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10/31/2018

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Riding Gear Biltwell Lanesplitter ECE Helmet- Motorcycle News

 
Motorcycle News - Riding Gear – Biltwell Lanesplitter ECE Helmet

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Biltwell has been producing retro styled helmets since before many of the larger manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon. Unfortunately for those outside of the USA, they were only available with DOT certification. Thankfully that’s no longer the case. The aggressively styled Biltwell Lanesplitter helmet is now ECE certified. So now riders in many countries outside of the USA, including Australia, can wear one without breaking any laws.





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October 31, 2018 at 06:57PM
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10/31/2018

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Maxx Headroom: Gunn Designs BMW flat tracker- Motorcycle News

 
Motorcycle News - Maxx Headroom: Gunn Design’s BMW flat tracker

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BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
The world of custom motorcycles is full of beautiful machines, but many of them see little mileage. While that doesn’t stop us from admiring them, we’re suckers for bikes that are designed to be ridden in anger.

Right now, we’re hooked on this BMW R nineT flat track weapon, built by Dan Riley. Based in Burnsville, Minnesota, Dan’s a freelance graphic and product designer who operates as Gunn Design.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
The project kicked off in April last year, when Ola Stenegärd himself (then BMW Motorrad’s Head of Vehicle Design, now at Indian) reached out to Dan about customizing an R nineT Pure. Dan’s been riding since age four, so building a show pony was never an option.

Since then, this hooligan racer-slash-street tracker—dubbed ‘Maxx Headroom’—has gone through multiple rounds of changes, and spent as much time on display as it has on the race track.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
It’s been shown at Sturgis, Wheels & Waves California, The One Show, The Handbuilt Show and Glemseck 101, and raced at almost all of them.

Most of Dan’s changes have been focused on shedding weight, adding performance, and improving ergonomics: all critical elements of flat track racing. He’s done most of the work himself, all from an area in his design studio where he can “build bikes and get messy.”

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
The R nineT’s stock bodywork has been replaced, and the new fuel tank is from a 1990 Honda CB400. It was a tricky job: Dan had to cut the bottom section off the OEM tank, and weld it to the Honda tank to get it to fit.

He also fitted a Vortex fuel cap, and modded the fuel pump slightly.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
Out back, there’s a carbon fiber flat track tail, modeled on a Ron Wood design, but altered to suit Dan’s taste.

It’s clear coated for a gloss finish and topped off with a custom leather seat pad from Saddlemen, complete with an embroidered Gunn logo. Dan tells us he didn’t need to tweak the subframe much, apart from some tab edits.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
Lower down, the R nineT now rolls on a set of typical 19” flat track wheels. Woody’s Wheel Works built the set for Dan, using custom orange anodized hubs laced to custom-drilled Sun rims, and shod with Dunlop rubber.

At first, Dan couldn’t get the rear wheel to fit the space available—but then he switched to a 3.5” wide rim, which flattened the tire out just enough to make it work.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
The front suspension is stock, but there’s a custom Race Tech G3-S shock doing duty at the rear. Dan’s upgraded the front brake rotor, and added Magura HC3 master cylinders for both the brake and clutch.

Rocket Exhaust helped Dan out on the custom pipework, which consists of twin stainless steel headers running up into MX-style, carbon-tipped mufflers. Dan also removed the airbox and installed a pair of K&N filters—and then realized the BMW didn’t run as great.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
So he installed a RapidBike Tuner, in a bid to squeeze more (and smoother) power from the boxer. “I haven’t had it on a dyno with the new setup,” he tells us, but seat-of-the-pants feel from the tune is noticeable.”

“I had to do something, given the totally changed-up intake and exhaust system. BMW people told me at Glemseck that the stock air box makes the most power…and that’s what Nate Kern was running when he beat me.”

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
Dan’s new cockpit setup is all about maximum control. He’s fitted ProTaper handlebars on adjustable Rox risers, and removed all the switches he doesn’t need. He’s also deleted the stock bike’s ABS system, and uninstalled the heated grips.

The overall wiring changes are minimal though. The speedo’s still in play, and Dan’s fitted a small LED taillight at the back. He’s also got an LED headlight that he can plug in quickly if he wants to take to the streets.

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design
Maxx Headroom is a stellar case study for form following function. There’s nothing precious or fussy about it—it’s a raw machine, built to be thrashed.

Plus we’re pretty sure that if we give Dan enough time, he’ll find more ways to make his R nineT lighter, faster and better.

Gunn Design | Facebook | Instagram | With thanks to Marc Holstein for the static images

BMW R nineT flat track motorcycle by Gunn Design

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October 31, 2018 at 12:06PM
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10/31/2018

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Yamaha MotoGP chassis has 'scary' potential - Ducati's Dovizioso - MotoGP News

 
MotoGP News - Yamaha MotoGP chassis has 'scary' potential - Ducati's Dovizioso

https://www.autosport.com/motogp/news/139789/yamaha-chassis-still-has-cary-pace--dovizioso

The Australian Grand Prix proves Yamaha's MotoGP chassis still has "scary" potential, says Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso



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October 31, 2018 at 10:21AM
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10/31/2018

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THE X PISTOL. Gasoline Cultures XT Punk BMW Sprintracer- Motorcycle News

 
Motorcycle News - THE X PISTOL. Gasoline Culture’s ‘XT Punk’ BMW Sprintracer

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Written by Andrew Jones

Interested in building yourself a sprint racer? If your brain works anything like Germany‘s Jo Hecht, then here’s a handy set of instructions for you to follow. Take one 1978 BMW R100R RS. Add an aircraft’s propeller spinner, a Yamaha XT500 tank, a Porsche RS spoiler, a Harley fender, a bunch of handmade aluminium parts and then mix it all together with equal parts deft technical know-how and snarling Sid Vicious attitude. Then bake it in the heat of an eighth mile sprint race and hey presto! Here’s one he prepared earlier.

Based in the south of Germany, Jo was born in 1970 and went on to study a Masters of Industrial Design in Milan before taking over the family’s interior design business with brother Frank. “Then in 2016, I created ‘Gasoline Culture’ as an online retail idea to sell stickers, hats, t-shirts and the like. Embarrassingly, it’s still not online.” And with customs like this, we wonder if his time is better spent on bikes than bytes. “Since I was a small child, I was always into racing. Cars, motorbikes; pretty much anything with a cool design. So for the last few years, I’ve been building myself different custom bikes.”

After a chance encounter with Mr Seb ‘Sultans of Sprint’ Lorentz in Biarritz 4 years ago, he was immediately impressed by the performance of Seb’s old BMW-powered ‘Sprintbeemer’. So not wanting to reinvent the rad, he decided to use the very same litre engine as the base for his build. “Afterwards, I was looking for an old Beemer for about a year before I found a ‘78 R100RS close to my hometown in Stuttgart.’ It’s important to note that Jo comes from Porsche’s heartland; it explains one or two of his automotive obsessions rather well.

“I had my heart set on an impressive fairing made from aluminium, so I found an old airplane part which was perfect in its form and it would also do a great job of hiding all the instruments and cables inside. The tail on the back is inspired by the old Porsche Carrera RS ‘Entenbürzel’ or ‘Ducktail’ spoiler, so in a way it is a BMW ‘RS’. Another big inspiration was my long-term love of the Yamaha XT500, with its iconic aluminium tank and golden wheels.”

Pew pew

“The building time was around a year and a half, mostly because it was done as late night screwing around after a full day’s work. After receiving the BMW, Jo ripped pretty much everything away, so there was only the frame, the engine, the wheels and the forks left. “The idea was to build a street legal bike with the option to race it, like the Porsche RS.”

“It was designed for a 3-bladed propeller, so it had 3 cut-outs which matched exactly to the bike’s ’bars.”

After collecting a bunch of parts including blinkers and lights and a raft of other eclectic paraphernalia, Jo tried to find a nice aerodynamic fairing for the bike that would also allow him to add a light in the front. Surfing the web, he somehow stumbled across an aeroplane’s ‘spinner’ – also known as ‘the pointy part in the middle of a propellor’ – which was perfect. “It was designed for a 3-bladed prop, so it had 3 cut-outs which matched exactly to the bike’s ’bars.”

Well, do ya?

“After the fairing was fitted, I added the light and used the rest of the internal space for the bike electrics and other tech. For more of an XT look, I put the exhaust on the bike’s right hand side and raised it up a little. At the back, I used an old Harley fender and a handmade aluminium tail for that typical Porsche RS spoiler look.” The engine is powered by another famous Stuttgart brand, namely Siebenrock. Jo says it has around 90hps when angry. “You can ride and shift it normally or by using the Pingel airshifter. The suspension is on the left side and I used a Harley progressive shock. The rear tyre is a special drag racing slick from Racemaster.”

“One of the tricky things was mounting and wiring of the fairing without drilling holes in it; notice that you can’t see how it’s fixed. Another difficult thing was the routing the exhaust system. To have it go up and to the right side without blocking other key parts of the bike was a real headache.”

“There’s not really one thing I like about the bike, it’s the whole bike: the spinner fairing, the Porsche tail, the golden wheels, the XT gas tank, the handmade aluminum parts and plenty of other cool little details. The bike is me, really. Stocked with my childhood memories of racing, performance and fun all reunited in a cool sprint racing bike. It’s awesome.”

