Bad To The Bone X Dimitri Coste

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24 Heures Moto : une finale disputée / looking forward to a thriller!

Comme lors des deux années précédentes, les 24 Heures Moto, disputées les 20 et 21 septembre, vont clôturer le championnat du monde d’Endurance (EWC). Outre l’enjeu pour la victoire, cette ultime confrontation sera décisive pour l’attribution du titre mondial mais également de la Coupe du monde qui récompense la meilleure équipe SuperStock.

Victoire, titre mondial, vainqueur de la Coupe du monde et météo, la finale du championnat du monde d’Endurance s’annonce indécise à plusieurs niveaux.

Mathématiquement, sept équipes peuvent encore prétendre au titre mondial. 40 points sont à empocher par l’équipage victorieux avec un bonus de 10 points pour le leader après huit et 16 heures de course.

Avec 21 points d’avance sur son premier challenger, le GMT 94 (Michelin) emmené par David Checa, Kenny Foray et Mathieu Gines, semble le mieux placé pour conquérir un second titre mondial après celui décroché en 2004. Régulier et fiable sur les trois précédentes courses, le GMT 94 ne s’est pas encore imposé cette saison. Sereine et confiante, l’équipe de Christophe Guyot visera un second succès au Mans pour coiffer une nouvelle couronne.

Deuxième au général, le Bolliger Team Switzerland, équipe privée parmi les plus expérimentées du plateau reste un prétendant sérieux au titre.

Le candidat le plus redoutable et le principal favori reste le Kawasaki SRC. Vainqueur des quatre dernières éditions, l’équipe officielle Kawasaki pointe à la troisième place à 22 points seulement du GMT 94. Grégory Leblanc, tout juste auréolé d’un deuxième titre de champion de France, Fabien Foret et Matthieu Lagrive se relayeront au guidon de la Kawasaki n°11 avec pour objectif le doublé, victoire et titre.

Quatrième et cinquième, Honda Racing et le SERT conservent leur chance de titre. L’équipe officielle Honda (Gimbert/Da Costa/F.Foray) a remporté sa première victoire de la saison lors des 8 Heures d’Oschersleben après deux abandons au Bol d’Or et à Suzuka. Seul équipage composé de trois vainqueurs des 24 Heures Moto, Honda Racing tentera de remporter une seconde victoire consécutive.

A l’issue d’une saison décevante enraillée de chutes, le SERT, champion du monde en titre, compte 47 points de retard sur le leader. Vincent Philippe, Erwan Nigon et Anthony Delhalle jetteront toutes leurs forces dans la bataille pour assurer une 14^ème couronne mondiale à Suzuki. Relégués également  à 47 points du GMT 94, le Team Motors Events April Moto (Suzuki) et National Motos (Honda) peuvent également prétendre au titre.

En catégorie Superstock, les enjeux sont tout aussi importants. Le Junior Team LMS Suzuki est en tête avec neuf points d’avance sur Penz13.com Franks Autowelt Racing Team qui a recruté Sylvain Barrier, pilote en championnat du monde Superbike (WSBK). Neuf équipes sont en lice pour décrocher la Coupe du monde FIM d’Endurance.

Autre inconnue de taille, la météo qui pourrait modifier les stratégies et redistribuer les cartes.

55 équipes sont engagées à la 37^ème édition des 24 Heures Moto. A noter la présence du perchiste Renaud Lavillenie (AZ Moto April – Michelin) pour la seconde année consécutive et du pilote automobile Soheil Ayari. Les premiers essais libres débuteront jeudi 18 septembre à 12h30 à suivre en direct sur www.motoracinglive.com

For the third year running, the 24 Heures Moto at Le Mans will round off the Endurance World Championship (EWC) on September 20-21. In addition to the battle for outright victory, the French clash will settle both the EWC title and the SuperStock World Cup.

The suspense surrounding the EWC’s finale concerns not only the fight for top honours but also the outcome of the overall and Superstock championships, as well as the weather.

On paper, seven teams can still secure the 2014 EWC’s top prize, since there are 40 points up for grabs for the race winner, plus a further 10 for the team that is in front after eight and 16 hours of racing.

GMT 94 (Michelin) and its riders David Checa, Kenny Foray and Mathieu Gines benefit from a cushion of 21 points at the top of the table and appear to have the edge in their bid to claim a second world crown after that earned in 2004. The team has been consistent and reliable all season but has yet to win a race. The Christophe Guyot-led squad says it is feeling confident ahead of the 24 Heures Moto, however.

Privateer team Bolliger Team Switzerland is second in the championship and remains a real challenger.

The biggest threat, though, is probably Kawasaki SRC, winner of the last four visits to Le Mans. The factory-backed Kawasaki team is only 22 points behind GMT 94 and Grégory Leblanc is still buzzing from his second consecutive French title. He will be joined on the N°11 bike by Fabien Foret and Matthieu Lagrive.

Honda Racing (4^th) and SERT (5^th) are still in with a shout, too. The official Honda team (Gimbert/Da Costa/F. Foray) took its first victory of the year at Oschersleben after failing to finish the Bol d’Or and at Suzuka. Its three riders have all tasted success at Le Mans and will be eager to provide Honda Racing with its second straight win.

After a disappointing season marked by several falls, the outgoing champion SERT is 47 points off the championship lead. Vincent Philippe, Erwan Nigon and Anthony Delhalle will do all they can to clinch a 14^th world title for Suzuki.

Finally, Team Motors Events April Moto (Suzuki) and National Motos (Honda) are also 47 points short of GMT 94 and are still theoretically in with a chance for the supreme reward.

There is also much to play for in the Superstock class which is provisionally topped by Junior Team LMS Suzuki, nine points clear of Penz13.com Franks Autowelt Racing Team which has recruited world superbike rider Sylvain Barrier. Nine teams are still in contention for the 2014 FIM World Cup.

