No Margin For Error is a 10 minute mini-documentary covering the 1957 Pikes Peak Race, it was produced by Socony Mobil as a promotional piece but it stands today as one of the best films about the 1957 Pikes Peak we’ve come across.
mercredi 31 décembre 2014
From ski champion to Rolex ambassador – the Jean-Claude Killy story
Jean-Claude Killy wasn’t just a champion skier. Three Olympic gold medals and two World Cup victories made him an international ski hero in the 1960s, but Killy was also fairly successful as a racing driver – and in television and films. There’s even a Rolex named after him…
The heartthrob of Grenoble
Jean-Claude Killy was an outstanding downhill skier and, in the 1960s, the main style icon of the sport. His biggest claim to fame – three Olympic gold medals – came at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, which are better remembered as the ‘Killympics’. Always smartly dressed and fashionable, the then-24-year-old Killy twisted the female athletes in the Olympic village around his little finger. The ice princess and Olympic gold medallist Peggy Fleming recalls, “Jean-Claude was not only a great skier, but also an exceptional romantic. On top of that he’s French, which makes him the perfect man.”
The playboy and the jet-set ladies
One can well imagine how the charismatic downhill star with his French accent flew into the hearts of the jet-set ladies. Even though his reputation as a playboy preceded him, in 1972 Killy met the love of his life, actress Danielle Gaubert, while filming the (not very successful) movie ‘Snow Job’. The couple married a year later and lived happily with their three children (two of them adopted from her first marriage), until Gaubert’s early death from cancer in 1987.
A life in the fast lane
The now 71-year-old Killy lived his life in the fast lane, in the truest sense of the expression – and not just on the snow. Besides skiing, there was his exceptional talent and enthusiasm for motorsport. Ferdinand Piëch, head of the Porsche development department at the time, carefully noted the young athlete’s sporting achievements and engaged him to drive in the 1967 Targa Florio, the great Sicilian endurance road race. Together with the famous Formula 1 photographer and journalist Bernard Cahier, the pairing drove a works Porsche 911 S to victory in the GT class..
From the piste to Le Mans
With this success in Italy proving Killy’s driving skills, he then teamed up with Le Mans winner Jean Guichet to drive again for Porsche at the 1000-kilometre race at the Nürburgring. In their red Porsche 911 T (registration SE 8330) they took 26th place overall – a very decent result in a race that pitted them against the likes of the Ford GT40, Lola T70 and the all-powerful Porsche 908. We also find the name Killy on the start list of the 1969 Le Mans 24 Hours. Together with Bob Wollek, Killy started the race in a Renault Alpine, but unfortunately the team didn’t finish. This was to be the skier’s last major race appearance. From then on, Killy dedicated himself to winter sports, including his work on the International Olympic Committee.
A man and his Rolex
But that's not all: we’ve all heard of the Rolex Daytona ‘Paul Newman’ and the Rolex Explorer II ‘Steve McQueen’ – both timepieces named after legends of the 20th Century. But the fact that there is a Rolex called the ‘Jean-Claude Killy’ is less well known. Yet the former professional athlete was in many ways a more important figure to Rolex than Paul Newman or Steve McQueen, who were never officially brand ambassadors, whereas Jean-Claude Killy was the face of Rolex for many decades. Several advertisements see him with various models on his wrist and his relationship with the normally reticent brand was so close that Killy was eventually appointed to the Board of the Swiss watch-maker. Even today, Killy doesn’t seem to give a thought to retirement. As you can probably guess, we’re rather in awe of this versatile hero.
Photos: Getty Images
You can find the classic Rolex Dato-Compax ‘Jean-Claude Killy’ in the Classic Driver watch market.
BIKE EXIF CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE AWARDS 2014
2014 was the year that customs moved into the mainstream.
Nearly every major motorcycle brand has been working with independent builders: some publicly, and some privately. Yamaha and BMW are visibly throwing their weight behind the scene, while the Italians are working behind closed doors.
Indian has enlisted Roland Sands to rework its Chieftain, and more customs are on the way. Triumph is more polyamorous than ever. Even Suzuki is playing the game—recalling Katana designer Hans Muth to rework its Bandit 1250.
For fans of café racers, trackers and scramblers, it’s been a bumper year. And it’s been a great 12 months for Bike EXIF too: in a matter of days, we’ll pass the 100 million page views mark after just six years of operation.
So here’s our pick of the best bikes of 2014, judged by web traffic figures, social media shares and incoming links. Enjoy.
10. Roland Sands x Indian ‘Track Chief’ There’s something just ‘right’ about the classic board track look. Perhaps it’s the symmetry of the wheels. Or maybe it’s because the engine is always the star, nestled into a skinny frame. Roland Sands created ‘Track Chief’ to showcase Indian’s spectacular Thunder Stroke engine, with a nod to Indian’s fine sporting heritage.
