‘07 Triumph Bonneville – Macco Motors

Where’d that year go? Suddenly ‘tis the season to be jolly and we’re on our last bike of the year. Damn. So, what better way to say ‘season’s greetings’ than with the latest build from Spain’s Macco Motors? Forget your three wise men; we’ve got a much more efficient package. They’re called Jose and Tito and here’s their latest miraculous build – a heavenly Triumph called ‘Bonebreaker’.

Jose took time out from wrapping presents and eating to fill us in on the build. “We’re proud to introducing our latest, a 2007 Triumph Bonneville we’ve built a Scrambler with. This is a commissioned bike by a Kei, a Japanese guy from Ibiza. He lives in a house in the countryside, so he wanted something to handle the dirt roads. We named it the “Bonebreaker”.

As with most of their builds, Jose and Tito used their previous designs as inspiration for the customer to be able to envisage the final project. “As Kei was a big fan of our Macco number 6 build, he wanted to maintain some aspects of it on his bike; specifically the seat style and the fuel tank design. Although those with an eye for detail will see that on Bonebreaker, the seat’s shape has been modified to hug the tank a little more.”

So the boys got their hands on a tidy, 2007 Triumph Bonneville with 8,000 kays on the clock and went to town. “Up front we mounted a tractor grille headlight, 1″ rough Biltwell Moto handlebars, Kung-Fu grips and a single speedometer with two extra auxiliary warning lights – fuel and engine. We also mounted a new fiberglass front mudguard and modern, racing-style clutch and brake levers.”

“As with all of our builds, we think it’s vital to improve the performance of the bike. And as everyone knows, the standard Triumph suspension isn’t exactly great. So we mounted progressive Bitubo WME rear shocks and a set of progressive Hagon front springs. Then the rear frame was chopped to accommodate a new subframe. On that we mounted a new steel base and a leather seat with a cool rhombus pattern. We also build some new steel side panels in a ‘number board’ style.”

“The two-into-one exhaust system was made from the standard, Arrow-style stock unit. We chopped and adapted a Biltwell Javelin Mini muffler, which we think gives the build a rough, powerful look.” And we think you can trust the boys when they say that its sounds like hell when it gets angry. To complete the scrambler look they then mounted a Mitas E-09 110/80/19 tire up front and a E-09 140/80/17 out back. The finishing details include the modified rear mudguard, mini indicators, exhaust wrap, a new rear light, alloy footrests and a brand new matte black paint scheme on the bike.

[Photos by Sergio Ibarra from Semimate]

via Pipeburn

This Christmas, discover the classic thrill of snow-driving

As Simon de Burton points out, old-school motorists weren't afraid to drive in the snow simply because they didn't have four-wheel drive and electronic assistance; they just got on and did it...

If they really had to go somewhere in the snow, drivers just got into their cars and drove

I was in Iceland a few days ago for the launch of Land Rover's new 'Discovery Sport'. As my driving companion and I pushed on along the ice-packed gravel roads and tackled snow-covered inclines, we pondered the question of what people used to do in the days before four-wheel drive was readily available on mainstream vehicles - and quickly realised the answer: if they really had to go somewhere in the snow, drivers just got into their cars and drove.

Snow-driving for sporty sorts

After all, a relatively insignificant 30 years ago the only AWD vehicles that were readily available (in the UK, at least) were Land Rovers, with Mitsubishi Shoguns, Daihatsu FourTracks, Jeeps or Subarus being rare sights until at least the end of the '80s.

And of course, winters tended to be more severe in the 'old days', not least in the north of England where I spent the first few years of my life. Nevertheless, I remember 'snow-driving' being regarded as something of a sport by my car-mad mother, who would always make a point of going out in her Bentley R Type steel saloon whenever there had been a good dusting of the white stuff.

Nowadays, we're inclined to tuck our classics away in the depths of winter, not least to protect them from the vile, rust-inducing salt grit that many European highway authorities love to throw on the roads at the first inkling of frost.

But if you're prepared to ignore that, there are few better times to drive than during a white Christmas. I recall one particularly notable run in a MK1 Golf GTi from London to North Yorkshire on Christmas Day 1995, in which the 250-mile journey was completed in little more than three hours on virtually traffic-free roads. It was bliss, like driving in the 1920s must have been, only with better surfaces.

Crisp snow under blue skies

These days, we live in the depths of England's Dartmoor where serious snow is relatively rare but, when it arrives, can be decidedly entertaining thanks to the many hills and the large amount of wind-swept, open countryside which can cause impressive drifts. When the snow has settled to a crisp blanket, the sky is blue and the sun is shining, however, it is difficult to resist the opportunity to do some 'impressive drifting' of one's own in a suitable classic.

Rear-engined cars such as the Porsches and VWs seen in our pictures make competent snowmobiles thanks to having plenty of weight over their driven wheels but, when it comes to gliding across the snow (in control, of course), lightness is king - which is probably why the woman standing beside the microcar at the top of Italy's 2,240-metre Passo Sella is looking so pleased with herself. And note the Beetle in the background.

Move over, modern cars

Air-cooled Citroëns (such as that Ami estate photographed from above) also make competent snow cars, a fact brought home to me when I was driving a Dyane 6 up a slush- and ice-covered incline that had already left many more luxurious machines strewn by the side of the road. The Dyane did lose traction - but its gentle power delivery and low weight made it possible to leave it in first gear with the wheels spinning, open the door, get out and give it a helping push to the summit.

But, as the pictures show, old-school motorists simply weren't afraid to drive in the snow in the sort of cars that, today, we might consider completely unsuitable. Modern, rear-drive BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes models are among the first to slide to an ungraceful halt when challenged by a coating of powder - but, it seems, Pagoda SLs, 507s, 1800 saloons and MK2s just took it in their  stride.

Stay cool; not chilly

So, if it snows this Christmas, we heartily recommend that you get classic driving as soon as possible. Just remember to take your shovel, and don't wear a summer dress like the girl with the Karmann Ghia.

That would just be silly. Not to mention chilly.

STORY ABOUT JOURNEY ' Studio Motor Road to Yogyakarta Kustomfest 2014 '

THE PRIMERO – CHEVROLET C10 ’69 for Studio Motor Indonésia

Spesifikasi :

• Painting by STUDIO MOTOR
• Interior Detail by Otoskin
• Velg American Racing 20X8.50 Inch
• Ban Toyo Proxes 255/35 ZR20 & 275/35 ZR20
• Indicator Gauge VDO

Honda cub by Glinding Kustom

Admission .......

Motorcycle Adventure - Himalayas, China

Rallye Dakar : Mini, Peugeot, Toyota…

Invaincues depuis trois ans au Dakar, les Mini ALL4 Racing/Michelin du team X-Raid vont affronter les Toyota Hilux, Buggies, Hummer, et les nouvelles Peugeot 2008 DKR sur une boucle de 9000 km autour de Buenos Aires. Départ le 4 janvier…

Les Peugeot 2008 DKR seront inévitablement l’attraction de cette 36^e édition du Rallye Dakar, la 7^e en Amérique du Sud (Argentine, Chili, Bolivie). Les Peugeot se sont envolées pour Buenos Aires mi-décembre, après une ultime séance d’essais plutôt positive. 25 ans après sa dernière victoire (Peugeot 405 T16, Vatanen/Berglund), Peugeot est de retour au Dakar avec un tout nouveau prototype T1 2-roues motrices équipé d’un V6 diesel 3.0 litres bi-turbo développant 340 chevaux. Pour ce come-back, Peugeot a recruté du très lourd : Stéphane Peterhansel, 11 victoires au Dakar, Carlos Sainz, 7 participations et 1 victoire, et Cyril Despres, 5 succès à moto, trois pilotes qui connaissent parfaitement les pistes sud-américaines.

