Heck on wheels: The Purple Helmets.

A cow, a motorcycle, and an Armani Suit..It was all for a laugh.

From cub90.uk

"Be prepared for the funniest road trip you’ve ever seen as we get up close and personal with the Purple Helmets! Featuring side-splitting highlights of their stunt shows over a five year period plus their equally mad video diaries, it really is a load of total shite!

Think of a motorcycle stunt team that looks like Dad's Army has just collided with Mad Max and combines the slapstick of the Keystone Cops with the humour of Benny Hill... and you've got something approaching the Purple Helmets! The Helmets entertain thousands of spectators at top motorcycle events like the Isle of Man TT with their crazy antics. Be prepared for the funniest road trip you've ever seen as they create mayhem in three countries. Check out: Honda C90 commuter mopeds going where they've never gone before Death defying stunts in the air, in water, (and occasionally, on the ground). Witness the new indoor sport of 'pub-donutting' and the new outdoor sport of nude moped surfing."

Movies: Silver Dream Racer.

From the DVD times U.K.

"British pop star David Essex stars as Nick Freeman, a small-time motorbike racer whose ambition is limited both by cashflow problems and a bad attitude on the track, best described by Nick's rival, Bruce McBride (Beau Bridges), when he stops to brush an imaginary chip off his shoulder. Unlike Bruce, who has the huge Trans World Racing empire backing him, Nick makes do with a beaten-up racing bike, his best friend, Cider Jones (Clarke Peters), as his mechanic and whatever spares he can escort off the premises at the mechanics, where he works in stores. But one night, Nick receives bad news - his brother is dead following a motocross accident - and once the funeral has taken place, his widow, Tina (Diane Keen), asks Nick to look at the bikes that he left in the garage and to get rid of them, getting a fair price where he can.

What Nick finds amongst the various disassembled racing bikes, is a prototype of a bike designed by his brother but which has yet to be tested. Together with Cider, he leaves for a test track where they meet Bruce McBride as well as Julie Prince (Cristina Raines), an American studying medicine in London who appears to be having an on/off relationship with Bruce. But as she and Nick get to know one another better, they begin a romance, with her promising to help Nick get funding to not only test his bike but to bring it to manufacture and to race in the world championship at Silverstone, where he hopes to take the chequered flag with his silver dream machine.

Silver Dream Racer is a classic story of the underdog, with Essex's Nick Freeman being as much of a surefire loser as Bruce McBride is as much a winner. Where the American has his bike parked for him in an enormous articulated truck that's parked in the paddock, Nick Freeman and Cider push their bike up a homemade ramp into the back of a Bedford van that's decorated with sponsor's adverts that look to be more hopeful than actually having been paid for. With his discovery of the titular bike - that Nick finding it is somewhat miraculous is never in question given that it sparkles and shines more than did Excalibur in Boorman's fantasy epic or indeed Robert Powell in Jesus Of Nazareth - Nick goes from donkey to thoroughbred in almost as short a time has it takes him to complete a lap at Silverstone on his silver dream machine.


All of this has something to do with the bike being a revolutionary design, enough to attract Benson (Patrick Ryecart), a venture capitalist and bike collector, who's prepared to finance Nick but from not actually being a biker, I'd struggle to tell you how it's so different from your average racing bike. It's apparently enough to attract everyone in the film to the otherwise blank-faced Essex, including having Julie Prince almost running across the track to admire the bike, not to mention Essex himself and it's this rivalry with Bruce McBride, on the track and in their affairs with Prince, that gives the film some focus.

In all other respects, though, the film lacks focus with Essex just stumbling from track to bed and back again, occasionally taking a detour via Hughes, his place of work. There's few laughs, little passion and barring a piece of exhibition biking outside a Notting Hill club, wheelies and all, that ends in a punch-up, not much excitement. Even the final race, the World Championship at Silverstone, is only so very ordinary with any tension in the pack of bikers evaporating at the moment when Essex realises that it's alright to redline his bike. Frankly, it shouldn't take any expertise in racing to know that - after all, who hasn't redlined their car whilst overtaking - and to have this as a denouement shows a certain lack of imagination.

