Thứ Năm, 31 tháng 5, 2012

Spin Cycle Industries CB450





Eric e Josh sono due ragazzi di Portland che hanno deciso di fare della loro passione una piccola attività chiamandola Industrie... ciclette. Non si prendono troppo sul serio... Ma converrà che lo facciamo noi. Perchè sono partiti col piede giusto. 


Eric and Josh are two guys from Portland who decided to make their passion a small business. They call it Spin cycle industries ... They do not take themselves too seriously ... But We'd better do it, 'cause they started off very well.











It pays to uncover... the new QNX reference vehicle

As you know, we are gearing up for Telematics Detroit next week and bringing our brand new reference vehicle to the show. I would tell you what kind of car it is, but that would take away all the fun! We posted some pictures earlier but we wanted to give you a few more to see if you can correctly guess the brand name and model.

And to make it interesting, if you’re right, we’ll give you a $25 gift certificate to Starbucks! We will award gift cards to the first 25 people who respond with the correct answer and currently reside in the United States or Canada.

Earlier votes don’t count; you have to vote on Twitter, starting today. Simply follow our handle at @QNX_Auto and tweet @QNX_Auto with your guess, and you’ll be entered. And stay tuned on Twitter, where we’ll post more pictures. Don’t have Twitter? You can vote here, but you must include your email. And in order to play fair, QNX employees aren't eligible - shucks.

Check out the pictures below and get your votes in early. The car will be unveiled, and winners notified, on June 6. Good luck!



Thứ Tư, 30 tháng 5, 2012

Everybody likes Inazuma!!!










Queste sono le foto scattate da Sergio alla sua Inazuma 1.2 fatta in casa, e quella che segue è la sua storia... I puristi saranno clementi, con buona pace di Chris Hunter, le foto sono fatte col telefonino! :-)




These are the photos taken by Sergio at his home-made Inazuma 1.2, and, following, his story ... My apologies, with all due respect to Chris Hunter, the photos are taken with a mobile phone! :-)












"La mia carriera di appassionato motociclista, nasce molto tempo fa e i miei quarantasei anni, mi hanno concesso l'utilizzo di tutti i generi di mezzi a due ruote, fino ad approdare addirittura al trial... il mio grande amore, tuttavia, è sempre rivolto alle moto da strada. Era tanto che non risalivo su una moto, dai tempi di una Daytona 955i denudata dalla casa, a cui, in opera, gli avevano concesso anche qualche cavallo in più della serie tramite qualche piccolo accorgimento meccanico (circa un cavallo per Kg)... Moto francamente: troppo cattiva, al punto tale che dopo tre o quattro volte che, già ti immagini morto, la vendi e ti dedichi al matrimonio e figli. Poi, le mie ultime vacanze, trascorse in Maremma, mi hanno fatto incontrare una meravigliosa famiglia che, di fatto, restaura antiche Vespe con risultati strabilianti... sono bastate due lunghe passeggiate nei colli toscani per defibrillare il verme da tempo sopito..."




"My career as a motorcycle enthusiast was born long time ago, and my 46 y.o. granted me the use of all kinds of two wheels vehicles, even trial bikes ... My great love, however, is always paid to road bikes. I haven't been riding a bike for a long time, since I sold my naked Daytona 955i, tuned about one HP per Kg... Frankly speaking, that bike was too much pissed off, so much so that, after three or four times that you imagine yourself dead, you sell it and start thinking to get married and have children. During my last vacation in Tuscany, though, I met a wonderful family who, basically, restored old Vespas with amazing results ... It took only a couple of rides on the Tuscan hills to defibrillate my dormant warm..."








"Mi sono messo a cercare qualche vecchia Vespa, ma francamente i venditori mi sono tutti sembrati "fuoriditesta": più i mezzi erano arruggini, più i prezzi si avvicinano al corrispondente peso in oro. Poi, quasi rassegnato a rinarcotizzare l'invertebrato, se ne esce un mio amico dicendo che si vuol disfare della sua Inazuma... Gli chiedo cos'è, e mi mostra la Suzuki GSX... Non proprio uno spettacolo, ma i due ammortizzatori posteriori, mi riportano al ricordo d'infanzia di una vecchia Aermacchi di mio fratello. Cercando ispirazione mi imbatto nel tuo sito, e mi metto a lavorare "in economia" e questo è il risultato: come dicono nei ristoranti cinesi alla domanda 'ma è buono il 大鼠爛粵語 ? '... "Buono, se piace!'." 