Les Mini ALL4 Racing (4-roues motrices, V6 diesel 3.0 litres bi-turbo, 320 chevaux) seront présentes en nombre pour tenter de décrocher un 4^e succès consécutif au Dakar et se rapprocher du record de Mitsubishi avec 6 victoires d’affilée. L’équipe X-Raid pourra compter sur des machines fiables, sur l’expérience de deux anciens vainqueurs, Nani Roma et Nasser Al-Attiyah, et la fougue d’Orlando Terranova.

Les Toyota Hilux (4-roues motrices, V8 essence 5.0 litres, 350 chevaux), désormais fiabilisés, seront également en force aux mains de pilotes d’expérience comme Giniel de Villiers, Lucio Alvarez, Christian Lavieille et Bernard Ten Brinke. La Saoudien Yazeed Al-Rahji va découvrir le Dakar sur un prototype Toyota Hilux.

Après une édition difficile l’an passé, les Ford Ranger semi-officiels ne seront plus représentés que par l’Argentin Federico Villagra. Le constructeur chinois Great Wall n’est plus présent sur le Dakar. Le Portugais Carlos Sousa a trouvé refuge dans l’équipe brésilienne Mitsubishi Petrobras aux côtés de Guiherme Spinelli, sur un puissant proto Mitsubishi ASX Racing (V8 essence, 4.7 litres Aston Martin).

Parmi les outsiders, on peut également citer Guerlain Chicherit, engagé sur un Buggy (l’ancien Buggy Red-Bull) reconditionné et préparé par l’équipe X-Raid. Le patron de SMG, Philippe Gache, sera au volant d’un de ses Buggies, alors que l’Américain Robby Gordon remet le couvert sur son monstrueux Hummer. Thierry Magnaldi est attendu sur un Buggy Dessoude. Parmi la nuée de Buggies engagés par l’équipe MD Rallye, on trouve le vainqueur des 24 Heures du Mans 2010 et de la course-de-côte de Pikes Peak 2014 Romain Dumas qui va découvrir le Dakar.

Au programme de cette édition 2015, 13 étapes, dont une « marathon » entre le Chili et la Bolivie. Après une 1^ère spéciale de 175 km pour se mettre en jambe, la spéciale n°2 est la plus longue du rallye (518 km) entre San Juan et Chilecito. Suivront des étapes de sable et de dunes avec l’entrée au Chili, dans le désert d’Atacama, avant la journée de repos à Iquique. Ensuite, ce sera de nouveau du sable jusqu’à Calama avant de boucler la boucle sur des pistes rapides et techniques jusqu’à Buenos Aires.

After going unbeaten on the Dakar for three years, X-Raid’s Michelin-equipped Mini ALL4 Racings face opposition from an armada of Toyota Hiluxes, buggies, a Hummer and the new Peugeots during the 2015 event’s 9,000km loop through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia, beginning in Buenos Aires on January 4.

Inevitably, the new Peugeots 2008 DKRs will be the chief attraction of the seventh Dakar to take place in South America. The French cars were flown out to Buenos Aires before Christmas after one last test which appears to have gone very well.

Twenty-five years after the victory of the Peugeot 405 T16 (Vatanen/Berglund), Peugeot returns to the event with a brand new two-wheel drive T1 prototype powered by a three-litre, 340hp, bi-turbo V6 diesel engine.

To mark its comeback, the team has recruited three big names: 11-time winner Stéphane Peterhansel, one-time victor Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres who has won five times on two wheels. All three have good knowledge of the South American terrain.

There will also be a strong contingent of Minis (four-wheel drive, three-litres, bi-turbo, 320hp, V6, diesel) looking to claim a fourth straight win and get closer to Mitsubishi’s record of six consecutive triumphs. Behind the wheel of the reliable machines will be former winners Nani Roma and Nasser Al-Attiyah, plus the flamboyant Orlando Terranova.

