F1 News - Italian Grand Prix: Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel says there is no extra pressure at Monza
https://ift.tt/2wuby5D Sebastian Vettel says he does "not really" feel any extra pressure driving for Ferrari at their home race. The German is 17 points behind Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, the championship leader, but is favourite to win Sunday's Italian Grand Prix. "Everyone can feel something special is going on. We have a good car but we need to make it happen," said Vettel. "It is a great feeling when you can fight for pole and victory. It is what you want." Vettel, who won in Belgium last Sunday, acknowledged that Ferrari were "going in the right direction" but he emphasised that Mercedes "is still very strong". He added: "It is good to see we are getting stronger. In some areas, we have caught up. In others maybe we have a little bit of an edge. That is where we want to be, and maybe even beyond that. "We want to keep that level through the year, and if there is a gap to increase it. It is going in the right way but there are a lot of things that can be improved and we need to focus on those and go step by step." Hamilton skipped his media duties at Monza on Thursday as a result of what Mercedes described as an "unavoidable personal commitment". The world champion is set to arrive at the Monza track on Thursday evening and carry on as normal from there. Hamilton was comfortably beaten by Vettel in Spa after the Ferrari passed him down the straight on the first lap of the race, and Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said afterwards that the Italian team now had a power advantage over Mercedes. Hamilton said he felt that Mercedes' biggest deficit was a lack of traction out of the slow corners that precede the longest straights at Spa. The Briton added that he hoped the different layout of Monza, where he dominated last year after a close fight with Vettel in Belgium, would better suit the Mercedes. Speaking on Sunday after the Belgian Grand Prix, he said: "Luckily, apart from Turn One, it is not that slow there, so I am hoping the traction loss we are having in these super-slow corners won't be as bad there." Wolff added: "The last race where we have been quickest in pure pace was Silverstone [in early July]. Since then, Ferrari have been quicker. "Monza was a good one [for Mercedes last year], so I am very curious to see how it is going to go in Monza. "Last year we were very much in control of the whole weekend. Ferrari had their worst weekend of the whole season performance-wise. "I am not worried. I think we should still address the opportunities that exist within our car where we need to optimise and only that will make us win the championship."
#F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 August 30, 2018 at 10:36AM
F1 News - Sebastian Vettel has a bump in his in Ferrari in Milan
https://ift.tt/2LIVa62 Sebastian Vettel crashes his Ferrari into the barriers at low speed at the F1 Milan Festival ahead of the Italian Grand Prix. #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 August 30, 2018 at 10:19AM 8/30/2018 Halo: Nico Hulkenberg admits he was wrong about 'pretty useful' F1 safety device - F1 News
F1 News - Halo: Nico Hulkenberg admits he was wrong about 'pretty useful' F1 safety device
https://ift.tt/2wunBQm Nico Hulkenberg admits he has had to rethink his opposition to the halo head protection device after the crash at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix. The Renault driver, who triggered the dramatic accident by ramming Fernando Alonso's McLaren, was a vocal opponent of the halo's introduction. Hulkenberg said: "It has proved pretty useful and a good device. "I'm not a big fan of the halo as a device. I have to face facts - it does bring something in terms of safety." Hulkenberg's collision with Alonso launched the Spaniard's car over the Sauber of Charles Leclerc. Television replays and photographs show Alonso's car bouncing off the halo on Leclerc's vehicle. They also show the halo deflecting a tyre that may have been heading towards the Monegasque's head. Hulkenberg admitted he still had "mixed feelings" about the halo, but added: "You can only speculate about what would happen [without it] but it looked pretty clear that the tyre marks were all over the halo and from that point it has done a good job of keeping the head safe, so, yeah." Leclerc said after the race last Sunday that he had not initially been a fan of the halo but that he was glad it was on the car in the crash. The 20-year-old is the godson of former Marussia driver Jules Bianchi, who died in July 2015 of head injuries sustained in a crash in which he hit a tractor vehicle recovering another car. Leclerc said: "For Jules, it would not have changed anything. In some circumstances it can help - whether it helped in Spa or not I don't know - but it is a good thing to have." How to follow on BBC SportBBC Sport has live coverage of all the season's races on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, plus live online commentary on the BBC Sport website and mobile app - including audience interaction, expert analysis, debate, voting, features, interviews and video content. All times BST and are subject to change at short notice.
