SUPERBIKE : Cluzel en pole à Phillip Island / Cluzel grabs Pole for WSS season opener

Le Français est en pole position pour la première manche du Championnat du Monde Supersport.

Vainqueur de l’épreuve australienne l’an dernier, Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) sera en tête de la grille dimanche à Phillip Island pour la première manche du Championnat du Monde FIM Supersport 2015. Le Français a décroché sa onzième pole position dans la catégorie en tournant en 1’33.379 et devançait de 0.142s son premier poursuivant, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).

Lorenzo Zanetti, le coéquipier de Cluzel, complètera la première ligne pour ses débuts avec le MV Agusta Reparto Corse tandis que l’ancien pilote Moto2 Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) sera en tête de la deuxième ligne, devant Kyle Smith (Pata Honda WSS Team), qui est tombé dans le Siberia Corner, et Ratthapark Wilairot (CORE Motorsport Thailand).

Le Français Lucas Mahias (Intermoto Kawasaki Ponyexpres) semblait pouvoir prétendre à l’une des deux premières lignes à l’issue des essais libres mais devra se contenter d’un départ en septième position après avoir été victime d’un problème technique sur sa ZX-6R en fin de séance.

Roberto Rolfo (Team Lorini), Dominic Schmitter (Go Eleven Kawasaki), qui avait lourdement chuté en début de journée, et Riccardo Russo (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) complétaient le Top 10 en qualifications.

Le wildcard australien Aiden Wagner (Oz Wildcard Racing) continuait quant à lui à impressionner et s’est qualifié en douzième position tandis que Sam Lambert (Sam Lambert Racing) partira en 23e position sur sa Triumph 675.

Stage is set for a thrilling WSS race as top 8 are covered by 0.853s

Last year’s World Supersport race winner Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will start from Pole Position in the opening round of the World Supersport championship after posting a lap time in today’s qualifying session of 1.33.379s to grab the number 1 grid spot ahead of former WSS Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who will line up alongside him on the grid tomorrow.

Cluzel improved on his personal best lap (which had already moved him into provisional pole position) in the closing stages to remain at the head of the time sheets at the end of an unpredictable 45 minutes.

Cluzel’s team mate Lorenzo Zanetti will start from 3rd on his MV Agusta Reparto Corse debut.

Former Moto2 rider Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) returns to the series in a solid 4th ahead of Kyle Smith (Pata Honda WSS Team), the Englishman able to mount a serious attack on the Pole Position despite falling at Siberia Corner with 18 minutes to go. Ratthapark Wilairot (CORE Motorsport Thailand) will complete the second row.

Frenchman Lucas Mahias (Intermoto Kawasaki Ponyexpres) who had been right in the mix during Free Practice will start from 7th after failing to record a time because of an issue with his Kawasaki machine until the final ten minutes.

Behind the leading riders there were a number of impressive performances, WSS rookie Dominic Schmitter (Go Eleven Kawasaki) claimed 9th on his first ride at the iconic Phillip Island circuit and after a heavy crash earlier in the day.

Wildcard rider Aiden Wagner (Oz Wildcard Racing) continues to impress on his WSS debut, the youngster backing up his the top ten result from the tests earlier in the week, ensuring his place on the grid with the 12th fastest time.

Sam Lambert (Sam Lambert Racing) is relishing the opportunity to ride with the World’s best, the Australian youngster qualifying in a respectable 23rd position aboard his Triumph 675 machine.

NEW AND NOTED: THE LATEST MOTORCYCLE JACKETS

If you live in the northern hemisphere, temperatures are rising (we hope). And that means just one thing—more hours on the bike.

So it’s time to check the wardrobe and the bank balance. Here’s our pick of the latest and greatest new motorcycle jackets: we’ve got new releases from traditional English makers Barbour and Belstaff, plus offerings from edgier American brands Icon 1000 and Speed And Strength. Hide that credit card.

Barbour x Deus Niet Waxed Jacket The classic four-pocket jacket just refuses to go away. And why should it? It looks as stylish today as it did half a century ago. New variations on the traditional theme appear every season, but the $740 Niet is one of the classiest. It’s part of the burgeoning collaboration between the Australian company Deus Ex Machina and the English manufacturer Barbour, est. 1894. A heavyweight waxed cotton outer and warm quilted lining make it ideal for cool mornings, or spring and autumn riding. You get tons of storage space via multiple outer pockets—including the classic angled ‘map pocket’. Typically neat Deus touches include a lapel-style leather collar and a vivid red printed lining. [Buy]

Belstaff Xman Racing Jacket Belstaff is that other venerable British brand with a toehold in the motorcycling market. Many of its products are more fashion than function, but the Xman jacket is designed to work on the bike as well as off. The outer shell is a water-repellent rubberized fleece, with a hand-finished dye that gives a slightly distressed effect. The lining is a soft, natural cotton for maximum comfort, and there’s CE-certified removable protection for your shoulders and elbows. With quilted paneling on the shoulders and sleeves, it looks a million dollars but costs £375.00. We’ll take it in Vintage Green—but you can also choose basic Black. [Buy]

Speed and Strength Fame And Fortune Here’s another spin on the classic four-pocket jacket, this time with a heavy dose of rider protection thrown in. The chassis is a 600D polyester fabric with a water resistant coating and a removable insulated vest liner. You also get CE-approved shoulder, elbow and spine protectors, and reflective trim for extra safety at night. It’s a rugged-looking jacket with multiple adjustment points—and at just $250, quite extraordinary value. [More info]

Bell x Schott 60 Year Jacket Helmet manufacturer Bell has been operating for six decades now, and to celebrate, they’ve hooked up with Schott for a limited run of 250 $900 hand-crafted jackets. The material is heavy-duty horsehide, and there’s a zip-out liner for extra warmth when you need it. The styling is minimalist, with just a vertical ‘rally’ stripe on the front and a discreet Bell logo patch on the left arm. Understated café racer style at its best—but you’ll have to be quick to secure one. [Buy]

ICON 1000 Basehawk If you prefer not to look like you’ve just hopped off a motorcycle, this $280 jacket will keep you under cover. It’s from the upcoming 2015 Icon 1000 collection and has a strong urban vibe with hints of hoodie styling. There’s no compromise on safety though: ballistic nylon and strategically placed leather panels offer maximum protection. The softshell chassis stretches four ways for maximum comfort, and hidden underneath is a full complement of D3O impact protectors—elbow, shoulder and back. [More info]

via BIKEexif

Flat Track School

DI TRAVERSO Flat Track School from Deus Italy on Vimeo.

‘86 BMW K100 RS – Motofication

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What a renaissance the good ol’ BMW K-Series is having of late. From humble beginnings as the laughing-stock of the second-hand bike scene, the model has enjoyed a slow and steady rise in popularity over the past few years. And why wouldn’t it? Terminally underpriced second-hand examples can still be had for a little as US$2,500 in most countries. And, if you take your time, you’ll land a low mileage German-engineered motorcycle to have your wicked way with. What’s not to love? Which is exactly the attitude Herr Marc Robrock from Nuremberg’s Motofication took when he began this, his second ‘K-Fé’ K100 build.

“This is my latest build – a BMW K100 RS. It was first delivered to Switzerland. Then a Swiss guy who saw my first K custom was thinking about building his own café racer from this K which he bought for maybe €1800.” Did we mention they were cheap?

Mr Swiss then removed the plastic parts, took a Ducati headlight from a bike he once owned, bought indicator lights and a little Motogadget speedo, and then began looking for someone to do him up a nice leather seat.

“This man he found was Martin Kuethe here in Nuremberg; he is a saddler, or ‘sattler’ as we say in Germany – somebody that does saddles, belts, seats and other things from leather. The settler asked him what he was planning to do with the bike, and the owner mentioned that he had seen a beautiful BMW café that was made by Robrock.” By a complete coincidence, Martin Kuethe knew Marc and his K already, and so he put the two in touch. “Next thing, we met up for a few beers and soon we had a deal.”

As we’ve discussed before, getting custom bikes legal on European roads can be a lot more bothersome than in other countries. Sadly, Switzerland is no exception to this rule. “They don’t allow many customizations,” Marc says with a touch of frustration in his voice. “Except for Harleys, because there are so many spare and aftermarket parts available for them.” Damn. How is that fair?

“So I made a few telephone calls to the Swiss authorities for information – what is allowed and what is not. Then I started the project by removing the rest of the plastics including the huge BMW instrument cluster which contains all the electronics to manage the gear indicator, neutral, the rev counter and the speedo. Afterwards we installed an amazing little electronic device that translates all needed signals to the Motogadget.” Don’t you just love modern technology? And 1986 technology, too.

“Then we cut the frame, raised the back and we formed a new rear hoop from fresh steel tube. As I found out, this is a must to pass the Swiss inspection. Also, that piece is mounted with adhesive and rivets only, because apparently they don’t look favourable on new welds with old bikes.”

Marc then mounted the Ducati headlamp and the indicator lights as supplied by the owner. The tail section was made from of aluminium with a hammer and a leather cushion. “It took days to get it to look and fit perfectly,” says Marc. Now that’s commitment.

“Next, I sourced a rear light assembly that was originally designed for the BMW R1150 R, but with the addition of integrated indicators. I was happy with that find! And as you can see, it has the perfect shape from almost any side to fit into the silhouette of a café racer’s back-end.” God bless those tricky Germans. Then came the footpegs, steel flex brake lines and an aluminium front fender. “Sadly, I have no ideas for the rear fender as yet.” Hmmm. We’re thinking pink – pink plastic…

“To finish the build, we added a waxed leather seat and grips on some aluminium racing handlebars. The exhaust is made from the original unit, mainly because everyone we asked really liked the look of the square design. So we just shortened it by about 18cm and lifted it about 15 degrees. Finally, we mounted the license plate on the left side.” Then we’re guessing they had a beer. Cheers, Mr. Rock.

via PIPEBURN