LES 24 HEURES DE SPA DU SMP RACING EN VIDÉO.

Cette saison, SMP Racing est présent sur tous les fronts : Blancpain Endurance Series, European Le Mans Series et même une présence en International GT Open. Avec quatre Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 au départ des 24 Heures de Spa, le team russe avait de quoi bien figurer en Pro-Am Cup. Une des autos du SMP Racing s'est mise en évidence dès le départ bien malgré elle avec un Alessandro Pier Gudi en tête à queue dans le Raidillon, l'Italien étant miraculeusement évité par le reste du peloton. Au final, SMP Racing a rempli sa mission spadoise puisque les quatre Ferrari ont rallié l'arrivée dans le Top 8 de la classe. Une belle performance quand on voit le nombre de GT3 qui n'ont pas reçu le drapeau à damier. Mediani/Ladygin/Shaitar/Salo sont montés sur la deuxième marche du podium, Zlobin/Persiani/Ladygin/Babini terminant au 5ème rang. Septième place pour Basov/Bobbi/Skryabin/Pier Guidi devant Aleshin/Move/Markosov/Frolov. L'écurie russe a mis en vidéo ses belles 24 Heures de Spa. On retrouvera le SMP Racing en European Le Mans Series aussi bien en LMP2 qu'en GTC. L'objectif de l'équipe est de rafler la couronne GTC afin de décrocher un ticket pour la classique mancelle 2014.

Laurent Mercier(Endurance-Info)

“Choices” Featuring Kurt Caselli on his RedBull KTM Rally Bike and FMF KTM Baja Bike - See more at: http://blog.derestricted.com/racing/choices-featuring-kurt-caselli-on-his-redbull-ktm-rally-bike-and-fmf-ktm-baja-bike/#sthash.JnFWMt79.dpuf

Dirtbike Magazine has long been friends with the man of offroad Kurt Caselli. We spoke with him weeks ago about shooting a cover on his Rally bike that gave him so much success in his first ever Dakar Rally earlier in the year. Kurt now has the option to ride Rally and Baja. He is such a well rounded rider and has phenomenal bike skill. This video is only a mild respresentation of what Kurt can really do. Shot on the RED by Travis Fant. - 

Bonneville Speed Week 2013 at Bonneville Salt Flat

Speed Week at the Bonneville Speedway at the Bonneville Salt Flats produced the usual crop of wild and wacky machines that made the 36,650 acre site in Wendover, Utah famous. Over the past 100 years a variety of cars have been used to set the land speed record including Malcolm Campbell in the Blue Bird when he established a 301.129mph speed in 1937 that only lasted a few months. A year later, Captain G.E.T. Eyston’s 3,600-horsepower Thunderbolt recorded a 347.49mph average speed, and then 30 years later American Craig Breedlove pushed the record to 407.447mph.

From the 1980s the place to make the land speed record changed to Black Rock Desert, but not before a 630.478mph run was recorded by Gary Gabelich in Blue Flame on the salt. This year’s event didn’t establish any world land speed records but the organisers, the Southern California Timing Association, have established land speed records for cars in just about every category imaginable so any car can compete for a record. Cars with two-stroke engines like the Saab 96 competed alongside machines with six or eight cylinders but for their own land speed category.

The venue that was made famous by the movie The World’s Fastest Indian, has always attracted motorcylists and this year’s event was no different. Machines with anything from 50cc to 500cc were raced along the salt surface in the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials event sanctioned by the AMA. Although they don’t get near the 630.478mph speed Gabelich set in 1970, a bike has recorded a 376.363mph speed in the hands of Rocky Robinson in 2010.

Bonneville SpeedWeek 2013

via EUROCARBLOG

WALT SIEGL DUCATI CAFE RACER

There’s a steady demand for Walt Siegl’s Leggero café racers. And looking at these images of his latest build, it’s not hard to see why: timeless lines, well-chosen components, and immaculate build quality. Siegl is a keen racer too, so these bikes can hold their own on the most demanding of roads.

Siegl offers a range of options for his Leggero model: this machine has the mono shock, and painted rather than exposed carbon bodywork. It also features a more upright riding position than usual, to suit the style of the owner.

“The bike was ordered by a client who already owns three of my machines,” Walt tells us. “The donor bike was a 1995 Monster 900. The owner prefers an upright riding style, so I had the chance to install higher-than-usual clip-ons made by LSL.” As you can see, they suit the profile of the bike just as well as lower bars.

Siegl’s client is a big guy, so this time the suspension is fully adjustable Showa Superbike forks. Siegl also modified the Showa monoshock with a heavier spring.

The engine received a set of rebuilt Ducati 900 SS heads. “The SS heads breathe a bit better then the Monster heads,” says Siegl. “They have larger valves, more aggressive cams, and a bath-tub shaped combustion chamber instead of the hemi-style chamber of the Monster.” There’s a useful rather than dramatic improvement in performance. “Not so dramatic that I would suggest every Monster owner trashes their cylinder heads,” Siegl reports.

As with all other carbureted Legerro models, Siegl built custom manifolds to use with 39mm Keihin FCRs. “I prefer to use the Keihins over other brands for their fantastic throttle response—when set up properly.” A shaved flywheel and a taller-than-stock final drive ratio allow the bike to show just the right amount of hooligan character when called for.

The wheels are stock Brembos, powder coated satin black. “I stick with them because the design works well with the overall look of the Leggero, unless the client opts for something lighter,” says Siegl. The stainless headers are also stock, albeit polished, and are fitted with custom stainless reverse cone mufflers.

The wiring harness is streamlined with the help of a Motogadget m-Unit. “There’s no need for bulky relays any more, and it makes for a cleaner installation.” The tach is also by Motogadget. Siegl is a fan: “Their stuff always works flawlessly.”

Siegl takes every bike for several shakedown rides before delivering it to his client, but that’s hardly a chore. “The Leggeros always make me grin silly when riding them!”

If you want to experience the magic of a true modern café racer for yourself, contact Siegl via his website. But if you can only dream, head over to our Archives for coverage of Siegl’s previous builds.

from BIKEEXIF