Want: Honda CS90 custom RC-style racers

Details are sparse for these amazing little racers built by Ted’s Special, a Honda specialist shop based out of Japan. Our only issue with them is distinguishing real from reproduction, since the Japanese are such sticklers about making exact copies of older, non-replaceable parts. Take for instance the possibly original and extremely rare Honda Racing tachometer that goes up to 17,000 RPM. Of course, the only reason details like the Honda RSC badges, front fender mounts, megaphone exhausts and fuel caps are a problem is because there are two sad, lonely Honda S90 Type II’s sitting in the bowels of the Works Engineering garage.

Ted’s Special

Grant Ray. November 12th, 2009 - Permalink - Comments (2)

The Power of Dreams: trail-bikes

The array of trail-bikes by Honda are legion. The Z50, the Japan-only CT50 MOTRA built from 1982 to 1983 and the CT110 are three of our favorites, each with their respective and massive cult followings. All six of the ads by Honda Japan elegantly showcase the bikes for their utilitarian purpose, built for daily tasks, hauling and exploration.

Honda

Grant Ray. March 18th, 2009 - Permalink - Comments (2)

The Power of Dreams: the Honda CB series

More than any other production series, the Honda CB bikes are considered the quintessential UJM. Vertical cylinder configurations came in single, parallel twin, inline four and the rarer inline six in nearly every engine capacity conceivable. Every motorcyclist we’ve ever met has either ridden, owned or lusted after one at some point in their lives.> :continue:

Grant Ray. March 17th, 2009 - Permalink - Comments (15)

The Power of Dreams: Honda Super Cub

Most of us in America think of the golden era of Honda advertising as Grey Advertising’s 1962 breakout, genius campaign You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda. However in 2002, Weiden+Kennedy London understood Honda’s real power rested in its long-standing corporate message Yume No Chikara , or “See one’s dreams.” In a dazzling display of master class branding, Honda Japan has released a huge inventory older advertisements under the updated moniker The Power of Dreams, with over four decades of older motorcycle campaigns in convenient screensaver size.> :continue:

Grant Ray. March 16th, 2009 - Permalink - Comments (6)

2009 Kushitani Nexus racing suit comes in millions of variations

Kushitani’s latest range-topper, the Nexus, may be the coolest racing suit on the market. The company’s site allows for just about any possible color combination including metallics, variable font combinations, personalized patches, an option to ditch the unsightly logos and even a CamelPak in the aero-hump. In fact, the only constant is the pattern. > :continue:

Grant Ray. March 4th, 2009 - Permalink - Comments (7)

Iron Heart, heaviest jeans in the world

Started over 9 years ago by Japanese bikers in search of the perfect ratio of More Protection, Less Power Ranger for daily riding, Iron Heart’s denim jeans and jackets are nothing short of impressive. Using industrial zippers, 21 and 22oz denim that’s over 25% heavier than vintage Lee’s and Levi’s at their densest, both jeans and jackets sport a mostly classic American fashion with modern tapered lines and black on black materials. > :continue:

Grant Ray. March 3rd, 2009 - Permalink - Comments (11)

Yamaha Motor Co. forecasting net loss for 2009

Although Yamaha Motor Co. posted over a 23 million dollar net gain in 2008, the company is already projecting over a 460 million dollar net loss for 2009. The publicly traded company’s first net loss since since the last major recession in 1984, the reason for the new projection is due to the rising yen’s effect on Yamaha’s export market coupled with the current global financiapocalypse.

> :continue:

Grant Ray. February 13th, 2009 - Permalink - Comments (14)

GUM-A-MAMA gives the biker wallet its coolness back

GUM-A-MAMA’s wallets, billfolds and bags play off custom seat and hand-grip stitching patterns and color motifs from the biker culture of the ’60s and ’70s. But this little company doesn’t just mass produce a bunch of crappy goods fit for a Wal-Mart discount kiosk in the auto section. Instead, it’s making the finest line of intricately folding, hand-stiched leather goods we think we’ve ever seen.> :continue:

Grant Ray. February 12th, 2009 - Permalink - Comments (11)

Hide Motorcycle turns XB9S Lightning into world's coolest café racer

When our friend Keino turned us on to HIDEMO style, we weren’t mentally prepared for the so much awesomeness that is their latest offering, Glory. Starting from a stock 2005 Buell XB9S Lightning, which we think is already a cool bike, the finished result is the stuff of childhood fantasy mixed with huge heapings of manga. Virtually every single part from the donor bike, with the exception of the powertrain, was either thrown out or heavily modified, all the way down to the ingenious oil radiator/ license plate holder. As usual, all the coolest stuff comes from Japan.> :continue:

Grant Ray. December 10th, 2008 - Permalink - Comments (18)

Randy Mamola and the art of the save

In 1985, Grand Prix racing was strictly dominated by Japanese 2-strokes, Ducati had one foot in the grave, and traction control was the subtle adjustment of a racer’s wrist. Randy Mamola, the most successful racer to never win a championship, was caught on film while racing for Rothman’s Honda in Misano on the infamous NSR500. Luckily, we get to watch him pulling off one of the best highside saves ever witnessed.

Click through for the video after the jump.> :continue:

Grant Ray. September 8th, 2008 - Permalink - Comments (1)

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