[ Sultans Of Sprint | Photos by Marc Holstein ]





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October 31, 2018 at 07:30AM
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10/31/2018

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'Let's dance. I know how to get by you' - Hamilton on how he became a great - F1 News

 
F1 News - 'Let's dance. I know how to get by you' - Hamilton on how he became a great

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Lewis Hamilton's successful quest for a fifth world title, I suggest to him, can be distilled down to one simple phrase: Ferrari dropped the ball and he knocked it out of the park.

Hamilton chuckles a little at the suggestion, and then says: "The description is not too bad."

"It's been an incredible season - mentally and physically, for everyone in the team," he adds, as he reflects on the ups and downs of what will surely come to be remembered as his finest achievement yet - winning the title against four-time champion Sebastian Vettel in a car that was, for at least half the races, faster than his own.

"On the drivers' side," Hamilton says, "the mental side has been the key. Ferrari were so strong at certain points of the year - particularly in the first half of the season - we didn't know how it was going to end.

"But the best parts of the season have been when we've been on the back foot and it's not looked great - but we managed to claw our way back and collectively do a better job overall [than] their team and their driver.

"That's really what's made the difference this year, which is something the whole team can be really proud of."

Hamilton is in expansive and revelatory form as we discuss the year and cover among other topics:

  • where his stand-out performances come from
  • the psychology of the battle with Vettel
  • his spirituality and how it impacts his racing
  • his growth as a sportsman since his electrifying debut in 2007
  • an insightful anecdote from inside a drivers' briefing

A battle of minds as well as talent

This year started as a contest between Hamilton and Vettel to see who would become the first man of his generation to win a fifth world title.

For much of the year, it was impossible to predict how it was going to end. The Ferrari has been a faster car than the Mercedes at least as often as it has been the other way around but at key moments Hamilton has excelled and Vettel and/or Ferrari have messed up.

VOTE: Who is the best F1 driver ever?

Hamilton sees the three defining moments of the season as:

  • The German Grand Prix, when Vettel crashed out of the lead as Hamilton closed in rapidly in a late-race rain shower and the Mercedes driver went on to win;
  • The Italian Grand Prix, when Ferrari's failure to impose team orders on their front-row starting drivers allowed Hamilton to pass Vettel on the first lap, and take a brilliant victory chasing down the German's team-mate Kimi Raikkonen
  • Singapore, where a lap for the ages from Hamilton put him on pole on a track where Mercedes have traditionally struggled

Hamilton believes Monza was "probably the biggest psychological blow" for Ferrari, to lose after they had locked out the front row.

But he adds: "They'd had a couple - Seb's psychologically difficult time when he made a personal mistake [in Germany]. As a driver, when the team makes a mistake, it's painful. But when it's you, when it's in your control, that's a horrible feeling. He would have taken that to heart.

"Then we had that fight at Monza. That would have been a team blow for them. But we didn't get complacent after that great result for us. We knew we still had to execute, going to places like Singapore where Ferrari usually destroy us. And what a weekend it was.

"None of us predicted that we would've won in Hockenheim or Monza or particularly Singapore. Collectively we've done an amazing job in this team."

Those 'Lewis Hamilton moments'

The championship should have been close to the end, so evenly matched have Mercedes and Ferrari been.

That it was not is partly down to the errors that have defined Vettel's season and at least as much to the remarkable performances Hamilton has produced, often when on the back foot.

His pole lap at Silverstone when Ferrari seemed to have the faster car; the race in Germany when he took seconds a lap out of Vettel's lead in the rain before his rival crashed; winning in Hungary when the Ferrari was much quicker; his exquisite demonstration of all the qualities that define a world-class driver in Monza; and that unbelievable qualifying lap in Singapore.

Hamilton has always produced moments like this, but he agrees there have been more of them this year.

"Definitely," he says. "What you don't get to see is I have this large group of people to utilise. They're my tools, my soldiers, whatever you want to call them.

Pot washing & for sale signs: How Hamilton conquered F1 as only working class driver

"We all individually think we're operating at the highest but one of us can lean against another and pull more out of them.

"My job is to try to extract the most from every single person there. So, how you debrief, how you understand personally, how you engage with everyone when you have a bad weekend, how you lift everyone up. How you nurture that and build upon it has been key this year.

"If I didn't get those guys in the right positions, I wouldn't be able to extract what I have in me. I have always had what I have in the way I am driving but if they mess up or slip or didn't do something right, I can't unlock the potential in the car, and that's why it's a collective group."

Once out on his own in the car, he says: "It's all about seizing the moment. When it rains in Budapest, for example, I would imagine it is easy to look at it and think, 'Shoot, that makes it much harder for us all.' That is looking at the glass half-empty. I look at it the other way, like 'This is an opportunity for me. Great. They were actually quicker in the dry. Now I know I can make the difference in the wet if I put it together.'

"Now, knowing it initially and actually doing it is two different things. Then I go into the zone of how am I going to put this lap together to make sure I'm ahead."

It's a head space you get into?

"I think it's a head space, yeah."