Caro Sergio, come dicono invece nei garage giapponesi: 稲妻 piace sempre!!!




"So I started looking for some old Vespa to buy. Unfortunately, all the vendors I met seemed to me completely crazy. The more rusted were the vehicles, the more relevant prices were close to the corresponding weight in gold. So, almost resigned to narcotize my invertebrate, a friend of mine comes out of the blue, saying that he wants to sell his Inazuma... I ask him 'WTF is it?', and he shows me the Suzuki GSX ... Not really a masterpiece, but the two rear shock absorbers take me back to a childhood memory of my brother's old Aermacchi. Looking for inspiration, I came across your site, and make myself at work on a budget project. This is the result: as they say in Chinese restaurants to the question "is the 大鼠爛粵語 good ? ?... "Sure! If you like it!'."

Dear Sergio, as they say in Japanese garages instead: everybody likes 稲 妻!











ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil Club) Touristik Wettbewerb zwischen Nord und Ostsee (Automobile Club Tedesco: turismo competitivo tra il Mare del Nord e il Baltico 1972)





CB 750 F by Chemical Garage










Questa è la seconda realizzazione di Emiliano Turroni di Chemical Garage di Forlì: una CB 750 F del 1980. Aveva promesso che avrebbe messo a frutto il suo talento in un atelier… E l’ha fatto. E ha fatto bene!




This is the second build of Emiliano Turroni, manager of Chemical Garage in Forlì: a 1980 CB 750 F. He promised he would have got down to biz ... And he did. And he did well!
























Principali intereventi. Telaio modificato nella parte posteriore, sabbiato e verniciato a polvere / Codone monoposto in vetroresina con sella artigianale intercambiabile con una sella biposto con telaio a vista e sostegno pedane passeggero / Attacchi ammortizzatori sul forcellone modificati per alzare il livello seduta.


Motore completamente revisionato / Carburatori originali con cornetti aspirazione automobilistici modificati ad hoc / Scarico 4 in 1 ricoperto e silenziatore lasciato grezzo, completamente artigianali / Pedane su misura in alluminio / Cerchi originali satinati e riverniciati / Piastre e forcelle originali, semi manubri Tommaselli dell'epoca, comandi Domino, gas rapido in alluminio lucidato, pompa freno Brembo con cavi aeronautici, tachimetro Cagiva Mito 125 su piastra inox su misura e pulsante per messa in moto / Pinze freno originali con dischi forati / Fanale cafe racer verniciato. Parafango in alluminio fatto a mano / Porta targa in acciaio con fanale integrato artigianale / Serbatoio Honda CB 400 modificato nella base / Impianto elettrico a scomparsa con porta batteria a vista in acciaio inox grezzo e cinghiette di chiusura.






Main Spec’s. Modified rear frame, sandblasted and powder coated / Fiberglass cutom tail and single seat, interchangeable with a double seat: exposed frame and passenger footpegs / Modified shock supports on the swing arm, to raise the seat level / Engine rebuilt / Original carburettors with automotive cone air filters, modified for this purpose / Handmade 4 in 1 exhaust with rough muffler / Custom aluminium foot pegs / Original rims, sandblasted and repainted / Original triple, Tommaselli vintage acebars, Domino controls, gasrapido in polished aluminium / Brembo brake pump with aircraft cables, Cagiva Mito 125 speedometer on custom steel plate and start button / Original brake callipers with drilled discs / Painted cafe racer front light. Hand-made aluminium front fender / Steel license plate’s support with integrated handmade tail light / Honda CB 400 tank, modified base / Hidden electrical system with battery exposed. Steel battery support and custom straps.





Thứ Ba, 29 tháng 5, 2012

Motoguzzi Gran Ferro by Flugar





Flugar Metal Worker strikes again. Questa volta creando una scrambler semplice, leggera ed elegante da una brutta Guzzi Targa 750 del 1983. Il suo nome? Gran Ferro!


Flugar Metal Worker strikes again. This time, creating a simple, light and elegant scrambler from an ugly 1983 Guzzi Targa 750. Its name? Gran ferro (Great iron)!






