Motorcycle News - Winner Takes It All: Rod Motorcycles’ Bullet 500
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Build-off contests are everywhere these days, and this one was run by the Czech importer of Royal Enfield. But it had a catch—builders had to buy their own Enfield donor bike. Fortunately there was an attractive discount on offer, and as the prize, whoever won the contest would get their money back.
“And because I’m a person who likes challenges, I added another motorcycle loan to my house mortgage and workshop loan—a motorcycle for which I had no customer, and didn’t even want!”
“I had a few visions in my head from the beginning, and thought that if it was to look good, the frame had to be cut,” he explains. “But cutting up an old, demolished and immobile motorcycle is a bit different to cutting into a new motorcycle.”
With the Bullet now missing the rear half of its bobber-style frame, David had no choice but to spring into action. He rebuilt it with a more upright, leveled-out silhouette, and added a pair of longer-than-stock YSS shocks.
David originally had an elaborate plan to use a Honda XL500 front end, but time wouldn’t allow for it. Instead, he’s trimmed off the fork covers, along with the integrated headlight nacelle. David then fabricated new upper fork sleeves and headlight mounts, and redesigned the top yoke to take a set of traditional risers.
Other upgrades include a set of dual-sport Michelin Sirac tires, a larger front brake disc and a better master cylinder. The ABS system’s been removed, too.
A fresh red and silver paint job gave him the vintage Husqvarna vibe he was looking for, and a milled and polished Jawa gas cap finished it off.
The bodywork’s finished off with a perfectly-proportioned saddle, upholstered by Rod Motorcycles’ go-to guy with an embroidered Royal Enfield logo on the rear.
The engine’s stock, but the carb now inhales through a K&N filter. The single, high-riding exhaust is a custom job, fabricated from stainless steel.
It’s an odd result that shouldn’t take anything away from the quality of this build, especially since David went all-out. If you like the idea of a tough but simple vintage-style scrambler, drop David a line: this picture-perfect Enfield is now for sale. Rod Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram Motorcycles via Bike EXIF https://ift.tt/2Mf9b0c May 27, 2020 at 12:17PM
Motorcycle News - New Rider: Riding A Motorcycle In The Wind
https://ift.tt/3ceZwiR As a novice motorcyclist, you’re already well aware that a motorcycle is inherently unstable, and if you don’t intervene on its behalf, it could end up lying on its side. So, what do you do when you find yourself riding on a windy day? With a headwind, you just suck it up and deal with it if you don’t have a windshield. You probably won’t notice a tailwind, but it will extend your stopping distance. You’ll need to learn how to dance with the wind when it blows from the side. The type of motorcycle you’re riding can have some effect on how you experience the wind. Bikes with handlebar-mounted fairings can interact with the wind when it is blowing from certain directions. In this case, slow down until the wind shifts. Sportbikes, with their solid sides, can also be affected by crosswinds. How you feel on a naked bike is largely a factor of the riding position and the direction of the breeze. Headwinds on a naked bike suck. There’s no way around it other than laying down on the tank, flat track-style. The biggest issues for motorcyclists occur when the wind is blowing from the side. To a novice rider, It feels like it will push you off the road. And it will if you don’t take some action. Fortunately, in most cases, all you need to do is lean the bike into the wind slightly by countersteering. (Don’t know what countersteering is? Read this first.) In a light breeze, the effort is barely perceptible and somewhat automatic. You might not even notice that you are leaning into the wind. However, the key to proficient motorcycling is knowing exactly what you’re doing and why. As the wind speed picks up, your steering input with the windward hand will need to increase. In extremely high winds, you’ll be riding down the highway visibly leaning into the wind, and once you get the hang of it, you can have some fun. How To Countersteer A Motorcycle On days when the wind speed isn’t constant, you must maintain vigilance in order to stay in your lane, modifying your bike’s lean with the wind’s intensity. With a little practice, this will become second nature. However, don’t get overconfident. You still need to watch your surroundings and anticipate how they will affect the wind flow. For example, riding over a bridge on a highway doesn’t look like much, but it is enough to significantly reduce the wind’s force for a moment. If you’re ready, this is no big deal. You just lessen your steering input for a moment. Similarly, on interstates where the road cuts through the hills instead of going over them, the wind intensity can drop to near zero, or it can shift briefly to the opposite direction as you pass through the eddy created by the notch in the hill. Again, this is no big deal – if you’re ready for it. If you’re not, it can be terrifying. Hills and large buildings aren’t the only things that can cause the wind to change directions or become turbulent. Passing a large truck can affect the wind in multiple ways. First, as you approach, the truck cuts the wind for you, and you’ll feel yourself being pulled faster into the low-pressure zone behind the truck. If you’re passing on the downwind side, the wind will drop to zero as you are beside the truck, but the thing that seems to catch riders out is that the wind’s force is multiplied as you reach the front of the truck and pass brought the wave of air that it is pushing. On a blustery day in which the direction of the wind is frequently changing, things can get pretty hectic as you react to every shift. In this situation, it might be prudent to slow down. Still, you’re just employing the same technique of leaning the bike into the wind. Riding in windy conditions, like many aspects of motorcycling, is much easier once you understand what you need to do and when you need to do it. Take a day and ride a few hundred miles in the wind, and you’ll have mastered the technique. The post New Rider: Riding A Motorcycle In The Wind appeared first on Motorcycle.com. Motorcycles via Motorcycle.com https://ift.tt/2Std7JO May 27, 2020 at 11:52AM
MotoGP News - Giant-killers: When Jack Miller proved he wasn't "an idiot"
https://ift.tt/36KlZDj As the grid lined up for the start of the 2016 Dutch TT - the first MotoGP race in the Netherlands not to be held on its traditional Saturday slot - 167 grands prix had passed since a rider on a satellite machine took to the top step of the podium. That streak would be ended by an unlikely figure In one of MotoGP's most dramatic days, Toni Elias beat Valentino Rossi by 0.002 seconds at Estoril in 2006 to win for the Gresini team on a customer Honda and give the RC211V its final victory, as the switch to 800cc bikes for 2007 birthed the initially troublesome RC212V. In the grand scheme of things, Elias' win would also ultimately deny Rossi the 2006 title, but that's not really important to this feature. In the ensuing decade, only factory riders won races, and - victory for Troy Bayliss at Valencia in 2006 aside - only Yamaha, Honda and Ducati works runners would take the top honours. As the financial crisis of 2008 bit hard, interest in MotoGP began to wane - both from an entertainment perspective and manufacturer interest. Promoters Dorna Sports could see rot beginning to set in, and mapped out a plan that would start with controversially populating the field with production-based machines from 2012 with the CRTs, introducing concessions for new and struggling manufacturers to give them a leg up, and ultimately mandate spec electronics for the entire grid. The latter came into force for the 2016 season. As did Dorna's new agreement with the satellite squads, which offered them a significant financial boost - chief amongst which was the payment of €2million to those teams to put towards leasing bikes. It was hoped all of this would lead to more Estoril 2006 situations, but so far only works Yamaha and Honda-mounted riders had won the first seven rounds of the 2016 campaign. That changed when the paddock - and thick, grey clouds - rolled into the Netherlands and to the iconic TT Circuit Assen. On that day, an unlikely history-maker was triumphant. Jack Miller was an exciting, if unpredictable talent, missing the 2014 Moto3 crown by just two points to Alex Marquez. The Australian had done enough for Honda to take a punt and sign him on a three-year deal to move directly up to MotoGP for 2015 with the LCR squad aboard the woefully underpowered RC213V-RS Open class bike. Results were hard to come by as a result, while Miller had garnered a negative reputation in the paddock for his demeanour on and off the bike. LCR scaled back its operation to one bike for 2016, with Honda placing him at Marc VDS for its sophomore MotoGP campaign. Reputation aside, the Miller/Marc VDS pairing was one then-team boss Michael Bartholemy was keen on. "I must say he was somebody I already wanted to have in Moto2, so he was a rider I had looked at for a long time," he told Autosport. "When we could sign him in MotoGP, it was a good opportunity. For me, Jack Miller is one of the most fantastic people I ever met in my life. He is a very nice person, he is a very well-educated person, and I think he is like some of these special guys - completely different when you know them on a private side." "The voice was gone pretty much immediately after I crossed the finish line. But it was a very emotional day for me, for the team. Michael Bartholemy had teams before in the past, but they put a lot of work into that [Marc VDS] project," Jack Miller to BT Sport Beginning the year on an RC213V close to what factory duo Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa had, the Marc VDS-run Honda wasn't afforded the same development. From the first eight races, Miller scored on just two occasions - though managed a career-best 10th at Catalunya. Miller qualified a lowly 19th at Assen, but a damp track presented an opportunity. The Australian had previous in the rain, running inside the top six at a soaked Silverstone the year before, until he unfortunately wiped out his LCR team-mate Cal Crutchlow at Club corner after an audacious dive went wrong. After the first lap at Assen, Miller found himself well inside the points in 12th. Cracking the top 10 by lap three, he made his way up to eighth behind his former stablemate and best mate Crutchlow when a biblical downpour forced the appearance of the red flag on lap 15. For Miller, a restart was most unnecessary. "When we got that rain in the centre part of the race, there was so much of it," he told BT Sport last month. "Down the back straight at Assen, we probably had two inches of standing water on the track. Being on a GP bike with a heap of power, she was just [wheelspinning], you couldn't open the gas. So that was pretty dodgy. "Honestly, I was stoked with the result when they threw the red flag. I was eighth or whatever and was like 'yeah, I'll take that, I'm happy as Larry'. Then they told me I had to go back out again, I was like 'I don't want to go back out again, I'm stoked with seventh, I'll keep it'." He hid his reservations well. After a lengthy delay, the race was re-run over 12 laps with Miller launching from eighth. Off the line he charted a path through the wall of water and motorcycles into sixth at Turn 1 and carved his way past the Pramac Ducati of Danilo Petrucci to move into fourth. Andrea Dovizioso then crashed his works Ducati on lap two amid the tricky conditions, while Rossi subsequently chucked his Yamaha into the scenery on the following tour. Only double MotoGP champion Marquez stood in a charging Miller's way. The misfortune for his title rivals led Marquez to play it safe, and as Miller - with nothing to lose - eased up on him and threw his customer Honda up the inside of the final chicane, Marquez accepted his fate. Having borne witness to how merciless the conditions could be, Miller kept his powder dry and gently built up an advantage of a couple of seconds to the chasing Marquez. Despite a few twitches as he applied the throttle on his final tour, Miller could not be denied a result of pure vindication. "I don't know what to feel at the moment," Miller, who'd screamed his voice away on the cooldown lap, said immediately after the race. "A lot of people have bad-mouthed us and said this project wouldn't work and things like that. I just hope that we've shown them that I can ride a bike, I'm not an idiot. Thank you to Honda for taking this risk on me, it's amazing." Miller later reflected: "The voice was gone pretty much immediately after I crossed the finish line. But it was a very emotional day for me, for the team. Michael Bartholemy had teams before in the past, but they put a lot of work into that [Marc VDS] project. On the customer Honda, we were on quite an old machine, [with] a lot less superior electronics. So, we needed the conditions to be right for us in order for us to be up the front there, really trying to give those guys a run." Bartholemy and Marc VDS had a knack for talent spotting, rearing the likes of 2019 British Superbike Champion - and third-place finisher on that day at Assen - Scott Redding, 2014 Moto2 champion Tito Rabat and 2017 Moto2 title winner Franco Morbidelli. He knew they had something special with Miller, but for him that "dream" Assen results was a combination of factors for the young MotoGP outfit. "To win a race in MotoGP, it's something many, many people dream about," Bartholemy tells Autosport. "When you are a child, and when you see your heroes on the television and you think 'OK, one day if [I could win] one of those races in MotoGP, then it would be great'. That day was coming. "We did it, and it's something no one can take away. You have to put the correct package together to make it happen, you need the rider to make it happen, you need the team to make it happen, you need to employ the right people, you need to make a good decision in a good moment. And in that moment, you are able to beat the factories, which are actually really difficult to beat under normal conditions." "I got a fine off Honda one night doing a 'shoey' at one of the after-parties. When I won, [I thought] 'well, they can't give me a fine for this!'" Jack Miller to BT Sport On the podium, Miller - never one to shy away from speaking his mind - coined the 'shoey' celebration, which was actually a middle-finger response to the bosses at Honda. "[The shoey] was a slight dig, because I was having trouble in my first year in MotoGP with misbehaving and whatnot," he revealed. "I got a fine off Honda one night doing a 'shoey' at one of the after-parties. When I won, [I thought] 'well, they can't give me a fine for this!'" Miller's Assen win was the first in a series of results which shook the foundations of MotoGP: Crutchlow doubled up the satellite success two rounds later at Brno, Ducati won for the first time since 2010 in Austria courtesy of Andrea Iannone, while Suzuki would bag its first victory in almost a decade thanks to Maverick Vinales at Silverstone. These fell in a sequence of eight-successive different winners, while Andrea Dovizioso ensured the tally reached an unprecedented nine come the Malaysian GP. Though the new Michelin tyres played their part, MotoGP's vision for a golden age through its major revolution at the start of the year was coming to fruition. The rest of the 2016 season for Miller failed to scale the same lofty heights, and injury left him on the sidelines four races. A consistent 2017 secured him a place on a year-old Ducati with Pramac for 2018, earning a works contract and bike for 2019, on which he managed five podiums. He'll join the factory Ducati squad in 2021. Marc VDS, unfortunately, would never see a MotoGP podium again. After controversy over finances engulfed the Belgian squad in 2018, leading to the loss of a Suzuki partnership, it withdrew from the premier class at the end of the year. But what the team and Miller achieved together on that wet June day at Assen has been etched into the history of MotoGP as one of the true underdog results of the modern era. Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei May 27, 2020 at 05:38AM
