04
Contents
05
Contents
05 letter
06 akrapovic news
10 MOTO ACTION
1 4 CAR Action
16 ON THE TRACK
18 CUSTOM STAR
22 PHOTO WINNER
26 SHOW TIME
Letter
04
05
32 ADVENTURE
60 ORIGINAL
38 RACE DAY
46 LEGEND
52 GO WILD
66 HIGH GEAR
// Si
NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine
will include a text that will be marked with the // Si sign and placed in a special frame. The Akrapovič company is based in Slovenia and this is why we decided to keep this part of the text in Slovenian as well.
Copyright notice This magazine and its entire textual and pictorial content are subject to copyright. Any reproduction thereof without prior written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited. The articles contained herein do not necesseraly correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d. the publishers of the editors. Not for sale. Printed in Slovenia in April 2013 in 5.000 copies.
Warning
Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those law.
pecially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovic d.d., Akrapovic America LLC nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws.
Warning / USA
Warning / California
Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, es-
California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts
AKRAPOVIČ Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine Issue 13, April 2013 Akrapovič d.d. Malo Hudo 8 a SI-1295 Ivančna Gorica Slovenia www.akrapovic.com -
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovic d.d., Akrapovic America LLC nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.
Publisher: Korpmedia d.o.o. Tomšičeva 1 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.korpmedia.si ID No.: 2272237000 VAT No.: SI14601737 President: Miran Ališič
Marketing and advertising manager: Mateja Kos Pregelj Printing: Florjančič Tisk d.o.o. Nad izviri 28 2204 Miklavž, Slovenia -
About 10 years ago I rented a scooter on the outskirts of Montreal, Canada, to ride around town and to drive on a racing track. I chose an ordinary suburban shop with a middleaged motorcycle and bike gear seller, whose shop wasn’t in tip-top shape – at least when compared with premium brand salerooms. To get to my scooter, I had to walk through the shop and workshop to the courtyard. On the way there, I saw a sticker bearing a scorpion and the name Akrapovič, fixed onto the middle of a big wooden door. When I told the owner, an obvious motorcycle enthusiast, that I come from the same country as the Akrapovič company, I didn’t get much of a response. In his mind, Slovenia probably wasn’t worth all that much, so he just nodded kindly and continued working. After we finally located my ride amongst the many in the yard, I casually mentioned that I also know Igor Akrapovič personally and that, unfortunately, the scooters that I ride usually don’t come with Igor’s masterpieces. That’s when his eyes started sparkling. He asked me twice if I was telling the truth and then launched into an ode to Akrapovič, praising the sound that no other exhaust in the world can come close to. Just because I had met Igor Akrapovič, I had become an idol for this long-time motorcycle enthusiast.
bought one, an elegant bike quite unlike the majority of the models from Milwaukee. As he was showing me the photos of his pride and joy, he paused when he came to the exhaust. “It’s got everything, the only thing missing is an Akrapovič,” he tersely explained. During the time of our conversation, the Ivančna Gorica plant had not yet been making the exact exhaust that my friend from Stuttgart longed for, but I noted how he thought a motorcycle without an Akrapovič wasn’t perfect. And, as you can read in this current issue, Akrapovič is becoming personally relevant for me as well. I’ve been a longtime Vespa rider: it’s the only bike I use. The same Vespa (with an Akrapovič exhaust) that was used for the featured sightseeing tour of the Eternal City. But even if you’re not a fan of scooters or the chaos of Rome, you’ll still find plenty of things of interest in this issue of our magazine. Happy reading! Miran Ališič Editor-in-Chief
Let’s fast forward about a decade, or more precisely, to last year, when I spoke to a German journalist. He was a good friend of mine and a veteran fan of Harley-Davidson. He had
Editor-in-chief: Miran Ališič Photo editor: Bor Dobrin Art directors: Neja Engelsberger, Saša Kerkoš -
Cover design: Zdenko Bračevac Contributors: Alenka Birk, David Carradale, Matevž Hribar, Peter Kavčič, Gaber Keržišnik, Fabrizio Marcucci, Mitja Reven, Julian Ryder, Gregor Šket, Tina Torelli -
Contributing Photographers: Ray Archer, Bor Dobrin, Luka Ileršič, Alan Cathcart, Christophe Desmet, Alex Štokelj, Luka Kompare Lectorship: Michael Manske Translation: Matjaž Horvat
Client Editor: Primož Jurman On the cover: Ducati 1199 Panigale Exhaust Photo by: Alex Štokelj -
04
Contents
05
Contents
05 letter
06 akrapovic news
10 MOTO ACTION
1 4 CAR Action
16 ON THE TRACK
18 CUSTOM STAR
22 PHOTO WINNER
26 SHOW TIME
Letter
04
05
32 ADVENTURE
60 ORIGINAL
38 RACE DAY
46 LEGEND
52 GO WILD
66 HIGH GEAR
// Si
NOTE All the longer articles in the Akrapovič magazine
will include a text that will be marked with the // Si sign and placed in a special frame. The Akrapovič company is based in Slovenia and this is why we decided to keep this part of the text in Slovenian as well.
Copyright notice This magazine and its entire textual and pictorial content are subject to copyright. Any reproduction thereof without prior written consent of the copyright holder is prohibited. The articles contained herein do not necesseraly correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d. the publishers of the editors. Not for sale. Printed in Slovenia in April 2013 in 5.000 copies.
Warning
Because of the world-wide distribution of Akrapovič d.d. products, neither Akrapovič d.d. nor any of its subsidiaries make any representation that the products comply with the air and/or noise emissions laws, or labeling laws, of any jurisdiction. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of the applicable laws where the products are to be used and to comply with those law.
pecially as those parts and systems modify, remove, or replace original equipment catalysts. Please consult the appropriate laws in your area before installing any aftermarket part or system on your vehicle to ensure compliance with all applicable laws. Neither Akrapovic d.d., Akrapovic America LLC nor any of their subsidiaries or the sellers of the parts or systems make any representation that any of their parts or systems comply with any such laws.
Warning / USA
Warning / California
Various U.S. states and the U.S. federal government have individual laws regulating the use of aftermarket exhaust parts and systems, es-
California laws prohibit the use of any aftermarket exhaust part or system that modifies, removes or replaces original equipment catalysts
AKRAPOVIČ Akrapovič Lifestyle Magazine Issue 13, April 2013 Akrapovič d.d. Malo Hudo 8 a SI-1295 Ivančna Gorica Slovenia www.akrapovic.com -
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
unless the California Air Resources Board has issued an Executive Order regarding such part or system or unless the part or system is exempted by being used only on racing vehicles on closed courses. Neither Akrapovic d.d., Akrapovic America LLC nor any of their subsidiaries make any representation that any of their parts or systems has received such an Executive Order or that any of their parts or systems conform with the racing vehicles exemption. The purchasers are entirely responsible for informing themselves of applicable California laws and to comply with those laws.
