RACER MOTORCYCLES

Well it seems that the cafe racer bug has gone Global once more and now people are starting to understand the fun building or creating a ride of their own can be.
For three decades i have built these machines and I never get bored of it.
I have made many friends along the way and now, at 46 years old, I still feel like a teenager as soon as I sling my legs over a Cafe racer and tear down the tarmac on it.

Here is my latest creation.

This was Just completed before Christmas 2008 and I have taken it to the International Motorcycle shows held by CYCLEWORLD magazine.
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It took some working out but it sure did turn out well.

I put many hours of thought into this as I had actually built the bike in my head 30 years ago after george Barris KOPPA KART in HOT ROD magazine.
This time I wanted to try and capture that feel and add my twist to it.

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But what Could I possibly do to make another of my Creations stand out?
Well, for a start I stretched the frame and added an extra 3 degree rake to the headstock, then to sustain alot of power torque from the motor, I gusseted the frame in 4 places by the engine cradle and also I extended the rear of the frame and built a loop for the rear seat to sit snug ontop of.

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2 pounds of Copper flake were added to the paint and she glistens like a new pair of dentures.
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The Gas tank was an issue having to use 3 stock ones in order to get the curvater to how I wanted it with a 4 inch stretch, but to have the gas tank still have the stock petcock location and gas cap.

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But it came out pretty good I must admit.



There is so many modifications on this ride, you have to really look at it. The Super charger, the ARD Magneto.
The Yoshimura exhaust are all rare items too.
I had to run a double chain and sprocket in order to have a safe drive train.

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Looks the part too though.
The Motor is a K0 model and completly Blue-Printed and then ported and polished as well.
The frame is a K3 model.

I even Machined the front of the forks.
I am so stoked with the Supercharged Cafe Racer and will keep it as a show piece, but would love for it to go to a shop or Museum to be honest.
Hope you liked the pics?
I made my own speedo guage face too.

This has been a fun build and everyone seems to want to comment on it.
Thanks for looking, remember, keep it fun.

My main website WWW.CB750CAFE.COM shows you what I do all the time.
I will try and get to shows this year and meet some of you cool people. This year Parts Guru " Bear" from the infamous OLD BIKE BARN - is going to commision me to build a cafe Racer using his and my parts combined, we have been around this motorcycle industry about the same time and he is a great guy, too many wankers wanting to grab all the atention, but Bear is like me and enjoys all motorcycling and this year we shall have a Cafe Racer Machine with all the cool stuff on it that you can purchase from him at www.oldbikebarn.com

Thanks for checking the Blog, it's all kinda new to me this stuff but fun learning, especially as I only type with two fingers.

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Motorcycle Customs

Yet another one of those magnificent Japanese Custom builders and dare I say, probably the best among all those featured here till now even though not by much. The post will be relatively short as I am spending too much time just drooling at the images. And boy! there are a whole lot and I mean a whole lot of motorcycles to drool over.

HIDEMO, short for Hide Motorcycles are basically in Harley Davidson custom building. And they are so good at it that their custom Harley won 'Best Of The Show' Motorcycle in Yokohama's Hot Rod Custom Show in 2006 and again in 2007 and was placed second last year.

Mod Cafe 2, based on a 1998 XL1200S. It has customized Hide Motorcycle paint and the concept for this tank was an old German BMW motorcycle and an old YAMAHA D.T. trail bike. The second is Mod Cafe 1, based on a 1996 XL1200S with concept based on ols British Cafe Racers. It has original tank and fender, seat, frame meter system, muffler, oil tank, swing arm system, handlebar. Both the bikes took 3 months to build.

There bikes has also won at various shows like getting to the second place in Jammer Cycle Award 2007, second place in New Order Chopper Show at Kobe in 2009 and not to forget getting to the top ten in AMD European World Championship 2007. Now thats quite a long list of accolades. Gracing the covers of many bike magazines worldwide, their choppers and hot rods and bobbers follow the typical Japanese lingo of designing, simple but stunning.

The name of the founder (to the best of my knowledge of translation and of course with google language tool) is Hide and thereby Hide Motorcycles.

Narrow Chopper, based on a Sporster XL 1200S with a beautiful 2in1 muffler, cutting short the normal R fender, original HIDEMO paint, the frame is modified, and switches in the wiring around the steering wheel or through a simple MMB meters. The other is

Mod Chopper II, based on 1975 XLCH. Thats one ravishing in a stylish design unlike any other bike with drop handle, aluminum gas tank, saddle seat and look at the front fork's compact and simple style.

Anyway, he has been into this business for over a decade and a half and has a particular fascination for vintage American racers and he used to satisfy his initial crave from old magazines and photo books and liked their designs which he thought was "rare, warm, natural and interesting". Finally he thought of building an original himself which will have all the cultures of those vintage American racers. So he formed a team of like minded individuals and opened their in Yokohama in 2001. And that was it. What started coming out from that factory is a sight to behold, one after another, just visit the website, you just cannot ignore any of the bikes.

Mod Cafe 3, based on a 2006 XL883 which took 2 months to build with customized Hide Motorcycle original gas tank, seat, fender, oil tank, steps , air cleaner cover, number plate support, muffler. The design has a really clean, unique and fantastic line. The Tank logos were designed by the bikes owner. Then there is the Mod Cafe 2, based on 1998 XL 1200S with
drive chain & K & N Filter Power. Actually, the concept was derived from a mixture of YAMAHA DT series and BMW cars! Weird!

Now they are fully eqipped and has the best of machines and technology. They can make your customized dream bike exactly the way you want it. And being Japanese, they make excellent hosts. So as the webpage says "You are very much welcome to visit us any time"

With that kind of work, they are now internationally well known and has included working for different projects like Cafe Racers also and also in other brands like Kawasaki.

Hidemo is now selling a range of custom and vintage motorcycle parts for your own project which can be purchased through their website and as such you dont have to make that long trip to Japan.

The IZO, not based on HD, but on a 1982 Kawasaki H2 (Whoa!) with customized aluminum gas tanks, which won an award in Custom Styling at the NEW ORDER CUSTOM SHOW at Kobe in 2008. The second bike is named Genuine Speed, based on 1982 FXWG, also with customized aluminum tanks and HIDEMO paint.

They have also been in recent news for a project named GLORY, an awesome unlike anything before Cafe racer, built on a 2005 Buell XB9S Lightning, if it was not for the engine, there is no way you could recognize the donor. The headlamps, the dial board, its really unique. As of now, the bike is listed as available for sale, so you jut might like to... you know! Also to add to your cause, there is a video posted below. I really wanted to post all the bikes here, but I am sure you would like to see the bikes at the website. So, visit HIDEMO for lots of custom built motorcycles and dont forget to put your eyeballs back in the sockets once you leave their website.

2012 Acura TL

2012 ACURA TL
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Making its debut at the 2011 Chicago Auto show, the newly refined Acura TL delivers fresh looks, improved performance and upgraded technology. Most apparent are the visual changes that incorporate new front and rear styling, but also present is a new Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic transmission for improved performance and fuel economy, a revised interior and a host of technology upgrades.

"The 2012 Acura TL is refined, yet aggressive," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "Already known for its great performance, the enhanced TL has a sophisticated new look and an all-new 6-speed automatic transmission that will take performance to the next level."

The 2012 TL's refined new look includes a redesigned front bumper with improved aerodynamics, a revised grille, updated headlights and turn signals, a new fog light design and a shorter front overhang. At the rear, a new rear bumper incorporates a significantly repositioned license plate opening and smaller rear reflectors, while updated taillights and a thinner rear trunk edge trim add to a sophisticated new look.

