Honda Today by Sawada Cycle

Foto: Bikebros

La SLS AMG par World Motorsports

From speedfans.fr

Les Américains de la maison World Motorsports viennent de de dévoiler les premières illustrations de leur dernier programme concocté sur une Mercedes SLS AMG. Une Allemande cuisinée à la sauce américaine qui se profile comme très méchamment épicée…Avec son vrai/faux look de SLS AMG GT3, tout en étant bien entendu 100 % street legal, cette version de la supercar allemande hérite donc d’éléments de carrosserie comme on l’apprécie évidemment à travers l’imposant aileron arrière.

Lèvre avant en fibre de carbone et diffuseur arrière du même matériau composent aussi pour les nouveautés visibles. Visibles également sont les jantes tirées du catalogue de HRE, des jantes qui arborent une finition noire pour se marier au noir de la carrosserie. Mais ce qu’on attend de savoir c’est évidemment tout ce qui entoure la partie mécanique. Aucun chiffre n’est livré mais World Motorsports passe par un système de suralimentation avec un kit TT comme Twin Turbo. A suivre quand tous les points seront éclaircis dans ce domaine. Mais on peut d’ores et déjà s’attendre à du très lourd !

Source et images : World Motorsports.

Another song dedicated to SuperSic

It never ceases to amaze how many fans miss Marco Simoncell and how his untimely death last year at Sepang has inspired and sparked the creativity of people who want remember SuperSic.

This latest song called “Corro tra le stelle” (I’m Racing through the Stars) and the lyrics were written by Gabriella Mancini - a journalist of the Gazzetta dello Sport and then put to music by a student of a famous Italian music school.

The singers are all students: Agnese Fiorini - Roberta Laguercia - Camilla Perna - Debora Vezzani - Clarissa Vichi - and there’s also the partecipation of retired rider Loris Capirossi, who recites the words “diobò come sono belle… ora corro tra le stelle” (dibò -[good god] how beautiful they are… now I’ll race through the stars), the photos are by Gigi Soldano.

Another way to remember the late Italian rider will be coming from the city of Aquila (that suffered an earthquake in 2009 and sadly has become even more famous following the scandals that followed), who will be naming a street after him following the request of local motorcycle club.

from Twowheelsblog

LOUIS75 JUBILÄUMSBIKE DUCATI

If you live in mainland Europe and ride a motorcycle, you’ve probably bought parts or accessories from a company called Louis. The Hamburg-based company is Europe’s largest moto retailer, and it’s just celebrated its 75th anniversary.

To mark the occasion, Louis commissioned Marcus Walz to build a custom bike—and asked for ‘a machine that combines tradition and the future.’ It was also a collaborative project with Louis’ customers: In five stages, votes were taken on Facebook regarding the basic concept, the wheels, handlebar, instruments and the finish.

A Ducati Sport 1000 was chosen as the starting point. Walz rejigged the sheet metal to create a slim and wiry look: The tank, seat unit and rear bodywork were beaten by hand out of aluminum, and the rear frame was redesigned. Even the housing of the fuel pump is custom-built, also machined from aluminum and hidden from view by integrating it into the tank. An 800-gram lithium-ion battery is now concealed underneath the seat hump.

An Öhlins fork (from a Ducati 999R) is used at the front, and a custom-built height-adjustable suspension is used at the rear. The triple tree is made from billet aluminium: it weighs around 1.5 kg less than the original, and is three times as stable. The braking system is state-of-the-art, too: Brembo monoblocks together with Lucas ‘Wave’ discs.

The controls are from LSL—from the bars and grips to the clutch and brake levers. Brake fluid reservoirs now sit on their own specially developed mounts, tightly and inconspicuously up against the triple tree. The V-Rod-style headlight (from Louis’ own range) adds to the compact feel of the front end. Walz foot controls, machined from aluminium, are adjustable in all directions. The wheels have Akront flat shoulder rims, and are shod with Metzeler Racetec K3 tires.

The inner workings of the Sport 1000 engine are untouched, with the exception of a light Ergal clutch basket and an SBK clutch. But engine output is up by eight horsepower, thanks to the titanium exhaust system developed by Akrapovic. And to give the engine a tidier appearance, Walz replaced the original oil lines with those from a Ducati Hypermotard—which do not run over the belt cover.

With the help of further mods such as an ultra-light wiring harness, the Ducati lost almost 20 kg in weight in the course of the rebuild. The finish is a special paint from the Ducati factory called “Anniversario Rosso,” used exclusively for anniversary and presentation models. It’s covered by a matt clear varnish that Walz describes as a secret mixture—smooth and low-maintenance like a gloss varnish, but with a subtle degree of matting.

The Jubiläumsbike will soon go on tour around Louis’ stores, and then it’ll be auctioned off with the proceeds donated to a good cause. Any bidders?

If you live in Europe, check out Louis’ online store here. And see more of Marcus Walz’ work on theWalz Hardcore Cycles site.