Whatever it is, it has led to moments in which he has excelled himself. In Germany, he closed dramatically on Vettel as rain began to fall late in the race - and the Ferrari driver ended up crashing out, causing a 32-point swing in the championship.

"I didn't know it was going to rain," Hamilton says, "so you are progressing mentally in the race. But then when it started to rain, I'm like: 'OK, I'm gonna catch him.' And I also know that he's thinking I'm gonna catch him. I'm sure they're telling him where I am."

The day had started with Hamilton in 15th on the grid because of a hydraulics failure in qualifying - a disappointment he likens to missing out on pole at the 2015 British Grand Prix after erroneously bailing on his final lap in changeable conditions.

"The night before, recovering from the loss… a bit like at Silverstone in '15 when Nico [Rosberg] got pole. I was distraught but came back the next day and won.

"In that race [Germany], qualifying I was out, he was on pole. 'How do I minimise the loss?' It's how you recover from those. That psychological operation for me is the most powerful."

A sense of the otherworldly

Hamilton is religious; he has said he prays every day.

After the race in Germany he made a number of remarks that hinted at his faith. "My prayers were really answered," he said at the time. "It freaks me out a little bit more than normal."

Three months on, he reflects on what he meant.

"I don't pray to win," he says. "I don't pray for fortune. I always just ask - whether you're talking to yourself or someone's hearing you - but 'I want to be able to live to my potential today. Allow me to live to my potential today. I know I can be great but certain things get in the way and you're not always able to be great. Just allow me to run free.'"

Boos from the partisan crowd also played their part.

"Also in Hockenheim there was so much negativity. For me, that's like the devil. Let me shine on this and turn that darkness - that booing, which is all dark.

"For me, the sun was shining even though it was raining."

Hamilton produced one of the best laps of his career to take pole in Singapore

After the race, there was a torrential downpour.

"For me that felt biblical," he says, "if you knew the stuff that I'd said in my prayer - and it was not predictable. Those things I had asked to work against. I didn't ask for the rain at the end of the race. That was almost like… if you ever asked for a sign of something, that was a sign."

Then there was his Instagram description of his qualifying lap in Singapore as "heaven-sent".

He explains: "I'm not saying that's controlled from above or anything. When I say it's heaven-sent, it's just you're always searching for perfection. You never get close to it. But that was the closest I felt. The lap just went. It was awesome. For me, that was one of the best laps I've ever done."

Only "one of the best"? Why not "the best"?

"Because I've got a really bad memory and can't remember all my pole laps. I don't want to be absolute about it and then remember, 'Oh yeah there was another lap.'

"But from what I currently have stored in my mind, yeah, it was the best.

"But when I say it's heaven-sent, it's just about setting yourself goals and that feeling you have. Think of heaven - heaven's a perfect place and on that lap I felt I was in a perfect place. In a beautiful place, an amazing feeling, balanced and at my best."

The psychology of battle

Not only has Hamilton won the battle with Vettel over a year, he has, at crucial moments, beaten him in a straight fight on track, too.

Vettel passed Hamilton easily on the straight to win the Belgian Grand Prix, but Hamilton's moves on his rival on the first lap in Italy, and after losing a place at the pit stops in Russia, were more defining.

Hamilton has been involved in several battles with Vettel throughout the season

The impression is that Hamilton knows he can pass Vettel when he needs to, and it's not one he tries to diminish.

"I never ever think: 'I own you,'" he says. "I don't use that mentality. But if you imagine, erm, look at [Floyd] Mayweather as he goes into the ring. I don't think I've ever seen him not look like he knows he's going to win. Even if the opponent is taller or whatever.

"It's the same when I look at different athletes and I'm wondering what's the difference between them and how they are not nervous because they know what the other person may or may not do.

"But when I came out behind, I know where his strengths are, I know where his weaknesses are and I know where I'm better. So it's game on. I'm like, 'Let's dance. You might get the better of me [in] this bit but I know how to get by you."

Behind the scenes with the drivers

Although Hamilton won the battle with Vettel in Russia, he was not happy with the Ferrari man's driving, feeling he had made an illegal second move when defending before Hamilton passed two corners later.

Hamilton brought it up in the drivers' briefing with FIA F1 director Charlie Whiting at the next race in Japan. He takes up the story, which includes an amusing pop at Red Bull's Max Verstappen.

"It wasn't really an argument," he says. "It was a different opinion about how you see and interpret the rule book.

"You ask things to Charlie and he says one thing but it means another. Sometimes. So I said, 'Charlie, are you allowed two moves under braking? Is it one move or two moves? The rules say one but that was a two-move thing and you look at the footage and in my eyes that's two moves.'"

Hamilton is referring to the moment during the race when Hamilton was closing on Vettel on the straight down towards the de facto first corner. Vettel moves to his right to defend. He stops moving, and then moves again, squeezing Hamilton towards the wall on the inside, and forcing him to brake to back out of the overtake.