Il serbatoio è di una Triumph Truxton mentre il resto della carrozzeria tutto in alluminio battuto a mano. I collettori, che passano sopra i cilindri e non sotto, sono ugualmente artigianali e i silenziatori sono dei Silenzium. Il faro è stato cambiato e le forcelle sono state accorciate di 14 cm con nuovi pompanti donati da una Yamaha R6. L’indicatore del livello benzina è il tubicino esterno e sfrutta il principio dei vasi comunicanti esterno. La sella artigianale. I filtri dell’aria sono a cono con rete metallica. L’ammortizzatore posteriore sinistro è stato spostato per far posto ai terminali di scarico. L’intero lavoro è costato 1.150 euro! Flugar di tiene a dirlo perché dimostra che in tempi di crisi è comunque possibile realizzare una piccola special a buon mercato... Sempre che si abbia il preparatore giusto.


The tank is a Triumph Thruxton’s one while the rest of body is all aluminum wrought by hand. The exhausts, which goes over the cylinders and not below, are again homemade and mufflers are marked Silenzium. The front light was changed and the forks were shortened by 14 cm with new pumps donated by a Yamaha R6. The fuel gauge is the small external pipe which uses the principle of communicating vessels. The saddle is handmade as well. The air filters are cones with wire mesh. The left rear shock has been moved to make room for the tailpipes. The whole exercise costed only 1.150 euro. Flugar is proud to say it because it shows that despite the crisis you can still make a little special bike for a cheap price... Provided that you have the right tuner.










Foto by Franco Mazzetti (Frankye) edited by Luke

The Lagoon Rats are coming





Francesco "El Superbeasto" e Marco "El Mariachi" di Venezia sono i Lagoon Rats. Le loro prime moto, le loro prime immagini ed il loro primo video, oggi, all'Inazuma cafè. Chapeau!


Francesco El Superbeasto and Marco El Mariachi from Venice (Venice Italy, not Venice Beach - LA) are the Lagoon Rats. Their first bikes, their first shots and their first video, today, at the Inazuma cafè. Bravi!










Report from CTIA Wireless: Apps in the Car

You wouldn’t think that CTIA Wireless, a mobile show, would be a good venue for a car guy. But automotive journalist Doug Newcomb put together a set of panels that managed to attract everyone from the automotive industry who attended the show.

I met a good number of friends from a variety of automakers, tier one suppliers, and hardware and software vendors. I also had the distinct pleasure of participating in one of Doug's panels, which was moderated by Damon Lavrinc of WIRED.

The topic was the future of apps in the car, and it generated a spirited discussion. Panel participants included Geoff Snyder from Pandora, Michelle Avary from Toyota, Henry Bzeih from Kia, and Scott Burnell from Ford — all experts on the topic.

Andy speaking on the
apps panel. Videos of all
the panels are now online.
In general, we agreed: apps are coming to the car. They have already arrived in several cases, and it’s only a matter of time before they come to mass-market vehicles. And apps are not for North American alone: it's a worldwide phenomenon.

Mind you, we engaged in lively debate on a number of questions: What role does the mobile app developer play? How to deal with the fragmentation caused by different OEM app platforms? How to deal with driver distraction? And when will the "one man app" ever make it into the car? We all had good and varied opinions on these topics, and the session was very well received by the audience.

Derek Kuhn, QNX vice president of sales and marketing, also participated in a panel session, titled "Can we all just get along… for the consumer's sake?". That panel focused on how the industry as a whole can create a more seamless experience for the consumer. Derek's co-panelists included Mark Harland from GM, Leo McCloskey from Airbiquity, Brian Radloff from Nuance, and Niall Berkery from Telenav.

Did I mention? Videos of all the panels are now on Doug Newcomb's website — check them out!
 

Thứ Hai, 28 tháng 5, 2012

The Doubleback VW Camper

If you loved to go camping but hate the idea of living in tents, you will love this VW camper.

 I definitely want one. Watch the review:

Honda CB650 by Bobberfucker





From Bobber Fucker in France, discovered by my friend Rex... in Perth. Excellent bike!




BMW R80 by Maquerelle





BMW R80 by Maquerelle - Paris: iron and wood.

Featured by Un pneus dans le tombe (a blog which is worth a visit!)