MotoGP News - MotoGP News: Miller joins works Ducati squad in 2021
https://ift.tt/3d7r6Q3 One-time MotoGP race winner Jack Miller will step up to the factory Ducati team for the 2021 season, with an option to extend his stay by a further year. Miller made his MotoGP debut in 2015 straight from finishing runner-up in the Moto3 class, spending three seasons as a Honda-contracted rider with LCR and Marc VDS, with whom he claimed a sensational win at the 2016 Dutch TT. For 2018, Miller moved to the Pramac Ducati squad and enjoyed his best season to date in the premier class last year when he guided his GP20 to five podiums finishes and eighth in the standings. After Ducati's main targets for a 2021 ride in Maverick Vinales, Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir slipped through its fingers, Miller became favourite to move into the factory team. Last week, Ducati's Davide Tardozzi said discussions were being held, but no decision had been taken at that time. Commenting on his new ride, Miller said: "It is an honour to be able to continue my MotoGP career with Ducati. "And for this reason I would like to thank the entire leadership team for the trust they have placed in me, and for giving me this incredible opportunity. "I can't wait to start running this year. I am ready to take on with all the commitment in the world the responsibility of being an official Ducati rider in 2021." Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicalli added: "We are convinced that Jack has everything to be able to continuously fight for important positions, in every race, starting this season, and to take a big step forward next year thanks to the full support of the Ducati team." The identity of Miller's 2021 team-mate is yet to be confirmed, as talks between Ducati and Andrea Dovizioso are still at an impasse. The issue is thought to be down to the financial side of Dovizioso's deal, with Ducati keen to avoid big money offers in light of impending financial crisis as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The vacant Pramac Ducati has been linked to Moto2 fronrtunners Enea Bastianini and Jorge Martin in recent weeks - though team boss Francesco Guidotti recently admitted it would be a "miracle" if Ducati could sign Martin. Danilo Petrucci has been linked to a move to World Superbikes with Ducati, though an Aprilia MotoGP switch has also been rumoured should Andrea Iannone's 18-month doping ban not be overturned. Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei May 27, 2020 at 04:13AM
Motorcycle News - Nova Motorcycles Triumph Thruxton 900
https://ift.tt/2Ae8DTi Prior to Hinckley releasing their acclaimed water-cooled Bonnevilles they’d had a great run with their air-cooled predecessors. Despite not offering the same refined level of performance as the newer models they amassed a huge global following during their time in the spotlight. Despite their popularity, the most disappointing of the air-cooled Bonnies was the Triumph Thruxton 900. Unlike its performance-focused successor, the 1200cc Thruxton R, the Thruxton 900 was little more than a styling exercise. That doesn’t paint a great picture for those older Thruxtons, but rest assured there’s still plenty to be gained from customising one. To show us how it’s done, the team at Nova Motorcycles have just unveiled this air-cooled Thruxton cafe racer that boasts a balanced mix of awesome styling and calculated performance upgrades. Motorcycles via Return of the Cafe Racers https://ift.tt/2M9riRb May 27, 2020 at 03:08AM
Motorcycle News - Danger Zone: Federal Moto’s Kawasaki GPz1100
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If you fell in love with that film and the bike ridden by its motorcycle-mad star, you’re not alone. “We all know that movie,” says Michael Muller of Federal Moto. “And we always knew that when Federal Moto built its first custom sportbike, we’d need the beefiest bad boy of the 80s: the GPz1100.”
“The commission came from an 80s kid,” says Muller. “He’s based out of Ohio and only swears by Kawasakis and KTMs. He is very excited for his Federal Moto custom.”
“It’s nice to have to make a part only once now, after the measurements are rendered digitally. Damn kids these days!”
Taking off the bodywork was only the start, though—there’s a ton of work gone into this stunning machine.
The mighty mill is now Cerakoted for protection, with polished aluminum covers. The header pipes have been finished in Cerakote too, and are terminated with Cone Engineering’s ‘Big Mouth’ stainless steel mufflers.
Other Motogadget goodies include a Motoscope Pro gauge, a remote m.lock ignition system, and classy m.switch push buttons on the new clip-on bars.
