Defender Challenge: Rd 5 of the series by Bowler takes place this weekend.

Motorsport fans will see six teams compete for top honours, as the inaugural "Defender Challenge by Bowler" rally series will form an integral part of the Woodpecker Stages event in the United Kingdom for the first time.

Teams will be based at Ludlow Racecourse, where scrutineering will take place as well as the official start and finish of the race and awards presentations activity. The all gravel rally course will test the teams and their Bowler-prepared Land Rover Defender 90 vehicles across 43 stage miles and some of the best forest stages in the country.

Heading into Round 5, father and son team Rob and Jonny Harford lead the Championship by just one point from Edd Cobley, who recorded his third victory of the season in the previous round at the Welsh Hill Rally.

"With just three stages to go, it’s exciting to be in contention for the Championship. It’s been a fantastic debut series for the Defender Challenge and with a great sense of camaraderie between all the drivers; we’re looking forward to another race weekend," Cobley said.

"Weather conditions made the previous round in Wales incredibly tough, but the Defender handled everything that was thrown its way and we were delighted to top the podium. I’m expecting another tough test at the Woodpecker Stages, but come rain or shine we will be ready to race and looking to top the podium again."

Well known from the Dakar, the "Race2Recovery" Team also head to Shropshire in good spirits as they push for a fourth consecutive podium finish. The team is comprised of a number of people with disabilities and received backing from long-term partner Land Rover to enable them to compete in the series.

Race2Recovery team member Ben Gott said: "We are continuing to grow as a team and are learning a lot from taking part in our first race series. It’s great to see co-driver Stephanie Boddez gaining more experience and confidence with every round. We’re looking forward to the challenge of securing another podium finish in Ludlow, and the final stages of the Defender Challenge."

2014 is the inaugural year of the Defender Challenge by Bowler race series, which features seven rounds, held across the UK. The series has been created to offer competitors a clear pathway to progress to further international rally raid competition such as the Africa Race and Dakar Rally.

Drew Bowler, Managing Director of Bowler Motorsport will make his rally debut when competing in this weekend’s stage. "With just three rounds to go, the Defender Challenge by Bowler series is really hotting up. The first four rounds have provided some great rallying and we looking forward to seeing six teams tackle the testing all-gravel course in Ludlow," he said.

People wishing to find out more information about the Defender Challenge by Bowler should visit BOWLER MOTORSPORT.
via www.marathonrally.com

‘78 Honda CX500 – Patrick Sauter

Despite what the movies or books may have you believe about tortured artists, the one real killer of great creative ideas is more often than not the disease of over thinking. Forget writer’s block, drugs or a clichéd battle with sanity; we’d wager that getting caught up in the details to the point where you disappear up your own exhaust pipe is more often than not the cause of art that never sees daylight. And the cure is clear. You should always create without the constrains of self-imposed perfection and intricate planning. Just let things go where they take you. That’s what Germany’s Patrick Sauter did. And the result? It’s a bike worthy of Kerouac himself.

As it took Pat nearly a year to build his first bike, this time he wanted to build something in just four weeks and all without reinventing any wheels, rebuilding and engines or cutting any frames. And naturally it would have to be legal on German streets.

“Then I saw this ’78 Honda CX 500 with nearly 100,000 kilometres on the clock for 600 Euros on the internet. Undoubtedly this bike isn’t everyone’s first choice for a unique custom, but I knew that this poor man’s V2-Guzzi had the potential to be an outstanding machine and  could, if done right, blow everyone’s mind. With the exception of a minor oil leak, the bike was more or less in good condition and seemed like a good choice to start a build.”

Pat started by stripping off the fairing and removing all the ‘needless’ parts. His aim was to create nothing more than an honest hot rod bike; something you sit around on on a Sunday evening shooting the shit and burning some rubber with your mates. “As I’m just about to finish my studying, there isn’t that much spare money to put the finest parts on it but fortunately for this bike, I didn’t really have to. I sealed up the oil leak, bought a pair of Avon tires and painted the wheels and forks dark grey. I mounted a new headlight, a simple speedometer and a pair of stubby handlebars.”

The fuel tank was finished with a grinding disk and sealed with clear varnish. The K&N airfilters were a donation from a colleague, for which Pat had to spin up some plastic adapters for. The base of the seat is an old skate deck on top of which he put a rolled up Persian carpet. “I ‘borrowed’ it from my Grandma,” he notes. It’s held in place by a leather belt. Fussy details? Who needs ‘em.

Ready for anything – as long as it’s Persian and has loose pants

“All in all, it’s a bad-ass bike that everybody stares and smiles at. You don’t have to contemplate whether the sitting position is comfy or if the rims are dirty. It just is. I didn’t want to acknowledge a specific genre like café racer or bobber with it. I just wanted a bike with loud pipes where you get on, start the engine and smile. It’s motorcycling in its original form.”

