In 1972, Paul Smart won the Imola 200 aboard a a Ducati 750 equipped with Fabio Taglioni’s as-yet-unproven 90-degree, desmodromic valve L-twin. That victory kickstarted Ducati’s production bike race program and gave the company an engine architecture that is still winning Superbike races in 2012. Some time ago, Paul put memories of the race into words. Here they are along with historic images from the race. :continue:
![03-imola200-72.mediagallery_output_image_[1920x1080]](http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7064/6945433013_f2c55f13d0_s.jpg "03-imola200-72.mediagallery_output_image_[1920x1080]")
![11-imola200-72.mediagallery_output_image_[1920x1080]](http://farm8.static.flickr.com/7205/6945432537_1a3e06e950_s.jpg "11-imola200-72.mediagallery_output_image_[1920x1080]")
Until now, the mural you see here has been top secret, hanging 100 feet long inside Honda’s closed-to-the-public R&D facility in Raymond Ohio. It was uncovered by our friend David Folch who, after hearing rumors of it, spent months tracking it down. Honda’s communication department was unaware of its existence. R&D isn’t allowed to communicate with outsiders. But, he eventually found the artist, John Frye, who agreed to exclusively share it with HFL.
Artwork: John Frye :continue:
You’ve seen engines rev past 7,000rpm plenty of times. 180hp at the back wheel isn’t rare anymore either. Neither is nitrous. But have you seen a 1950s Vincent Black Shadow motor do all the above? Epimetheus, a 1,665cc Vincent built by John Renwick and Ed Wallbank does all that. :continue:
Back in the late 1980s, the sportsbike market was very different than it is today. Sure, there were 600s and 1000s, but bikes like the GPZ600R were more budget all-rounders than the high-end race-replicas of 2011 while large-capacity bikes like the GSX-R1100 were incredibly fast, but heavy and erred towards stability over agility. The race replicas of the period were the 750s — GSX-R, OW-01, ZXR — but Honda’s entry into that category was the etherial and expensive RC30. How could Honda combine power and handling for the street at an accessible price? Enter this Honda CBR750RR, a never-before-seen prototype that eventually birthed the Fireblade. :continue:
Expressing the connection between man and machine that fuels passion for motorcycles is something creative people constantly struggle with. It’s a feeling that’s at once overwhelming, but extremely nebulous. Italian videographer Giorgio Oppici’s approach? Pure machine porn. If you don’t want a vintage BMW after this you don’t have a heart. :continue:
I’ve wanted to race the Elsinore Grand Prix ever since I watched Steve McQueen and Malcolm Smith blasting on and around the streets of Elsinore, California in the ’70s movie On any Sunday. So, when I found out there was a vintage class at this year’s event, I instantly booked myself in and turned up very early in the morning in the Pussy Wagon, complete with my ’79 YZ 400, dog and my very pregnant girlfriend. :continue:
What would happen if a motorcycle was developed on a different planet, free form the influence and lineage of terrestrial motorcycles? It might end up looking something like this Drysdale 2x2x2; other than an engine located between two round wheels, it shares virtually no other similarities with terrestrial motorcycles. “2x2x2” stands for two-wheel steering and two-wheel drive, but there’s also hydraulic drive, hydraulic steering and even hydraulic braking plus single-sided swingarms front and rear. :continue:
Following on from Carby Tuckwell’s article the other day, It happened at Harold Park, here’s video of a bunch of hoons riding sideways on a horse track. Harold Park is an old, half-mile gravel horse racing track near Deus Ex Machina’s Sydney HQ. That’s a good enough excuse to turn up with a bunch of vintage dirt bikes, right? :continue:
Sometimes, the most powerful visual effects are also the simplest. Exhibit One: painting a BMW R60/2 matte black and adding some knobby tires creates an amazing looking motorcycle. Exhibit Two: riding that motorcycle around in white-out snow creates some stunning contrasts. :continue:
Phillip Vincent dubbed the Black Knight “a two-wheeled Bentley” when it was launched at the Earl’s Court Motor Show in 1954, becoming the first fully-faired superbike. Full-enclosed is probably a better description. The bodywork completely encapsulates the frame, motor and other components, serving as much to hide parts which were newly cost cut as to shield the rider from the wind. As with many radically new innovations, the fairing proved very unpopular with Vincent buyers, many of whom stripped it off as soon as they got their bikes home. With around 200 total faired Vincents made, that means seeing one in this condition is extremely rare. :continue:
