This 1947 Vincent-HRD Series B Rapide Special, with its 998cc motor, has a special story. Named “Gunga Din”, the bike started out like any other standard Series B Rapide, but was quickly recruited by the factory to showcase new parts, and serve as a publicity test ride bike. The bike also served as the beginning point for bike like the Vincent-HRD Black Shadow and Black Lightning race bikes.
Based on the Yamaha Road Star, Roland Sands did the business on this piano bike for the AMD World & European Championship of Custom Bike Building.
With a 110 cubic-inch motor that has been worked on by Patrick Racing, the RenStar is not only capable of being a daily rider, but also capable of blowing away any takers at traffic lights. Around a turns might be harder though, with a 240 tire on the back, but hey…it looks good right?
The folks at the biker build-off didn’t think so, but we do. Pictures after the jump.
After much ado, Suzuki has confirmed that they have signed Alvaro Bautista for next year’s MotoGP season. Bautista had been pursued rather intently this last month by his old 250GP boss, Jorge “Aspar” Martinez (pictured above), for his satellite Ducati team, which will be debuting next season. However, Bautista has been resistant to the idea of riding the Desmosedici, and was looking for a factory ride, which only Suzuki can provide.
Mika Kallio filled in for the absent Casey Stoner this weekend, and finally got his shot riding with the factory Ducati team. Kallio’s big break would be cut short though, as he had an “incident” with Marco Melandri on the second to last lap, which took both riders out of the race.
In a classic he said, she said, Kallio and Melandri have very different views on what exactly went down. Read the quotes below, watch the video above, and decide for yourself what you saw happen.
The 1930 Scott Flying Squirrel is one of the most innovative motorcycles to be produced by Alfred Scott. Built in Yorkshire, England, the Flying Squirrel cost twice as much as comparable four-stroke sport motorcycles, partly because of the innovative solutions it housed. For instance, Scott employed a unique thermosyphon convection cooling system to lower the temperature on his 596cc two-stroke motor, and would paint the bottom of the motor either green or red for racing or road use, respectively. Pictures and more after the jump.
Here we have a 1926 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sport, complete with saddle bags. Built from 1925 to 1940, the SS100 was one of the most famous motorcycles to come out of George Brough’s Brough Superior.
Powered by a 980cc v-twin motor from JA Prestwich, each bike came with a signed guarantee that the bike had been timed, and reached over 100 mph over a quarter-mile. Pictures after the jump.
One of the most successful TT racers of the 1950’s and 1960’s, the Manx Norton dominated the 50cc and 350cc classes. This 350cc Model 40M features a “Featherbed” frame, and was raced in the 1957 Isle of Man TT by Norton Team rider, Bob Keeler. Keeler owned and raced this motorcycle as a privateer racer with factory support from Norton. The bike is now owned by Allan Grimm of Piedmont, California. Pictures after the jump.
Some say he never blinks, and that he roams around the woods at night foraging for wolves…
According to Italian website Motosprint, Ducati, in collaboration with sponsor Marlboro, have offered Jorge Lorenzo €7 million to ride the D16 next season. This value is twice as much as what Yamaha is offering Jorge, and allegedly €2 million more than what Lorenzo was asking from Honda.
Asphalt & Rubber spent the weekend in Monterey, drinking flutes of champagne with the rich and marginally famous. Despite rubbing elbows with our eledged betters, we did get to see the first ever showing of motorcycles on the greens at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
As such, there were plenty of motorcycles around the course, and Confederate Motors picked the locale for the public unveiling of their new P120 Fighter Combat. Our invitation to the event must have been lost in the mail, but we still managed to get some photos of the new bike in the flesh.