Another big unknown this weekend is the weather which will obviously influence the teams’ strategies.

The 37^th 24 Heures Moto has attracted a field of 55 bikes. Olympic pole-vaulting champion Renaud Lavillenie (AZ Moto April-Michelin) is competing for the second year running, and the list also includes the experienced car racer Soheil Ayari.

Free practice starts at 12:30pm on Thursday, September 18, and you will be able to follow the action live at www.motoracinglive.com.

KEVILS OLDSKOOL

There isn’t really any single formula to success that I know of in this world. Sure, there are ways to maximise the likelihood of it coming your way, but in my opinion the key is to find something that you love and then work bloomin’ hard at it. Be open minded, talk to people and most of all, work bloomin’ hard at it. In the world of bike building a formula can be a blessing and a hindrance. Transferable skills and knowledge on a particular mark reduces costs and labour, making it easy to keep churning out the same bikes; a valid business model. However, the fickle world of fashion means that people can lose interest and eyes wander onto the next shiny thing.

Kevil’s Speed Shop, down in Devon have deftly sidestepped the issue of other distractions and moved forward by going backwards. 2014 has seen Bavarian bike botherer Kev Hill put aside their tried and tested BMW airhead café recipe and get busy with some new ingredients. With both the OldTimer and Artisan builds finding new homes, Kevils fancied something else with a vintage flavour to fill the void.

Despite first appearances this BMW is a 1980 R100, though you’d be forgiven for not noticing such a tranformation has taken place. It would not look out of place ripping around at the Goodwood Revival with the other classics last weekend. The R69 flavour comes predominately thanks to the reworked rear end. Kevils built a completely new rear end in homage to the plunger bikes of the 1950s  and 60s and topped it off with twin leather clad solo seats. The pillion seat removable for solo blasts

With springs in the seat and the shocks, the ride should be comfy and the rider controls mirror this. The bike rightly is not trying to display sporting pretensions and the Triumph USA bars provide a comfortable rise and sweep, perfect for cruising the Devon country roads, or Sunset Boulevard if you’d rather. One and the same aren’t they? All new electrical components and a rebuilt loom ensure the bike will get you where you want, and back again.

It’s easy to miss initially but have a look at the exhaust. The manifolds sweep down and cross over in the silencer making for a neat, short system tucked up front and not spoiling the clean rear end. It’s just one of the many customised and fabricated parts on this bike, and every other Kevils build, subtle touches are found everywhere, but they don’t scream out for attention. A word I love to use, overtly, on such builds  is cohesiveness. Nothing looks out of place.

Usefully, the engines on these old Beemers can be retrofitted with the more classic cast metal airbox and kidney style rocker covers. These transform the engines from a brutal 80′s slab to a more classic 60′s look. And as with all Kevils builds the engine has been completely rebuilt, vapour blasted and treated to a thorough freshen up. Vintage looks, modern BMW reliability; the perfect combination. Classic Avon rubber, like the rest of the bike, gives the OldSkool it’s looks, but the modern compounds ensure they grip like your Grandad could only wish for.

To complete the vintage look, an appropriate colour scheme was laid down. Panther black metallic offset with Old English White pinstriping and powdercoated wheels to match. Built up against a background of black powdercoat, blasted aluminium and stainless parts the bike is functional, durable and extremely pretty. It will be interesting to see where Kevils go from here. Can we expect a rigid framed R29 lookalike with modern power and reliability. I’m drooling already…

Old Timer was captured by the lens of local photographer Ashley Kent in Paignton Old Town, a suitably idyllic and genteel place for the timeless curses of the bike. Now residiing with it’s new owener, keep an eye out in London town, I will be!

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

via The Bike Shed

Chassis Design Co. Board tracker

The current trend of considering every make, model, capacity and style of standard motorcycle as a potential candidate for an extreme makeover is a source of amusement for the older generation of motorcyclists. Back in the day there were unwritten rules about which motorcycles were worthy of customisation and what style was appropriate for these motorcycles. Harleys were the undisputed kings of custom and formed the basis of most choppers and bobbers but never café racers. British made twins were a less popular yet still appealing choice of engine for powering a chopper. The British motorcycles were however the heart and soul of early café racers. BMWs were ridden in standard form, as were most other European made models. Generally the Japanese motorcycles of the 1970s and 1980s with engine capacities of less than 750cc remained largely unmodified. This situation has completely changed. Everything from a two candlepower 125cc delivery motorcycle to a Honda Goldwing is being considered for every type of custom from a flat tracker to rigid bobber.

The custom creations of the past were all fundamentally built by modifying a standard motorcycle. Even professional builders stretched, raked and chopped standard motorcycle frames and components. The first decade of this century saw the rise of the completely custom motorcycle, where every component of the motorcycle could be unique. Rideability came second to individuality. Those massively wide-tyred two-wheeled temples of excess may have had their day for now, but their legacy lives on in a new generation of slightly more practical, old school inspired motorcycle.

Retro Write Up prides itself in showcasing local custom creations. However, occasionally we bend the rules slightly and feature something which is not homegrown but that we feel is worth sharing. Our featured motorcycle was built in California in the USA by Chassis Design Co. The owner, Anthony Keeling, specialises in building some really unusual custom frames. Louwrens Miller of LJ Miller Engineering uses them to build the frames for many of his show winning custom creations. Louwrens imported this motorcycle and it is for sale.

The purists may feel that although a motorcycle like this has girder forks, a rigid frame and the lines of a bobber, it is merely a caricature of what a bobber is actually meant to be. They are probably correct but we hope that they can clear their minds for a minute and enjoy this motorcycle for the beautiful creation that it is.

via http://www.retrowriteup.com