Publisher: Korpmedia d.o.o. Tomšičeva 1 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.korpmedia.si ID No.: 2272237000 VAT No.: SI14601737 President: Miran Ališič
Marketing and advertising manager: Mateja Kos Pregelj Printing: Florjančič Tisk d.o.o. Nad izviri 28 2204 Miklavž, Slovenia -
About 10 years ago I rented a scooter on the outskirts of Montreal, Canada, to ride around town and to drive on a racing track. I chose an ordinary suburban shop with a middleaged motorcycle and bike gear seller, whose shop wasn’t in tip-top shape – at least when compared with premium brand salerooms. To get to my scooter, I had to walk through the shop and workshop to the courtyard. On the way there, I saw a sticker bearing a scorpion and the name Akrapovič, fixed onto the middle of a big wooden door. When I told the owner, an obvious motorcycle enthusiast, that I come from the same country as the Akrapovič company, I didn’t get much of a response. In his mind, Slovenia probably wasn’t worth all that much, so he just nodded kindly and continued working. After we finally located my ride amongst the many in the yard, I casually mentioned that I also know Igor Akrapovič personally and that, unfortunately, the scooters that I ride usually don’t come with Igor’s masterpieces. That’s when his eyes started sparkling. He asked me twice if I was telling the truth and then launched into an ode to Akrapovič, praising the sound that no other exhaust in the world can come close to. Just because I had met Igor Akrapovič, I had become an idol for this long-time motorcycle enthusiast.
bought one, an elegant bike quite unlike the majority of the models from Milwaukee. As he was showing me the photos of his pride and joy, he paused when he came to the exhaust. “It’s got everything, the only thing missing is an Akrapovič,” he tersely explained. During the time of our conversation, the Ivančna Gorica plant had not yet been making the exact exhaust that my friend from Stuttgart longed for, but I noted how he thought a motorcycle without an Akrapovič wasn’t perfect. And, as you can read in this current issue, Akrapovič is becoming personally relevant for me as well. I’ve been a longtime Vespa rider: it’s the only bike I use. The same Vespa (with an Akrapovič exhaust) that was used for the featured sightseeing tour of the Eternal City. But even if you’re not a fan of scooters or the chaos of Rome, you’ll still find plenty of things of interest in this issue of our magazine. Happy reading! Miran Ališič Editor-in-Chief
Let’s fast forward about a decade, or more precisely, to last year, when I spoke to a German journalist. He was a good friend of mine and a veteran fan of Harley-Davidson. He had
Editor-in-chief: Miran Ališič Photo editor: Bor Dobrin Art directors: Neja Engelsberger, Saša Kerkoš -
Cover design: Zdenko Bračevac Contributors: Alenka Birk, David Carradale, Matevž Hribar, Peter Kavčič, Gaber Keržišnik, Fabrizio Marcucci, Mitja Reven, Julian Ryder, Gregor Šket, Tina Torelli -
Contributing Photographers: Ray Archer, Bor Dobrin, Luka Ileršič, Alan Cathcart, Christophe Desmet, Alex Štokelj, Luka Kompare Lectorship: Michael Manske Translation: Matjaž Horvat
Client Editor: Primož Jurman On the cover: Ducati 1199 Panigale Exhaust Photo by: Alex Štokelj -
06 / 09
New partner: Aston Martin Racing
06
Akrapovič Motorcycle App If you own an Apple iPad, iPad mini, or iPhone, you can get a fully interactive insight into the world of Akrapovič exhaust systems. Visit the www.akrapovic.com/ en/Promotional/mciosapp website, which will guide you to the Akrapovič Motorcycle Exhaust
In 2013 Akrapovič forged ties with yet another renowned car brand, becoming an official partner of the world-famous Aston Martin Racing. The British company is celebrating its centenary this year and aiming its Vantage GTE racing car at the top of the FIA World Endurance Championship. As part of its most ambitious motorsports programme to date, Aston Martin Racing is also hoping for victory at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. Dan Sayers, chief engineer at Aston Martin Racing, explains:“When redeveloping the race-winning 2012 Vantage GTE for the 2013 season, the design team focussed on increasing the drivability of the car and optimising performance.” As its official partner, Akrapovič, with its wealth of experience regarding the development and manufacture of exhausts systems for world champions in numerous classes on two- or four-wheels, will be of valuable assistance. The new Gulf-liveried #97 machine will once again be piloted by Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (D), with Peter Dumbreck (GB) joining the team for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The second GTE Pro car, the #99 Vantage GTE, will bring some new faces to Aston Martin Racing: Formula 1 driver Bruno Senna (BR) and Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki will drive at each round of the WEC and will be joined by Robert Bell (GB) for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Systems application, including detailed info on the vast selection of Akrapovič exhaust systems. Check the photos and enjoy the sounds, especially the ones for Akrapovič exhausts for HarleyDavidson bikes, which are part of Akrapovič’s custom campaign
“Make your own sound”. The app will also keep you informed with news from the world of sports. Discover 10 reasons why to choose Akrapovič and read up on the company’s history.
New off-road exhausts Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
BMW ALPINA B3 Bi-Turbo Akrapovič’s partner ALPINA unveiled a host of novelties at the Geneva Motor Show 2013, including the all-new BMW ALPINA B3 Bi-Turbo. The in-line six cylinder with 2979 cc and two turbochargers can produce an amazing 410 hp and an incredible 600 Nm of torque. The adaptive ALPINA sport suspension system and the 8-Speed Sport-Automatic transmission with ALPINA SWITCH-TRONIC deliver maximum comfort and impressive dynamics. Functional aerodynamics combine well with the trademark 20” ALPINA CLASSIC wheels and, together with two elliptical double tailpipes, create an elegant appearance. The new BMW ALPINA B3 Bi-Turbo accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 - 62mph) in just 4.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph). When driven moderately, it consumes significantly less than 10 litres of Super plus (98 RON) per 100 km and achieves a class-leading combined fuel consumption measured to ECE norm of just
Akrapovi] News
7.6 l/100 km and 177g/km CO2. The stainless steel exhaust system, which was developed in collaboration with Akrapovič is 7.5 kg lighter in comparison with its predecessor. The two elliptical double tailpipes, which are typical of ALPINA, are elegantly integrated into the rear valence and give a very purposeful look. The resonant, sporty sound of the exhaust system is controlled by an intelligent exhaust valve. This offers the driver the possibility of influencing the sound experience via the Drive Performance Control and facilitates a balancing act between emotional soundtrack and longdistance comfort. In Comfort mode, the exhaust valve remains closed up to 2,500 rpm, beyond which it opens depending on engine load and rpm. In Sport mode, however, the valve is permanently open and the B3 Bi-Turbo thrills with its distinctive aural character under hard acceleration – when additionally selecting Sport (S) or Manual (M) Shift Mode the exhaust will deliver an occasional burble on the overrun.
The 2013 models of the Honda CRF250R, Yamaha YZ450F, Kawasaki KX450F and Suzuki RM-Z250 motorcycles can be equipped with the completely new Evolution or Racing Line exhaust systems and, alongside their 250/450 cc siblings, fitted with Slip-On Line exhausts. The new exhaust design meets the FIM 2013 noise limits, includes a new welded
bracket for mounting and a titanium end cap for improving durability under racing conditions, while the new clear-finish coating for the silencer outer sleeve provides exceptional scratch resistance and easier cleaning.
07
Akrapovič wins Best Brand again The acclaimed German Motorrad magazine has again awarded prizes for best brands in March. Since 2006, Akrapovič has won the top exhaust systems manufacturer – and this year was no exception. The company would like to thank Motorrad readers for once again selecting Akrapovič as the best exhaust systems brand. Akrapovič now has more than 20 Best Brand awards.
