WSBK: Shocked BMW team heads to Silverstone

The announcement from BMW Motorrad Motorsport last week that it will withdraw from the FIM Superbike World Championship at the end of the 2013 season left in shock the whole paddock, but it goes without saying that those who got affected the most by the surprise decision of the German manufacturer are the guys of the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK (and STK) team. They probably didn’t see that coming either, but the squad wants to remain focused on claiming more strong results in the remaining rounds of the season.

Poor Marco Melandri is actually quite used to this situtation: this is his third season in the WSBK championship, and for the third time in a row he’s getting the boot from his team in spite of his unquestionably excellent results. It happened with Yamaha in 2011 and with the BMW Motorrad factory team last year. Since the news came out, the Italian press has been linking the 30-years-old to a factoty ride with Aprilia, but it might be just a little too early to get in that sort of speculations.

After riding his BMW S 1000 RR to victory in the only race of the tragic Russian GP, Marco improved to third in the Riders’ classification with 207 points, 32 points adrift of reinstated leader Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing). This means that the Italian is actually a strong contender for the 2013 title, but there can be no doubt that BMW’s great escape is not going to help the cause. Melandri knows that only too well, but will try to give his best to make his crew happy. Read what he and team mate Chaz Davies said right after the jump.

Here’s what Marco Melandri about the upcoming Silverstone races:

“Silverstone is a great and fast track and at the same time it is also very difficult due to its changes of pace and bumpy surface but I still really like it. I hope that the weather - which is always unpredictable in the UK - will be good this time. I’m sorry for the decision BMW has taken but unfortunately I’m used to such situations. I’m not really worried because for us riders it is always possible to find a solution, although, of course, at this important stage of the season it is not good for our mood. I hope that the experience will help me to handle it.”

Team mate Chaz Davies finished second in Russia and is now fifth in the standings with 174 points. Silverstone will be the second home round of the season for the Welshman after the Donington Park round at the end of May, but Davies cannot help to express his disappointment with the recent decision from BMW:

“Of course I feel sorry about BMW Motorrad’s decision, but this year we still have a long season ahead of us with many rounds in which we want to continue to be successful. So we keep being focused and working hard. The next round is my home race at Silverstone. Even though I would not rank it as one of my most favourite circuits, I quite enjoy riding there. It is different challenges because it is quite fast and open. In addition, you find different corners on this circuit than you find anywhere else. It is completely flat but it is very difficult to set the bike up, especially a Superbike, because it is bumpy. There is a lot of work in setting the suspension up and sometimes you get it right and sometimes you can get it wrong. It is a really demanding circuit for the crews. I am looking forward to racing at home. Superbikes are pretty popular in the UK and I hope that a lot of people will come to watch me.”

Serafino Foti, Sport Director of the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team, commented:

“We have noted and accepted the strategic decision that the company has taken and I want to thank BMW Motorrad for the level of competitiveness we have reached and for the great performance in the season so far. Our riders are doing very well and they will go on this way until the end of the season, keeping their focus on the present because the results we are achieving now are the base on which we will now build our future. All the guys from the team are doing the same and will continue to do their best and, for sure, the decision will not have any influence on the rest of the season because they are real professionals. This year in Silverstone, we will race on the same track layout as we did in 2011, which is quite different from the Moscow circuit, but we’ll do our best and we’ll be competitive.”

Just like Melandri, Technical Director Andrea Dosoli also lost his job last year when BMW decided to get rid of its factory team, and eventually found a place in the GoldBet SBK team, which had become a sort of half-official arm of the Bavarian brand in the World Superbike series. These are his professional thoughts in view of the Silverstone round.

“After the very emotional race weekend we experienced in Moscow, the team also had to learn and understand the strategic decision taken by BMW for the future of the SBK project. The last few days were not the easiest ones for all of us but I’m sure that all the guys will keep working as usual. They are professional and very much motivated to achieve, race by race, the results that all of us deserve. In Moscow we’ve seen that both riders were quite fast in both dry and wet conditions. This will be very important for the next race in Silverstone where the weather can change quickly, as we saw last year.

The British track is one of the longest circuits of the calendar with very fast corners where the riders can use a smooth and flowing riding style, it’s a technical circuit where the side grip is quite important especially in the long turns. Both riders will start with basically the same bike we successfully used in Russia, and we’ll work mainly on the set up. Both the team and the riders are looking forward to the Silverstone races, with a clear target of consolidating what we have shown in Moscow. Both riders are in good shape and they will have extra motivation with it being Chaz’s home race and for Marco his ‘second’ home race as he used to live in England.”

from TWOWHEELSBLOG

See See Motorcycles Black Badger cl90

Hahah, this is great!

