Wrenchmonkees : 4 pattes !

CB750 Budget project by Wrenchmonkees... Simple, elegant, classic, outstanding as usual

via INAZUMA CAFE RACER

Triumph Bonneville “Rivale” By Roberto Rossi

Roberto Rossi is a custom motorcycle builder well-known in his native Italy, and little known outside. This Triumph Bonneville, called Rivale, is the first in a long series of motorcycles which Roberto Rossi has created embracing the philosophy of Charles and Ray Eames. Describing the Rivale, Rossi says he want to combine the authenticity and history with modernity, the old-style image with a modern, everyday use.

Rossi has modified the frame and fitted the gas tank from a vintage Triumph, adapted to its new location. The seat and saddlebag were custom designed for this model. The most eye-catching aspects of the frame are the brush painted designs on the fenders and side panels which was done by Ettore Callegaro. Rossi says his goal is to get a motorcycle to the rugged look while maintaining a sleek, vintage style, and I think he has done it superbly. Take a look!

via:BIKEGLAM

Nokian Tyres Audi RS6 breaks again the fastest car on ice world record with 335.713 km/h

Beating previous 331.610 km/h record

The Audi RS6 has established a new world record for the fastest car on ice, beating its previous record set in 2011.

Two years ago Audi and Nokian tires teamed up to establish the quickest car on ice world record and they were able to reach an average speed of 331.610 km/h (206.05 mph). Now, that record has been taken down by the same Janne Laitinen who averaged 335.713 km/h (208.60 mph).

This was done at the same 12 km ice track in the Gulf of Bothnia in Oulu, Finland. The RS6 was permitted a flying start, with the result consisting of the averaged speed of two runs in both directions. A condition for making the accomplishment Guinness world record-eligible was to complete the runs on natural ice (not treated with chemicals or roughened). In addition, the tires had to be commercially available and road-legal in the country where the record-breaking attempt took place. 

Source: Nokian Tyres

HONDA CB550 BY RACCIA

Let’s face it: A 1970s Honda CB is a pretty easy bike to customize. It looks good straight out of the box, and custom parts are a dime-a-dozen. This CB550 from California-basedRaccia Motorcycles is something special though.

Raccia builds are inspired by the production racers of yesteryear, and this Honda is no exception. “This time round, the Honda RC181 was the source of my enlightenment,” says Raccia main man Mike LaFountain. “I’ve always had a schoolboy crush on the entire Honda RC line up, and the RC181 is absolute perfection.”

The CB550 was not intended to be a replica, though. (“That is a whole different animal.”) It’s LaFountain’s attempt to create something with a parallel beauty, using parts from Japanese production bikes and altering them to create a look reminiscent of the machines that tore around racetracks forty years ago.

The modifications are extensive, starting with the frame: Only a third of the original CB550 metallurgy remains. LaFountain has reverse-engineered a double-cradle race frame to fit the Honda engine and ergonomics. (Given the huge amount of work involved, he’s replicating the custom frame and offering a handful for sale.)

The motor has been heavily upgraded. It’s now running a performance cam, oversized pistons, and a ported and polished cylinder head. The wheels are 18” Excel high shouldered aluminum rims, shod with Avon tires.

The front end is from a CB750, heavily modified, and matched to Works Performance shocks at the rear. The exquisite rear drum brake started life as a CB77 fitment, but like just about everything else on this machine, it’s also been reworked. The front brake is from a Suzuki GT750.

The beautifully-painted tank is not a Honda item, either—it’s from a Kawasaki KZ1000R. It’s a mix-and-match approach, but due to LaFountain’s unerring eye, it all works. He simply enjoys re-engineering old components and unlocking their potential.

“People sometimes ask me, ‘Why don’t you put an engine in a featherbed, or buy an alloy Manx tank? That would make a sweet bike.’ And they’re right,” he says. “But it’s been done.”

“I find my zen in the art of motorcycle building by creating something unique.”

Photography by Gustavo Pena. Visit the Raccia Motorcycles website for more of Mike LaFountain’s work, or check our profile of his amazing Triumph TR6 Trophy custom.

from BIKEEXIF