06 / 09
New partner: Aston Martin Racing
06
Akrapovič Motorcycle App If you own an Apple iPad, iPad mini, or iPhone, you can get a fully interactive insight into the world of Akrapovič exhaust systems. Visit the www.akrapovic.com/ en/Promotional/mciosapp website, which will guide you to the Akrapovič Motorcycle Exhaust
In 2013 Akrapovič forged ties with yet another renowned car brand, becoming an official partner of the world-famous Aston Martin Racing. The British company is celebrating its centenary this year and aiming its Vantage GTE racing car at the top of the FIA World Endurance Championship. As part of its most ambitious motorsports programme to date, Aston Martin Racing is also hoping for victory at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. Dan Sayers, chief engineer at Aston Martin Racing, explains:“When redeveloping the race-winning 2012 Vantage GTE for the 2013 season, the design team focussed on increasing the drivability of the car and optimising performance.” As its official partner, Akrapovič, with its wealth of experience regarding the development and manufacture of exhausts systems for world champions in numerous classes on two- or four-wheels, will be of valuable assistance. The new Gulf-liveried #97 machine will once again be piloted by Darren Turner (GB) and Stefan Mücke (D), with Peter Dumbreck (GB) joining the team for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The second GTE Pro car, the #99 Vantage GTE, will bring some new faces to Aston Martin Racing: Formula 1 driver Bruno Senna (BR) and Frenchman Frédéric Makowiecki will drive at each round of the WEC and will be joined by Robert Bell (GB) for the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.
Systems application, including detailed info on the vast selection of Akrapovič exhaust systems. Check the photos and enjoy the sounds, especially the ones for Akrapovič exhausts for HarleyDavidson bikes, which are part of Akrapovič’s custom campaign
“Make your own sound”. The app will also keep you informed with news from the world of sports. Discover 10 reasons why to choose Akrapovič and read up on the company’s history.
New off-road exhausts Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
BMW ALPINA B3 Bi-Turbo Akrapovič’s partner ALPINA unveiled a host of novelties at the Geneva Motor Show 2013, including the all-new BMW ALPINA B3 Bi-Turbo. The in-line six cylinder with 2979 cc and two turbochargers can produce an amazing 410 hp and an incredible 600 Nm of torque. The adaptive ALPINA sport suspension system and the 8-Speed Sport-Automatic transmission with ALPINA SWITCH-TRONIC deliver maximum comfort and impressive dynamics. Functional aerodynamics combine well with the trademark 20” ALPINA CLASSIC wheels and, together with two elliptical double tailpipes, create an elegant appearance. The new BMW ALPINA B3 Bi-Turbo accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (0 - 62mph) in just 4.2 seconds, reaching a top speed of 305 km/h (190 mph). When driven moderately, it consumes significantly less than 10 litres of Super plus (98 RON) per 100 km and achieves a class-leading combined fuel consumption measured to ECE norm of just
Akrapovi] News
7.6 l/100 km and 177g/km CO2. The stainless steel exhaust system, which was developed in collaboration with Akrapovič is 7.5 kg lighter in comparison with its predecessor. The two elliptical double tailpipes, which are typical of ALPINA, are elegantly integrated into the rear valence and give a very purposeful look. The resonant, sporty sound of the exhaust system is controlled by an intelligent exhaust valve. This offers the driver the possibility of influencing the sound experience via the Drive Performance Control and facilitates a balancing act between emotional soundtrack and longdistance comfort. In Comfort mode, the exhaust valve remains closed up to 2,500 rpm, beyond which it opens depending on engine load and rpm. In Sport mode, however, the valve is permanently open and the B3 Bi-Turbo thrills with its distinctive aural character under hard acceleration – when additionally selecting Sport (S) or Manual (M) Shift Mode the exhaust will deliver an occasional burble on the overrun.
The 2013 models of the Honda CRF250R, Yamaha YZ450F, Kawasaki KX450F and Suzuki RM-Z250 motorcycles can be equipped with the completely new Evolution or Racing Line exhaust systems and, alongside their 250/450 cc siblings, fitted with Slip-On Line exhausts. The new exhaust design meets the FIM 2013 noise limits, includes a new welded
bracket for mounting and a titanium end cap for improving durability under racing conditions, while the new clear-finish coating for the silencer outer sleeve provides exceptional scratch resistance and easier cleaning.
07
Akrapovič wins Best Brand again The acclaimed German Motorrad magazine has again awarded prizes for best brands in March. Since 2006, Akrapovič has won the top exhaust systems manufacturer – and this year was no exception. The company would like to thank Motorrad readers for once again selecting Akrapovič as the best exhaust systems brand. Akrapovič now has more than 20 Best Brand awards.
06 / 09
Café Fighter
Chris Pfeiffer for 100,000
Motorcycle clothing, helmets and accessories retailer Louis is celebrating its 75th anniversary, which it marked by designing a very special custom bike: the Louis Café Racer 75. Who else could be behind it but Marcus Walz? He used a Ducati 1000 Classic Sport and added numerous goodies, including an Akrapovič exhaust system. A lot of the parts are made from aluminium, the rear lights shine with the help of LEDs, the suspension comes from Öhlins, the brakes from Brembo and the battery is an 800 gram Li-Ion. The Louis Café Racer 75 is undoubtedly a one-ofa-kind, with its Desmo-L-Twin heart stirring a lot of emotions. Those who heard it thundering around the Hockenheimring even returned with tales of heavenly sounds.
Akrapovič has passed the milestone of 100,000 Facebook fans. It was reached in December 2012 with the aid of stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer, whose video was purposely made to celebrate the 100,000 likes. For Akrapovič Facebook fans only, stunt ace Pfeiffer and his BMW F 800 R did some amazing tricks, including burning the number 100,000 in the asphalt with his rear tire. Akrapovič hit six figures in less than 3 years. You can watch the spectacular Chris Pfeiffer video at http://goo.gl/3hE6U.
FIA WEC / Misson: title defence
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
Photos: Jörg Künstle / WalzWerk
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
08
Ro(c)k the World KTM factory stunt rider Rok Bagoroš went around the world last year. His shows on a KTM Duke 125/200 and Duke 690 excited and astonished spectators in Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Peru, Slovenia, Malaysia, Germany and, finally, Italy. He visited 9 countries on 3 continents in just 10 weeks! He returned home in high spirits: ”To see all these people yelling my name and cheering, asking for autographs, for a photo, it just gave me an incredible boost and motivation to
train even harder and longer. Sometimes I train and hone my stunt-riding skills late in the night, in hot or freezing cold weather, and even when everything around me is covered in snow. I don’t mind the elements! I just want to follow that ultimate goal to become the best stunt rider in the world. Sometimes I think I’m in a dream, but then I realise that this is all real – cool!” Follow Rok on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Bagoros.Rok) and check his video http://goo.gl/8A1x7
Audi Sport had a fantastic season in last year’s FIA World Endurance Championship, winning the constructor’s championship while drivers Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer, took the drivers’ title. To top it off, Fässler, Lotterer and Tréluyer continued their winning streak at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second year in a row. Audi Sport is keen to repeat last year’s achievements in the FIA WEC 2013 season. Akrapovič’s partner will retain the services of Fässler, Lotterer and Tréluyer for the fourth year running and will place two more Audi R18 e-tron quattro alongside last year’s winners. The #2 R18 e-tron quattro will be driven by ‘Mister Le Mans’, as eight-time-winner Tom Kristensen is known, as well as twotime Le Mans winner Allan McNish and Loïc Duval, while the third Audi will be steered by Lucas di Grassi, Marc Gené and Oliver Jarvis. The three teams will also represent Audi at Spa, while only the first two teams will compete in the remaining six races of the FIA WEC championship in 2013.
Akrapovi] News
09
06 / 09
Café Fighter
Chris Pfeiffer for 100,000
Motorcycle clothing, helmets and accessories retailer Louis is celebrating its 75th anniversary, which it marked by designing a very special custom bike: the Louis Café Racer 75. Who else could be behind it but Marcus Walz? He used a Ducati 1000 Classic Sport and added numerous goodies, including an Akrapovič exhaust system. A lot of the parts are made from aluminium, the rear lights shine with the help of LEDs, the suspension comes from Öhlins, the brakes from Brembo and the battery is an 800 gram Li-Ion. The Louis Café Racer 75 is undoubtedly a one-ofa-kind, with its Desmo-L-Twin heart stirring a lot of emotions. Those who heard it thundering around the Hockenheimring even returned with tales of heavenly sounds.
Akrapovič has passed the milestone of 100,000 Facebook fans. It was reached in December 2012 with the aid of stunt rider Chris Pfeiffer, whose video was purposely made to celebrate the 100,000 likes. For Akrapovič Facebook fans only, stunt ace Pfeiffer and his BMW F 800 R did some amazing tricks, including burning the number 100,000 in the asphalt with his rear tire. Akrapovič hit six figures in less than 3 years. You can watch the spectacular Chris Pfeiffer video at http://goo.gl/3hE6U.
FIA WEC / Misson: title defence
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
Photos: Jörg Künstle / WalzWerk
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
08
Ro(c)k the World KTM factory stunt rider Rok Bagoroš went around the world last year. His shows on a KTM Duke 125/200 and Duke 690 excited and astonished spectators in Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, Peru, Slovenia, Malaysia, Germany and, finally, Italy. He visited 9 countries on 3 continents in just 10 weeks! He returned home in high spirits: ”To see all these people yelling my name and cheering, asking for autographs, for a photo, it just gave me an incredible boost and motivation to
train even harder and longer. Sometimes I train and hone my stunt-riding skills late in the night, in hot or freezing cold weather, and even when everything around me is covered in snow. I don’t mind the elements! I just want to follow that ultimate goal to become the best stunt rider in the world. Sometimes I think I’m in a dream, but then I realise that this is all real – cool!” Follow Rok on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Bagoros.Rok) and check his video http://goo.gl/8A1x7
Audi Sport had a fantastic season in last year’s FIA World Endurance Championship, winning the constructor’s championship while drivers Marcel Fässler, André Lotterer and Benoît Tréluyer, took the drivers’ title. To top it off, Fässler, Lotterer and Tréluyer continued their winning streak at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second year in a row. Audi Sport is keen to repeat last year’s achievements in the FIA WEC 2013 season. Akrapovič’s partner will retain the services of Fässler, Lotterer and Tréluyer for the fourth year running and will place two more Audi R18 e-tron quattro alongside last year’s winners. The #2 R18 e-tron quattro will be driven by ‘Mister Le Mans’, as eight-time-winner Tom Kristensen is known, as well as twotime Le Mans winner Allan McNish and Loïc Duval, while the third Audi will be steered by Lucas di Grassi, Marc Gené and Oliver Jarvis. The three teams will also represent Audi at Spa, while only the first two teams will compete in the remaining six races of the FIA WEC championship in 2013.
Akrapovi] News
09
10/13
ya s sTid AA ysaas Tid l a it p Haos Hospital by David Carradale by Matevž Hribar
Moto Action
in a d his days sipping unsweetened tea Roger De Coster (68) could easily spen on titles. of his five World Motocross Champi rocking chair, happy in the company in the USA. the Red Bull KTM Factory Teams But no, he is the Team Manager of motocross oor outd 2012 Dungey, his protégé and And a successful one at that. Ryan ing the join n whe er was behind me was helpful champion, said: “Knowing that Rog t.” a do something, he’s gonna do it righ team because I knew if Roger’s gonn he said around the Akrapovič plant, which We spoke to Roger after his first walk was as neat and tidy as a hospital.
You are probably the ideal man to say how motocross has changed in the last 50 years.
photography KTM, Matevž Hribar
Yes, the changes … A huge change occurred in the amount of support for the top riders. We used to travel in a little van, or a car with a trailer. But now, in the US and also in Europe, teams have massive tractor trailers carrying all kinds of spare parts, an on-team mechanic, a suspension specialist, an engine specialist, a data acquisition guy, a PR person … [laughing] It’s pretty crazy to see what it takes to put a single bike at the starting gate compared to when I
e’s Roger De Coster: “I’m sure that ther es mak no other factory in the world that exhaust pipes at this level.”
You started quite late, at the age of 16. Is it still possible to win today if someone starts racing that late?
16 is probably a bit late this days, . because a lot of other kids start early But the reason I started late was that I came from a family that didn’t have a lot of money and my parents didn’t know anything about racing or sports. When I was a teenager, there was an endurance race in Europe on public roads: a motorbike race, for example going from Brussels to Rome and then back. That’s what got me interested, when I saw the bikes
10
k, Head of Akrapovič Racing R&D.
Roger De Coster and Slavko Trstenja
and racers. I was like ahhh! You know, I thought they were like Gods. [smiles] And that got me interested. During school holidays I worked in a motorcycle shop, cleaning parts to make pocket money. When I was about twelve years old, the shop’s owner gave me an old motorcycle. It was old and broken, but I fixed
It’s an adrenaline-rush, that’s for sure. Make no mistake, these are masterpieces of comfort and performance, and you will want one. Add the fact that you are outside in the fresh air – and no car, not even a convertible, can give you the same feeling. All the wonderful pleasures of motorcycling come rushing in as
I rode a bicycle for exercise and had a friend who was a football player. He was in the then top team in Belgium, and they knew more about training, much more than I knew. So I learned a lot about fitness training from them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What about mental training?
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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
photography BRP
I read that you also did a lot of physical training?
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ning formula.
by David Carradale
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
began my career.
Some things are different but I think t that what it takes to win hasn’t. Wha the it takes to win is the attitude, desire … The desire to win is still the most important ingredient for a win-
Now On Three Wheels.
it, took it to the woods and when I turned 16, went to my first race.
Mental training? I’ve never done any mental training.
Do you think that riders still have the same spirit you had or has this also changed?
Akrapovič:
But I checked some old videos of yours, where you say that it’s very important to know your limits and …
Oh, well, I always believed that I could win. Deep inside I believed I could win, but I also never forgot that I could be beaten. So there was always a tug of war in my head: one side telling me yes, you can win, and the other side saying, but, you know, do your homework because they can beat you. It was like two forces in my head pulling in opposite directions. When I started to race I always believed that I had a chance of winning. Whether I was on a ČZ, Suzuki or Honda…
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
How did you like your tour of the Akrapovič factory?
Well, I’ve been working with Akrapovič for two years and I already know how good the product is and that it’s a high-performance, high-tech product. It’s very impressive. A lot of factories that manufacture such products are really messy and dirty, but this is like a hospital. The environment is so clean. It’s quite remarkable. I’m sure that there’s no other factory in the world that makes exhaust pipes at this level.
11 La te la st ye ar , an an no un ce me nt wa s an d ma de by Ak ra po vič ty six er BR P, wh o fo r ov e ye ar s ha ve be en th r we po tr us te d na me in l sp or t re cr ea tio na ve hic le s.
