History of the GS - Part Five

After Helge Pedersen conquered Africa, it was Gaston Rahire's turn.

The successes of the G/S in the world's toughest rally paved the way for the Boxer's career as a dependable means of transport for globetrotters. BMW naturally followed their victory with a Paris-Dakar special edition model in 1984, which further enhanced the bike's growing reputation as the motorcycle of choice for long distance travel.

By 1987, more than 24,000 GS motorcycles were produced and the next generation of the BMW GS was on its way.

Now written without a forward slash, the new GS featured a paralever rear swingarm in place of the mono lever, a new front suspension, cross spoke wheels and frame improvements. A 980 cc engine represented the top of the line in the R100 GS.

The 1988 Paris-Dakar kit was designed for the long distance traveler and featured better weather protection and adaptable luggage solutions. For the first time, a red tubular frame ran outside of the fairing and an aluminum engine guard plate was bolted under the oil pan. It also featured cylinder guards, hand protectors and a mudguard.

It became Germanys best selling motorcycle in 1988.

By now, the GS was a mature world traveling bike, and it had evolved considerably, but the evolution wasn't about to stop.

THE PLAYER: DP CUSTOMS’ RACY 1200 SPORTSTER

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

Harley-Davidson customs have changed for good. The raked-out, built-for-TV monstrosities are a dying breed, and the baton has passed to a new wave of crisp, sporty builds that we’d happily ride all day.

Workshops like DP Custom Cycles are leading the charge. Brothers Jarrod and Justin Del Prado build honest, functional rides—and often finish them off with eye-catching motorsport liveries.

‘The Player’ is based on a 1997 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200, and it’s a commission from a previous customer: “We’d already built him a hardtail bike called Hollywood,” explains Jarrod. “This time, he wanted a full suspension bike to squirt around on his local city streets.”

DP Customs have dressed their Sportsters in everything from Gulf Oil to BAR colors before. This time, they opted for the iconic John Player Special scheme—a hat-tip to Mario Andretti and his 1978 F1 Championship-winning Lotus-Ford.

“Mario Andretti is our favorite race car driver of all time,” says Jarrod. “In 1993, we saw him score his last IndyCar win, right here at Phoenix International Raceway. So when our customer mentioned that he loved the classic JPS colors, we decided to go with that.”

“Our goal was to build a bike that’s fun to ride on a daily basis, and looks minimal and sharp.”

The racing theme extends beyond the paint, with DP Customs editing the frame and fabricating new bodywork for a lightweight and angular look.

The fuel tank and tail section are hand-made from steel, along with the oil tank—which masquerades as a spoiler. Note how it flows perfectly into the exhaust, which is DP Customs’ own proprietary Box Pipe.

Cosmetic changes alone weren’t going to cut it. On-road behavior has been enhanced with a set of fully adjustable Progressive Suspension 970 shocks; the forks have been upgraded with Progressive Suspension springs and 39mm preload adjusters from Speed Merchant.

The engine was given a boost with a Dynatek single fire ignition coil, and a rebuilt and re-jetted CV carb. The stock belt drive has been ditched for a chain setup, with a whopping 51-tooth PBR rear sprocket, “for added spunk out of the hole.”

DP Customs designed the 19” front and 18” rear wheels themselves, and had them CNC milled. They’re wrapped in Pirelli Sport Demons, with braking duties handled by Brembo calipers and ISR master cylinders. A small Ballistic battery been installed too, stashed away in the new tail section.

Other top-shelf parts include ISR adjustable hand controls, Chainsikle mid-set foot controls, plus bars, risers and grips from Biltwell. The only dial is a simple rev counter from Stack. The superb paintwork is by Walkers Way.

With angular bodywork and vastly improved dynamics, we reckon this 1200 Sportster is a worthy machine to carry the famous Formula 1 colors.

We’re also betting that Mr Andretti—who started riding motorcycles as a child—would approve.

DP Custom Cycles website | Facebook | Instagram

via BIKEexif

Breva’s Speedmeter has a pop-up party trick

Dedicated followers of fashion might recognise the name of Vincent Dupontreue as that of the precocious clothes designer who made his mark selling crystal-studded jeans to Chinese fashionistas for a cool €50,000 a pair...

A few years ago, however, Dupontreue abandoned the rag trade in order to pursue a long-standing dream to create a watch company, and Breva - which launched its first watch in 2013 - is the result.

