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Eye of the Tiger
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Dale Singleton's Yamaha TZ750
The Yamaha TZ750 is a motorcycle that anyone who watched motorcycle racing during the 1970s will remember well, the machine was an absolute monster and quickly gained a reputation for whitening the face of anyone brave or stupid enough to climb aboard and attempt to set a reasonable lap time.
When it was first introduced in 1974 the bike had a capacity of 694cc and had been created by joining two 350 engines from Yamaha’s product line, the TZ750 has a short wheelbase, primitive suspension, an insufficiently strong frame and tires that just couldn’t withstand the 90+hp that the bike was producing.
Kel Carruthers, himself a former world champion racer, had been invited to Japan to test ride the prototype in 1973. He found that the bike would begin tank-slapping violently at any speed over 160mph, a problem he fixed by extending the swing arm by 2 inches and adjusting the suspension. Despite these modifications the TZ750 was far from a rider-friendly motorcycle and in its early days in competition, few men other than Kenny Roberts could set a lap time faster than the boys on the 350s.
By 1979 the bike’s teething issues had been worked out, a monoshock had replaced the twin springs on the rear, more advanced forks were added up front, a far stiffer, triangulated frame had been developed and the engine size had been increased to 750cc.
This updated bike was to be the last race bike owned and successfully competed by Dale Singleton throughout the 1979 AMA season and the bike that he would ride to victory at the 1979 Daytona 200. As a privateer racer, a win at Daytona against the biggest factory teams in the world was a genuinely incredible feat.
Dale was a hugely popular racer and had mastered the art of befriending the crowd, one of his competitors nicknamed him the “Flying Pig Farmer” as a reference to that fact that Dale’s girlfriend’s parent’s raised livestock. Rather than taking it as an insult, Dale embraced the moniker and even went so far as to bring a baby pig to each race, which he would then collect before scaling the podium steps.
The crowds loved him for it and European race promoters paid him extra to bring a his piglet mascot to races on the Continent, Dale would sneak off the day before each race to a local pig farm and spend as long as it took running around in the mud and contending with protective piglet mothers in order to make sure he had a suitably cute piglet to hoist in the air from the podium.
The bike you see here is Dale’s 1979 Yamaha TZ750, the same one he piloted to his popular win at Daytona and close second place in the world championship that year. In late-2014 the bike will be coming up for auction, so if you’re in the market for a little racing history you can click to visit DaleSingleton.org and enquire after the bike.
(Via: www.silodrome.com)
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Randy at Imatra
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Chain Drive
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You race or you do not
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Endurance Français
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Toyota 2000GT
The Toyota 2000GT is one of those interesting cars from history that’s often forgotten as a result of the fact that only 351 were ever made. The design influences from both the Jaguar E-Type and Porsche 911 are both clearly visible in the shape of the 2000GT however the car possesses its own character and personality that set it apart when it was first shown in 1965 at the Tokyo Auto Show.
Up until the release of the 2000GT, Japanese cars had been seen as economical, reliable automobiles that lacked the styling and spirit of their European and American counterparts. The 2000GT was set to change all of that forever.
Originally a Datsun/Yamaha joint effort, the styling for the car was kept top secret and dubbed “Project Z”. It was designed by Albrecht Goertz (a protege of stylist Raymond Loewy) and it showed enormous promise, sadly the project fell through though and in true Japanese fashion, the reason for the project’s failure was never made public.
Shortly after Yamaha and Datsun walked away from the concept, Yamaha approached Toyota with Project Z and the two companies set to work tweaking the design into what we now know as the Toyota 2000GT (despite the fact that the cars were largely built by Yamaha).
The chaps at Datsun were rumoured to be understandably annoyed at this development and so they took their own direction with the Project Z design, creating the car that would go onto be known as the Datsun 240Z.