Another Sunday ride ruined by Buster’s lack of opposable thumbs

via PIPEBURN

ANALOG MC CONTINENTAL SCOUT

Working with your passion; is that like meeting your heroes? Not to be done in case expectations outweigh the dreamt outcome. I’ve questioned this many times over the years and been fortunate enough to have indulged liberally in my own passions, and not only been paid for the privilege but I’ve also met many of my heroes and have stored up some tales to tell for when I’m grey and old.

When Tony Prust of Analog Motorcycles sent us a sneak preview of his Indian Continental Scout I was reminded of why I stay up late, get up early and make sacrifices to chase and indulge my passions. I know its only a bike and all this gushy nonsense might have no place here but if you’re anything like me, then the vision, creativity, engineering, craftsmanship and execution of this build will have you salivating over your keyboard. Tony sums up what I am banging on about and completely disproves any theory that working and what you love should be separated.

You discerning and well informed lot out there have probably seen this bike over on BikeExif so I’ll leave the some of the tech details and the official press release until the end of my enthusiastic diatribe.

During a drawn out purchase of a Kawasaki W1, Tony spotted the remnants of a 1949 Indian Scout lying on a disused bench, awaiting attention from an owner already swamped in projects. For 17 years the poor old Scout sat there, gathering dust, seeing seasons in and out with no sign of TLC or the open road. Rescued and installed in Analog’s Gurnee, Illinois headquarters, a final strip down began to save the beating twin cylinder heart.

Capacity has been increased from 440cc to half-a-litre by way of a machined billet engine block, requiring a new lubrication system to be designed. Tony is frequently asked if he could build a Harley-Davidson based project but his love for engines doesn’t quite stretch to Milwaukee’s venerable twin, saying “The engine to me is the heart of the bike and I prefer using engines that have more character. I did however want to build an American made build but my options are limited seeing as HD is the only one with some older bikes that are worthy of customizing. Mostly anything else is super rare and difficult to find. And when you find one you don’t want to customize it. This Indian was too far past a restoration point so it made for a perfect candidate.”

Attention to detail is evident from every angle and present on each and every component, Tony’s dedication to perfection is unswerving, but not without cost. “The build originally started with my buddy that went to the guys shop and saw it with me. I gave him my idea for the bike and we set a budget. Then we blew it like 3 times so I ended up sitting down with him and telling him my creativity for this one was going beyond what we had discussed and that the only way to really pay myself on this one we would probably need to sell. At that point he became the investor in the project.”

With the Isle of Man Classic TT just behind us my mind is full of the sights and smells of race bikes from a bygone era, I didn’t make it to ‘the island’ this time but daydreamed hard enough to imagine I had. With the current trend of stripped-out, nakeds with fat-forked front ends I welcome a more classical machine to our pages and would trade an internal organ, perhaps one that comes in pairs, for a ride on Tony’s handiwork. Although I’m not sure one of my pickled kidneys will do the trick.

Tony’s focus and driver is not financial, for sure he still needs to pay Analog MC’s bills but it’s the shared enthusiasm for doing something just right, for others to marvel at that keeps him going late into the night. That said, everything has its price; “And once complete we would see where it landed cost wise and he would either buy me out of my portion or we would sell and recoup costs and split anything left over. So there is a magical number we are looking to get but not throwing it out there just yet. It isn’t cheap though as it’s a completely hand built machine so it’s not priced for the faint of heart. But if you are interested feel free to send me your offers and I can let you know if you are near the top of the list or not”.

Tony, I have a Kidney, in fair condition with relatively low mileage, a ’66 Honda Scrambler, an ’01 Cagiva special, some Silver Jubilee coins with the Queen on them, a gold pen my godfather gave me and a nearly complete 1/4″ drive socket set from Halfords which I can offer as a deposit. Am I near the top?

If you are lucky enough to live, or are visiting, the land of the free and brave (I know that’s not exactly how it goes) then you are in for a treat. The bike will be on display at the Harely-Davidson museum in Milwaukee this weekend and an invitational bike show. Tony is also planning on taking it to the Barber Vintage festival in Alabama this October. Then the plan is hold onto it and take to the Qual gathering in May next year and show it off there a bit. Sounds arduous, I’m sure I could swap my BSMC t-shirt for an Analog one for a weekend and come lend a hand. That OK Dutch?