See See Motorcycles built a 1969 Honda cl90 for Gerber legendary blades. The bike was designed to be a portable camp bike. complete with machete, multi tool and even shovel. It was featured in sideburnmag.com issue #14. order the mag for a full story. We love motorcycles!

See See Motorcycles Black Badger cl90 from see see motorcycles on Vimeo.

Lancia Aurelia B20 GT: Everything your heart desires

The Lancia Aurelia B20 GT has everything an Italian coupé of the 1950s requires: performance, comfort, style – and a competition history. We discovered a particularly lovely 5th Series example of this sophisticated post-War beauty in London.

The feminine curves of the front of the Aurelia melt into a flowing roofline, ending in even more curvaceous loveliness at the rear. Once you’ve seen an Aurelia in profile, it’s a vision you’re unlikely to forget. Nor is it just the youthful appeal of the coupé and convertible versions that can be hailed as a success: the same goes for the entire Aurelia family. And in addition to the adulation it received for its styling, there was also the no small matter of its race and rally success.

This competition prowess was helped by the adoption of a superb Vittorio Jano-designed V6 engine – initially 1.8 litres, but growing over time through 2.0 litres to 2.5 litres.

The fact that the Lancia Aurelia was actively successful in competition means that, today, it is a firm favourite for many major historic events. It’s no surprise, for example, to learn that the 5^th Series GT shown here has been a participant in the Tour Espana, Tour Auto, Coupe des Alpes and Gstaad Classic.

But that’s not the sole reason for us taking a particular liking to this car. Rather, it’s the total package, including attractive two-tone paintwork – blue-grey and midnight blue – along with cream wheels and partly cream interior. According to the vendor, this Aurelia “was undoubtedly used for rallies or circuit racing in its day”, as evidenced by its rare Nardi kit. 

For a large part of its life, this Aurelia resided in Malibu, California. It was only in 2006 that it returned to Europe and was comprehensively restored at KCA in Turin, the Lancia expert par excellence. Currently equipped with Belgian papers, the Aurelia has valid FIA papers and, we’re told (for a little added interest), it was once the property of a former Belgian Prime Minister. With a history to be proud of, the Italian beauty is for sale from DD Classics in London.

Photos: Jan Baedeker

This stunning and beautifully restored 1956 Lancia Aurelia B20GT Fifth Series is currently for sale at DD Classics in London. 

Jyväskylä,centre of the world / centre du monde (rallystique)

One week every year, the central Finnish town of Jyväskylä becomes the centre of the world, at least for rally enthusiasts. Apart from the Rally Finland, however, it serves as a handy base for tourists, has a thriving university to ensure good nightlife and has produced many world-class sports personalities for its size.

Un week-end par an, Jyväskylä vit au rythme du rallye. Mais outre le Rallye de Finlande, c’est une ville universitaire très animée et un lieu prisé des touristes. De nombreuses personnalités sont issues de Jyväskylä.

Finland’s round of the World Rally Championship was first organised in September 1951, 23 years before the WRC was invented. Every one of the 63 editions so far has been based in Jyväskylä and, indeed, the event was initially known as the Jyväskylän Suurajot (Jyväskylä Grand Prix).

Throughout its history, it has always been a ‘summer’ event. That’s not a guarantee of great weather, of course, even though competitors are frequently treated to hot, sunny conditions. However, its mid-season slot on the calendar does mean there is always plenty of daylight for spectators to enjoy the stage action.

Jyväskylä sits about 500km south of the Arctic Circle, so it is not in the land of the midsummer sun. Even so, it never actually gets dark here in June and there are only about four hours of ‘real’ night-time at this time of year (late July/early August).

Naturally, it’s the opposite in winter, when the region is essentially plunged in darkness, yet that doesn’t mean everything stops in the world of motorsport. We asked Mikko Hirvonen, who has lived in Jyväskylä since he was 15, what keeps an upcoming rally driver busy here during the darker part of the year?

“There’s actually quite a lot happening in winter,” he informed us. “Within a 100km radius of Jyväskylä, there are four or five fairly big rallies, not to mention a lot of rally sprint events and autocross competitions on frozen lakes. So there are plenty of chances to practice!”

Jyväskylä, which has a population of almost 170,000, has plenty to offer fans of other sports, too. Wikipedia lists around 10 residents who can claim either world or Olympic titles. “The most famous star from here is undoubtedly the ski jumper Matti Nykänen, who has won four Olympic gold medals and five world championship gold medals,” added Hirvonen.

The list continues with other winter sport experts, but perhaps the most famous non-sporting personality to have come from Jyväskylä is the world-renowned architect Alvar Aalto (1898-1976).

La première édition du Rallye de Finlande remonte à septembre 1951, 23 ans avant la création du Championnat du monde des Rallyes FIA. Les 63 éditions organisées jusque-là se sont toutes déroulées à Jyväskylä et, d’ailleurs, ce rallye s’appelait à l’origine Jyväskylän Suurajot (le Grand-Prix de Jyväskylä).

Ce rallye a toujours été organisé l’été. Ce n’est pas forcément un gage de beau temps, mais cette période estivale permet surtout aux spectateurs de profiter de journées très longues. Jyväskylä se trouve à environ 500 km au sud du Cercle polaire arctique, il n’y donc pas de « soleil de minuit ». Malgré tout, il ne fait jamais vraiment nuit-noire ici au mois de juin et la nuit ne dure que quatre petites heures de juillet à août.

Evidemment, c’est l’inverse en hiver : la région est alors plongée dans la pénombre pendant de longues périodes, mais la vie ne s’arrête pas pour autant. Nous avons demandé à Mikko Hirvonen, qui habite ici depuis l’âge de 15 ans, ce qui se passait dans le coin en hiver.

« Beaucoup de choses pour les fans de sport auto ! Dans un rayon de 100 km autour de Jyväskylä, il y a déjà quatre ou cinq rallyes hivernaux, sans parler d’une multitude de Rally-Sprint et d’Autocross sur des lacs gelés. On a donc de quoi s’entraîner ! »

Jyväskylä, qui compte environ 170 000 habitants, propose également de nombreuses autres activités. Selon Wikipedia, au moins dix sportifs issus de Jyväskylä brillent ou ont brillé dans des championnats du monde ou aux Jeux Olympiques. « Le plus connu est sans doute Matti Nykänen qui a remporté quatre médailles d’or aux JO et cinq titres mondiaux en saut à ski », nous informe Mikko.

La liste continue avec d’autres célébrités des sports d’hiver, alors que le plus connu né à Jyväskylä en dehors du monde sportif est peut-être l’architecte Alvar Aalto (1898-1976).

Moto Guzzi V35 by Marco Matteucci

10 ways to wear sunglasses (and keep a secret)

Nothing defines the wearer’s ‘cool’ quotient so instantly and forcefully as sunglasses. We’ve looked through the photo albums of the stars to find 10 classic looks that you might choose to adopt this summer.

Is John F. Kennedy pondering the Soviet threat, as his pensive gaze sweeps across the crowds? Or is he simply dreaming of his next holiday – Hyannis Port, perhaps, with an icy daiquiri in his hand? We’ll never know: the black Wayfarers protect his secret. And has Hunter S. Thompson put himself in the mood for waving his gun around in the desert thanks to grass, LSD or amphetamines? Are his pupils as big as saucers or pin-prick small? Whatever the truth, his privacy is ensured by his Aviators. Meanwhile, Johnny Hallyday could be taking a quick nap while ladies attend to his hair and nails, but his black-lensed sunglasses mean we can only speculate.

Once they step outside the film studio, the stars know to protect their expressions behind dark glasses. And we can learn from them – not just in the selection of timeless sunglasses brands, but also in how to carry off the style. You only have to allow your gold-rimmed Raybans to slide (slightly unevenly) down your nose, while you puff on a cigarette and look unremittingly cool, and there you have it: you’re the spitting image of Keith Richards.

Photos: Getty Images Via Classic Driver

UN POINT AU CHAMPIONNAT AVANT LES BLANCPAIN 1000.

A une manche de la fin de saison Blancpain Endurance Series, tout reste ouvert pour les championnats Pro-Cup et Pro-Am Cup. En revanche tout c'est joué en Gentlemen Trophy avec le titre pour le Team SOFREV-ASP.

A quelques heures de la fin des 24 Heures de Spa, l'équipage du Kessel Racing pouvait espérer faire la bonne affaire en Pro-Cup mais l'abandon sur casse moteur n'a pas permis à Davide Rigon, Daniel Zampieri et Cesar Ramos de s'envoler au championnat. Malgré tout, c'est bien l'équipage de la Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 qui reste aux commandes avant les Blancpain 1000 qui se disputeront au Nürburgring à la rentrée. Avec 50 points (seulement 5 points marqués à Spa), le trio compte deux petits points d'avance sur Frank Stippler et Christopher Mies (21 points marqués à Spa), mais aussi sur l'un des vainqueurs du jour, à savoir Maximilian Buhk (38 marqués à Spa). Depuis l'année passée, le jeune Allemand étonne par sa pointe de vitesse. En seulement deux manches Blancpain Endurance Series, Buhk peut jouer la couronne finale surtout que HTP Motorsport compte bien être présent au Nürburgring. Chez Marc VDS Racing Team, Bas Leinders, Maxime Martin et Yelmer Buurman (16 points marqués à Spa) restent eux aussi dans la course au titre avec trois points de retard sur les hommes de tête. Deuxièmes des 24 Heures de Spa, Lieb/Lietz/Pilet ne disputent pas l'intégralité du championnat. C'est cet équipage a récupéré le plus de points sur la totalité de l'épreuve (39). Schneider/Götz sont à une longueur. Les grands perdants restent Ortelli/Vanthoor/Rast et Leclerc/Soucek/Parisy, ces deux équipages ne ramenant pas un seul point de Belgique. Du côté des équipes, Marc VDS Racing Team est aux commandes avec 66 points contre 58 au Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, 53 au Kessel Racing et 49 au HTP Motorsport.

Un seul homme en tête dans la classe Pro-Am Cup avec Lucas Ordonez qui s'est assuré 28 points supplémentaires pour compter 61 points mais Peter Pyzera n'est qu'à 4 longueurs. Et si un « gamer » raflait le titre ? Malchanceux à Spa, Hommerson/Machiels/Bertolini restent en course avec un handicap de 11 points. Le tandem Badey/Hassid peut lui aussi compter rafler la mise mais il faudra pour cela briller dans l'Eifel sans que la concurrence se mette en avant. La Nissan GT Academy Team RJN compte 80 points au classement Equipes contre 79 à AF Corse, 42 au TDS Racing, 41 à Black Falcon et 36 à SMP Racing.

La messe est dite en Gentlemen Trophy. Avec un total de 111 points, Jean-Luc Beaubelique, Jean-Luc Blanchemain et Patrice Goueslard sont déjà titré. L'équipage de la Ferrari 458 Italia GT3/Team SOFREV-ASP a assommé la concurrence en marquant pas moins de 49 points, soit le maximum possible. Leonardo Gorini est seul deuxième mais 51 points plus loin. Le Team SOFREV-ASP a également mis la main sur le championnat Equipes. Sport Garage est remonté en deuxième position devant AF Corse, Kessel Racing, ARC Bratislava et Delahaye Racing.

Le classement du championnat avant la dernière manche est ici.

Laurent Mercier(Endurance-Info)

HONDA CB350 BY GASSER CUSTOMS

Gasser is a custom and vintage bike shop in Southern California that we haven’t come across before. But it’s a name to watch: the Honda CB350 shown here has just taken first place in the ‘Classic Metric’ class at the L.A. Calendar Bike show in Long Beach.

Builder Adam Gaspic has put a lot of work into the CB350, which arrived at his workshop in boxes. It’s actually easier to say what hasn’t been modified than what has, but here’s a taste.

The engine has been totally rebuilt back to factory specs, with new valves, springs, gaskets and seals throughout—plus a .50 mm overbore for the cylinders. New pistons were installed, and Adam planed .010 thou off the head and treated it to a light port job.

The carburetors have been completely rebuilt and jetted for the pod filters and scrambler pipes, which Adam fashioned from 304 stainless steel. The electrics have been refreshed with a rewire and new Dyna ignition coils, and the driveline was reinvigorated with a new clutch and a 17-tooth sprocket.

The frame was stripped back to bare metal and detabbed and modified to take the café-style seat. The tailsection is now fiberglass. The front end was stripped down and rebuilt, and vintage-style shocks with progressive springs fitted at the back. The wheels have been powder coated and laced with new spokes.

Also featured on this bike are Gasser Customs’ new billet aluminum top triple trees (above), which have just gone on sale through Gasser’s online store along with the scrambler pipes.

“The bike rides as good as it looks,” says Adam. “It corners like it’s on rails, and breaks necks wherever it goes!” And like all CB350s from Gasser Customs, it can do the ton—and then some.

Good to see a show-winner that’s equally at home on the road. Head over to the Gasser Customs website for more vintage goodness.

from BIKEEXIF

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