#F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 August 30, 2018 at 09:39AM
Motorcycle News - BAD DAD. FNG Works’ Insane ‘Papa Jahat’ Honda C70
https://ift.tt/2ooB0oR Written by Marlon Slack Most engine swaps on motorcycles are sensible. People will stick a SR400 engine into a British plunger frame. They’ll lower a shovelhead engine into a hardtail. It usually makes sense. But rarely will a builder do something as bonkers as Malaysia’s FNG Works. They’ve crammed a 600cc Honda thumper engine into a diminutive Honda C70 and somehow done it cleanly enough that it looks perfectly stock. Irwann Cheng, head of FNG Works, has spent years honing his craft under other people. Initially employed at renowned Malaysian workshop Beautiful Machines he left the shop to work as an engineer. In his spare time he trundled along, making custom motorcycles, furniture and sundries in his spare time. Then he quit and went all out on FNG Works Speedshop, a retail store that sells riding apparel and builds custom motorcycles. With such a pedigree Irwann and FNG has built quite a reputation in Malaysia. Hell, two years ago their premiere national motorcycle show, The Art of Speed, commissioned Irwann to build a motorcycle for a giveaway. So FNG made a bombastic, stretched, twin-engined RX-Z Yamaha. The organisers loved it and wanted another custom ride for their 2018 show. But this time around Irwann wanted to build something a little more subtle. Well, sort of subtle. “I wanted to further the ‘sleeper’ factor by retaining the stock frame… and shoving a bigger engine in it.” The build started with a stock little C70 Honda spotted by Irwann during an evening stroll. He approached the owner, who had owned the little runabout from new, to see if he wanted to sell. He did, and FNG Works had their starting point. Irwann had big plans for the new build. “I’d seen Maru Motorcycles in Japan put a 250cc engine on a C70,” he recalls. “I wanted to further the ‘sleeper’ factor by retaining the stock frame… and shoving a bigger engine in it”. So then they went to work. As with every build FNG always start by picking the wheels first. And despite some of the ridiculously wide-rimmed Honda Cubs kicking around Malaysia he wanted something that looked relatively stock. New, wider tyres and rims were propped against the rolling frame and an engine from a Honda XR600R placed in front. Then Irwann stood back. “From there I could see the proportion of the bike and decide on the position of the engine, stance, absorber length and swingarm length,” Irwann says. “I didn’t want to change the geometry too much and wanted it to look stock”. But to do that the frame would need a hell of a lot of internal reinforcement to deal with the thumping big single. “I had to build a new top tube that sits higher than the original that goes through the pressed sheet metal skin,” Irwann explains. “I then fabricated an oil tank which also acts as a stressed member, which sits in the tight space between the front tyre and the engine”. With all that work plenty of original components had to be altered, with the standard fuel tank chopped in half to make way for the new top frame tube and plenty of reinforcing. To accommodate the new rim sizes the front forks were widened and a 2.5×18 rim fitted. Above that, a Honda Benly-inspired headlight was fabricated and fitted. At the rear, the swingarm and chain guard was lengthened to match. A subtle tail light was hidden neatly away below the slimline seat. To keep the bike looking svelte FNG even cut down the side battery cover to accentuate the lines of the bike. The hardest part of the build? Well, according to Irwann the answer is simple. “Fitting the 600 engine to the frame without modifying the frame geometry. The proportion, fork rake and position had to be in the same (or similar) position as a stock bike. I didn’t want it to look weird if sitting next to a stock C70. The space was tight and a lot of reinforcements had to be made and hidden from view”. But what a job he’s done! Cramming an engine into an existing frame is one thing, but making it look as coherent and ‘correct’ as this is incredibly difficult to do. And Irwann is understandably delighted with the result. “I like that the seat and swingarm are horizontal and so much of the bike has lines that are parallel to each other. The front basket makes it look soft. But when it starts and the sound roars through the stainless exhaust it spits fire. It’s like having two different personalities”. [ FNG Works – Facebook | Photos by @kaptenohdeer ] Motorcycles via Pipeburn.com http://www.pipeburn.com August 30, 2018 at 09:04AM
F1 News - Italian Grand Prix: Pick your top three drivers at Monza
