Jamie Robinson and Wes take bananas to a gunfight, entering 9hp Honda CRF100F and XR100 trail bikes in The Hooligan Derby’s “Run Whatcha’ Brung” flat track race at Ventura Raceway. It’s their first time on a dirt oval. :continue:
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:
New Year’s Day has been the beginning of the calendar year dating back to 1751, and before that, to the day when baby Jesus was circumcised. In western culture, it’s a day of hangovers, laying in bed and eating way too much, knowing full well the guilty will compensate with gym time and a new found healthy lifestyle. However, while most are still sleeping happily in their cozy beds, I’m freezing my ass off on my motorcycle up in the mountains, racing in a grueling hour long hell-race of mud, black ice, shit riders, rocks, snow, ponds, puddles and hills. To top it all off, I still get drunk the night before to honor the name of this great race, The Hangover Scramble. :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:
The converted industrial warehouse that houses Falcon Motorcycles is tucked away at the dead end of a gritty street just off the I-10 freeway in downtown Los Angeles. There are no signs, the exterior is bland and the surrounding buildings are still home to heavy industry and manufacturing. Inside, the large live/work space is brightly lit by massive skylights, where Ian Barry and his crew meticulously build Falcon’s homages to English motorcycling of a bygone era. But I didn’t shoot during daylight, during regular production hours. I photographed at night while Ian quietly toiled away on new designs from his lofted open office above the transformed dark and cavernous machine shop. Was he politely guarding an attic full of secret projects? Naturally. Click below for the feature.
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:
Here’s a rare glimpse at onboard footage of David Roper completing a practice lap for the Manx Grand Prix in 1993. He’s riding a 1968 Benelli GP bike prepared by Team Obsolete. Until Mark Miller won TT Zero last year, Dave remained the only American to have ever won a race at the Isle of Man. :continue:
