ELLASPEDE YAMAHA XT660

Words by Ross Sharp · 

Supposedly adventure and custom motorcycles go hand in hand. Watch the videos, everyone is at it. Riding up hill and down dale with canvas and leather paraphernalia adorning trusty air cooled steeds, heading for the next bourbon fuelled campfire. Throw in a degree of off-roadiness and boom, you’re living the dream. But what if you live in a place where using a nostalgic, handcrafted brush to gloss over probable unreliability could result in death?

That may sound a bit dramatic but if you’ve been to Australia you’ll have noticed folk down there taking adventure more than slightly seriously. One such Ozzy is Rick, an existing customer of Brisbane based custom shop, Ellaspede. The guys trebled the power output of his ’63 Vespa during a previous rebuild and he returned with a completely different brief, Urban-Adventure. Rick wanted a city commuter capable of crossing swathes of bush at the weekend, oh, and it needed to look cool at the same time.

Another thing you’ll notice downunder is that there are only a few vehicles that people trust when water and fuel stops are hundreds of miles apart, Toyotas and Yamaha make up the majority. So Rick bought a brand spanking XT660Z.

First off, the XT was lowered slightly to suit Rick’s dimensions and the 21″ front wheel swapped for a 19″, a size more which not only looks less gangly but opens up more options for road rubber. Continental TKC80 look proper and do what is says on the tin, keeping Rick on the weekends.

Inspired by one of the Ellaspede wallets Rick chose a mustard leather for the seat, Kangaroo skin of course. Letting the other wildlife know that he’s on the way is a 2-into-1 stainless exhaust, the XT might only be a single but they run twin port heads as standard.

Obviously no outback adventurer would consider leaving the safe bosom of town without a good supply of fuel for man and machine. Off-road luggage gurus Kriega apparently have the real MacGyver working in their design department, the thinking man’s adventure kit. Tucker and clean budgie smugglers are stored in the multi-tasking and completely waterproof bags whilst a gallon of both fuel and water clamp beside.

To keep the worst of the rocks and stones away from the XT’s crucial parts Ellaspede’s fabrication guys went to town with a good sized sheet of aluminium. A giant sump/rad guard combo protect the delicate areas and side panels are now stronger and better looking than stock. The swingarm was also beefed up.

With all this effort made and the custom cap doffed so firmly towards the aesthetic it would only seem right for Rick to give the bike a proper test, Ellaspede’s Steve Barry continues the story.

“Rick had organised to ride across the Nullarbor plains which stretch East to West across the southern part of Australia. Work commitments had him in Adelaide on a certain weekend, so this was the date the bike had to be ready to go on his 2700+km safari.

Our workshop is in Brisbane, Queensland, some 2000 km from Adelaide. The idea was to freight the bike down to Adelaide for Rick to collect and set off. Unfortunately due to our tight build timeframe sending the bike via truck wasn’t an option. We considered an array of transport ideas, which were limited and pretty-much came down to riding the bike to Adelaide, which was almost a crazy thing to even consider, who in their right mind would take on such a task?”

“The bike rolled out of our Brisbane workshop on a Friday afternoon about 4pm with our trusty self-appointed test pilot Bruce on-board. It had to be in Adelaide for Sunday morning… so, about 36 hours.

Ok, so 2000km in 36 hrs including sleeping, eating, fuel stops and repairs etc, on a largely untested custom bike, after having worked all week, you start to get the idea of what lay ahead for Bruce.

Long story short (and there were plenty of stories), he made it in time and handed the quickly run-in XT660 over to an eager Rick, ready for the next leg of this odyssey.

The bike Bruce handed over wasn’t quite the same bike that left here 36 hours prior and this brings me around to the theme that started this rant… The value of after-build shakedowns cannot be underestimated!”

“Well Bruce certainly tested this custom Yamaha and Rick continued the abuse on and off-road. You could tell the XT was a well sorted bike in itself because it came through with flying colours. The sustained abuse of a trip like this broke some parts along the way. The trip soon became quite a noisy affair when the exhaust baffling departed, but through all the trials Rick enjoyed his southern-state safari and it gave us a very clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of our build.

Upon returning to Brisbane the bike has since had a pull-down, clean, refurbishment, paint and reassembly that brought it back to the condition you see here. I don’t think we’ll have the luxury of that sort of shake-down again (don’t think Bruce or Rick thought it was that luxurious) but it did remind us of the importance of our usual testing procedures.

After all was said and done, Rick finished up with a well tested urban adventure bike and a great story to tell. We know it wont be the last adventure involving this XT, so we look forward to hearing the next tale of travels with less parts departed.”

Cocooned in the city surrounded by tricked-out cool with fuel tanks the literally the size of peanuts the chance to let one’s mind drift off to an adventure filled place is welcomed. Thanks to Ellaspede, Rick and Bruce for supplying Friday afternoon wanderlust.

via The Bike Shed

Carros de Cuba, an automotive landscape frozen in time

Do you remember the famous Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing ‘palm-find’ in Cuba? Now the automotive photographer Piotr Degler who found the car is launching a book, featuring around 200 other never-before-seen photos from his month spent on the Caribbean island…

Piotr Degler travelled to Cuba, reasoning that there was nowhere else on earth with a streetscape unchanged since the 1950s, the result of a decades-long ban on importing new cars. Some 3,000km and 300,000 footsteps later, he had taken more than 25,000 photos, of which only 12 were destined for use in his 2015 calendar. A book was the next logical step, and Degler is rallying support for his Kickstarter fund in order to launch it. We spoke to Degler, to understand a little bit more about his motivation behind the project. 

What was the general premise behind the project? 

“To talk of Cuba is to talk about its cars. When in 1959 a young Castro introduced a law to prevent the importation of cars, he could not see the great favour he was doing all of us who are passionate about them. Unwittingly, he bequeathed us a full pre-revolutionary treasure, which now constitutes one of the tourist attractions of the island. For 10 years, I dreamt of visiting this photographic paradise. It was something I felt inside me – 10 years longing to capture the country through its 'almendrones' (vintage taxis), Buicks, Cadillacs and Studebakers... I had an intense month to find my treasure. Chasing rumours and opinions, I travelled the island from Viñales to Santiago de Cuba, stopping in dozens of towns and cities. As I forged friendships with enthusiasts and local mechanics, I opened doors normally closed to foreign tourists. Beyond the American classics, Cuba has brought me face to face with some of the most iconic cars of automobile history.”

You say you dreamt about travelling to Cuba – was it at all like you expected?

Yes, it was even better than I had expected – my best trip and experience so far. I thought there would be fewer cars left, but it really was a kind of Jurassic Park. Obviously,they are now also importing modern European and Chinese cars, but you still see groups of classic cars almost everywhere. This is what I wanted to portray in my photos, before the island becomes full of modern cars.

You forged many relationships with mechanics and other people you met along the way. What was the most interesting story you were told?

It was great to meet local people and live with them in their neighbourhoods, see their way of day-to-day life, and see how happy they were. It was not a tourist trip – I wanted to see Cuba from the perspective of the Cuban people.

The most interesting part was the search for the Gullwing. Nobody knew anything about the car; the mechanics didn’t even realise what it was, confusing it with the many other European classics. This is why it was so hard to find. I also found it interesting how many locals preferred Ladas to other early classics, simply because they found them to be more reliable.

Was the Gullwing of interest to the locals, or was it just ‘another rusting car’?

Almost nobody on the island knew anything about the Gullwing – only the person who kept the car knew its true value.

Apart from the Gullwing, what was the highlight of your trip?

The highlight was probably landing at the airport just outside Havana in the middle of the night, and seeing the hundreds of cars on the road. I was like a little boy with new shoes. Other highlights included finding the Hispano-Suiza or the Porsche 356. To be honest, every day spent in Cuba was a highlight. 

How would you describe the car culture of Cuba in comparison to other countries?

There are two types of owners. There are those who drive classic cars daily, ferrying local people around. I would say they would be happy to exchange their classic cars for modern cars, simply for the sake of reliability and ease of maintenance. On the other hand, there are those who attempt to restore their cars. They know the value of these cars, and their importance to Cuba’s tourism. They are mostly in the big city centres, such as Havana, Varadero or Santiago de Cuba. Slowly things are beginning to change – there are even a few classic car clubs emerging. 

Do you think the bond between owners and their cars would be as strong if the laws regarding the exportation of cars ever changed?

From what I understood from the people I met during my month in Cuba, locals generally don’t complain much about their situation. It’s true that Cuba’s economy is not the best – the average salary per month is around 15-20 dollars, and a beer costs one dollar. I think if they could sell and export their cars, many people definitely would. A small percentage, though, would keep them, for the sake of tourism.

From the horse’s mouth...

Photos/video: Degler Studio

You can help Piotr Degler’s book become a reality by pledging on his Kickstarter page here. 

The Cuban Revolution, through the lens of Burt Glinn

These dramatic images could be taken from the set of a Hollywood movie, but they’re real – documenting 10 extraordinary days in the history of Cuba that reverberated around the world. On New Year’s Day 1959, corrupt Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista was defeated by Che Guevara’s rebels…

Revolution

…and the Argentine-born guerrilla leader became one of the most famous faces in history, helped by generations of students, who tacked the famous image of ‘Che’ to their bedroom walls (apparently ignoring the vicious regime that he and Fidel Castro later inflicted on the people of Cuba). But while that one iconic image of Che lives on in the mind, these remarkable pictures – taken by photographer Burt Glinn – reveal the genuine euphoria that enveloped Havana when Batista’s brutal rule came to an end. You can see them at the Serena Morton Gallery in North Kensington, London, until 28 November.

Photos: Burt Glinn/Magnum Photos

You can see Glinn’s photos at the Serena Morton Gallery in North Kensington, London, until 28 November.

Golf.......

WILDWOOD ROCK EXTREME ENDURO 2015 HIGHLIGHTS

 la Wildwood Rock Extreme, plus dure des courses extrêmes en Australie, a été remportée par Daniel Sanders devant Matt Phillips.

This Week in Motoring

By BRYAN CAMPBELL by Gear Patrol

Yamaha builds a flat tracker for the road, Jeff Gordon doesn’t get his fairy-tale ending, Victory teases with a concept and more.

Yamaha Goes Flat Tracking

The running theme with motorcycles in 2015 is clearly “cafe racer.” No complaints here. But only a few companies are making flat-track-style motorcycles, which is whyYamaha and their all-new XSR900 deserve applause.

LEARN MORE: HERE

Simplify, Then Add Price Drop

Lamborghini has a long line of two-wheel-drive monsters, but in recent years they’ve been fewer and farther between. However, newly unveiled at the L.A. Auto Show is the LP580-2, a lighter, slightly less powerful RWD Huracan sure to put the enthusiasts at ease (i.e., the guys who thought the Huracan LP610-4 was too heavy).

LEARN MORE: HERE

All of the Hypercars

It’s the test everyone wanted to see: the 918 versus the P1 versus the LaFerrari. A group called the Hyper 5 matched those three and threw in a Pagani Huayra and aBugatti 

LEARN MORE: HERE

Along Came a Spider

As promised, Fiat has delivered their Miata-based 124 Spider. It has more torque, slightly more power and 100 extra pounds. What’s not so clear cut is the public’s consensus on its looks.

LEARN MORE: HERE

Victory Ignition Concept

When we tested the Victory Empulse TT earlier this year, Victory was secretive about the bike, and remained so all the way up to the reveal. With a Victory-backed V-Twin racer heading up Pikes Peak that week, it was almost certain a bike like the Ignition Concept was actually going to be unveiled. We were wrong, but it’s good to see that Victory came through.

LEARN MORE: HERE

No Sixth Title for Gordon

Before heading to retirement, Jeff Gordon was looking to add to his tally of titles, but it was not to be. Instead, Kyle Bush earned his first NASCAR championship.

LEARN MORE: HERE

NEW AND NOTED: MOTORCYCLE GEAR

There’s a hint of vintage motocross to our latest gear roundup. But these products are much safer than your typical autojumble find. We’ve also sneaked in the world’s first merino/Kevlar mix baselayer, which looks good enough to wear on its own. Hide that credit card.

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Simpson M50 helmet If Simpson’s Street Bandit is a little too stormtrooper for you, the new M50 might fit the bill. Based on the 1970s motocross classic, it’s a faithful remake in two shell sizes. The technology is basic—a composite fiberglass shell with removable and washable cheek pads—and certification is just DOT. But let’s face it, it’s the looks that count with this one, and it’s safer than an open face lid. Choose from six colors: Gloss Black, Matte Black, White, Matte Gunmetal, Red and Yellow. Your $299 also includes an old-school 5-snap visor for that classic enduro look. [Buy]

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Ride 100% Barstow Ascott goggles We’re big fans of the Barstow goggles, inspired by the ‘hare & hound’ desert races of the 1970s. New variants are being released all the time, but the ‘Ascott’ is our favorite. The frame design is minimal, but includes upper vents and a triple layer of fleece-lined face foam. The cream-and-brown finish looks authentic, but the grey tinted Dalloz Optics lens is ultra-modern. Your $95 also buys a spare clear lens, a cleaning cloth and a bag for storage. [Buy]

