, plus stuff to keep your vision clean from Motul. All in this week 34 of the Gear Guide.

PRODUCT REVIEW BY THE BIKE SHED’S OWN ALI LATIMER – ICON 1000 BELTWAY JACKET

The Icon One Thousand range is aimed at riders that want to be ready for the apocalypse… and if gear can handle explosions and zombies; then it should be able to handle pretty much anything.

The Beltway jacket is a serious bit of kit, not only does it feature loads of useful cargo pockets, a magnetic storm flap and reinforced leather panelling over a heavy canvas construction; it’s also fully armoured with CE certified back, elbow and shoulder protection. In addition to functionality and protection you also get a removable quilted vest for extra warmth for out of season riding.

Icon regard it as ‘Ruggedly handsome and brutally effective’. That pretty much sums it up, I’ve had this jacket for several months now; I wear it on 90% of my journeys no matter which bike I’m taking, so I have given it a good test, being a skinny runt, I do need an extra base layer when riding in sub 10°C. In heavy, persistent rain; and I’m talking biblical conditions, I did get a little damp on the arms, but that said, the Beltway has made 6 of my other jackets redundant.

It’s well made with all the features you need, it’s reassuringly weighty and goes with anything from jeans, combats and leathers. Currently I’d say I don’t need another jacket and doubt I will for many years to come.

http://www.rideicon.com/

SJC  BAD KITTY WOMENS JEANS

We posted the exclusive for the SJC vintage denim kevlar bike denim a couple of weeks ago and now we see SJC is killing it on Kickstarter.  I spoke to the man himself and he explained his inspiration for the collection: “Take any Kevlar denim you see around the traps.  It just looks like bad supermarket shit with Kevlar stuffed into it. Who wants to get off their bike and walk around looking like a lost schoolboy in that crap?  Zero girl love right there mate.  I feel more sorry for the bike.” Simon has a pretty uncompromising attitude to denim.

Girl love is critical. I am constantly hearing lady friends of mine bemoaning the lack of decent denim for women. It may come as a surprise to denim manufactures, but there are plenty of women who appreciate quality denim and who want jeans cut for them made out of the same quality indigo stuff as their fellas wear.

Simon has heard the call to arms, and has created a vintage skinny denim range for women.  His Bad Kitty Jeans are based on a late 50’s cut, when jeans went tight for the first time ever and suddenly pulled the female figure into shape. These Bad Kitty’s are tight and look like jeans, but do not look like the ubiquitous stretch denim spray paint jeans.

Made from 12/13oz Japanese selvedge denim the Bad Kitty’s feature all the bells and whistles as far as tight cut, stitching and artwork is concerned but they also come with a matching denim jacket, which is also cut tight.

“Purrrrrrfect for your girl” and at a great price on his Kickstarter.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/989257464/sjc-pioneer-to-punk-made-from-japanese-selvedge-de

ELMC BIKER FLIGHT VEST

The stunning flight vest is the latest product from Eastman Leather’s ELMC. This handsome vest is great worn under a leather or a wax jacket to keep your core warm on the road in the winter months. It also look great off the bike worn over a flannel or denim shirt. It’s all natural fabrics are a welcome change to the synthetic technical garments that are targeted at bikers from the mainstream manufactures.

ELMC is an offshoot of Eastman Leathers, the thirty year old producer of high quality, authentic military issue flight jackets. ELMC produces bike orientated gear that has a retro feel.

All of the materials and components in the ELMC range are produced to the highest degree of quality and authenticity possible. The leather and sheepskin garments are naturally all made in their factory in Devon. The hides are custom made exclusively for them – nothing is from off-the-shelf merchants.

The flight vest is a slim fitting, lightweight and toasty body warmer, made from premium grade North American sheepskin. It has a low shorn 6mm fleece pile for a neat look and for comfort. It has Italian veg-tanned horsehide trim around all the edges for durability and veg-tanned horsehide pockets. It’s fastened with a dull-nickel vintage metal zip.

The Biker Flight Vest is available in Vintage Brown and Havana Brown, and has a four to six week delivery time.

www.elmc.co

 

EL SOLITARIO – DENIM HELMET BAG

So you’ve just spent more than a month’s mortgage payment on a lovely new Ruby lid, and you’re on the way round to the lock-up and ding it against the spikey anti-bill board paint on the sign post. A stream of expletives that would make a sailor blush is followed by tears and a severe bout of self loathing. If only, if only…..

I’d bought a helmet bag.

The guys at El Solitario make a lovely 14oz Red Selvedge Dry Denim bag that’s inspired by air force helmet bags that pilots used to carry their helmets and flying gear to their mission. It’s the perfect bag to carry all your everyday supplies.

Handmade in 14oz Japanese red selvedge, it’s dimensions are 46cm X 46cm. It has thick natural leather adjustable shoulder strap and handles and reinforced stitching. It has brass heavy duty YKK zipper which protects the precious contents. It has two exterior pockets for keys, phone, wallet etc, and interior secret pocket for hiding contraband.

Get yourself a bargain as it’s currently on sale.

http://elsolitariomc.com

 

MOTUL HELMET & VISOR CLEAN

Whether it’s bugs in the summer or mud in the winter, its a constant battle to keep your visor/goggles clean and vision clear.

Motul make a great liquid spray cleaner that works well on the visor/lenses and on the outside of the lid. It has a neutral and non-aggressive formula that won’t damage or corrode. It removes oily and dry dirt without damaging the surface, and without leaving streaks.

It comes in a trigger spray canister and should be applied from a distance of approximately 20cm. You leave it to dry for a few moments and wipe clean with a soft dry cloth for a clean, clear finish. Job done.

https://www.motul.com

via The Bike Shed

Suzuki TR750 by Redonda Racing

Being a self confessed fan of full fairings on vintage bikes and also a huge fan of the legendary Barry Sheene, this Suzuki TR750 was always going to resonate with me on many levels. It’s hard to believe that it has been over 10 years since the world of racing lost Barry Sheene. This stunning tribute bike has been built by a small shop in Portugal called Redonda. They specialize in building race bikes for the road, off-road and are also developing some interesting electric bikes. JP Barranca is the head honcho at Redonda and has had long career in the motorcycle industry. JP has a passion for all motorbikes but has a particular soft spot for vintage two strokes.

The base for this project was a stock 1976 Suzuki TR 750. “Since the beginning of the project, everything was about reducing the weight and increasing the speed.” says JP. The 2-stroke 750cc 3-cylinder engine was completely rebuilt  like new and all the original electrics have been updated with modern replacements.

“The construction of the tank was a big challenge because the oil tank was placed inside the fuel tank.” he says. The entire braking system has also been upgraded to give the bike race quality braking. The original wheels were swapped for a set of beautiful Borrani wheels.

The fairing is a Barry Sheene replica and obviously the livery, decals and number 7 are all homage to the two-time GP champion and motorcycling legend. JP has even created a matching helmet, with Barry’s trademark duck on it. JP recently took the bike to the track to try and put some holes in the knees of his leathers. Although he wasn’t quite as quick as Barry, he still managed to beat many Yamaha’s, Honda’s and Kawasaki’s – Bazza would be proud.

via PIPEBURN

Old Dogs, New Tricks

A short film about 3 classic British motorcycles from the 1960's, re imagined for the 21st century.

Old Dogs, New Tricks from Tom Salt on Vimeo.

12° Rally Revival Valpantena 2014

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