The Toyota Hiluxes (four-wheel drive, five-litres, 350hp, V8, petrol) are now reliable and promise to be competitive in the hands of experienced drivers like Giniel de Villiers, Lucio Alvarez, Christian Lavieille, Bernard Ten Brinke and Saudi rookie Yazeed Al-Rahji.

After a tough debut appearance in 2014, there will only be one semi-factory Ford Ranger this time for Argentina’s Federico Villagra.

The Chinese make Great Wall will not be present, so Portugal’s Carlos Sousa has found refuge at Mitsubishi Petrobras alongside Guiherme Spinelli in the powerful Mitsubishi ASX Racing prototype (V8, petrol, 4.7-litre Aston Martin engine).

The main outsiders include X-Raid’s Guerlain Chicherit in an ex-Red Bull buggy, SMG boss Philippe Gache in one of his own buggies, the USA’s Robby Gordon who is back in his monstrous Hummer and Thierry Magnaldi (Dessoude buggy). Among the fleet of MD Rallye-tended buggies will be one for Dakar debutant Romain Dumas, a former Le Mans (2010) and Pikes Peak (2014) winner.

The 2015 rally features 13 days of competition, including a marathon leg straddling Chile and Bolivia. The opening 175km appetiser will be followed by the event’s longest test (518km) between San Juan and Chilecito. The menu will then switch to sand and dunes in Chile’s Atacama Desert before the rest day in Iquique. After that, there will be more sand to Calama before the fast but technically challenging final sprint back to Buenos Aires.

I Will Ride It

An upcoming collaboration project between Thrive Motorcycle, Lawless Jakarta, and Altos Company, a custom culture shops and workshops based in Kemang, South Jakarta, Indonesia.

This is our thoughts and feelings that we want to share with you. Hope you had your own connections with your motorcycle while you are having your own ride.

I Will Ride It from Thrive Motorcycle on Vimeo.

GLINDING KUSTOM

FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302 TRANS AM

The 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Trans Ams built by Bud Moore occupy a special place in the hearts of the Mustang-faithful – it was to be the year that the Boss 302s would win the SCCA Trans-Am championship, finally beating out the the Camaros, Barracudas, Firebirds, and Javelins.

Much of the success enjoyed by the Boss 302 Mustangs was due to the fire-breathing 460hp 302 cubic inch V8 – each engine was fitted with a Holley four-barrel carburettor and power was fed to the rear wheels via a four-speed transmission and live axle. The Boss 302 rode on independent front suspension, lower transverse arms with drag struts, coil springs, tube shock absorbers, an anti-roll bar and multi-leaf springs at the rear.

After taking the outright championship win in 1970 the Ford Motor Company decided to pull out of Trans Am racing – a move that was deeply frustrating to Bud Moore and the legions of fans the company had won over since the introduction of the Mustang in 1964.

Rather than roll down the shutters Bud Moore Engineering decided to run a shortened season for 1971 using two of the four Boss 302 Mustangs that had already been provided.

The lack of factory support and resulting lower budget combined with the loss of driving talent led to the AMC Javelins winning the 1971 season, a dark day for the Mustang clan after such jubilation just a year before.

The 1970 Mustang Boss 302 you see here is one of the cars that was delivered to Moore that he didn’t end up preparing for the 1971 season. It was kept in private collections as a bit of a historical curiosity until it was unearthed in 2008 and bought by the current owner, plans were immediately put into place to finish the car to the specifications originally intended for it.

Bud and Greg Moore were contacted and they agreed to oversee the project to finish their last Boss 302 to 1971 specification, the project took five years to reach accurate 1971-specification BME 4 form, the upgrades included the installation of Bud’s engineered heads for the engine.

Once the build was complete Moore approved car and issued a certificate of authenticity – making this the newest and cleanest Bud Moore Boss 302 in the world. If you’d like to read more about the history of this car you can click here to visit its listing courtesy of RM Auctions, where it’ll be auctioned on the 15th of January 2015.

Photo Credits: Patrick Ernzen ©2015 Courtesy of RM Auctions

via SILODROME