One of the The last bike Barry Sheene ever raced is about to be auctioned off by Bonhams. Take a look at one of the stars of the recent Germseck 101 racing festival, a Yamaha SR500 still in a crate and a Honda VFR inspired by a Japanese anime.
Former Barry Sheene Manx Norton 500 If you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of motorcycling history, this is your chance. This Manx Norton 500 racing bike was built by world-renowned Manx expert Fred Walmsley. If that doesn’t convince you enough, it was the last bike Barry Sheene rode to win in 2002, before his death in 2003.
Sheene was crowned World Champion in 1976 and 1977, before retiring in 1984. The bike crashes he was involved in over the years left him with traumatic arthritis. To solve this problem, he moved to Queensland, Australia, where the climate is much more favorable for his comfort.
In the late 1990s, Sheene entered historic motorcycle racing, which is how he met Fred Walmsley. Barry was riding a non-Walmsley Walmsley Manx at Goodwood Revival in 1999 when he experienced a sizable mechanical failure. Fred was able to fix the bike — and from then on, Sheene would only ride the bike if it was Fred who prepared it for him.
Fred was with his racer John Cronshaw in the Czech Republic in 2002, when he got the call for what turned out to be Sheene’s last hurdle. Barry has been invited back to Goodwood and needs a bicycle.
Hopping on the plane that very night, Fred was able to prepare a Manx just in time for Goodwood Revival. The FW02 engine had been raced by John Cronshaw only a short time before, so Fred decided to run another engine for reliability.
Now reunited with its original engine, the FW02 is being offered for sale after being owned by the same family since 2003. Current prices are £55,000 to £75,000, so sadly a bit out My price range.
Whether it’s inside or outside of your budget, I recommend checking out the Bonhams list. God, it’s beautiful. [More]
BMW R1250RS by Kraftstoffschmiede Suspension suspension, low clamp bar and rear footpegs, behind the driver. This can only be one Sultans of Sprint racing machine.
The custom drag racing series in Europe has been on hiatus for the past few years, but now it’s back in full swing. Philipp Ludwig of Kraftstoffschmiede knows that the Sultans of Sprint eighth drag race is always a highlight. Having won twice before, he was looking for a third trophy — so he teamed up with Kris Szews of Man and the Machines, and BMW himself, to build this sprinter bike.
Dubbed ‘Hercules II’, this BMW R1250RS is an evolution of Kraftstoffschmiede’s previous R1250RS-based racing bike,’Achilles. ‘ It has a monocoque body, modeled in 3D and made of carbon fiber, before being artistically draped over the bare frame. Light and power is the name of the game — and in the past, they were distributed in a sporadic fashion.
With 136 hp from the factory, the R1250 boxer engine is indispensable. But you have to get ahead of the rest of the Sultans of Spring, so the ‘factory’ won’t cut it. Kraftstoffschmiede bolted on a large NOS tank; With nitrogen flow set to 80% and a pair of giant K&N air filters, the 1250 now produces 165hp and 200Nm at the rear.
Other upgrades include a Hattech exhaust, Wilbers suspension and a carbon fiber nacelle from Rennstall Moto (which Philipp co-owns) to replace the headlights.
For the final sprint in the Rocket Race category at the recent Geralt 101 event, Philipp was on the grid alongside Stefan from Radical Guzzi. Hercules II was unstoppable, taking Philipp once again to the top step of the podium. [More]
Factory-built Yamaha SR500 Another week, another decades-old motorbike is still in the factory’s crate. When will this madness end? Who wouldn’t think of the kids?
Well, this bike belongs to a single person. Back in 1981, a gentleman in Michigan bought two, brand new Yamaha SR500s—One for himself and another for his son. The plan was that when the young man got on the motorcycle, they would assemble the bike together.
The man delivered them in his crates, and that’s where they sat for the next 41 years. Having said that, the son’s love for motorcycles never grew. Now the original owner has decided to part with this extremely collectible machine.
Sure, the engine gaskets and seals probably need a refresh, but once it’s assembled it should run like a top and no zero on the clock. The Yamaha SR series has a reputation for being tough to kill, dating back to the Paris-Dakar-winning XT500 model.
The big single is simple: a 500cc, air-cooled, single-cam single-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed transmission. It has an inlet valve, an exhaust valve and a carburetor. (I think the only thing it has more than one, is the turn signal.)
If you are looking for a brand new motorcycle, but will only buy one built from the 80s, check out the advertisement on Bring A Trailer. [More]
Honda VFR800 by Hrbek Design From the smooth, classic lines of a classic racing bike comes this – an angular, futuristic Honda VFR800 inspired by the hit classic movie Akira. It was built by a guy named Jan Hrbek, and if you can’t tell, he’s a 3D graphic designer.
Finding the 782cc Honda V-four to his liking, Jan set out to make it a little more distinguishable from the night-riding crowd. Working in his small home workshop, he did everything himself (apart from paint and some minor fabrication) on the bike.
As a 3D designer, Jan has a great interest in rapid prototyping and nylon-carbon 3D printing. These are the methods he used to create what is possibly the best front bumper system I have ever seen. From the round LED headlights to the spoiler and the flying boot, it’s so perfect you’d think it was Honda who made it.
The rear end is treated similarly to the front, with all details 3D printed before hand-finishing. There’s even an LED brake light in there, located inside the 3D printer’s housing.
Another notable feature is the clear clutch cover on the right engine box. All done by Jan, with a helping hand from CNC waterjet cutting machines, lathes and lots of precision.
To add strength to the left side of the car, a stainless steel radiator overflow tank was implemented. After removing the stock guard, the heatsinks were left uncovered—so Jan painted them black and fitted a modified MT-09 guard.
Adorned with gold and black anime-inspired details on a Nardo Gray finish, Jan’s VFR is sure to stand out from the crowd. I can’t wait to see what wild work he comes up with next. [More]