The brand’s point of difference is that all its products have a connection to the environment - which is how the Breva Genie 01 came to be the first mechanical watch to contain a fully working aneroid barometer, and the 02 the first to feature an altimeter.

Now for the final trick

But anyone with a love for things that move fast will probably find the latest Breva watch the most intriguing of all, because it contains a tiny, built-in speedometer. The Genie 03 ‘Speedmeter’, which will be launched in Geneva this weekend, is fitted with a pop-up speed-measuring device that incorporates a tiny set of Robinson Cups, as traditionally used on anemometers for measuring wind speed.

The 27-part mechanism fits flush with the dial when not in use, but activating the push piece at the two o’clock position causes it to extend six millimetres above the dial, exposing it to the air and enabling the Robinson Cups to spin and drive a needle which indicates speed in kilometres or miles per hour up to a maximum of 200kmh/125 mph.

Arm out of the window

The watch itself comprises a 45mm, titanium case containing a conventional three-hand movement with power-reserve indicator and an offset dial made from a slice of smoked, sapphire crystal.

The Breva Genie 03 is unlikely ever to take over from the traditional speedometers by firms such as Smiths or Jaeger, which many of us have in our classics - but, if you have 50,000 euros spare, it will certainly add an intriguing new element to every journey.

Photos: Breva Watches

You can find numerous classic watches for sale in the Classic Driver Market.

These five design dynasties wrote automotive history

Do you ever ask yourself what the modern car industry would look like if it weren't for certain cars? Alas, it's easy to forget that cars are born of designers and, more often than not, their lineage – just think where we'd be without these five design dynasties...

The Bugattis

Ettore Bugatti’s creations were destined to be beautiful, as he was born into a family of artists. Not only were his creations great to look at, though, they were innovative and extremely successful, racking up some 410 victories before 1925 and establishing him as one of the forefathers of modern automobile engineering. Ettore’s son Jean clearly inherited the creative gene, his first design being the Type 57 – today considered one of the most collectable in the world. We wonder what the father and son duo would make of the company today…

The Bertones

Utter the words Miura, Countach or Stratos, and you’re sure to raise the eager ear of any enthusiast. But ‘Nuccio’ Bertone’s distinctive 70s poster-cars certainly weren’t the first to bear the family name, nor the last. The Turinese coachbuilder can trace its history right back to 1912, when Giovanni Bertone was reaping praise for his beautifully crafted horse-drawn carriages. Sadly, the family company was declared bankrupt and ceased trading in early 2014, though its legacy will most certainly live on.  

The Pininfarinas

Most famous for its enduring and loyal partnership with Ferrari, the Pininfarina family is, naturally, held in the heart of every Italian enthusiast. The patriarch Battista’s work in the 30s and 40s laid the foundations, before son Sergio joined the ranks, quickly cementing the family name in the annals with several seminal Ferrari designs. 

Thanks to the enterprising work of Sergio’s son Andrea – who was tragically killed in 2008, aged just 51 – today the company is flourishing in the safe hands of Paolo, another of Sergio’s children. Suffice to say, without the Pininfarinas, the Italian car industry would be a very different place. 

The Porsches

Though the family itself was fraught with feuds, controversy and tension, products bearing thePorsche name ­– be it cars, watches or, dare we say it, domestic appliances ­– have always, and most probably always will, represent the pinnacle of German engineering. 

Ferdinand Alexander Porsche, the ‘father of the 911’, sadly died in 2012, but Ferdinand Piëch, the grandson of visionary founder Ferdinand Porsche, continues the family legacy, retaining a small but significant stake in the company.

The Zagatos

Utilising skills learnt in the aviation industry, Ugo Zagato was quick to capitalise on the burgeoning demand for personal transport following World War I. Always innovative, Zagato’s radical approach to automotive design has filtered down through two generations, resulting in not only some of the most famous cars ever built, but unique design quirks that have come to symbolise the Milanese design house – think ‘double bubble’ and you’re halfway there. The brothers Elio and Gianni have even been widely hailed as the fathers of the Gran Turismo. Today, Ugo’s grandson Andrea fronts the company with his wife Marella, herself the granddaughter of Renzo Rivolta – some things really do run in the family…

via http://www.classicdriver.com