https://ift.tt/2Nt4uwC You close the gap on your championship rival and then the very next race is at your team's spiritual home of Monza - Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel must feel the F1 gods are smiling on him right now. A commanding win in Spa last weekend saw the title deficit cut to 17 points, leaving the man Vettel is chasing, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, cutting a concerned figure at the end of the race. The message from Spa-Francorchamps was loud and clear - Ferrari have the fastest car in Formula 1, and where better to press home that advantage than on Monza's famous long straights? A year ago it was Hamilton chasing down the outright lead in the championship, producing a dominant display to vault to the top of the leaderboard. How Vettel would love for the roles to be reversed 12 months on. Choose your top three drivers from the list below #F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 August 30, 2018 at 08:03AM
Motorcycle News - Well Travelled Italian – Ducati 848 Cafe Racer
https://ift.tt/2Piyax8 Ducati’s 848 first hit the streets in 2008. Positioned around the middle of their range it was an affordable alternative to the higher spec, larger capacity options like the 1098. This didn’t mean the 848 was lacking though. With 117bhp on tap and weighing a mere 168kg, the 848 offered more than enough oomph for your average rider. Mike wasn’t planning on building a custom 848. His last custom build was a Honda CB750 built 7 years ago, but when a friend offered him the bike he figured, “why not?” So, the deal was done and a plan hatched to rework the Ducati into something more his style. As the co-owner of an oil and gas based business in Calgary, Mike is lucky to have a dedicated warehouse space where he works on his projects. For this project though he wanted to do things a little differently. “I stripped the bike down to the frame, de-tabbed and cut off everything that wasn’t needed at my shop in Canada,” says Mike. “Then, I packed the bike up and flew it with me to Palm Springs, California with all the parts needed to make it a roller.” Why go to so much trouble? Well, frequent visits to Palm Springs had exposed Mike to the local custom scene. He’d seen some impressive work by local builders and wanted them in on it. Along with stripping the bike down Mike developed a concept of how he’d like things to look. The idea was to create a modern cafe racer that was light and fast. Hidden beneath the 848s bodywork is a unique, simplified trellis frame the Italians developed especially for it. Mikes concept was to expose the beautiful frame and engine, converting the 848 to a naked bike. Taking inspiration from Ducati’s 999 the bodywork was also designed to be removable as a single piece, making servicing easier. To build his bodywork Mike enlisted the help of David Martinez in Plam Springs. He was against the idea of using any fibreglass so by leveraging David’s coachbuilding skills he could have everything shaped from aluminium. Meanwhile, the frame and wheels were powder coated using a light satin grey to complement the paint scheme Mike had in mind. Once David had the bodywork finished it was handed over to Little Shop of Kustoms for painting. The Porsche 964 ice pearl paint was chosen to get away from the black and silver schemes Mike was fed up with seeing. To make it really pop they’ve mixed in a light metal flake and laid frame matching grey livery. As soon as the paint had cured everything was carefully packed for the return trip to Calgary. Back in Canada Mike decided the 848 should get a few performance upgrades to boot. The key ingredient in the power recipe is a custom made exhaust that Mike built himself. He installed the new pipe along with an SC carbon muffler. The airbox was also modified and a Power Commander installed before the bike was professionally dyno tuned. Ducati 999 bars, reservoirs and CRG levers now sit on the forks. The complex stock headlights have been replaced by a single 6-inch unit, fit using LSL parts. The dash is the original unit but it now sits in a carbon surround to neaten things up. Mike also spent countless hours carefully modifying the wiring harness to remove any excess length and fabricated his own carbon panels to finish things off. Even for a devoted Ducatista, it would be hard to pick the donor used for Mike’s minty fresh 848. With more power and less weight, Mike’s 848 promises to be a wild ride. If anyone at Ducati happens to be listening, please take note. It’s high time we saw a redux of the Sport Classic range and something like Mike’s bike would be ideal. Motorcycles via Return of the Cafe Racers https://ift.tt/2M9riRb August 29, 2018 at 11:12PM
F1 News - Italian GP: Welcome to Monza, home of the F1 fanatic
https://ift.tt/2wx04h1 The only way to follow one beloved race track is to head straight to another a week later. Belgium might not have served up an instant classic this time around - the heart-in-the-mouth first-corner crash the only real talking point - but Sebastian Vettel's fifth win of the season is still enough to keep the hunt for the championship alive and well heading into the formidable Italian Grand Prix. Daniel Ricciardo summed up Monza best when he said: "The fans are nuts, typical Italians. Very passionate." If you search the crowds for another team's colours you'll be out of luck. The sea of red, yellow and black is as dominant as the green, white and red of the Italian flag. Climbing over barriers, sporting painted faces and fancy dress, setting off vibrant red flares in