NEPAL’S RS MOTO GC125

As far as most people are concerned, Kathmandu in Nepal is about as far away from Western civilisation as it’s possible to get. It conjures up images of lost Himalayan citadels, ancient legends, monks, Yak’s milk tea, impassable trails and the Yeti… So we were more than pleasantly surprised to get this sweet like 125cc build from Raajib Sayami of RS MOTO in the ancient mountain city. …Who knew?

“I wanted to do something with motorcycles but I was just playing bass in a band with pretty much no idea about building machines.  This is my attempt at least to start learning. And I’m still learning”

The bike is a 1982 Honda CG125, but remaking her into something more desirable wasn’t going to be straight forward in a place with strict rules that no-one quite understands. “The rules and laws are crazy in Nepal. You can’t change any parts on the motorcycle, and if you do change anything, it’s considered modification, which is illegal. So if you do anything to a motorcycle, it’s on your own risk when you drive in town. No one knows how much you gotta pay for what you did on your bike..sometimes just changing a different type of mirror cost you Rs 5,000. Traffic police in Kathmandu just don’t like to see bikes that look different.”

“I did what I love to – it’s my freedom. I started working on my bikes, people got interested looking at my bikes and then I helped a few friends and friends of friends. I always get help from people when I need it. Working with motorcycles became a way of educating myself. The last two years or so my life has been motorcycles. Last year I decided to give name my operation a name: RS MOTO.

…All I remember is the frame and few parts of the engine in a box on my friend’s basement floor. Everything I needed was there, it was just in pieces. Then I decided to make something new that was true to the original motorcycle. I wanted to make this bike alive and running.”

The tank comes from a CG110 mounted to the standard frame, although the swingarm has been lengthened. The front forks are from a Honda CBZ and the rear light is made by Stanley and the front from an XL. The engine is standard but has been rebuilt, and free breathing carbs suck in the air while burnt gases exit through a wrapped pipe with home built custom exhaust. Wiring is all new. The handlebar is from a Ducati 796.

Despite the bike’s remote roots, it’s not here for any other reason than we like it. It’s a well-made custom bike worthy of sharing on The Bike Shed. Thanks to Raajib and RS Moto. See more on his Facebook Page. “This bike is light and small and easy to ride in a traffic and gulli way (small alleys) of Kathmandu… Just a fun everyday city ride.” What more could anyone want?

The Great Australian Ride 2014

Red Bull Stratos - The Full Story

October 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner ascended more than 24 miles above Earth's surface to the edge of space in a stratospheric balloon. Millions across the globe watched as he opened the door of the capsule, stepped off the platform, and broke the speed of sound while free falling safely back to Earth. Felix set three world records that day—and inspired us all to reach beyond the limits of our own realities, and reimagine our potential to achieve the incredible. 
 
GoPro was honored to be a part of this epic achievement, with seven HERO2 cameras documenting every moment. From the airless freeze of outer space, to the record-breaking free fall and momentous return to ground—see it all through Felix's eyes as captured by GoPro, and experience this incredible mission like never before. No one gets you closer than this.

Shot 100% on the HD HERO2® camera from http://GoPro.com.

Vous pensiez avoir tout vu du saut de Felix Baumartner, le parachutiste autrichien qui a battu le 14 octobre 2012 le record du monde de saut en chute libre ? C'est raté. L'un de ses sponsors, la marque de caméras embarquées GoPro, a mis en ligne vendredi 31 janvier une nouvelle vidéo de l'exploit, avec des images inédites.

Celles-ci, vertigineuses, permettent de suivre au plus près le saut de plus de 39 000 mètres du casse-cou. On apprend également, grâce à l'enregistrement de la conversation entre Baumgartner et l'organisation au sol, que le parachutiste a failli s'évanouir lors de sa performance.

En un peu plus de 24 heures, la vidéo de GoPro a été vue à plus d'un million et demi de reprises. De bonne augure pour la marque, qui compte exploiter ces images en diffusant une publicité dimanche lors de la finale du Super Bowl, le championnat de football américain.

MAUSER MONOTRACE

The Mauser Monotrace is one of those historical automotive curiosities that was almost forgotten, until the need for ultra-efficient cars with low aero-drag came back into vogue with the recent trend towards electric cars.

The Monotrace Car was created by Mauser, formerly a German firearms manufacturer that had been prohibited from making rifles in the years after WWII. They applied their machining abilities in a few new and novel ways, one of which was to create tandem, two-wheeled car.

It was fitted with a 510cc four-stroke engine and a pair of stabiliser wheels that could be lowered or raised by puling a lever. The wheels would retract upwards but would remain in an outward facing position so that if the driver forgot to lower them, the Monotrace would fall onto the wheel to avoid body damage.

There isn’t much reliable information on the Mauser Monotrace available online, but if you’d like to read more you can click here and here.