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Saint Kevlar Merino Baselayer Denim/Kevlar weaves are everywhere these days, adding a measure of protection to ‘casual’ riding gear. Not all weaves are created equal, but some of the very best come from the premium Australian brand Saint. The company has now applied its expertise to Merino wool, producing a high-tech long-sleeve baselayer for AU$280. You get the warmth of fine-spun Merino wool with the abrasion resistance of para-aramid fibers. If you’re the type who occasionally rides wearing just a t-shirt or sweatshirt, this is a better option. But if temperatures are dropping, use it as a first layer of warmth and protection under a jacket. [Buy]

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78 Motor Co ‘Speed Gloves’ Five years ago, Anthony Jackson rode a 125cc moto from England to Mongolia. He expected his expensive, famous-brand gloves to perform, but they stretched and fell apart. Once back in Old Blighty, he started designing his own gloves and now runs 78 Motor Co., a small operation with a reputation for quality. The £78 Speed Gloves may look vintage, but the safety is closer to modern-day standards. You get carbon steel knuckle protectors, double-stitched seams, a padded lining, and reinforced palms. An oversized Velcro closure ensures a tight fit around the wrist and the leather is colored with transparent aniline dyes to highlight the grain. Choose from Nappa Black, Farina Grey or Dune (shown) finishes. [Buy]

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Alpinestars Oscar Rayburn These new boots from Alpinestars’ retro spinoff brand look nothing like your typical moto footwear, but they’re CE certified. Hidden from view are a reinforced toe box and heel counter, a 3D mesh lining, and ankle disc protectors. The oil-resistant compound sole is grippy, and the build quality is superb. The laces thread through metal eyelet holes, a gusseted tongue keeps the elements out, and there’s a handy pull-tab at the heel. If you do a lot of trips around town and want a boot that looks good with jeans, the $269 Rayburn ticks the box. [Buy]

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Icon 1000 Elsinore HP boot I’ve been wearing the original Elsinore boots for a couple of years now, and they’re simply superb. They take a while to break in, but soon became comfortable as well as tough. Icon has now updated the Elsinore with the $285 ‘HP’ model, with blacked-out styling and stitching, plus an aluminum shin plate. The brilliant five-strap alloy-buckle chassis and welted sole remain. It’s old-school motocross styling with modern-day protection. [Buy]


via BIKEexif

THIS IS WHAT $6 MILLION OF FRENCH BLU FERRARI LOOKS LIKE

by Michael Banovsky from Petrolicious Photography Courtesy of RM Sotheby's Time stands still for nothing, and given that a race cars’ effectiveness is measured in milliseconds, not decades, finding an “old” or “original” race car is often not without caveat as to how much has been replaced. However, this 1955 Ferrari 500 Mondial, a model fitted with the company’s jewel-like 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine with about 170 horsepower, left the Ferrari factory bound for a French gentleman racer… …who saw the engine fail in its first race, then had the car overhauled by Ferrari before entering the 1955 Liège-Rome-Liège rally. The factory overhauled the car for a second time after the rally, but the owner never picked up his car. After 10 years just kicking around at Ferrari, in 1965 it was painted red and placed in the museum at the Autodromo di Monza. Another decade passed, and the car was eventually sold to its second private owner—in 1975. Most importantly, the car was still original at this point, and had become old enough to feature in classic car rallies and concours, where it has been seen ever since, and has even run the Mille Miglia Storica on multiple occasions. But enthusiast Pierre Mellinger realized there was more to the car, and had Ferrari’s layer of red paint removed—over three months—to reveal that its original French Blu paint had lived just under the surface for all these years. Time has left this old race car largely untouched, and even the major components are original pieces. No car is truly original past the second it rolls out of the factory, but for a road racer from the most dangerous time in motorsport to remain this original means it’s been valued as such. It’s only original once, and this Mondial is more original than most…

History
– Raced at the 1955 12 Hours of Hyères and Liège-Rome-Liège
– Highly original, including chassis, engine, coachwork, paint, and interior
– Retained by Ferrari for approximately 20 years after first owner didn’t pick up the car after a refurbishment in 1955

Specifications
~170 horsepower, 1,984-cc DOHC inline four-cylinder engine with two Weber 40 DCOA/3 carburetors, five-speed manual transaxle, tubular steel chassis, independent front suspension with transverse leaf springs, De Dion rear axle with parallel trailing arms and semi-elliptical leaf springs, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 88.6 in.

Vehicle information
Chassis no.: 0424 MD (0564 MD)
Engine no.: 0424 MD
Certification: Ferrari Classiche certified

Valuation
Auction house: RM Sotheby’s
Estimate: $5-6.5 million Usd.
Certification: Ferrari Classiche certified
Price realized: Auction on December 10