9. ‘Recall’ by Ton-Up Garage This BMW from Portugal just radiates old-school glamour. The story is romantic, too: the bike was reunited with a family that owned it decades ago, and the rebuild banished years of rust and neglect. It’s a ground-up overhaul, with discreet upgrades like new fenders, a custom exhaust and low-rise bars. And possibly the most glorious vintage-style paint job of any bike we’ve seen this year.
8. Mule Triumph Café Roadster Richard Pollock is the king of trackers: he’s built over 100 so far. But every now and then he tries something different, such as this roadster with a café racer vibe. Like all bikes that roll out of the Mule Motorcycles workshop, it’s a high performance machine and not just a pretty face. The forks are from a Yamaha YZF-R1, the six-piston brakes are from Beringer, and the wheels are top-spec Sun alloys. Most riders will view this bike from behind.
7. ‘Urban Cavalry’ by Rough Crafts There’s a sinister, sci-fi look to this Harley-Davidson Dyna. It’s from Taipei-based Winston Yeh, a former Roland Sands protégé making a name for himself with murdered-out Milwaukee metal. ‘Urban Cavalry’ is based on a 2014-spec Dyna Street Bob, but it’s running Kawasaki sportbike forks and a custom alu swing arm. Power gets a boost from S&S ‘Super G’ carburetion and a titanium exhaust worthy of a Formula 1 car.
6. ‘Tramontana’ Triumph Scrambler Imagine if Triumph’s own chassis development gurus decided to build the ultimate off-road Scrambler. That’s exactly what happened here, with five Spanish engineers at a loose end after signing off the Tiger 800XC prototype. ‘Tramontana’ is an essay in mechanical engineering, with revised geometry, massively increased suspension stroke, ultra-light Excel rims, new ergos and a weight loss of 40kg.
5. ‘Voltron’ by ER Motorcycles The Slovenian workshop is one of the fastest-rising stars on the custom scene. Named after a giant robot from an old animated TV series, ‘Voltron’ is a clever, retro-futuristic mash-up of styles and eras. It’s a mishmash of vintage BMW parts, including a 1964 R69S frame, an R80 engine and front end, and a classic ‘Toaster’ tank. In the hands of most builders the result would be an unholy mess, but this one strangely works.
4. Magpul ‘Ronin’ If Batman rode a Buell, it’d look something like this. The Ronin is a limited-production machine costing $38,000—the same price as a Harley CVO Limited tourer. The weak points of the 1125 have been eradicated with the ruthless precision you’d expect from a gun maker: the Rotax engine is now cooled by a high-flow radiator, and the Showa forks have been replaced by an alloy linkage that gives the bike a menacing, hunched-forward look.
3. Senna Tribute by Marcus Walz German builder Walz is a familiar face in the Formula 1 pit lane: he’s customized motorcycles for Seb Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen and David Coulthard. He’s now paid tribute to another well-known F1 rider, the late Ayrton Senna. Never mind that Senna was usually seen on a Ducati: this Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk I is all about power and style, with an engine punched out to 1040cc and a paint job reflecting Senna’s famous helmet designs.
2. BMW R1200S by Café Racer Dreams Six months ago, CRD’s brutal boxer took out the top honors in our half-year roundup. And it’s still hanging in there, attracting a torrent of web traffic. The mesh exoskeleton and apocalyptic looks must have something to do with it, but there’s some very neat fabrication happening too—like a completely new rear subframe and seat unit, and adjustable Öhlins suspension front and rear.
1. NURBS by Krugger The BMW K1600 has six cylinders, seven computers, multiple drive modes and adaptive headlights. It’s not a bike that anyone in their right mind would want to customize. But for Fred “Krugger” Bertrand, the K1600 was just another challenge. And it delivered the Belgian his second AMD World Championship.
The Art Deco bodywork wouldn’t look out of place in the next Tron movie and the straight-six engine is suspended in a completely new frame. The Duolever front suspension is heavily modified too, with only the original shock remaining.
And the oddball name ‘NURBS’? It means ‘Non-Uniform Rational B-spline,’ a concept used by engineers to create freeform surfaces in car and ship design.
It’s a tour-de-force of custom bike building, and a worthy winner of our annual Bike Of The Year.
Congratulations, Fred.
We’d also like to say thanks to the photographers who captured these machines for us all to enjoy. And it’s worth mentioning a few builders who very narrowly missed the cut, notably Huge Design, Clutch Customs, Daniel Peter, Speedtractor, UCC and Maria Motorcycles.
Want to see the winners from previous years? You’ll find them here.
Start 2015 on the right note: sign up for the Bike EXIF email to get the latest customs in your inbox as soon as they’re published.
via BIKEexif
Rubicon Trail
AEV Explores the legendary Rubicon Trail in Northern California. Joined by a few of our international dealers (Germany, Japan, South Africa), we set out on a 3 day expedition experiencing the sights, sounds and smells of the Rubicon - unlike anything else
. AEV On Location : Rubicon Trail from American Expedition Vehicles on Vimeo.
. AEV On Location : Rubicon Trail from American Expedition Vehicles on Vimeo.
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