Hamilton continues: "Charlie said, 'Yeah but if you look from the front, it looks like he turns and then slows down and then keeps going, so it's still one move.'

"So I'm like, 'OK, in the future, if I move, as long as I keep a bit of angle on the car, it's still one move then I'm going to be fine? But it's actually two.' I'm saying, 'You're setting a precedent.'

"I asked all the drivers, 'What do you think?' And there was only one driver really that looked at it and saw two moves but said it was OK, and that was Max. Because he does two moves!"

Hamilton laughs out loud. "So, I was laughing and saying 'Max, you're the one that started this whole two-move thing. You're the king of the double move.' It's just trying to understand it."

Personal development

It's not been a perfect season and Hamilton admits he has had some bad races. China, early on, he calls "a shocking weekend," for example, adding: "The first half of the season wasn't great."

But, in contrast to Vettel, what has been striking is his lack of errors, which he says has "allowed me to enjoy the highs more". In achieving this, he says, "discipline is very much key, how you study and prepare for the race".

It is in this way, he says, that he has come on from the raw talent who shocked Fernando Alonso in his debut season, when they were McLaren team-mates.

"2007 me wouldn't have a chance [against 2018 Hamilton]," he says. "And he was still very quick."

Hamilton says he feels "people underestimate that season", adding: "Being in a top team straight away and having to try to deliver against a two-time world champion who has been through what I have been through to this point almost, is a huge demand and it was one of the toughest years of my life."

Now, he says, he is on "a much, much different level. Last year, I was trying to figure out this amazing year and how can I improve on that.

"When you have won the championship, it is easy to just ride the wave and think it's great. But I am always wanting to raise the bar."

Five titles and 71 wins and counting. Lewis Hamilton is a long way from finished yet.





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October 31, 2018 at 01:12AM
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10/30/2018

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Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo- Motorcycle News

 
Motorcycle News - Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo

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Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
Any list of the world’s most desirable motorcycles is likely to include the MV Agusta 750S. If you fall under the spell of the iconic inline four, you’ll need at least $60,000 to put a good example in your garage.

But now Magni, the storied Italian bike builder, offers an alternative: the MV Agusta 750S Tributo, a stunning homage crafted around the Brutale 800 drivetrain.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
Produced in the first half of the 1970s, the 750S was tricky to ride, three times the price of a Honda CB750 and more at home on the track than the road. But it looked amazing, and it still looks good today.

The Tributo looks just as good, and it’s also much more than a pretty re-skin of a factory MV. Everything that surrounds the 109 hp, three-cylinder motor is custom—from the traditional-style frame to the suspension.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
The tubular double-cradle frame looks old school, right down to the loop that extends over the rear fender. But it’s likely to be much stiffer than the 750S original: it’s fashioned out of 30 mm ChroMoly steel tubing, TIG-welded, and with a more modern geometry.

The forks look like Cerianis lifted from a 1970s GP bike, but despite the traditional construction, they’re a modern design by the German specialist Oram.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
They’re CNC machined from aluminum alloy, fully adjustable, and measure 43 mm in diameter.

Rake is set to a sporty 25 degrees—just half a degree more relaxed than the latest Brutale 800 chassis geometry. Trail is a shorter 3.35 inches compared to the Brutale’s 4.05.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
Oram supplied the shocks too, which are also adjustable. They’re hooked up to a box-section double-sided swingarm, built using the same 25CrMo4 steel as the frame. (The final drive is via chain, rather than shaft.)

The 18-inch wheels come from the Milan-based specialist JoNich. Measuring 2.50 at the front and 4.50 at the back, they’re built up from aluminum rims and stainless steel spokes. The rubber is surprisingly modern: Metzeler’s Racetec RR K1 compound, which is more commonly found on trackday bikes.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
Drum brakes are not going to cut it with this level of performance, so the Tributo is anchored by 320 mm Brembo dual discs and four-piston calipers at the front.

The rear disc is a 230 mm Brembo, with a two-piston setup. Discacciati supplies the clutch and brake master cylinders.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
The tricolore color scheme is all present and correct, including the iconic red leather seat and the gorgeous tank, which echoes the disco volante (‘flying saucer’) design of yore. Even the Monza-style filler cap looks period correct, and the tachometer (from race brand Scitsu) is timeless.

Performance, however, will be on a par with a middleweight 21st century sportbike. In other words, it’ll be more than adequate for 90% of riders and virtually all road conditions. Maintenance should be easy: Bosch fuel injection is much less hassle than four Dell’Orto carbs.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
The Tributo is not the first time Magni has taken inspiration from the 750S, though. Five years ago, the Magni Storia [back left, above] was launched—essentially a kit that fits the Brutale 1090 and costs around €8,000 (US$9,100).

To our eyes, the Tributo is an even more successful concept. And it’s not vaporware: a quick chat with Giovanni Magni reveals that he’s taking orders already, and production is ready to start pronto.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
The build cost depends on customer spec, but Giovanni puts the starting price at €36,000 excluding taxes—around $41,000. In other words, it’s a half to two-thirds of what you’d pay for a good original 750S.

That sounds like excellent value to us. Your money buys a high quality motorcycle, hand built in small numbers, with a reliable modern drivetrain. And the provenance is good too: Magni’s links to MV Agusta stretch back to 1950, when Giovanni’s father Arturo joined MV’s racing department.

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo
The history of the two companies has been entwined ever since, and we’re delighted to see the relationship continuing.

The Tributo has just rocketed to the very top of our Want List.

Magni | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Alessandro Olgiati

Object of Desire: The new Magni MV Agusta 750S Tributo





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October 30, 2018 at 12:30PM
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10/30/2018

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Hamilton would be world champion in a Mercedes or a Ferrari - Palmer column - F1 News

 
F1 News - Hamilton would be world champion in a Mercedes or a Ferrari - Palmer column

https://ift.tt/2SwFdV5


Former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, who left Renault during the 2017 season, has joined the BBC team to offer insight and analysis from the point of view of the competitors.

To win five Formula 1 world titles, as Lewis Hamilton has now done, is a phenomenal achievement.

Winning one World Championship is what every young driver dreams about, but very few would understand the amount of hard work, dedication and outright skill that is involved to achieve it.

I don't know the feeling of winning an F1 title from first-hand experience, but I do know just how much hard work and dedication it took for me even to be on the grid, one of 20 elite drivers in the world.

The demands on an F1 driver are intense.

Firstly, to be physically super-fit. Secondly, to immerse yourself within the team, and understand what are very complex cars inside out - the controls and procedures, which change every year. And on top of that, there is so much demand for a driver's time for PR activities and events. Particularly if you are Hamilton driving for a global brand like Mercedes.

To judge the potential effects of these demands, you only have to look at Hamilton's former team-mate Nico Rosberg.

He was an excellent driver and he ran Hamilton fairly close while they were at Mercedes together.

He won the title in 2016 - but to do so he had to up his game that year to a level he had never reached before, shutting out almost everything else in his life.

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Rosberg achieved it - with help from some Hamilton reliability woes - and promptly retired. It was all too much. He had achieved his boyhood dream, but burnt himself out in the process, and he didn't have anything left in him to continue the fight.

Rosberg's retirement speaks volumes about the skill of Hamilton but also the resolve needed to keep going for that long and at that level of intensity.

Having said that, Rosberg did probably have to put in slightly more effort than Hamilton, because Hamilton makes up extra performance with a pure natural ability that few in F1 history have ever possessed.

Rain highlights Hamilton's extravagant gift

There is no better demonstration of this than his skills in wet weather. For me, pace in the wet highlights pure driving skill, as it is reliant on the driver's natural ability to find grip and feel the limit without the natural references you build up in the dry. Hamilton thrives in it, and has done throughout his career.

Back in his debut season in 2007, at the Japanese Grand Prix - three races from the end of the season - the championship fight was coming to a close.

Hamilton was neck and neck with team-mate Fernando Alonso, who is also one of the best of all time in my opinion. Conditions were atrociously wet at Fuji, but Hamilton won the race and Alonso, the reigning champion, crashed out. It was a big moment in the title race (although Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen would end up winning on a dramatic final day in Brazil).

At the 2008 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, I was a fan watching trackside in the teeming rain. Hamilton was an absolute class apart.

Again, conditions were terrible and everyone else was spinning left, right and centre. His title rival that season, Ferrari's Felipe Massa, spun five times in the race, while Hamilton showed absolute dominance to win by over a minute, lapping everyone up to third place.

In 2018, some of the season's decisive moments have come in wet weather.

Hamilton won the German Grand Prix from 14th on the grid after a rain shower, which caught out title rival Sebastian Vettel, who crashed out of the lead.

Pole position in the rain in Hungary then set him up for a win on a track that Ferrari were looking stronger on. It was a critical 14-point swing in the title race just before summer break.

Hamilton out in front after recovering from 14th place on the grid to win the German Grand Prix

Hamilton exposes Vettel's flaws

Vettel is a world-class driver. He has won four titles himself and has been well on top of team-mate Raikkonen. But this year Hamilton has exposed his flaws, while driving flawlessly himself.

Vettel had all the pressure and kept cracking. Major errors at the French, German, Italian, Japanese and US Grands Prix cost him. Hamilton was unflappable.

Vettel could have won the title this year, given his turn of speed and the form of Ferrari.

He and Hamilton started the season with four titles apiece, and nothing to choose between the cars. There was plenty to choose between the drivers once it all panned out.

Hamilton would have won the championship in either car, with the form he has been in this season.

