CAFÉ RACER 76

SPIRIT OF THE SEVENTIES CHROME ROADSTER

Cafe or Scrambler? When sketching out a new custom motorcycle design their are an abundance of options to consider, but before you can even begin to get lost in the details you have to rough out an idea and that usually starts with picking a genre. Some machines lend themselves better to certain styles than others but for Chris, his Triumph Bonneville offered a blank page. He boiled it down to that key question that so many have pondered before, Cafe or Scrambler? Cafe or Scrambler? Chris pinned his colours to the latter and headed off to see the chaps at Spirit of the Seventies with a head full of ideas. Ideas that would change very quickly.

“I didn’t expect it to go down the cafe racer route I was thinking lighter, slightly lower Scrambler. I just really wanted to push the weight down as much as possible. I even considered the carb Scrambler at first to get a smaller tank. But as we discussed the project, it turned out that a cafe racer is just what I wanted.”

Tim and Kev at Spirit have some mighty pedigree when it comes to tinkering with Hinckley’s finest, their Bike Shedarchive is a feast of inspiration for the would be Bonnie adapter. Chris was keen on their blend of short muscular roadsters with a mix of trials and tracker influences, after some discussions a budget was proffered and a spec and design agreed.

The stance was the key ingredient that steered the build away from scrambler territory, low and squat were the chosen adjectives and their implementation process began with the wheels. Both hubs were sent away to be rebuilt with wider 17″ rims and new stainless spokes before some fat, grippy dual-sport rubber was squeezed on. The subframe was shortened and a SOTS rear fender & solo seat combo was made. Chris chose to keep the rear pegs for the occasional short hop with a pillion but only the small of bottom need apply. The cut frame ends were practically tidied up with the installation of LED indicators.

Kev takes up the build story,
“The standard clocks were lowered using a bespoke bracket, and billet headlight brackets were fitted to tighten up the front area, along with a SOTS bobbed front fender on an adapted oe bracket-cum-fork brace to suit the smaller front wheel. A performance boost came in the form of progressive springs up front, adjustable shocks at the back, some proven airbox mods and a SOTS high-level Slash-Cut exhaust system in the middle. The bike was then setup and tuned to suit.”

With everything getting progressively closer to terra firma the bars aimed upwards as per the original scrambler inclination. The riding position is exactly tailored to Chris so he can make the most of the dynamic improvements to the engine and handling. He describes it as a refined brute, with a sound addictively good…

The beautiful chrome tank was one of the highlights of the donor bike, it was a short lived factory optional extra that this machine picked up as it rolled off the production line in 2013. SOTS are discerning enough to recognise when not to change for changes sake and left the resplendent receptacle as is. The mudguards, side covers and headlight were treated to a subtle black and red makeover by D-Lucks Custom Paint allowing the chrome every opportunity to shine.

“This bike was never supposed to be a radical departure, it was done very much in our “shop” style, but one that hopefully proves a few choice mods can go a long way to changing a bike’s attitude and feel.
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Chris fittingly enough has recently opened up a Cafe in Leeds, where his beautiful machine will no doubt draw a crowd. His intention is to use the bike for reconnaissance missions to local farms and food suppliers, combining his business with a healthy dash of pleasure.

via The Bike Shed

What happens when a Jaguar XK120 goes Supersonic?

The Jet Age was an exciting, romantic time and, naturally, car manufacturers were keen to cash in on what was a burgeoning industry, even if their wares were firmly rooted to the ground. The Jaguar XK120 Supersonic is what happens when you let an inspired designer run wild...

The lucky few

Italian designer Giovanni Savonuzzi originally styled this jet-inspired body – aptly christening it the ‘Supersonic’ – in 1953, for a Conrero-tuned Alfa Romeo 1900 in light of the Mille Miglia in which the car was set to compete. However, a nasty accident and subsequent fire during the race rendered the car a write-off, prompting a determined Savonuzzi, now employed by Carrozzeria Ghia, to build a small number of further bodies. These were primarily to be fitted on Fiat 8V chassis, no doubt due to its relative inexpensiveness compared with other Italian sports cars of the day.

Inevitably, the ultra-streamlined body took the fancy of a handful of wealthy customers around Europe, explaining how three ended up on Jaguar XK120s (as if they weren’t pretty enough). The car shown is one of two ordered by a French businessman who, allegedly, never actually paid for the cars – the Parisian dealership through which the order was placed repossessed the pair as a result.

To the last detail

Aside from its deep metallic red paint, distinguishing this particular example from its two Anglo-Italian siblings (the body of one was sadly later transferred to a Shelby Cobra) is the cylinder head that houses three, two-barrel Webers as opposed to twin SUs, giving a substantial performance increase. Suffice to say, this Jaguar doesn’t just look fast…

Indulge in the details for a moment – that pronounced high waistline that spans the entire length of the car; the yawning front grille, neatly divided by elegant polished struts; those subtly integrated quad exhaust pipes, a masterpiece in themselves; and those small rear-lights, suspended in turbine-esque clusters. It’s dramatic – theatrical, even – and scarcely recognisable as the comparatively non-descript XK120 on which it is based. It’s culture and creativity personified – we absolutely adore it.

A star in the making

A star of both the Paris and Cannes motor shows in 1954, as well as a number of in-period andsubsequent concours events (including last year’s Chantilly Arts & Elegance, where it was awarded a special prize), the Supersonic will be offered by RM Sotheby’s at its Monterey sale on 13-15 August. While its pre-sale estimate has yet to be revealed, at auction back in 2007, this very car fetched 753,000 euros. With matching numbers, just 22,000km on the clock and only one other in existence, we expect the bidding to sail well past that when it crosses the block in August.

Snapshot, 1965: Brigitte Bardot shoots back

In 1965, Brigitte Bardot starred in the movie ‘Viva Maria’, directed by Louis Malle in Mexico. During a break in the filming, ‘BB’ clearly enjoyed standing – or rather, lying – on the other side of the camera.

There are two Marias in the film: Maria number 1 (played by Brigitte Bardot) is the daughter of an Irish anarchist, while Maria number 2 (Jeanne Morreau) works as a singer in a circus. The two Marias team up to work in the circus and – after inventing striptease – their act enjoys huge success, until the two become revolutionaries and face all sort of threats together. No wonder Bardot took things a little quieter between takes. Here she is, relaxing in the sun by the swimming pool in Cuernavaca - and pointing the camera at Paris Match photographer Gerard Gery, who had come to take pictures of the filming. The only pity is that Bardot’s ‘return’ shot didn’t appear in the magazine.

Photo by Gerard Gery/Paris Match via Getty Images