A New Italian Friend – The Plan B Story Continued

Let me introduce you all to a new friend. His name is Christian; he is Italian, and the guy behind Plan B Motorcycles.

Besides being a fan of Cling on for dear life, he is also building some really cool Café Racers, like The Sumo [1993 Honda CBR 600F], The Sonic [1938 Harley Davidson WL], and The Proto-Moto [Yamaha XT600z Tenèrè].

Plan B Motorcycles got its name because all the bikes was scheduled to be send to the junkyard, but as a Plan B they were resurrected and build into super cool Café Racers.

This was also the case with The Proto-Moto project. When Christian first found the abandoned Yamaha it was in a really bad shape! Even though he did not like the bike itself, he loved the rough muscular engine, and started modifying the bike around his own taste. The Proto-Moto is partly build using parts from other bikes, found at swap meets. But looking more carefully at the bike it is clear that a lot of craftsmanship has gone into the bike and all the hand made bits and pieces.

The brake leaver was re-build to look old, but in fact the brakes are very modern parts. The small white ring around the mounting point of the headlight is actually a hidden led-turning signal, and the carburettor covers are kitchen sink stoppers. Clever and cool design features that really make this bike into something special. Or to quote the man himself:

“For me this is the true modern Cafè Cacer: A hand made motorcycle, simple and economical, built by blending modern and classic parts. Perhaps they will not make 300km/h but they can give you a thrill way more complete than any other modern bike. [...] Moreover learning to make all the modifications and the repairs with your own hands does not have price!”

In all a very cool bike project that I personally am looking forward to see finished.

Follow the progress on: http://planbmotorcycles.blogspot.com/

Thank You Plan B Motorcycles

For the past couple of days Cling on for dear life has had a lot of visitors passing through from http://planbmotorcycles.blogspot.com/2010/11/cling-on-for-life.html

So thank you very much Plan B Motorcycles for the recommendation, and the kind words of approval.

We appreciate it! :)

Please visit Plan B Motorcycles:

http://planbmotorcycles.blogspot.com

This Weeks Cling On Girl...

...is of cause a Lester girl !

Lester - The Re-invention Of The Wheel

Even though cast alloy wheels are standard on most modern motorcycles today, it was ground braking news when The Lester Tire & Wheel Company in Ohio introduced the spoke less cast alloy wheel in the early 70s.

The Lester wheels were popular with racers because they were light, strong, and some could even take tubeless radial tire like the Dunlop Touring Elite or Goodyear – Eagle.

There were several other wheel manufacturers, e.g. Morris and Henry Abe that followed in Lester’s footsteps. Most of the companies made wheels for the Honda CB750s, and most people bought them for looks.

If you want to see more cool cast alloy wheels go to the following webpage: http://www.fishheadbigbrakes.com/Wheels.html

Espresso – a real CB750 Café Racer

It would be tempting to call this a real coffee machine, due to its name The Espresso.

I am not sure what I think of the tank and tail, and the design is pretty much off the shelf CB750. But with the rear sets and clubman bars it must handle really well, and be a joy to ride.

CR750 replica at Tokyo Motorcycle Show 2010

A friend of mine is working in Asia and forwarded the picture of this beautiful CR750 replica.

With mirrors and indicators build into the faring, this CR750 is fully road legal! What a head turner!

The front drum brake is not historically correct, but with the attention to detail on this bike it will not drag the total score for this bike down.

Wow!!!

It’s Better In The Wind

Scott G. Toepfer’s touching photo book ”It’s Better in the Wind” has been on the market for some time now.

With the success of the book, we will now be able to look forward to a film with the same people. The film will be released during the summer of 2011.

http://itsbetterinthewind.tumblr.com/prints
http://www.itsbetterinthewind.com/
http://www.sgtoepfer.com/

This Weeks Cling On Girl

Yep! A Moto Guzzi V8 with machineguns...

That will unquestionably get you through traffic!!!

MOVE OUT OF THE WAY OR I WILL OPEN FIRE !!!

USA V8 vs. Europe V8

The Moto Guzzi V8 is a motorcycle marvel! A masterpiece so unique, complex, and expensive to maintain that it was only used for racing from 1955-57.

The Dr. Giulio Cesare Carcano build water-cooled, 500 cc V-8 motor with dual overhead cams and a separate carburettor for each of the eight cylinders, weighed only 45 kg and produced an unprecedented 78 hp at 12000 rpm!?! The motorcycle proved capable of achieving 280 km/h, speeds that was not reached again in Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing before 20 years later. Wow!!!

Until recently I had never seen a race bike with a V8, but then I was introduced to the Michigan Madman E.J. Potter! His homebuilt motorcycle, “The Widow Maker", had a Chevy V8 in an old Harley Davidson frame! What a nutter!!!

Typical American... Bigger is better right?!? All muscles and no brain, pedal to the metal attitude. And I am sure the Chevy V8 bike doesn’t corner very well?

Well what bike is best? Does it matter? Both bikes would make my heart race if I had a try. And that is the point right?

Café Racer TV – Viewers Bikes

Some of you may know that there is a new 13-part series on Discovery HD called Café Racer?

On the official webpage, http://www.caferacertv.com, some of the viewers have posted their Café Racers, and I have re-posted some of the CB750s for you to see.

And please don’t miss out on all the other cool bikes on the page!

Check the link below: http://www.caferacertv.com/viewers-bikes/

Broken Hand For Ian Barry

It is sad to hear the morning news that Ian Barry, from Falcon Motorcycles, fell on a metal ramp and broken his right hand.

Get well soon Mr. Barry. We all hope that you will have the cast off before the 2-3 month.

With warm regards,

Jesper & Cling on for dear life.

SEE IAN’s BLOG MESSAGE HERE:

http://www.falconmotorcycles.com/blog/falcon-blog/69-falcon-stuff/307-broken-hand.html#top

When men were men...

... And the girls looked sad!

Fuck Electric Bikes!!!

After yesterdays post on TTXGP I got an e-mail with the topic: ”Fuck Electric Bikes!!!”. When opening the e-mail and the attached picture I understood the joke... Fossil fuelled motorcycles just look more spectacular when crashing!!! We all remember Guy Martins crash at Isle of Man this year !!! And what a crash that was ?!?

But I will still defend electric motorcycle racing, and stress that the “Wow Factor” from huge fireballs, will still be present in TTXGP just in the form of electric discharges which look very cool to.

Have a look at electric discharges here: http://www.brainfiller.com/documents/JimPhillipsSubstation.mpg

The Future Of MC-Racing Is Called TTXGP

TTXGP is about competitive innovation. Pushing the frontier and making the next leap. TTXGP allows different technologies, systems and methods battle for supremacy on some of the most glorious motorsport venues in the world. In a market place of free ideas, TTXGP is where you get your vision of the future valued.

MISSION: The eGrandPrix will provide an exciting opportunity for leading global innovators in racing and clean emission technologies to compete and prove to the world that being green does not mean being slow. The planned TTXGP will showcase a diverse range of vehicles capable of reaching Grand Prix race speeds. Racing teams are likely to be backed by international corporations, universities and high tech institutions, all eager to prove their credentials in the brave new world of clean emission transportation.

SEE MORE ON THE FOLLOWING WEBPAGES:

http://www.egrandprix.com/

http://www.chargemovie.com/

Homage to Sōichirō Honda

Sōichirō Honda 本田 宗一郎 was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan on November 17, 1906. Honda spent his early childhood helping his father, Gihei, in his bicycle repair business. At 15 Honda left home and obtained an apprenticeship as a car mechanic at a Tokyo garage.

In 1928 he started his own auto repair business, and started to produce piston rings for small engines in 1937, which lead to manufacturing small engines to be used in motorcycles, and then in 1948 he started producing complete motorcycles as president of the Honda Motor Company.

In 1959, the American Honda Motor was founded and soon began using the slogan, "You meet the nicest people on a Honda," to offset the stereotype of motorcyclists during that period. Though the small bikes were dismissed by the dominant American and British manufacturers of the time, the inexpensive imports brought new riders into motorcycling and Honda motorcycles was soon out-selling Triumph and Harley-Davidson in their respective home markets.

In June 1959, the Honda racing team brought their first motorbike to compete in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (T.T.) race, then the world’s most popular motorcycle race. This was the first entry by a Japanese team. However, they were not pleased with their performance.
Learning from this experience, Honda and his team worked even harder to make rapid progress in their motorsports activities. Two years after their first failure, they were the sensation at the TT by capturing the first five places in both the 125cc and 250cc classes. The upstart Japanese had outclassed all their rivals. As a result of the team's stellar performance, the Honda name became well known worldwide, and its export volume rose dramatically.

While Honda oversaw a worldwide company by the early-1970s, he never shied away from getting his hands greasy. And appeared "almost daily" at the research lab where development work was being done. Even as president of the company, he worked as one of the researchers.

Honda died on August 5, 1991 from liver failure at 84.

This Weeks Cling On Girl

1:1 Akira Bike

On of my really big Manga heros Shōtarō Kaneda’s motorcycles have actually been fabricated in 1:1 size by Japanese custom motorcycle shop WhiteHouse. How cool is that?!?

It was built on order from Streamline Pictures/Kodansha, all the folks on the AKIRA Committee, as a promo for the film's opening in theatres way back in the summer of 1988. But where is this bike now? I want one to cruse the streets of Copenhagen, pop some capsules, and beat up the Joker and all the other clowns if they come my way!

The future of Café Racers has already been shown in this Manga Masterwork, and if you have not read all the volumes in this series you have something to look forward to.

Happy reading.

LINK: http://www.burningart.com/meico/moto/akira/

House Rockers CB750

House Rockers from Saitama Japan (just outside Tokyo), put together some very nicely made Honda CB750s, called GooBikes.

The engine is fitted with bigger Wiseco pistons, taking it to 836cc, the frame reinforced in 13 places and aluminium and other lightweight alloy parts have replaced numerous of the steel originals – from the oil and fuel tanks to the battery box.

Priced at 3,500,000 yen or $40,000, they're street legal and look hot! Yes yes yes it is pricey, but there's a lot of work and a lot of high end parts like a Kayaba fork, Brembo front brakes, forged race crank and cam, Yoshimura carburettors, and Ohlins rear suspension.

Not bad for a 40 year old motorcycle!

Link: http://rockers.sub.jp/