Dedication is what you need

Hamilton lives a celebrity lifestyle, often jetting off to the US often in between races. He is involved in the fashion and music worlds and hangs out with a plethora of A-listers.

Hamilton attended the 2017 NBA Finals with footballer Neymar

When things don't go well, people are quick to question his commitment, but even with all the talent in the world you cannot win five world titles without absolute dedication to the sport.

The question now is how much more can he achieve?

Hamilton signed a new two-year deal with Mercedes in the summer that will keep him there until at least the end of 2020, when there are likely to be major rule changes.

Mercedes have been the dominant team since 2014, when turbo hybrid engines came in. Although Ferrari potentially had the best car for much of this season, it was pretty close on balance, and it would be a real surprise if Mercedes as a team were not able to mount a title challenge again next year, especially with Hamilton at the helm.

Hamilton turns 34 in January. That is the sort of age at which drivers traditionally move towards the twilight of their careers. Alonso is retiring at the end of the season at 37 years old, and Jenson Button was 36 when he retired at the end of 2016.

Raikkonen bucks that trend, though, and his move to Sauber next year means he will still be driving at 41. With Hamilton's current form, it doesn't look as though age is any problem for him.

In 2018, he's had his best year of his career to date. He's been unbelievably quick, decisive in his overtaking, and has made so few mistakes.

Whether he can get to Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles or even beyond will depend largely on his motivation, because his talent is unquestionable and his team are proven winners.

Even more than that though, if Mercedes were to drop back for whatever reason, any other team would jump at the chance to sign Hamilton, because he can make the difference to a title-winning campaign as he's proven this year.

Who could challenge Hamilton in 2019?

There are more challenges coming next year, though, and they were on brilliant display in Mexico on Sunday as well.

Max Verstappen is the obvious one. In terms of outright speed, he might be the closest to Hamilton. His pace is ferocious, and if he can manage to consistently temper the aggression he showed earlier in the season, which too often got him in to trouble, then he could be a serious threat to Hamilton.

Verstappen showed how dangerous he can be in Mexico, dominating the entire weekend, albeit pipped to pole by team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. It was about the only lap Ricciardo was quicker than Verstappen all weekend, but he did it when it counted most.

Verstappen's race was also exemplary, defending well against Hamilton at the first corner before showing very strong pace, tyre management and race management to cruise home to a comfortable win.

The Red Bull car is his only obstacle to a championship bid for next year, particularly its engine. But with a switch from Renault to Honda next year, there is much optimism within the team. Honda have made great progress over the past few years and seem now to have a better engine than Renault.

Potentially the most significant threat to Hamilton comes from the old enemy, though. Charles Leclerc joins Ferrari, replacing Raikkonen, and he possesses huge talent.

His signing should force Vettel to find another gear for next year. Leclerc will be hungry for success and nipping at the heels of the established drivers immediately, as he seeks to make his mark.

For Ferrari it's exactly what they need if they are to topple Hamilton next year. A new, exciting driver to get in amongst the action.

Leclerc's rookie season has been super-impressive, including his drive to seventh on Sunday.

If Leclerc can continue in that form then he can pressure Vettel, or maybe even mount a championship challenge himself if Ferrari can provide the two of them with a car at least as good as this one.

So for now Hamilton can enjoy the success he has worked so hard for and absolutely deserved this season.

But if he relaxes too much over the winter there are plenty of rivals who will be working unbelievably hard and would love to take his crown for 2019.





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October 30, 2018 at 09:12AM
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10/30/2018

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Iannone will 'never understand' Suzuki exit - MotoGP News

 
MotoGP News - Iannone will 'never understand' Suzuki exit

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Andrea Iannone says he will "never understand" why Suzuki has decided to let him go at the end of the 2018 MotoGP season



Motogp
Motorcycle Racing News
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October 30, 2018 at 09:40AM
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10/30/2018

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STROKE OF LUCK. Underground Customs 74 Yamaha TZ250 Racer- Motorcycle News

 
Motorcycle News - STROKE OF LUCK. Underground Custom’s ‘74 Yamaha TZ250 Racer

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Written by Andrew Jones

Trust us. When it comes to finding amazing bikes in weird places, we at the House of Burnt Pipes have pretty much heard it all before. Just discovered a unit Triumph in a nearby barn or shed? Pffft! Unless it’s a three-wheeled Brough Superior or a priceless Harley down a toilet, we’ll barely bat an eyelid. So imagine our busy little palpebra superiors when a man called Petros came to us with this, a 70s Yamaha TZ250 production racer that was found in a paralysed man’s cargo container in southern Cyprus…

“Well, my name is Petros Louca and I’ve just turned 30. I am from Limassol in southern Cyprus. I studied Business Management in the UK; it is the one thing that I sometimes regret because I was always interested in automotive engineering. Anyway, the business skills can come in handy. When I was a teenager, I used to work in a motorcycle shop every summer and that’s where I found my love for motorcycles.”