There’s plenty of sweet custom fabrication here too, including the tail unit, side covers and headlight housing. The rear subframe and its new supports are hand fabricated, along with the 18-gauge steel seat pan (with electronics hidden below). The rest was 3D printed by Custom Color 3D printing in Chicago.
The brakes have been upgraded to modern tech, with CNC’d front and rear rotors, new Goodridge lines, and a Tokico four-piston setup at the front.
It’s all pulled together with deep, glossy black paint designed by Chris Paluch and shot by NSD Paintwerks—with an added hint of classic Kawasaki green.
The bike was wheeled out in front of the camera before Federal were able to add a few finishing touches, such as a Brembo RCS front master cylinder and Motogadget mirrors. But we’ll happily take it as it is. And we reckon Maverick would approve as well. Federal Moto | Facebook | Instagram | images by Daniel Peter Motorcycles via Bike EXIF https://ift.tt/2Mf9b0c May 26, 2020 at 12:12PM
F1 News - Oliver Rowland storms to Formula E Race At Home Challenge win in Berlin
https://ift.tt/3cYwXHw Watch highlights as British driver Oliver Rowland takes advantage of a coming together to win the Formula E Race At Home Challenge in Berlin. #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 May 26, 2020 at 08:27AM
F1 News - McLaren to cut 1,200 people as virus hits demand
https://ift.tt/2ZygndE Iconic UK supercar maker and Formula 1 team McLaren plans to cut more than a quarter of its workforce after the coronavirus crisis hit demand. The firm employs around 4,000 people but 1,200 of those are to be made redundant, the vast majority in the UK. Motorsport events have been cancelled around the world by the pandemic, which has shut car plants and closed showrooms. McLaren said it had been "severely affected" by the crisis. The company said it had worked hard to cut costs and avoid layoffs. "But we now have no other choice but to reduce the size of our workforce," McLaren boss Paul Walsh said in a statement. "This is undoubtedly a challenging time for our company, and particularly our people, but we plan to emerge as an efficient, sustainable business with a clear course for returning to growth." #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 May 26, 2020 at 07:27AM
MotoGP News - MotoGP News: Riders split on plan to hold test before first race
https://ift.tt/2A7nkHR Suzuki rider Alex Rins says he'd rather go straight into racing when the coronavirus-delayed MotoGP season begins instead of having a test before the first event. The outbreak of COVID-19 has delayed the 2020 season and forced the postponement or cancellation of the first 11 scheduled races of the original calendar. MotoGP has set out plans to begin racing on 19 and 26 July at Jerez, pending approval from the Spanish Government. In March, KTM boss Pit Beirer told Autosport that a test prior to the first race had been planned. Though nothing has officially been organised, a one-day test on 15 July at Jerez is expected to be scheduled soon. Asked if he thinks riders will need some time on the bike prior to the first race, having not ridden since February's Qatar pre-season test, Rins said: "For sure, this is a lot of time without racing. "The last time we rode was in the Qatar test, that was in the end of February. It's hard. "For sure, the first time we get back on the bike will be hard, because - for example - Malaysia is the first test after all the holidays [over the winter]. "All the riders are destroyed after the first or second day, with a lot of problems with the physical conditions of the neck. "That's normal after all that time off. "But for me, I prefer to go directly to the race, because it's less time that we lose." Yamaha's Valentino Rossi holds the opposite view and hopes for a test out of fears that the riders may not be "ready for FP1 straightaway". "This will be a very new thing, because it's never happened that we stay off our MotoGP bikes for a long time," Rossi said. "But usually anyway when you start from the first test, you are always scared - or me personally - that I'm not able to be as fast as the year before. "But, in the end, it's not like this as soon as you jump on your bike and you get the feeling. "Will be difficult physically because we need to train a lot, to try to be ready. "I hope that before the race we can do another test at the same track, like two days, because if not it's a very long time we are off the bike. "So maybe we are not ready for FP1 straightaway [without the test]." Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei May 26, 2020 at 06:14AM
Motorcycle News - Gasolina Classic Boots Review
https://ift.tt/2AcEIv2 As a kid, the image of the highway patrolman will always be linked to my first memories of motorcycle riding. From 70s TV classics like CHiPs to the imposing figure of Terminator 2’s T1000, the one common feature that lent to their look of badassery was their tall riding boots. These were not like the plastic-clad race/ski boots of today. These were cleanly designed all leather, tall (very tall) boots. And most importantly were proudly worn over the pants. Sadly, you don’t see them around too much anymore. Then came my discovery of the Gasolina Classic Boots. Motorcycles via Return of the Cafe Racers https://ift.tt/2M9riRb May 26, 2020 at 05:41AM |
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