The announcement, made at the 2012 EICMA Milan Show, was of great interest to BRP fans and specialist media. However, most of the hardcore n motorcyclists who attended the Mila s. show probably missed this bit of new by e mov g estin Yet it is an inter Akrapovič when you stop and think about it.
Akrapovič exhausts, originally on powerful racing two wheelers, then more recently on the world’s best peron formance cars, are now to be found some extraordinary three wheelers. Go feast your eyes on the BRP website. These guys make some seriously cool rvehicles; all of them are achingly desi able. Within the fascinating product er portfolio are a range of Can-Am Spyd a and gn roadsters. Cutting-edge desi host of technologies born of the auto motive industries have created products like no other. With its revolutionary three-wheeled stance, striking looks, and powerful 998cc engine, the Can-Am Spyder roadster offers a thrilling open air ride. Or should that be drive? Whatever the
answer is, this is a perfectly natural place to find an Akrapovič exhaust system. I urge anyone who hasn’t yet tried one of these vehicles to take a test drive. BRP call it “riding, reinvented”. The Y-shaped footprint of the vehicle and centred riding position makes you feel incredibly stable and powerful. Like being on a really good motorbike, but then again, not quite.
well. As someone famously said: “A motorcyclist never needs to ask a dog why it puts its head out of the
car window”. When installed on the Spyder roadster, the titanium and carbon fibre capped exhausts really enhance the riding experience, enhancing the power output while simultaneously giving off that lovely, sporty, deeply resonant Akrapovič sound. These fabulous vehicles look and perform like nothing else on the road, so when you ride one, be prepared to be stared at. But in a nice way.
10/13
ya s sTid AA ysaas Tid l a it p Haos Hospital by David Carradale by Matevž Hribar
Moto Action
in a d his days sipping unsweetened tea Roger De Coster (68) could easily spen on titles. of his five World Motocross Champi rocking chair, happy in the company in the USA. the Red Bull KTM Factory Teams But no, he is the Team Manager of motocross oor outd 2012 Dungey, his protégé and And a successful one at that. Ryan ing the join n whe er was behind me was helpful champion, said: “Knowing that Rog t.” a do something, he’s gonna do it righ team because I knew if Roger’s gonn he said around the Akrapovič plant, which We spoke to Roger after his first walk was as neat and tidy as a hospital.
You are probably the ideal man to say how motocross has changed in the last 50 years.
photography KTM, Matevž Hribar
Yes, the changes … A huge change occurred in the amount of support for the top riders. We used to travel in a little van, or a car with a trailer. But now, in the US and also in Europe, teams have massive tractor trailers carrying all kinds of spare parts, an on-team mechanic, a suspension specialist, an engine specialist, a data acquisition guy, a PR person … [laughing] It’s pretty crazy to see what it takes to put a single bike at the starting gate compared to when I
e’s Roger De Coster: “I’m sure that ther es mak no other factory in the world that exhaust pipes at this level.”
You started quite late, at the age of 16. Is it still possible to win today if someone starts racing that late?
16 is probably a bit late this days, . because a lot of other kids start early But the reason I started late was that I came from a family that didn’t have a lot of money and my parents didn’t know anything about racing or sports. When I was a teenager, there was an endurance race in Europe on public roads: a motorbike race, for example going from Brussels to Rome and then back. That’s what got me interested, when I saw the bikes
10
k, Head of Akrapovič Racing R&D.
Roger De Coster and Slavko Trstenja
and racers. I was like ahhh! You know, I thought they were like Gods. [smiles] And that got me interested. During school holidays I worked in a motorcycle shop, cleaning parts to make pocket money. When I was about twelve years old, the shop’s owner gave me an old motorcycle. It was old and broken, but I fixed
It’s an adrenaline-rush, that’s for sure. Make no mistake, these are masterpieces of comfort and performance, and you will want one. Add the fact that you are outside in the fresh air – and no car, not even a convertible, can give you the same feeling. All the wonderful pleasures of motorcycling come rushing in as
I rode a bicycle for exercise and had a friend who was a football player. He was in the then top team in Belgium, and they knew more about training, much more than I knew. So I learned a lot about fitness training from them.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What about mental training?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
photography BRP
I read that you also did a lot of physical training?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
ning formula.
by David Carradale
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
began my career.
Some things are different but I think t that what it takes to win hasn’t. Wha the it takes to win is the attitude, desire … The desire to win is still the most important ingredient for a win-
Now On Three Wheels.
it, took it to the woods and when I turned 16, went to my first race.
Mental training? I’ve never done any mental training.
Do you think that riders still have the same spirit you had or has this also changed?
Akrapovič:
But I checked some old videos of yours, where you say that it’s very important to know your limits and …
Oh, well, I always believed that I could win. Deep inside I believed I could win, but I also never forgot that I could be beaten. So there was always a tug of war in my head: one side telling me yes, you can win, and the other side saying, but, you know, do your homework because they can beat you. It was like two forces in my head pulling in opposite directions. When I started to race I always believed that I had a chance of winning. Whether I was on a ČZ, Suzuki or Honda…
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
How did you like your tour of the Akrapovič factory?
Well, I’ve been working with Akrapovič for two years and I already know how good the product is and that it’s a high-performance, high-tech product. It’s very impressive. A lot of factories that manufacture such products are really messy and dirty, but this is like a hospital. The environment is so clean. It’s quite remarkable. I’m sure that there’s no other factory in the world that makes exhaust pipes at this level.
11 La te la st ye ar , an an no un ce me nt wa s an d ma de by Ak ra po vič ty six er BR P, wh o fo r ov e ye ar s ha ve be en th r we po tr us te d na me in l sp or t re cr ea tio na ve hic le s.
The announcement, made at the 2012 EICMA Milan Show, was of great interest to BRP fans and specialist media. However, most of the hardcore n motorcyclists who attended the Mila s. show probably missed this bit of new by e mov g estin Yet it is an inter Akrapovič when you stop and think about it.
Akrapovič exhausts, originally on powerful racing two wheelers, then more recently on the world’s best peron formance cars, are now to be found some extraordinary three wheelers. Go feast your eyes on the BRP website. These guys make some seriously cool rvehicles; all of them are achingly desi able. Within the fascinating product er portfolio are a range of Can-Am Spyd a and gn roadsters. Cutting-edge desi host of technologies born of the auto motive industries have created products like no other. With its revolutionary three-wheeled stance, striking looks, and powerful 998cc engine, the Can-Am Spyder roadster offers a thrilling open air ride. Or should that be drive? Whatever the
answer is, this is a perfectly natural place to find an Akrapovič exhaust system. I urge anyone who hasn’t yet tried one of these vehicles to take a test drive. BRP call it “riding, reinvented”. The Y-shaped footprint of the vehicle and centred riding position makes you feel incredibly stable and powerful. Like being on a really good motorbike, but then again, not quite.
well. As someone famously said: “A motorcyclist never needs to ask a dog why it puts its head out of the
car window”. When installed on the Spyder roadster, the titanium and carbon fibre capped exhausts really enhance the riding experience, enhancing the power output while simultaneously giving off that lovely, sporty, deeply resonant Akrapovič sound. These fabulous vehicles look and perform like nothing else on the road, so when you ride one, be prepared to be stared at. But in a nice way.
10/13
12
Moto Action
13
by Primož Jurman and Matevž Hribar
BMW, Suzuki, Team Tuenti HP 40 photography KTM, Yamaha, Aprilia,
The 2013 racing season in motorcycle one for racing will again be a challenging on the heels es com it Akrapovič, especially since on titles mpi of a record-breaking 13 world cha last season. Jeffrey Herlings
The 2013 Racing Season
2012 Will Be Hard to Beat, But … This year will once again see top riders and teams, including factory ones, with Akrapovič exhausts fighting for the top spots and titles. They will continue to be used by the Yamaha Factory Team in the MotoGP class. The team consists of reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo and the legendary Valentino Rossi! Moto2 and Moto3 class are also well stocked with Akrapovič exhausts: Thomas Lüthi from Interwetten Paddock Team, Marc VDS Racing (Mika Kallio, Scott Redding), Tuento HP 40 Team (Pol Espargaro, Axel Pons, Esteve Rabat), the Red Bull KTM team, as well as Maverick Viñales, to name just a few. The WSBK hears the thunder of Akrapovič´s exhausts from the bikes of Eugene Laverty and Sylvain Guintoli, riding for the Aprilia Factory Team, and Marco
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
Cyril Despres
Melandri and Chaz Davies from the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team. In the Motocross World Championship, Akrapovič continues to support last year’s champions in MX1 and MX2, the Red Bull KTM Factory riders Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings with teammates Ken De Dycker, Jordi Tixier and Jeremy Van Horebeek. However, the motocross riders on the Austrian-made orange bikes won’t have an easy job, as Akrapovič is also equipping two other top teams: Rockstar Energy Suzuki (Clement Desalle, Kevin Strijbos, Max Anstie and Julien Lieber) and the Monster Energy Yamaha team (Steven Frossard, Joel Roelants and Christophe Charlier). In the Enduro World Championship, Akrapovič continues its excellent working relationships with the KTM and Husaberg factory teams and is
Clement Desalle
cheering for their riders to go all the way to the top (again). And there will be a lot of cheering to do, as the list is quite long. Reigning champion Antoine Méo, Cristobal Guerrero and Thomas Oldrati in the E1 flight; Ivan Cervantes, who returned to the KTM team; Johnny Aubert and Oriol Mena in E2 (up to 450 ccm), while Christophe Nambotin and last year’s junior champion Mathias Bellino will cross paths in the most powerful E3 flight. If we jump to the western side of the Atlantic, we can’t overlook the great effort of the Red Bull KTM Factory team with Ryan Dungey, Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin, whose common goal is to finish at the top of the highly competitive AMA Supercross championship. Slavko Trstenjak, the head of Racing R&D: “We have great expectations for the 2013 season! We cannot afford to be humble after having had riders on the podium in all the major class of motorbike racing. We will most certainly focus on races in MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and WSBK class. We are also a major player in off-road racing: the victory at the first major race this season, the Dakar Rally, was no coincidence. We will naturally work hard in order to surpass last year’s excellent achievements.”
Pol Espargaro
Tadeusz Blazusiak
Antonio Cairoli
Marco Melandri
Jorge Lorenzo Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey
Valentino Rossi
Aprilia Racing Team Eugene Laverty
10/13
12
Moto Action
13
by Primož Jurman and Matevž Hribar
BMW, Suzuki, Team Tuenti HP 40 photography KTM, Yamaha, Aprilia,
The 2013 racing season in motorcycle one for racing will again be a challenging on the heels es com it Akrapovič, especially since on titles mpi of a record-breaking 13 world cha last season. Jeffrey Herlings
The 2013 Racing Season
2012 Will Be Hard to Beat, But … This year will once again see top riders and teams, including factory ones, with Akrapovič exhausts fighting for the top spots and titles. They will continue to be used by the Yamaha Factory Team in the MotoGP class. The team consists of reigning world champion Jorge Lorenzo and the legendary Valentino Rossi! Moto2 and Moto3 class are also well stocked with Akrapovič exhausts: Thomas Lüthi from Interwetten Paddock Team, Marc VDS Racing (Mika Kallio, Scott Redding), Tuento HP 40 Team (Pol Espargaro, Axel Pons, Esteve Rabat), the Red Bull KTM team, as well as Maverick Viñales, to name just a few. The WSBK hears the thunder of Akrapovič´s exhausts from the bikes of Eugene Laverty and Sylvain Guintoli, riding for the Aprilia Factory Team, and Marco
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
Cyril Despres
Melandri and Chaz Davies from the BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK Team. In the Motocross World Championship, Akrapovič continues to support last year’s champions in MX1 and MX2, the Red Bull KTM Factory riders Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings with teammates Ken De Dycker, Jordi Tixier and Jeremy Van Horebeek. However, the motocross riders on the Austrian-made orange bikes won’t have an easy job, as Akrapovič is also equipping two other top teams: Rockstar Energy Suzuki (Clement Desalle, Kevin Strijbos, Max Anstie and Julien Lieber) and the Monster Energy Yamaha team (Steven Frossard, Joel Roelants and Christophe Charlier). In the Enduro World Championship, Akrapovič continues its excellent working relationships with the KTM and Husaberg factory teams and is
Clement Desalle
cheering for their riders to go all the way to the top (again). And there will be a lot of cheering to do, as the list is quite long. Reigning champion Antoine Méo, Cristobal Guerrero and Thomas Oldrati in the E1 flight; Ivan Cervantes, who returned to the KTM team; Johnny Aubert and Oriol Mena in E2 (up to 450 ccm), while Christophe Nambotin and last year’s junior champion Mathias Bellino will cross paths in the most powerful E3 flight. If we jump to the western side of the Atlantic, we can’t overlook the great effort of the Red Bull KTM Factory team with Ryan Dungey, Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin, whose common goal is to finish at the top of the highly competitive AMA Supercross championship. Slavko Trstenjak, the head of Racing R&D: “We have great expectations for the 2013 season! We cannot afford to be humble after having had riders on the podium in all the major class of motorbike racing. We will most certainly focus on races in MotoGP, Moto2, Moto3 and WSBK class. We are also a major player in off-road racing: the victory at the first major race this season, the Dakar Rally, was no coincidence. We will naturally work hard in order to surpass last year’s excellent achievements.”
Pol Espargaro
Tadeusz Blazusiak
Antonio Cairoli
Marco Melandri
Jorge Lorenzo Ken Roczen and Ryan Dungey
Valentino Rossi
Aprilia Racing Team Eugene Laverty
14 / 15
Car Action
AkrapoviC, of course B e n o î t T r é l u y e r , b o r n i n D e c e mb e r 1 9 7 6 , h a s r a c e d i n ma n y m o t o r s p o r t classes. He started with motocross and karting, moved on to formula Cam p u s , f o r m u l a R e n a u l t a n d f o r m u l a 3 a n d e n d e d u p i n GT r a c i n g c a r s . Nowadays he speeds around in cars with doors and is the winner of t h e i n a u g u r a l F I A WEC c h am p i o n s h i p season, as well as the last two 24 Hours of Le Mans races. He won these three laurels with Audi Sport t e amma t e s M a r c e l F ä s s l e r a n d A n d r é Lotterer.
by Mitja Reven
14
photography Audi
15
As a winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, can you describe your emotions af ter the first and second v ictory? To be honest, they were two completely different victories. In 2011 we faced stiff competition from Peugeot and conducted the race more like a qualifying lap from start to finish. It was just an amazing race for 24 hours. At the finish line the gap was just over 13 seconds, so we really had to push hard until the very end. It’s always like that, but in this case one little problem could have turned into a big one and we could have lost the race. After crossing the finish line, the pressure suddenly subsided and emotions really erupted. I was born close to Le Mans and all my friends from my childhood, my family, everybody was there. For a guy who lived there, winning the Le Mans was just amazing and a huge dream came true. It was incredible, the emotions were so powerful. In 2012, it was a bit different, because the competition was within the team, between Audi cars. We were really happy to win again, it was really great. But we were also disappointed to be the only ones on the top step of the podium, because we all worked together over the winter developing the cars to be the fastest. But, in the end, there can only be one winner from the team. I remember it was Dindo Capello’s birthday and his last Le Mans race, and I was really embarrassed that we finished in front of him. The emotions were again there, we were very happy to win, but at the same time it was a shame that not all of us could stand on the same podium step. We all deserved that victory. You sa id 2011 was tougher because each lap felt like a qualif ying lap? Yes, 2011 was the toughest one. We didn’t know the strategy of the other teams, we were blind with regard to our main competitors. It was definitely tougher. A 13-second difference after 24 hours is just incredible. You’ve been racing around the world, from Europe and Japan to America. What is the best place to race? I definitely love Le Mans, it really is a great race. I discovered the US just three or four years ago and I was really impressed by the fans’ enthusiasm. They arrive at the track in motor homes a week before the race. Some guys arrive on boats and some with trailers, it’s simply incredible. They’re totally crazy, but in the right way. It’s a lot of fun. Japan: I definitely like to race there. I’ve been doing it for 12 years. I love racing in Japan, it’s like my second home. The fans are really eager to come to the track, they like to tune their cars and some also paint them
Benoît Tréluyer with André Lotterer and Marcel Fässler
like racing cars. It’s just amazing. The entire family comes to the races, it’s a different atmosphere throughout the country. It really feels fantastic. In 2012 we were in Bahrain. There aren’t so many fans there, but I was impressed with the quality of the circuit, the infrastructure and the welcome. The racing spirit is beginning to take root there. We can see that and we can boost it, increasing the interest among fans. It’s a completely different story. All racing tracks are different and that’s why we love racing around the world. You’ve been in many racing series, which one is your favourite? That depends on my age. In my younger days, I loved single seaters. I was alone in the car, and I didn’t have to worry about many things, because I didn’t have to hand the car over to a teammate. I was doing my own set-up, it was great. But it was selfish racing. It felt good at the time, but now I like to share things. I’m getting a bit older and endurance racing feels really great. I discovered GT cars pretty late -- I was already 24. I didn’t think that I’d enjoy them in the beginning, but my first race in a car with doors turned out to be a lot of fun. I could bump others a bit, and you can’t do that with single seaters. I enjoyed it. Today, I feel that endurance is the best for me, I really like it. Even if I was offered a place in a Formula 1 car, I think I’d refuse it, because that kind of racing doesn’t suit me at the moment. You prefer to tra in outside, but how do you ma inta in maximum concentration in your Audi R18 e-tron quat tro, which has a closed cockpit? You get used to it and don’t think about it too much. We try to make the air-flow in the cockpit feel like we have an open cabin, but I really do like being outside. I enjoy motocross, enduro, cycling. I hate to be in a fitness centre. When you’re in a racing car, you don’t feel like you’re in a gym. You just enjoy the car and the sensations you’re having. But closed or open cockpits don’t matter too much, both are great. You don’t think about the roof, but it does make you feel safer. Our car is really really quick and you can see how dangerous that can be with open cockpits. You feel really safe in a cabin. I like it a lot. When you see accidents in F1, like the one in Spa, you realize that it’s really good to have a cabin. We saw you in the mov ie “Truth in 24 II: Every Second Counts.” Do you feel like a mov ie star? And could acting be your ne xt career? Honestly…no. I’m not like that. I
like to be with my friends and don’t want to be famous. I wouldn’t like to go somewhere, well anywhere, and have people asking me for my autograph. When I’m on the screen, I do my job and I like it. It’s part of what I do. But I like to go home and be like normal people, people who go to work every day, who nobody knows and can do stupid things without having to worry about being recognised and the like. I like having a normal life: simple things, going out for a drink, staying with friends, having fun with my son. Those are the things I like in my life. If you’re a movie star, you miss all these things, and that kind of lifestyle isn’t for me. Who is your racing idol? I don’t really have one, to be honest. My idol was my father. The way he thinks, the way he taught me about life and everything. But if I really had to choose one, then I’d go for Ayrton Senna, because he really loved people. He had a lot of love to give, and he had the power and the aggressiveness and he focused on winning. I love spirits like that. Not to mention the way he drove, which was simply superb. He always tried to do new things, improve his driving, brake with his left foot. He was one of the first drivers who used left-foot braking to balance the car. He was really focused on his job, loved his family, was a really nice guy, and I like that kind of a person. Your racing career started in motocross. Do you ride a bike? Most of the time I do enduro. I have a KTM 350 EXC-F, the Six Days version. It looks and feels nice and it suits me. It’s the perfect bike, easy to ride and easy to enjoy. It’s also a nice bike to tune and, of course, has an Akrapovič exhaust. I like nice parts and performance. Akrapov ič is the offici al partner of Audi Sport for the World Endurance Championship. Were you aware of the company before you joined Audi Sport? Of course. I’m really interested in motorcycles and I first heard about Akrapovič because of bikes. I remember coming to the factory last winter and seeing Akrapovič stickers on a car. I said ‘Yeah, that’s cool!’ and I was really happy. I thought I might be able to get a discount. What car do you dri ve? I have an Audi S5 Convertible, because I live in the south of France. It’s always sunny there so you want to drive a convertible. I like it. It’s powerful and well-balanced, good looking and sounds nice. -
14 / 15
Car Action
AkrapoviC, of course B e n o î t T r é l u y e r , b o r n i n D e c e mb e r 1 9 7 6 , h a s r a c e d i n ma n y m o t o r s p o r t classes. He started with motocross and karting, moved on to formula Cam p u s , f o r m u l a R e n a u l t a n d f o r m u l a 3 a n d e n d e d u p i n GT r a c i n g c a r s . Nowadays he speeds around in cars with doors and is the winner of t h e i n a u g u r a l F I A WEC c h am p i o n s h i p season, as well as the last two 24 Hours of Le Mans races. He won these three laurels with Audi Sport t e amma t e s M a r c e l F ä s s l e r a n d A n d r é Lotterer.