Petros’ shop is called Underground Custom Cycles and unsurprisingly, it is located in the basement of his house. “It’s not just words. It’s a real underground workshop and this became the inspiration for the whole business. I’ve been running the garage for the last 5 years as a part-time job; I work mostly with 80s and older bikes doing restorations and customisation. I want to expand the shop – maybe find a bigger place to rent and then sell bike accessories with classic rock on all day and some good coffee,too. Maybe it will become my main job. Anyway, that’s the plan for the future and I’m not in a hurry.”

The Yamaha factory would be jealous

Petros says that the bike was probably imported from Japan to Cyprus in the early 80s. The previous owner was one of the best bike mechanics in Cyprus. Sadly he was paralysed after an accident. “All his tools and motorbikes were stored in a cargo container until last year, when he and his wife decided to open it up and sell the now unwanted moto goodies to the local bike nuts.”

“I don’t care what it costs or how long it takes, I want this bike to look like she just came out of the factory.”

Entirely unaware of the sale, Petros received a call from a friend that evening instructing him to drop by. “I want to show you something,” said the friend, dryly. “So I went to his shop and this is what I saw. I was speechless for almost a minute. In Cyprus, it is incredibly rare to see a bike that used to race in Grand Prix and the Isle of Man in the flesh.” The friend’s next words remain crystal clear to Petros. “I don’t care what it costs or how long it takes, I want this bike to look like she just came out of the factory.” 7 months later and after countless hours of painstaking hard work, this is the result.

There’s no two ways about it, the bike was in very bad shape at the start. The fairing and its brackets were missing, it was wearing an exhaust from an RD350, there was no tacho and the salty mediterranean air had grown a liberal coating of surface rust on pretty much everything. “Then I started searching for the missing parts, along with a bunch of replacements. Almost everything on the bikes engine is new; parts from Australia, the UK, the USA, the Netherlands and Japan were used. “It took me 2 months to locate a good tachometer. It was on eBay and I stayed awake all night to make sure that I won the auction.”

With the parts safely secured, Petros rolled up his sleeves and got to work. “I started with a complete disassembly. The frame went for powder coat and everything else went for polishing.” While he was waiting for shiny time, he commenced a ground-up engine rebuild, including new pistons, rings, a water pump, crank bearings, and replacements for every damn gasket the Yamaha engineers could conceive of. And then he turned his attention to the carbs, which got a similarly methodical revamp. The paint – all laid down by hand without the use of stickers – was done by Aris, a respected local expert.

“The hardest aspect of the build was locating the parts; all the searching, auctions, emails and the like was exhausting – and that’s before the build had even started. Also, fitting the painted fairing back on the bike without scratching anything was pretty stressful. But that’s all forgotten when you’re sitting on a two-stroke race bike that’s hitting its 14,000 rpm redline. Absolutely nothing can compete with that!” Well, maybe one thing can. “Next on the program is to take the bike to the race track. And guess who’s going to be the rider?”

Diamond in the roar

[ Underground Custom Cycles | Photos by Renoss Demetriou & Antonis Engrafou ]





Motorcycles

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October 30, 2018 at 08:05AM
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10/29/2018

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Hamilton can 'seriously' target Schumacher's record - gossip - F1 News

 
F1 News - Hamilton can 'seriously' target Schumacher's record - gossip

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Lewis Hamilton celebrated clinching his fifth world title by performing a series of 'donuts' on the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit

Monday, 29 October

Lewis Hamilton can "seriously" target Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles, says former Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg. (Nico Rosberg)

Team principal Maurizio Arrivabene says Ferrari will remain strong and united behind Sebastian Vettel after he lost out to Hamilton for the world championship. (F1i.com)

Vettel says Singapore was the turning point in his title battle with Hamilton, not the German Grand Prix when he crashed out of the lead. (Pitpass)

Force India's Esteban Ocon says that the Mexican Grand Prix was "probably his worst F1 race". (Formula1.com)

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has apologised to Daniel Ricciardo after his driver's retirement at the Mexican GP was traced to a clutch issue. (Christian Horner Instagram)

Marcus Ericsson was "fuming" after "sacrificing" his Mexican Grand Prix in order to help Sauber team-mate Charles Leclerc. (Crash.net)

McLaren's Stoffel Vandoorne was happy to be "noticed" after claiming just his fourth points finish of the 2018 season in Mexico. (Crash.net)

Ferrari became the first F1 team to run a new generation of brake discs at the Mexican GP, featuring an unprecedented 1,400 holes to help cooling. (Autosport)

Lewis Hamilton thanked his parents, his team and his fans on Instagram after clinching the 2018 world championship




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via BBC Sport - Formula 1 https://ift.tt/OHg7x6

October 29, 2018 at 09:39AM
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