To increase performance, a new Sequential SportShift 6-speed automatic transmission is applied on all Acura TL models with automatic transmission. In addition to incorporating engineering enhancements aimed at improving efficiency, a sport-minded double-kick-down feature lets the driver command a double downshift — such as from Fifth to Third gear. The Drive-by-Wire™ throttle system also creates a "blip" of the throttle to help match gear speeds while downshifting.

In addition, the transmission teams with a new multi-clutch torque converter that not only reduces heat build-up during operation, but also allows for lock-up activation during a much wider range of driving conditions — which helps generate improved fuel economy. As a result, city/highway fuel economy is now 20/29 mpg — an increase of 3 mpg in highway driving over the 2011 TL. To further improve operating efficiency, the Acura TL's standard 3.5L V-6 engine receives a host of friction-reduction technologies while a revised air inlet system provides cooler air for both the 3.5L and 3.7L engines.

For 2012, two distinct versions of Acura's performance luxury sedan remain: a 280 horsepower, front-wheel-drive TL along with a powerful 305 hp Acura TL paired with Acura's exclusive Super Handling All-Wheel Drive™ (SH-AWD™). The performance-minded 6MT model will continue to be offered in the 2012 Acura TL SH-AWD lineup, helping broaden the Acura TL's appeal among luxury performance sedan buyers.

Both the TL and TL SH-AWD™ models offer an available Technology Package which includes the Acura Navigation System with Voice Recognition™, AcuraLink Real-Time Traffic with Traffic Rerouting™ and AcuraLink Real-Time Weather™, and an Acura/ELS Surround® 410-watt Premium Audio System. For 2012, the hard disk drive (HDD) based navigation system increases in size to 60 gigabytes, map coverage is more expansive, USB connection speed is faster, and the full VGA monitor is brighter with even richer colors. Also available is a new Advance Package that incorporates all-new ventilated front seats along with a new blind spot information (BSI) system that alerts the driver of other vehicles that are in close proximity.

Standard on the 2012 Acura TL are new 17x8-inch 7-spoke aluminum wheels with P245/50R17 all-season tires for confident year-round performance. The Acura TL SH-AWD® comes standard with new 18x8-inch 5-spoke aluminum wheels with low-profile P245/45R18 tires for more agile handling. Finally, when equipped with the available Advance Package, the Acura TL comes with 18x8-inch 5-spoke wheels while TL SH-AWD™ is fitted with 19x8-inch split five-spoke aluminum wheels with new performance minded P245/40R19 all-season tires.

Along with every new Acura, the new 2012 TL is covered by a comprehensive 4-year/50,000 mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and a 6-year/70,000 miles powertrain limited warranty. Additional benefits of ownership include Acura Total Luxury Care® (TLC®), which provides free 24-hour roadside assistance, concierge service and trip routing.

BAC Mono Track Racer Coming in Limited Numbers to the USA

Weekend track enthusiasts with a taste for exclusive sports cars and pockets deep enough to afford their hobby, will be happy to learn that the BAC Mono single-seater racecar has arrived in the States. Sector111 LLC, a California based company that specializes in aftermarket performance parts and service for the Lotus Elise and Exige and the Ariel Atom, has been named the exclusive U.S. importer of the British model.
"USA is a hugely important market and represents a significant percentage of our export volume," said BAC Director, Neill Briggs. "With their experience and extensive knowledge of the low volume sports car market, we are delighted to announce that Mono will be available through our partner Sector111," he added.
Sector111 said that it would be responsible for sales and service of the BAC Mono in the States, with plans to import around 12 cars for 2012, with pricing set at $130,000 a piece.
The Mono is powered by a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 2.3-liter Cosworth engine pushing out 280-horsepower to the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential transmission and a limited-slip differential. The single-seater model features a carbon-fiber body and weighs in at just 540 kg (1,190 lbs).
According to the British company, the Mono passes the 0 to 60mph [96km/h] yardstick just 2.8 seconds after takeoff, and the 100 mph (160km/h) mark after 6.7 seconds, while its top speed is 170 mph (274 km/h).

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