Valentino Rossi 'very happy' - Jorge Lorenzo 'close to Honda'

If there was anyone happier than Valentino Rossi today at Sepang it was probably his hardcore fans. After two disastrous years with Ducati, the Italian had expressed doubts that he could still be competitive, but finishing fourth and 0.427s from the top during the first day MotoGP testing allayed his worst fears.

“I’m very happy about the first day of testing with the M1. After two seasons away I was able to come back on the bike and remember the good feeling I always had with it. I am also happy because I was quite fast from the morning. We worked on the settings to make some improvements and we made some good steps. In the afternoon we started to work on the new parts for the season. It’s just the first test but the potential is high and I am in a good position, I am in fourth place but not far from the other three guys. I am very positive that we can improve over the next few days but I’m happy with the start.” said Rossi, who used the 2012 M1 in the morning session and then used the 2013 spec engine and lapping only on used tires, in the afternoon.

The Italian was also asked about his rivals, “For sure the level is so high and for me it is difficult because I have to try to beat Lorenzo and Pedrosa, who are at the top of their career. I am older so I need to do more effort, but we are not so far.”

And on Marquez’s performance said, “Marc was incredible today. I knew he’d be fast but not this fast right away – I was hoping he’d be slower. I like his attitude it seems like he wants to win the championship on his first try.

Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo finished second today at Sepang and was just 0.008s behind Dani Pedrosa. The Spanish rider was his usual metronome self, smooth as butter and consistent, despite declaring that his Yamaha needs to continue to improve in acceleration and reduce ‘pumping’ (which Rossi also said) and he tested a different chassis and upgraded engine.

“This morning I had to get the feeling again for the MotoGP bike but it didn’t cost me so much time as it did last year. When I got up to a good pace we tried some things we couldn’t try in Aragon, we need to work on it more. Some parts I liked, some things need more work. Tomorrow we are going to keep trying the things we tried today and also some new parts. Times are very close between Yamaha and Honda so we will try to improve our bike to be even better. We are still working on acceleration, we improved a lot last year but it’s still not our strongest point. I think now at this point consistency is one of my strongest points and I hope to continue that this year.”

Photos © Getty Images

via TWOWHEELSBLOG

1934 SCOTT FLYING SQUIRREL RACING MOTORCYCLE

This Scott Flying Squirrel Racing Motorcycle is a rather unique little beast, it has one of the last long-stroke, fixed cylinder head engines and it has one of the most unusual frame geometries that I’ve ever seen.

The Scott Flying Squirrel is fitted with a 498cc 2-stroke, single-cylinder engine that uses a unique water-cooled circulation method known as the thermosyphon system. It has a 3-speed transmission, a centrally positioned flywheel, twin inboard main bearings and a multi-plate clutch.

Interestingly, in 1929, The Scott Motorcycle Company won the Isle of Man TT with a Flying Squirrel – giving the bikes some serious pre-war street cred.

She’s due to hit the auction block with Bonhams at the Les Grandes Marques du Monde au Grand Palais Auction in Paris on the 7th of February 2013, the estimated price of the Scott Flying Squirrel is $8,000 – $11,000 USD which puts it firmly into affordable ownership territory.

Images courtesy of Bonhams – 2013

from SILODROME

Top !!! The Ultimate ‘Gate Guardian’ - Mirage V

This will frighten the neighbours. ‘Beware of the Dog’ and ‘Premises Alarmed’ signs are soooo last year. What you need to scare away intruders is an ex-Belgian Air Force fighter jet.

The 6,144kg twin-seater made its first operational flight on 11 March 1971 and has a top speed of Mach 2.3. Which is just the thing for long-distance reconnaissance or training missions, with a little light counter-insurgency work thrown in for good measure. 


The Dassault-built example to be offered by Artcurial at its forthcoming 8 February sale won’t be relying on its SNECMA ATAR (with afterburner) turbojet to make its way to 32 Acacia Gardens. As a static object only, it will arrive at your door on the back of a low-loader. 

Estimate: 90,000 to 100,000 euros. 

Related Links For further information on the Mirage V, visit the Classic Driver Marketplace.

Text: Steve Wakefield(ClassicDriver)
Photos: Artcurial

Tattoo Project's 1970 BSA Lightning

Building a custom bike can be one hell of a challenge. And we're not just talking about the skinned knuckles and cold nights with nothing but a greasy lump of metal to keep you warm. No, what we're really getting at is the more intellectual aspects of a customisation. The seemingly simple decisions you have to make about what to do with the bike that will successfully take it from ‘hate’ to ‘great’. Having done this ourselves, we are all too familiar with just how infuriating choosing a seat, picking rubber, or routing an exhaust can be. Thoughts race through your head. "Is this a cliché... is it original... will it look cool?" These things can eat you alive if you let them, but then along comes a bike that slaps you right in your navel-gazing, self-important face. Cue the latest build from Rudy Banny's Tattoo Project Custom Motorcycles. It takes no la-di-da, avanté garde approaches, yet like a simple slice of apple pie and ice cream, it totally manages to hit the spot.

Here's Tattoo's chief, Rudy Banny. “I bought this 1970 BSA Lightning 6 years ago. Apparently the dude at Quality Custom Cycles in Cali brought it back from the dead, and sold to a friend of his that then sold it to me. I kept some of the stuff that QCC did the same, but then I added quite a few of my own touches which I hope make it really sing.”

The stuff that Rudy didn't bin was a short as it was sweet. “I kept the simple Wassell pipes with the brass tips, the Triumph front end, and the vintage King Bee headlight.”

“Apart from many smaller mods, the main modifications I made to the Beezer include removing the side covers to expose the kick-ass dog collar battery strap, cutting off the frame loop and replacing the stock seat with a NitroHeads unit,” he notes. Let's hope it was one of ours, then.

“I also added an old-school tail light to the underside of the rear fender, and lengthened the swing arm 3.5 inches. This gave me the more aggressive stance that I was looking for.” It's the little touches that make all the difference. A simple twist on what you'd expect for a brake light mount seems as revolutionary as it is simple. Impressive stuff.

Who let the dogs out - pooch collar as battery corraller

Lastly, Rudy went new-school to add a little contrast. “The final and most expensive touch was mounting the Ohlins shocks. To me, they really make it.” He concluses by saying, “I love this scrappy bike. It's as loud and fast and mean as it is beautiful.” We hear you Rudy. Well, we would hear you if you'd just kill that British parallel twin idling next to you.

via PIPEBURN