the middle of the crowds; only the craziness of the Japanese contingent at Suzuka can match the hero worship the tifosi puts on display. And if there's one thing guaranteed to get the Italian masses hot under the collar, it's a Ferrari victory on home soil. As one of the longest running events on the current calendar, this 5.793km circuit has seen it all. Michael Schumacher still holds the record at 'La Pista Magica' with five victories between 1996-2006. During his post-race news conference in 2000, the seven-time world champion stunned fans when he broke down in tears after equalling Ayrton Senna's tally of 41 wins. It was a sight the F1 world had never seen before; even Schumacher himself once commented: "I'm probably too German for a lot of the tifosi. Too serious, not enough ups and downs, not enough emotions. People love that, particularly in Italy." This time, however, his emotions spilled out for all to see, consoled on either side by McLaren's Mika Hakkinen and brother Ralf in third for Williams. Fast forward six years and it was Monza where Schumacher chose to announce he was retiring from the sport following his 90th career triumph. Taking to the podium for the beginning of his long goodbye, the congregation gathered below to savour the moment with a racing legend. He may have had to work a little harder for the Italian love than some of the other Formula 1 greats but, in the end, the fanatical tifosi got what they wanted: a Ferrari icon on their turf. Now it's the turn of another German world champion to use the Monza magic to his advantage. With a championship deficit cut to 17 points following victory at Spa, Vettel has the opportunity to win back-to-back races for the second time this season. After Lewis Hamilton expressed his concern about Ferrari's pace advantage, will the unmistakable radio message of "grazie, grazie. Forza Ferrari" be ringing in the air at the drop of the chequered flag? Flashback quizThree seems to be the magic number at the Italian Grand Prix. Since 1953, six drivers have recorded three race wins each at the legendary Monza circuit. To help you in your quest in gaining top marks, we've provided some handy hints and bits of trivia for every answer. Naturally, there are three minutes on the clock to crack this one. Triple Monza winnersScore: 0 / 6 You scored 0/6 Share your score with your friends! Copy and share link
Previously in F1: Round 13 - BelgiumThe trackBack pocket facts
Drivers' socialHow to follow on BBC SportBBC Sport has live coverage of all the season's races on BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, plus live online commentary on the BBC Sport website and mobile app - including audience interaction, expert analysis, debate, voting, features, interviews and video content. All times BST and are subject to change at short notice.
#F1 via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6 August 29, 2018 at 10:04AM
Motorcycle News - I SCRAM LEGEND. FCR Original’s McQueen Triumph Scrambler Homage
https://ift.tt/2MEb0Eg Written by Andrew Jones For all their marketing bucks, there’s one thing the motorcycle manufacturers’ money will never be able to buy. It’s the same stuff that Burt Monroe, Giacomo Agostini and Rollie Free have in spades; authenticity. Often created by random acts of insanity and then distilled by history, it’s a licence to print money for brands when their planets align and they find themselves part of it. For Triumph, those planets mostly revolve around Steve McQueen’s star. His bike building activities with Bud Elkins in the early ‘60s to create Triumph off-road racers are now the stuff of legend. Here’s Frenchmen FCR Original with their ‘Green Legend’, an homage that makes us want to watch On Any Sunday for a 42nd time. When the name Steve McQueen is mentioned, most ‘normal’ people will think of movies like The Thomas Crown Affair or Bullit. But not us. We all think of British Racing Green Triumphs and the fence jumping scene from The Great Escape. So when the FCR team decided to use a Triumph Bonneville for their latest design and manufacturing efforts, it’s probably fair to say that they didn’t exactly go into the exercise with a blank piece of paper. In fact, its purpose was clear – it was to be a tribute to the now mythical McQueen Triumph enduro and scrambler bikes from the ‘60s. But to do the legend justice, a mere cosmetic makeover or a bunch of superficial changes just wouldn’t do. Yes, the bike’s aesthetics are very important – but so is its mechanicals. And that’s because they wanted a bike that McQueen would be happy to ride. Like the man himself, the bike isn’t the type to yell ‘cut’ when the action starts and call in a better prepared stunt double to do all the fun stuff. No siree. Once the bike was made as light as possible via the angle grinder and the torch, details such as the frame and swing arm were stripped at the abrasive plant and nickel-plated to give an authentic – and damn spectacular – look. Scrambling ‘bars, replete with their classic cross member, were sat against stamped number boards, turn signals and new mud guards, all handmade by the FCR team themselves.