Many of our readers point out when a bike looks like an unrideable show pony and there have been a fair few dubious designs of late that look scary standing still. This diminutive Indian will not attract such comment, it looks as if riding the IOM mountain course was high on the design agenda, Tony reckons; “It rides great. Still working out a few bugs but nothing major. For a 500cc 65 year old engine and design it’s not a bad little machine. I think Indian was on to something but didn’t spend enough time in the development stages to make it last. It’s light and nibble as well. I’d guess 380lbs and maybe 38 hp. This is merely a guess but shouldn’t be too far off”.

I think that is my favourite part of the whole bike as it sums up the desire to improve performance to the nth degree. Cooling fins on the velocity stack ensuring the fuel/air mix is as dense as possible, probably necessary in the land of the warm and the dry but not so much on the Isle of Man last week.

Not something we usually do but below is the Anolog MC Continetal Scout press release, we wanted to use the space above for some of the builder’s own words. There are more pictures over on BikeExif as Analog were kind enough to supply different photos to each blog/website featuring the bike.

Once you’re done with all of that, check out the other Analog bikes that have been through The Shed, you’ll see the common theme, attention to detail and the quest for perfection.

Photography courtesy of Whiplash Racing Media

1949 Indian Continental Scout by Analog Motorcycles

The details:

-Track Master style frame made by Frame Crafters

-All aluminum tank, seat and fairing designed by Analog formed by Pavletic Metal Shaping

-Brass light covers and fender formed by Mike Ardito

-Polishing by Mike’s Polishing, Rodsmith, and Analog

-Engine built by Bill Bailey of ZyZX Vintage Motorcycles

-Engine has hand cut billet cyclinder, 12 volt conversion and Dyna III electronic ignition.

-Carburetor Amal 928

-Exhaust custom made by Analog with parts and stubby mufflers from Cone Engineering

-Custom made oil tank with internal plumbing made by Chassis Services

-All plumbing designed and made by Analog

-Paint and clear coat by Kiel of Crown Autobody

-Gold leaf and pin striping by Brando

-Seat by Rod’s Designs

-Magura controls

-Speedometer designed and rebuilt by Seattle Speedometer

-Tarrozi rear sets

-Betor Forks and triples

-TZ750 hubs with custom detailing by Analog

-Spokes and rims made by Buchanan’s

-Speedo mount, rear sprocket and oil manifold machined by Free Form Design

-Gas cap by Crime Scene Choppers

-Piaa LED headlights

-Radiantz puck LED taillight frenched into seat hump

-All custom electrical. Battery and fuse block under seat hump

-Custom made bar switch by Analog,

-Modified GSXR windscreen

-Maund Speed equip velocity stack

-Avon Road Rider tires

-All custom made cables by Ed Zender at Morries place

-Extremely strange and difficult to design custom kick starter lever (version 5) by Analog

-Top oiler lines made by HEL brake lines

-Probably forgetting a bunch 

via The Bike Shed

KEVILS RIVA

The latest custom Boxer to roll out of Kevils Speedshop is this 1981 R100 commissioned by Kris, a restaurant owner based just off the coat of Belgium. Having just spent the weekend there we can vouch for there being some beautifully smooth roads, complete with sweeping curves – despite the flat landscape.

Kris and his wife visited Kev in his Paignton workshop on a rainy day back in February. The brief was to build a bike themed on the Riva speedboats he’d seen on Lake Garda in Italy, with their richly polished wood and brightly coloured turquoise and chrome fittings.

Undaunted by the idea of building a bike designed to emulate a boat, Kev and his team set to work on modifying the punchy R100 donor into something with German engineering rebuilt to Devon standards, with a touch of Italian style.

This is the first Kevils bike to have all the cast alloy components vapour blasted, which gives a lovely finish that matches the bright silver powdercoated framework, and was perfect for the brief on this build.

The subframe, block-like seat and integrated luggage rack all sit very high on this build, as Kris is quite tall. This was matched with high mountings for the front and rear fenders and braced bars with a higher sweep than usual.

Black satin powdercoat is complemented by chrome and and polished alloy. The turquoise paint is actually “almond green” from the Ruby Helmets colour catalogue, which was originally to match a new helmet Kris had wanted, but in the end he got a black one.

As with all Kevils bikes, this was a full, ‘nut & bolt, ground-up build’  with every part refreshed, rebuilt, replaced or upgraded, using many of Kevil’s own parts, including the high-level brushed stainless steel exhaust system, top yoke plate and front mudguard stays. The end result is a bike that’s as good as – or better than – new.

Thanks again to Kev Hill for sharing his latest creation, and to Ashley Kent for the photos, taken appropriately enough in a disused boat shed in Dartmouth.

See more from Kevils Speedshop here on The Bike Shed’s Kevils pages, their Facebook page and Website.

via The Bike Shed