The surviving Toyota 2000GTs are now worth well in excess of $1,000,000 USD, their rarity coupled with their striking good-looks and impeccable drivability have made them the most expensive and collectible Japanese car of all time
(Via: www.silodrome.com)
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Schindelhauer Bikes: Siegfried
Schindelhauer Bikes represent urbane sportiveness and timeless elegance you can fully trust in. In accordance with the motto “Pure pleasure riding a bicycle” our bikes are designed and made for tough everyday use. Furthermore, they are unique by means of bike technology. Above all they embody that purist style which enables them to be far more than simple means of transportation. Waiver of all superfluous details give Schindelhauer Bikes their unique and original character which is displayed to the last detail throughout the range of models. Due to the long-lasting Gates Carbon Drive belt used, all Schindelhauer Bikes offer a number of outstanding properties: freedom from maintenance, durability and reliability. For this reason the drive heralds a new age throughout the urban cycling world. It is the icing on the cake on the timeless and minimalist Schindelhauer Bikes.
(Visit: www.schindelhauerbikes.com)
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The Prince Of Speed at Daytona
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MG K3 Magnette
Patriotic generosity, race-bred enthusiasm and shrewd business savvy combined to create the K3 Magnette. The patriot was Lord Howe, racer of Bugattis, Mercedes and Alfas, who was anxious to get behind the wheel of a competitive English car. The enthusiast was MG chief engineer Cecil Kimber who ardently believed that racing improved the breed. The businessman was Sir William Morris, owner of the MG Car Company, who thought the best publicity was that which didn't cost him much. In late 1932, Lord Howe proposed that if MG would build three racing versions of the Magnette, he would sponsor a team for the Mille Miglia. Kimber and Sir William readily agreed. Six months later the K3s finished the famed Italian road race one-two in class, winning the team prize, a first for a non-Italian marque. The K3 Magnette was among the finest sports/racing machines of its time. For 795 Pounds, anyone could buy one - directly from the MG catalogue. Few more than 30 MG K3s were built, a figure dwarfed by the legion of victories the car enjoyed. Many historians regard the K3 Magnette as the quintessential small sports car of the between wars era.
Most collectors consider the K3 the 'Holy Grail' of MG models. It was by far the most successful of their sports racing cars, and very few were made. The K series was MG's mid-size car and the 'Magnette' designated that it had a smaller engine capacity than its 'Magna' sibling. This MG K3 finished 4th overall at LeMans in 1934. This was the highest any MG ever finished in international competition, and it is in remarkably original condition.
In 1933 MG introduced the K type Magnette with a 1.1-liter six-cylinder engine. The vehicles were equipped with a 12-inch cable-operated mechanical brake. The K3 was a modified racing version that sat atop a short-chassis and outfitted with a supercharged engine. One was able to capture a class victory at the Mille Miglia road race. In 1934 a K3 achieved 4th overall in the grueling Le Mans 24 hour endurance race. The list of victories does not end there, but it does establish the K3 as a competitive force in the racing arena. A Long-wheelbase touring version was available and could be fitted with four doors.
In early 1934 the N type Magnette was introduced. It sat atop a 96 inch wheelbase and powered by a 56 horsepower engine. In 1934, MG produced seven racing N's which were dubbed NE. They replaced the supercharged K3's which had been banned from the Tourist Trophy race. The NE vehicles were entered and carried on the legacy of the K3 by winning the race.
The following year control of the company passed from Lord Nuffield to Morris Motors. The first change under the new company was to withdraw from sporting events and the production of racing cars would be stopped. This meant the direction of the company switched to producing road-going vehicles.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2008
The MG K-Type Magnette was produced from late in 1932 through 1934 with three different series offered during its production run. The K1 was produced from 1932 through 1934 with a total of 181 examples created. The K2 and K3 versions were produced from 1933 through 1934 in low numbers, with only 20 examples of the K2 and 33 of the K3 produced.
The K-Type Magnette Series was introduced to the public at the 1932 London Motor Show and served as a replacement for the F-Type Magna. The 'Magnette' part of its name was given to designate its smaller engine capacity to its Magna sibling. The engine sat in a chassis similar to the Magna, but featured a track enlarged by six inches. There were two lengths available, the first was 94 and the other was a later 108 inch platform. Cable-operated 13-inch drums provided the stopping power The graceful body's were held in place by half elliptic springs and Hartford friction shocks on all four corners. The front and rear axles were rigid with wire wheels on all four corners.
The 1087cc engine was based on the Wolseley overhead camshaft design. When production began on the K-Type series, the cars were fitted with a triple SU carburetor that was good for about 39 horsepower. Shortly after production began, a modified and improved version of the engine was introduced that had two carburetors and 41 horsepower. A four-speed non-synchromesh gearbox or pre-selector unit sent the power to the rear wheels.
The K1 series had seating for four and came in two bodystyles, an open tourer and a pillarless saloon. It featured the KA engine and a pre-selector gearbox. A total of 54 examples were built with the KA engine, 74 with KB engines, and 53 with the KD version.
The K2 was a two-seater with open tourer coachwork. It had a shorter chassis and originally fitted with the KB engine and manual gearbox. Later cars, a total of 4, had the KD and pre-selector.
The K3 was the racing version built with seating for two in a very sporty body. The KC engine and Powerplus supercharger provided the power. The Powerplus unit was later replaced by a Marshall unit. The cars did rather well in racing, capturing a class victory at the 1933 Mille Miglia.
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No time to stop at Blue Dragon Cafe. Ernie Walker pursued by Helmut Fath
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Bristol Beaufighter
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Developed as a private venture by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, the Beaufighter was a two-seat all-metal fighter using components from the Beaufort torpedo-bomber. First flown on July 17 1939, the Beaufighter eventually equipped 52 RAF squadrons, giving outstanding service during World War II, in particular as a night-fighter and torpedo-bomber (where the aircraft were affectionally known as 'Torbeaus').
Entry into Fighter Command service came during August 1940 with the Fighter Interception Unit at Tangmere. The following month, five squadrons received the Mark 1F equipped with Mark IV Air Intercept radar for night-fighter duties although the type's first kill wasn't until November of that year. The Beaufighter continued as a night-fighter until 1943, and the last aircraft (a TT10) was not retired from RAF service until 1960, nearly 21 years after the type's first flight.
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Matchless Rider
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Rockstars' Garage: Keith Moon's Ferrari Dino and his garage
Keith Moon of The Who was a brilliant drummer but also a man who liked to throw sticks of dynamite into the toilets in hotels or changing rooms. He also managed to total his 1972 Ferrari 246 Dino in less than a month, but this picture was worth it.
It's all a bit blurry. What happened to the Ferrari is much cleared though. According to his mechanic and friend Peter 'Dougal' Butler...:
"Moon and I had the Dino for only four weeks. Then I got a call. Moonie says, 'Dougal, you ain't gonna believe this . . . but, well, there was a couple of bikers outside—nice fellas—and they just wanted to have a go with the Dino. So, I let them. But unfortunately they didn't see the roadworks sign and they put it straight down a fucking ditch! Complete write off!!"
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1987 Valli revival Serina
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Yamaha SR500 Mezzomille
Kedo’s Daniel Doritz has a history of hooking up with custom builders, most notably with Jens vom Brauck of JvB-Moto for the sublime D-Track. ‘Mezzomille’ (meaning ‘half-thousand’) is his latest dalliance, this time with Axel Budde—a fellow Hamburg native, and best known for his Kaffeesmaschine Moto Guzzis.
Budde and Doritz share an obsession with quality and a liking for understatement. And this lean, minimalist SR500 café racer has obvious DNA from both partners. “The SR500 has been well established for more than 35 years, so almost every imaginable conversion already exists,” Budde notes. “But there are few properly ‘coherent’ SR cafe racers.”
Budde started by designing a completely new aluminum tank/seat-combination, and slimmed down the frame. Nearly every major part has been lightened or replaced with a handcrafted original—or left out completely. The outcome is an elegant, almost delicate conversion in the style of the late 1970s.
With scarcely 130kg to haul around and almost 40hp on tap, the ‘Mezzo’ majors on agility and riding enjoyment: It has a power-to-weight ratio similar to a spritely middleweight dual-sport like the Suzuki DR-Z400.
Budde and Kedo will not be recreating this machine, given its uncompromising style and the 350 hours it took to develop and build. But the good news is that many of the parts that were designed for Mezzomille will be found in the new Kedo catalog, which comes out in mid-March 2014.
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Fast Freddie Spencer
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The Right Way
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70's Spirit
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Louis Monin Bol d'or 1979
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