“Why leave cut frame tubes unused when they can house bespoke rear indicators? Why indeed.”
As FCR pride themselves on the details, each item, each piece and each component was looked at for relevance, functionality and looks. This is shown when studying the bike’s beautifully clean and minimal tail section. Why leave cut frame tubes unused when they can house bespoke rear indicators? Why indeed. The one aspect that was varied ever so slightly from the original was the bike’s comfort level. While authenticity was still top of mind for the team, the fact that the scrambler wasn’t solely to be ridden in desert races was an important consideration. So a comfy seat, tailored by the Proust Saddlery, and the tweaked suspension set-up were both created with the bitumen and the dirt in mind. What’s clear about the scrambler from the very first viewing is just how much thought has been put into the exhaust’s shape and placement. And that’s probably because – more than any other custom the shop has built – the pipes will make or break a bike like this. Many, many hours and sections of pipe were spent before it was ticking the team’s boxes. Likewise the bike’s paint wasn’t going to be a ‘one and done’ type of job. And the best part? Both were executed right there in the FCR workshop. No outsourcing here, folks. But enough from our verbose mouths. We’ll let Mat and Seb have the last say on the Triumph. “The Green Legend can be summed up in two words. Uniqueness and authenticity. A motorcycle that embodies the scrambler while distinguishing itself by its finish and personality. The attention and know-how of the workshop are concentrated in this, a motorcycle that we’d like to think is unique and inimitable.” [ FCR Original – Facebook – Instagram | Photos by Studio Ludo ] Motorcycles via Pipeburn.com http://www.pipeburn.com August 29, 2018 at 08:42AM
MotoGP News - Dorna boss suggests Silverstone resurfaces again to keep race
https://ift.tt/2NrnAmL Dorna boss Carmelo Ezpeleta has suggested Silverstone must be prepared to resurface its track again to safeguard its MotoGP agreement... Motogp Motorcycle Racing News via MotoGP news - Autosport https://ift.tt/2uOa9Ei August 29, 2018 at 08:04AM
Motorcycle News - Grey Matter: An ingenious Sportster hardtail from 2LOUD
https://ift.tt/2wsnSCQ
One of those shops is 2LOUD of Taiwan, run by Max Ma. He’s an esoteric kind of guy who can turn his hand to any style, but his bikes all have one thing in common: the build quality and levels of finish are right up there with the very best in the US and Japanese scenes.
Max built this sublime hardtail for the wife of one of his best customers, the Taiwanese musician Zhang Zhenyue. It’s configured to suit her physique, with a low-riding seat and decent pullback on the bars.
Ms. Zhenyue may be compact in stature, but this Sportster is not short on power. Max has swapped out the EFI for a chunky Mikuni HSR carb that delivers smooth fueling and an extra 15 (or so) horses to the back wheel.
Adding a hardtail to a custom bike in the US or Europe is a well-trodden path. But in Taiwan, things get tricky—the inspection regulations are amongst the strictest in the world.
At the front, Max has lowered the forks a little and polished the stanchions until they gleam. The wheels gleam too: they’re actually the standard rims, but given a fresh coat of glossy metallic paint and fitted with new stainless spokes.
This is one of those bikes where there’s a place for everything, and everything is in the right place. Max has created all the bodywork himself, from the tiny tank to the bobbed rear fender and the side panels.
On the left, the side panel is part of the new handmade oil tank, with access granted after lifting up the seat cushion.
We reckon it’s time Max Ma took his place in the upper echelon of custom builders—and we can’t wait to see what style he tackles next. Motorcycles via Bike EXIF http://www.bikeexif.com August 28, 2018 at 12:06PM |
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