But what I can't take away from Silver Dream Racer is the clear sense of Britishness about it, which is wholly welcome, similar to that in Quadrophenia, wherein you can almost smell the runny eggs, chips, fried bread, ketchup and milky tea. It's difficult to pin this down to any particular aspect of the movie - it could, after all, be due to the presence of Harry H Corbett as Wiggins, the sight of a Bedford van or Julie's MG Midget or the view from Benson's office that overlooks the Thames - but when we tend to associate biker movies with the US, such as The Wild One, The Wild Angels and Easy Rider, to have one that's more concerned with Notting Hill and Silverstone than Beverly Hills and the Altamont Speedway is a fine thing indeed. And yet, not quite fine enough as this is simply a very dull thing compared to such a film as Electra Glide In Blue. For British motor biking thrills, I'd suggest sticking with Quadrophenia, albeit that it's rather more fond of Vespas than BSAs, but where it offers a journey down to Brighton that's full of laughs, thrills and, tucked under the seat, pills, not to mention The Who, Silver Dream Racer is as plodding a film as David Essex's lifeless and little-remembered score."

Lets Go! The Goodwood Festival of Speed U.K.

"The Festival of Speed is far more than just a hillclimb: it can justifiably claim to be the world’s biggest and most diverse celebration of the history of motor sport. It is the only occasion where you will see in action the greatest competition cars and star drivers from all eras: everything from 19th century steam carriages to current Formula One; fabulous racing motorcycles; classic rally cars to 3000bhp dragsters; plus motor sport legends like Moss, Surtees, Brabham and Andretti rubbing shoulders with today's hottest properties such as Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Petter Solberg and Colin McRae.

Motor racing first came to Goodwood in 1936 when the 9th Duke of Richmond held a private hillclimb through the park. Five years earlier he had won the Brooklands Double 12, and then in 1948 he opened the Goodwood Motor Circuit. These early events inspired his grandson, the present Earl of March, to bring motor sport back to Goodwood. This resulted in the first Festival of Speed, held in 1993 in the picturesque parkland surrounding Goodwood House.

Since the inaugural meeting, the Festival has become established as a key event in the motor sport social calendar. But it is not all about action on the hill. A 2.5-kilometre loose-surface rally stage – cut into the wooded area close to the hillclimb finish line – has around 30 cars from the history of rallying providing a thrilling demonstration of sideways driving throughout all three days of the event. Unrestricted access to the paddocks means that spectators and autograph hunters can get closer to the cars and drivers than at almost any other meeting. Away from the bustle of competition, you can relax with a picnic on the lawns of the House among some of the most beautiful and innovative automotive creations, which are judged in the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ design competition. You can explore the exciting displays of our many exhibitors, or seek an adrenaline rush from the Festival's interactive entertainment, including driving simulators and 4x4 driving. Children will delight in the special amusements to be found at the Junior Festival of Speed.



The Festival is motor racing's equivalent of Ascot or Wimbledon: an extravaganza of sound and colour that has been described as 'the garden party of the Gods'. In combination with the rich period theatre of the Goodwood Revival, the Festival of Speed ensures that Goodwood is unrivalled throughout the world.

Motorcycles make up a key part of the Festival of Speed, and over the years a mouth-watering collection of great machines and riders have gathered at Goodwood in celebration of motorcycling history.

Around 40 important machines gather at the Festival each year, with entry by invitation only from Lord March. The field is selected thematically, with the motorcycles chosen specifically to reflect the event's major themes, and many are ridden by famous names. Carl Fogarty, the late, great Barry Sheene, Wayne Gardner, Mick Doohan, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson, Giacomo Agostini, Luigi Taveri, John Surtees, Jim Redman, John Reynolds, Troy Baylis, Troy Corser, Randy Mamola, Paul Smart, Mick Grant and Marco Lucchinelli have all competed at Goodwood in recent years.

