Un side-car sur le toit du monde

Custom motorcycle "Clockwork Orange" from Custom-studio "Motodepo

  

SILVER PISTON MOTO GUZZI V50 MK3

Steve is a master craftsman, a skilled jewelery maker specializing in biker-centric adornment for his company Silver Piston. Based in his workshop in Atlanta, Georgia, his days are spent crafting the tiny details on his now famous Indian Head and Hobo Nickel rings. A life long rider and a lover of Italian twins, earlier this year Steve decided to apply his crafting skills to something a little bigger, employing life size tools without the need of a magnifying glass and tweezers.

Steve sourced an ’82 Moto Guzzi V50 Mk3 and traded it for a hot rodded Stella scooter. It was a straight trade for a bike that had a top-end rebuild but an electrical problem that couldn’t be tracked down. A couple of friends vouched that it once ran well and was a strong bike.

Steve took it to his buddy Drew’s house, the electrical problem was traced to a plug behind the ignition key that’d come loose. He plugged it in and it fired right up. After getting to ride it up and down the road a few times it was taken apart and the process of building a cafe bike began. Knowing that there’s a whole load of difference between crafting fine jewellery and building bikes, he recruited Drew to help him with the spanners.

Once apart, the bike was taken over to another buddy Ben Boyle’s shop, Bender Werks, for the metal work. Ben de-tabbed the frame and then chopped the rear. From there he fashioned a hoop to support the tail section and built a plate to hold the brake light as well as the license plate. He also took of the huge hook on the back of the fuel tank and mounted tabs to bolt the tank directly to the frame. The holes for the MG badges on the sides of the tank were also filled in as well as the lock hole on the tank cover. Finally, he cleaned the old handlebar hoops and filled in the holes to have only a bracket to hold the Motogadget tiny speedo.

Drew’s old roomate, Justin, is the kind of guy that occasionally likes rewiring things because it’s fun. Crazy what some people consider doing for a laugh. So as his schedule allowed the bike was rewired from headlight to brake light. A Mogogadget M-Unit was installed to handle all the electrical as well as a new regulator/rectifier. Motogadget bar end turn signals (indicators in English) were installed to meet the requirements.

After that was all finished, Brandon Turner of the Brother Moto crew took the task of painting. It’s a gorgeous aquamarine with chunky metal flake.

Steve still has a list of things he’d like to do to it, and the next step is to get the forks set up with a bit more adjustability and upgrade the rear shocks. But, after waiting a year and not being a very patient person when it comes to cool toys, he’s done for now.

Steve’s first foray into bike building has produced a pretty, clean cafe racer in a bold colour-way with simple classic lines.

the Bike Shed

Norway’s North Cape in a Classic Porsche 911: A true winter wonderland...

Norway's North Cape is one of the most northerly points in Europe. When the time was right, Classic Driver Frank Strothe checked the battery and alternator of his 1966 Porsche 911 (shod with studded winter tyres), stuffed a sleeping bag and other essentials under the ‘bonnet’ and set off...

The Idea

I’ve always wanted to go to the ‘Nordkapp’, writes Frank Strothe. I’ve been before, in the summer, but there was no challenge in it. So for years I’ve pondered a winter expedition; driving in the snow is more fun, especially in a classic car that relies on your driving skill to keep it on the road, rather than a host of electronic safety measures. In Finnmark – Norway’s northernmost county – mothers use run-of-the-mill hatchbacks to take their children to school in -40deg temperatures.

So to make the trip worthwhile I needed a slightly more adventurous ride: what better choice than an original, unrestored Porsche 911?

I was given various tips on how to make sure the first leg of my journey wasn’t to be my last. Recommended equipment included a portable heater, a satellite phone, auxiliary fuel tank, additional lights and a crash course in basic mechanics. Perhaps a little naively, I ignored them all. I wanted a ‘pure’ experience, so I checked the battery and alternator, fitted spiked winter tyres and packed a sleeping bag and tent into the front luggage compartment. No more messing around, it was time to get going.

The Trip

I trailered the 911 from Germany with – what else? – a modern Land Rover Discovery. From Kramfors onwards I left my fate to the old Porsche, which I drove to Rovaniemi for the first night. Next day, the goal was to reach Ivalo where my reward would be a session at the Porsche Driving Experience, to drive some of my car’s descendents on a frozen lake. It was very impressive, but, when dusk settled, I was glad to return to the wheel of my classic 911.

The next morning, I attempted to make the short trip from the old fishing village of Gjesvær to the North Cape. However, progress was halted by an oversight in my journey planning. Due to crossing a time zone, and the ban on covering the last few kilometres to the Cape alone, I had to wait an hour to join a twice-daily convoy.

Our cavalcade was a rather small one as it turned out. Led by a listless snowplough, it was just a BMW X6 with Russian plates and my 911 bringing up the rear – probably one of the most diverse trio of vehicles I’ll ever belong to. Since it was so deserted that day, I had ample time to photograph the car next to The Globe, the North Cape’s landmark monument.

During one refuelling stop, I noticed the tyre pressures were a little low. I corrected them and went on my way, only to spin the car while pulling out of the petrol station (much to the amusement of a bus full of German tourists). I made my getaway, ego somewhat damaged, and again began to enjoy the sprawling, empty road ahead. By this point I had covered over 2,000km in snowy and icy conditions and had become accustomed to them, happily wagging the 911’s tail through corners.

Unfortunately, another dramatic spin soon left us both in deep snow, the 911 truly beached. It turned out that the air pressure gauge at the petrol station was wrongly calibrated: each tyre had been overinflated, so the spikes were no longer effective on the ballooning tyres. A friendly group of Norwegians came to my rescue - but not before the return of the holidaying Germans who had another chuckle at my expense.

Apart from that, and a spell where the alternator threw a wobbly for a few hours, the 911 was very well behaved. It even played saviour when I returned to the Land Rover at the end of the trip, as the Discovery’s battery had drained away. In total, I travelled 6,000km in six days, and pretty well loved every minute.

Car & Equipment

1966 Porsche 911 SWB, with the carburettor trumpets partially taped-over to prevent them icing up. The only other modifications were the studded winter tyres. The car is unrestored and totally original.

Be careful. You should always carry enough in the car to survive a night outside at -40deg: an Arctic sleeping bag, a tent (or, at a push, you could sleep in the car), a down jacket, thermal trousers, thick gloves, a hat and plenty of food.

I didn’t, but you should really take snow chains for emergencies. Fill up whenever the tank is half full. The 911's heater will not work properly below -20deg. So, while driving, I wore ski pants, a Polar anorak, thick mittens, a hat, and hiking boots. And still froze.

All the windows were frozen solid, too, apart from the windscreen. But in such a deserted land, it’s only necessary to look ahead…

 

Photos: Frank Strothe

We congratulate Frank Strothe of Pure Classics on the completion of his North Cape tour in his classic Porsche 911. For his current dealer stock, visit the Classic Driver Market

You can find many classic and modern Porsches for sale in the Classic Driver Market