RED ALERT: DOWN & OUT’S TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE SE

Down & Out probably isn’t the most auspicious name for a business. But Shaun Walker sleeps easy at night: business at his Sheffield, England workshop is booming.

For the past 15 years, Shaun has been building very tidy, sharp-looking customs. He works mostly on older BMWs these days, but also professes a liking for the modern TriumphBonneville. “It was time to build something that was going to be good around the streets,” he says, “so the ‘Street Bob’ was born.”

It’s a 2013-model Triumph Bonneville SE, which came straight from the factory with a bold red frame. “The red frame wasn’t my first choice,” Shaun admits. “And the standard mag wheels…not so good, either. But the bike had only 900 miles on the clock, and was like new—so the deal was sealed.”

The first job was to remove as many standard parts as possible, to lose weight without compromising function. The first change was the wheels, with the stock mags making way for a Triumph Thruxton pair. They’ve been rebuilt with new stainless steel spokes, and treated to satin black powdercoat on the rims and hubs.

A further hint of the performance focus comes from the tires: sport touring rubber in the shape of the highly-rated Michelin Pilot Road 3.

To sharpen up the handling even more, Shaun has upgraded the suspension with Thruxton forks and YSS shocks. New bars and risers from LSL move the controls closer to the rider, and the German specialist has also provided a chain guard, sprocket cover and ignition relocation switch—plus new levers and footpegs.

High-end Teutonic design also features in the cockpit, which has been cleaned up with the help of a Motogadget speedo. (A hidden m-Unit tidies up the electrics elsewhere.)

The fenders, side panels and headlight surround are carbon fiber—not a material you’d normally associate with the retro Bonneville. But they all play their part in reducing the avoirdupois. The stock tank has been repainted in satin red and black, and there’s a new, one-off seat upholstered in black leather.

It’s the exhaust system that gives the biggest visual fillip, though. Made by Zard, the high pipes had a damaged muffler when Shaun picked them up. So he kept the headers and fabricated a new slimline end can. It looks amazing, and we’re betting it sounds amazing too.

At this rate, the only way for Down & Out is up.

Down & Out Café Racers website | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Simon Krajnyak

via Bikeexif

RUNNING LEAN: FUEL MOTORCYCLES’ SLEEK R65

By Wesley Reyneke | Rather Be Riding

‘Svelte’ is not a word that sits comfortably in the BMW design language. These days, the machines that roll out of BMW Motorradwerk in Berlin are best described as imposing—or in the case of the sportbikes, angular.

It wasn’t always that way, though. The R65 of the early 1980s had a compact frame, and it’s that slender underpinning that defines this elegant new custom from Spain.

It’s the work of Karles Vives of Barcelona-based Fuel Motorcycles. He’s the man responsible for Scram Africa, an epic ride across the North African desert, and best known for his neo-retro trail bikes and scramblers (like this R100 RT).

This BMW R65 is a spectacular departure from the usual Fuel style. The client—a young guy who also lives and works in Barcelona—was happy to give Karles and his team carte blanche on the project.

“From the beginning we had a very clear idea,” says Karles. “To create a bike that would have a racing feel, but could still be ridden every day by a gentleman in a suit and tie.”

The donor bike—a 1986-model R65 Monolever—was in good nick, negating the need for any engine work. Fuel merely removed the airbox and fitted a pair of velocity stacks. With the airbox gone, the choke had to be relocated: it now sits on top of the right carb.

New headers were then made up to re-route the mufflers to the same side. Karl says the twin reverse cone mufflers not only have a racing look to them, but make the right noise as well. A small Odyssey battery has been installed too, and the wiring edited.

The front forks were upgraded with progressive springs, while the rear shock was swapped out for a burlier unit from Ikon. The tires are Heidenau K65s—chosen for their vintage look and on-road performance. Braking improvements include a new master cylinder and hoses.

For the bodywork, Fuel sourced and fitted a Laverda 750 SFC fuel tank. A petite tail unit and subframe were custom-made to complement it. The new perch was been covered in leather, with a vintage race-bike stitching pattern.

The unusual nose fairing up front is actually made from a Biltwell Inc. bubble visor. It’s mounted to a hand-made bracket that also houses the stock BMW tacho; the speedo has been discarded, to drive home the racing theme. Just underneath the tacho is a Motogadget push button that acts as the starter, and the ignition has been relocated to under the seat.

Behind the bubble-fairing is a small but powerful headlight. The rear light is tucked away under the tail unit, along with a discreet license plate bracket, and tiny LED turn signals are mounted at both ends.

Matching the R65’s stretched-out ergonomics are rear sets and modified Ace-style bars. Fuel also made up a small front fender and an inner rear fender.

That beautiful grey paint? It’s the same shade as the famous Gone in 60 SecondsMustang, Eleanor. Everything else has been cleaned up or coated black.

Fuel Motorcycles’ R65 has a lithe, graceful look that’s seldom seen on BMWs—but works beautifully. It might not be their usual bag, but it’s on par with the quality we’ve come to expect from them.

Perhaps it’s time for Karles to start planning vintage track days in between those Scram trips.

Fuel Motorcycles website | Facebook | Instagram

via BIKEexif

How the 1970s Supertrain went off the rails

In 1979, Americans were shown the Supertrain: a nuclear-powered cross-country shuttle that boasted an on-board disco, swimming pool, cinema, and even a shopping centre. However, it was built not to carry people – but rather to entertain them through the medium of the small screen…

Despite expenditure of more than $5m – making it by far the most expensive TV show ever produced at the time – the Supertrain made only nine outings before hitting the buffers. It was intended to become a sort of ‘Love Boat’ on rails and, in the process, to provide NBC with a ticket to stratospheric ratings such as those being lapped up by rival ABC. But in reality, the concept was flawed, the storylines were suspect, and expenditure spiralled.

Heading for derailment

A full-size set was built; but equally expensive were the scale models, said to cost $250,000 apiece. During filming, one of the models was unintentionally crashed and had to be replaced – the resulting delays pushing costs up further. Ultimately, this frivolous spending led to not only the derailment of the show, but almost the NBC network as a whole. 

Photos: Gary Null/NBCU/Getty

Velib ..........