Most importantly, the machines you see ridden up the hill are, almost without exception, the actual warriors, many of them works machines which won the honours in their day. Nowhere else will you see a collection like it. From pre-war Kompressors to post war Italian exotics; from the Great British specials to the two- and four-stroke kings from the Japanese; a broad spectrum of ultimate motorcycle racing history is illustrated."

The Honda GB500 Clubman TT 650 Schottmeier Special.

From The German GB500-fansite

Specs:

NX 650 Dominator engine with overbored 102,04 mm ceramic coated slipper piston with 11:1 in compression.
New lighter Italian made stainless pipe with Supertrap end.
HRC racing camshaft.
40 mm. Mikuni TM flatslide carburator
ABP racing oilcooler.
Koni rear damper.
Modified EGU fairing.
320 millimeter disc, Brembo caliper.

The ledgend of the Black Bomber.

from the Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Musuem:

"This 450cc bike was the first double overhead cam engine in a Honda street bike. This engine will rev up to 10,000 rpm, an engine speed that would turn British bikes into a pile of broken bits. The Black Bomber was Honda’s message to the British “Here we come” (the 4 cylinder CB 750 was the message “too late – here we are”). The Black Bomber was considered too old in its styling and was changed to a more modern look in 1968. Collectors, of course, want the “ugly” Black Bomber.


Unlike automobiles in the USA market, Honda motorcycle models were not designated strictly by calendar year. Honda distinguished models by affixing a K-number suffix to the model, typically beginning with K0 at the model's introduction, sometimes with K1. Individual K models were offered for one or more years, depending upon sales rates and remaining inventory. For example, the initial CB450: the 4-speed Black Bomber,is designated CB450K0. It remained in Honda sales literature through 1968, alongside the next model, the CB450K1.

It was unique for a road bike in having twin overhead cams with torsion bar valve springs. One of the most impressive parts of the bike to this day is the engine which, when viewed in profile, has a very classical twin cam shape -- like that of a Manx Norton.

The CB450 has a stormer of an engine when it is carefully set up. The main weakness of the bike is that it is very heavy (at about 430lbs) and ithe gear ratios are quite spaced over the 4 speed box with a low top gear. Even so it is generally reckoned to be the best 450/500cc Honda twin until the introduction of the CB500 water-cooled twin of the nineties."

Vive la difference!- VD classics' Cafe Racer parts.

Mr VD Classic's himself Jean François Vicente

"VD Classic spirit may be sum up in few words :

Industrial logic is synonymous of standardisation...
Technological progress certainly allowed motorcycle to accessible to evey body,but what is forgotten sometimes is that motorcycle is not only a means of transportation but also a dream and emotion medium. Keeping in mind this idea is VD Classic vocation...

Smart and soberness style...
Vd Classic design new shape keeping refernce to classic esthetic value to create gorgeous but sober and essential motorcycles...

State of the art hand craft parts...
But also the “know how” to proceed from “one off” parts to small scale production..."

VD's Yamaha SR500

Kawasaki W650

The Triumph Bonnie/Thruxton

..and the Buell S1 / M2 / XB9 / XB12

The "Notorious" Cafe Racer by Roger Goldammer.

From Bikernet:

"Roger Goldammer is no stranger to the world of wild custom bikes. The front of his shop in Kelowna, British Columbia is crammed full with lathes, milling machines and a huge CNC machine. Roger takes his equipment and his work very seriously. He does not follow trends in custom bike building by building the expected "Chopper" nor is he drawn in to follow the pack delving into the popular "Old School" variety that has become all the rage lately.

Together with his long time friend and mentor, master machinist Bert Kuckelkorn, Roger looks for ways to improve and innovate the mechanical design and function of the motorcycle power plant. As a recent winner of the Canadian Championship of Custom Bike Building and a two-time winner of the World Championships, Rogers bikes are on the cutting edge of technology. " I like to challenge myself " says Roger. So, for his entry in this year's competition he pulled out all the stops.

