Aoshima 1/12 Yamaha SR models

Got a delivery of 4 model kits from Japan today. These Aoshima 1/12 scale models are getting pretty rare, with many online shops being out of stock and others allowing only a restricted number of purchases. So, it wasn't easy to find them.

This was the case with a new addition to the various SR models available, namely the 1995 Yamaha SR400S model, where "S" stands for Special. In this box you'll find various bits and pieces to customize your SR, such as a wide tracker handlebar, seat, turning lights, headlight, tank, mirrors, fenders and 2 Supertrapps (long and short) among others. I have 3 boxes...

There was a model kit of an SR tracker like the one below for sale in the past, but it went out of production and is impossible to find now. That makes this kit even sweeter, as you have the choice of building different styles of SR, all in 1 box.

The fourth box is a standard Yamaha SR500, more specifically the 20th anniversary model of 1998. This one wasn't easy to find either and I was lucky enough to buy the last one in stock!
VERY COOL!

So, one SR400S is for me, but the others will be for sale in Thailand shortly.
Drop me a line if you're interested.

Bike of the Week #32

Blitz Motorcycles

It's video time again with this scrumpylicious short about French motorcycle builder "Blitz Motorcycles". There have been quite a few such videos lately, and they're all shot beautifully and truly transmit the passion behind building and riding motorcycles.
So, here is to you...a la santé monsieur le Blitz!

Cafe Cowboy (another one?)

Yes, another video. Similar title, but different.
This one is by filmmaker Benedikt Campbell about bike builder Dustin Kott, who lives in California and builds lovely cafe racers.
Check it out!

Coffee House Cowboys

Cool animation by Shintaro Maeda.

Godspeed: The Ultimate Tank

Have a good look at what I've just found! This is an amazingly engraved tank by Otto Carter, who worked on it for 210 hours. It truly is a magnificent piece of art! But will the bike be worth it?

For more pictures and the engraving process click HERE

Bike of the Week #31

Are you a cafe racer?

Hahaha
Not too far from reality

Sunday at the Temple

BIKE OF THE WEEK #30

It's been already a few days since I started changing my bike's character, from a cafe racer to some sort of tracker. Naturally I started looking for some inspiration and eventually found this beautiful bike.
Yamaha SR 400 from Thailand

Trojan Cycles

I've been putting this off for a while now, but today I finally find the time to tell you about Trojan Cycles.

A couple of months ago I had one of their bikes featured as "Bike of the Week" and I'm still visiting their website from time to time to get some inspiration for my own SR.

While they customize all kinds of bikes, from superbikes to choppers and cafe racers, from cc bombs to little 50's,  my main interest lies with the legendary Yamaha SR (of course). And boy, do I love what they do with it!

Trojan Cycles (WEBSITE) are based in Maizuro, Kyoto and have been at work since 2007. They are relatively new on the bike scene, but so far, their efforts speak for themselves. Eye for the details and unconventional designs by shop owner Krishan Klein seem to me a breeze of fresh air in the Japanese custom scene. Just have a look at their custom parts HERE...yummy!

So, let's stop with the accolades and let the pictures speak for themselves.

My Baby's Brand New Shoes

I just finished mounting my new Dunlop K180's on my baby, replacing the mismatched Dunlop TT100 front and a pretty squared out Michelin M45 on the rear. This was a necessary step into "trackerizing" my SR.
At first I wasn't so sure I did the right thing, but all my doubts evaporated when I tested them for the first time.
Oh boy! They are exhilarating! Changes of direction are lightening fast and once you're in the turn, you feel so safe you just want to go down more and more and start scrapping some metal from your foot rests!

Once I change the clip-ons to a higher and a bit larger handlebar, the handling will be amazing.

Watch out Chachoengsao....I've created a HOOLIGAN-SR!!!

Norton Transformer

Watch this video, you won't regret it!
Just imagine....how many tales could your bike tell?

BIKE OF THE WEEK #29

What a superb little Ducati!!

?!?

I understand that you have to protect yourself from the cold, but this....!?!?!?!?

Big Single Club Chachoengsao Trip to Khao Yai

Saturday, 04/04/2012

SR Big Single Cub, Chachoengsao organized its first trip to Khao Yai, a beautiful National Park in the East of Thailand. Start at 06am, return 6pm...320km....beautiful sceneries...and....


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Getting up so early wasn't easy and trying to push a sleepy woman to hurry up wasn't either. We were only 10 minutes late, a new record for her.

This bike got my attention early. I couldn't quite figure it out...with that engine it can't be a BMW, right?
Right! It's actually a Suzuki Temper ST400...

At around 7am, meeting in Phanom Sarakam. I can't wait to arrive at the National Park for some long-longed-for turns.

Let's go then!

Mr.Chen on his SR400 25th anniversary edition.

The guy in the middle came with his SRX and his family had to follow us in a car. Cool!

13 bikes...must be a lucky trip then...?!?

At the entrance of the National Park

 Thai riders are very disciplined when riding in a group.

Happiness is....

The army guard asked me to fill out a 6(!) page long questionnaire about tourism in Thailand....being a farang (foreigner) always singles you out... :-)

Lots of monkeys along the way. I mean the picture below, not above!

 We've bent the time-space continuum and landed in Italy!
No, not really. This is a replica of a Tuscan village and a big attraction for mostly Thai tourists, who love to take pictures of virtually everything....even toilet signs...

They're all standing in a row because they're trying to stand in the shadow of the electricity pole. After 2 minutes in the scorching sun I joined them. haha
At that time I thought it was funny...now I'm not so sure.

A special mention should go to my lovely wifey, who was the only woman actually on a bike. No complains from her, apart from a few taps on the helmet or pinches in the ribs when my riding style became a bit to enthusiastic. I'm very proud of her. chuub chuub

On the way back the army guards stopped us. They were a bit pissed off about our modified pipes and that we made such a terrible noise. One thumper is loud enough, imagine 9 of them close together passing through an otherwise silent place. They gave us a 2000Baht fine which we split up in the group. Nevermind, I don't blame them...

Note to self:
Change those clip-on handlebars back to the original one as soon as possible. Although they look great and give a more aggressive riding style, they're shite when riding anything longer than 2 hours.  It wasn't so much the riding position that disturbed me, it was the vibrations! They first numbed my fingers, then my hands, then my arms became all shaky and in the end they must have gone to my head too, because when I got home I had a bad headache that lasted until this morning.
So, this is the end of my 'cafe period' and the start of the new 'street-tracker period'. Next on my buying list are a pair of Dunlop K180!