Not being content to rest on his laurels as the two time World Champ nor his Biker Build Off victory against Matt Hotch at the Bonneville Salt Flats riding a bike he built utilizing a racing go-cart engine, Roger went back to the drawing board to improve on his single cylinder with turbo rear design that he made famous in his TROUBLE bike that won him top World Championship honors the last time he competed.

The NORTORIOUS, at first look, brings to mind the classic lines of the very significant Norton Manx Café Racer but that's where the similarities end. The engine is a 2006 H-D hybrid single cylinder Roger built from the ground up. The 965CC engine features a lower end consisting of Merch cases rotated back 15degrees and balanced internals. The heads are custom from Engenuity and the pistons from Ross and Jims lifters were utilized. The cam is custom designed and manufactured by Roger. The rear head is used on the front cylinder, allowing the induction system to be positioned above the head and cylinder with the angle cut back 15-degrees . The pushrod tubes are also angled to accommodate this change . In place of the rear cylinder, a Rotrex Supercharger that spins at 120,000 RPM was installed. The half a v twin produces 83 rear wheel horse power at 6400 rpm.


The fuel injection uses a 54mm Zippers utilized throttle body and a special Thunder Heart ECM in a closed loop configuration and an extreamly high volume single injector. Using the Thunder Heart ECM and a Dobec module, Roger developed a fuel pump mapping program to provide correct air / fuel ratios, while running up to 20-pounds of boost to compensate for the superchargers flow. Many days and late nights were devoted to getting this set up to work like a charm. The oil system features a modified S&S oil pump and two distinct oil tanks, both cleverly hidden from view, one for engine and the other for supercharger oil.

The bikes transmission started off as a 2006 Baker six- speed unit which Roger modified by shortening main shaft as well as the Prime/Rivera clutch pack and belt drive, all narrowed from 3 inches down to 2. It's a foot shifter with rear sets and has a 24-tooth tranny sprocket shuttling power to the bikes 49- tooth wheel sprocket.

The frame is another in house Goldammer Cycle Works creation. It's a chromolly "Featherbed" style raked 29.5-degrees and de-stretched 3 inches. The front end is a WP type cut back 1 1/2-inches for superior handling.

The wheels and brake set up are deceiving. At first glance, they appear to be stock Norton drum set ups, only larger, while in fact the drum hubs and custom milled covers hide an ingenious 4-piston disc set up both front and rear. Many days of hand milling went into this clever deception and the rear rim is put together for the 18-inch x 6-inch tire by fabricating the rim from two different Kosman rims.

The body and fenders on the Nortorious are a true work of art. Roger hand hammered the aluminum skins with such precision as to show absolutely no sign of weld work. This is pretty amazing considering that the only paintwork on the bike is the lettering and a clear coat over the raw material. You can see the masters touch in the workmanship in the fuel tank that includes the Buell internal fuel pump and regulator. The bars are clip-on style sitting atop Goldammer Cycle Works triple trees.

The Speedometer and gauges are VDO's set like those on a vintage jet fighter. The design of the headlight also acts as a wind deflector and just for fun, Roger used the lens and bezel from a vintage Volkswagen Beetle. The taillights are incorporated in the rear of the bikes frame and utilize LED lights. The brake light is also an LED set up hidden in the rear of the seat rail. There is not one visible wire or line on the bike. Roger cleverly hid all the hydraulic lines and wires inside the frame tubes giving a fine clean look to the bike.

This shy and unassuming builder is a genuine craftsman. A close first hand look of the Nortorious lets you know why Roger Goldammer is the two winner of the World Championship of Custom Bike Building and the current Canadian champ. Taking the basic lines of a classic race bike and adding his engineering genius and fabrication talent we would not be surprise to see him walk away with a third world class championship"