by Mitja Reven
14
photography Audi
15
As a winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, can you describe your emotions af ter the first and second v ictory? To be honest, they were two completely different victories. In 2011 we faced stiff competition from Peugeot and conducted the race more like a qualifying lap from start to finish. It was just an amazing race for 24 hours. At the finish line the gap was just over 13 seconds, so we really had to push hard until the very end. It’s always like that, but in this case one little problem could have turned into a big one and we could have lost the race. After crossing the finish line, the pressure suddenly subsided and emotions really erupted. I was born close to Le Mans and all my friends from my childhood, my family, everybody was there. For a guy who lived there, winning the Le Mans was just amazing and a huge dream came true. It was incredible, the emotions were so powerful. In 2012, it was a bit different, because the competition was within the team, between Audi cars. We were really happy to win again, it was really great. But we were also disappointed to be the only ones on the top step of the podium, because we all worked together over the winter developing the cars to be the fastest. But, in the end, there can only be one winner from the team. I remember it was Dindo Capello’s birthday and his last Le Mans race, and I was really embarrassed that we finished in front of him. The emotions were again there, we were very happy to win, but at the same time it was a shame that not all of us could stand on the same podium step. We all deserved that victory. You sa id 2011 was tougher because each lap felt like a qualif ying lap? Yes, 2011 was the toughest one. We didn’t know the strategy of the other teams, we were blind with regard to our main competitors. It was definitely tougher. A 13-second difference after 24 hours is just incredible. You’ve been racing around the world, from Europe and Japan to America. What is the best place to race? I definitely love Le Mans, it really is a great race. I discovered the US just three or four years ago and I was really impressed by the fans’ enthusiasm. They arrive at the track in motor homes a week before the race. Some guys arrive on boats and some with trailers, it’s simply incredible. They’re totally crazy, but in the right way. It’s a lot of fun. Japan: I definitely like to race there. I’ve been doing it for 12 years. I love racing in Japan, it’s like my second home. The fans are really eager to come to the track, they like to tune their cars and some also paint them
Benoît Tréluyer with André Lotterer and Marcel Fässler
like racing cars. It’s just amazing. The entire family comes to the races, it’s a different atmosphere throughout the country. It really feels fantastic. In 2012 we were in Bahrain. There aren’t so many fans there, but I was impressed with the quality of the circuit, the infrastructure and the welcome. The racing spirit is beginning to take root there. We can see that and we can boost it, increasing the interest among fans. It’s a completely different story. All racing tracks are different and that’s why we love racing around the world. You’ve been in many racing series, which one is your favourite? That depends on my age. In my younger days, I loved single seaters. I was alone in the car, and I didn’t have to worry about many things, because I didn’t have to hand the car over to a teammate. I was doing my own set-up, it was great. But it was selfish racing. It felt good at the time, but now I like to share things. I’m getting a bit older and endurance racing feels really great. I discovered GT cars pretty late -- I was already 24. I didn’t think that I’d enjoy them in the beginning, but my first race in a car with doors turned out to be a lot of fun. I could bump others a bit, and you can’t do that with single seaters. I enjoyed it. Today, I feel that endurance is the best for me, I really like it. Even if I was offered a place in a Formula 1 car, I think I’d refuse it, because that kind of racing doesn’t suit me at the moment. You prefer to tra in outside, but how do you ma inta in maximum concentration in your Audi R18 e-tron quat tro, which has a closed cockpit? You get used to it and don’t think about it too much. We try to make the air-flow in the cockpit feel like we have an open cabin, but I really do like being outside. I enjoy motocross, enduro, cycling. I hate to be in a fitness centre. When you’re in a racing car, you don’t feel like you’re in a gym. You just enjoy the car and the sensations you’re having. But closed or open cockpits don’t matter too much, both are great. You don’t think about the roof, but it does make you feel safer. Our car is really really quick and you can see how dangerous that can be with open cockpits. You feel really safe in a cabin. I like it a lot. When you see accidents in F1, like the one in Spa, you realize that it’s really good to have a cabin. We saw you in the mov ie “Truth in 24 II: Every Second Counts.” Do you feel like a mov ie star? And could acting be your ne xt career? Honestly…no. I’m not like that. I
like to be with my friends and don’t want to be famous. I wouldn’t like to go somewhere, well anywhere, and have people asking me for my autograph. When I’m on the screen, I do my job and I like it. It’s part of what I do. But I like to go home and be like normal people, people who go to work every day, who nobody knows and can do stupid things without having to worry about being recognised and the like. I like having a normal life: simple things, going out for a drink, staying with friends, having fun with my son. Those are the things I like in my life. If you’re a movie star, you miss all these things, and that kind of lifestyle isn’t for me. Who is your racing idol? I don’t really have one, to be honest. My idol was my father. The way he thinks, the way he taught me about life and everything. But if I really had to choose one, then I’d go for Ayrton Senna, because he really loved people. He had a lot of love to give, and he had the power and the aggressiveness and he focused on winning. I love spirits like that. Not to mention the way he drove, which was simply superb. He always tried to do new things, improve his driving, brake with his left foot. He was one of the first drivers who used left-foot braking to balance the car. He was really focused on his job, loved his family, was a really nice guy, and I like that kind of a person. Your racing career started in motocross. Do you ride a bike? Most of the time I do enduro. I have a KTM 350 EXC-F, the Six Days version. It looks and feels nice and it suits me. It’s the perfect bike, easy to ride and easy to enjoy. It’s also a nice bike to tune and, of course, has an Akrapovič exhaust. I like nice parts and performance. Akrapov ič is the offici al partner of Audi Sport for the World Endurance Championship. Were you aware of the company before you joined Audi Sport? Of course. I’m really interested in motorcycles and I first heard about Akrapovič because of bikes. I remember coming to the factory last winter and seeing Akrapovič stickers on a car. I said ‘Yeah, that’s cool!’ and I was really happy. I thought I might be able to get a discount. What car do you dri ve? I have an Audi S5 Convertible, because I live in the south of France. It’s always sunny there so you want to drive a convertible. I like it. It’s powerful and well-balanced, good looking and sounds nice. -
16 / 17
On The Track
On the Track
DTM
C O U L D I T G E T A NY B E T T E R T HA N T H IS ? by Mitja Reven
photography BMW Motorsport
After a two-decade absence, BMW returned to the DTM championship in style last year, winning all the laurels. That’s why 2013 is bound to be a big challenge. Dreams turned to reality as Bruno Spengler crossed the finish line in Hockenheim, Germany, at last October’s final race of the DTM racing car series. He won the champion title, his BMW Team Schnitzer won the team title, and BMW won the constructor championship in its first season after a 20-year hiatus. Things really couldn’t have turned out better for Akrapovič’s partner. Spengler followed in the footsteps of Strycek (1984), van de Poele (1987) and Ravaglia (1989) to become the fourth champion with the Bavarian sports car. BMW, which was present last year with six cars, also boasts an average of 16 points per race, more than those won by the eight Audi and eight Mercedes drivers. While 2012 has already entered the record books, what counts now is the 2013 season, for which BMW and Akrapovič have been preparing for quite a while. The eight-valve engines will be roaring at ten races this year, including a new venue in Russia, where the series will travel in August. The season kicks off on the 5th of May at Hockenheimring, followed by Brands Hatch, Spielberg, Lausitzring, Norisring, Moscow Raceway, Nürburgring, Oschersleben, Zandvoort and Hockenheim again. While last year was the first for BMW, and therefore a learning experience, the goals for 2013 are quite clear. To keep the title(s). Last year BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi raced in accordance with a new set of rules and it seems that the Bavarians did their homework the best. Whether it will be the same this year should quickly become clear at the always-exciting races.
16
BMW Motorsport will use eight cars in the 2013 DTM season. MTEK, a new team, secured the services of former F1 driver F1 Timo Glock and rookie Marco Wittmann, while the rest of the drivers will carry over from last year: Bruno Spengler, Dirk Werner (BMW Team Schnitzer); Augusto Farfus, Joey Hand (BMW Team RBM); Martin Tomczyk and Andy Priaulx (BMW Team RMG).
17
Zanardi tests DTM After completing an excellent season, including grabbing two golds and one silver at the London Paralympics, Alex Zanardi was given an incredible opportunity to test the BMW’s DTM racing car. The Italian was the first driver without legs in history to sit behind the wheels of a modified DTM vehicle. Alex, who won for BMW in the FIA WTCC series, lost his legs at an accident on the Lausitz oval circuit in 2001. Last November on Nürburgring he completed 32 laps in his modified gold-coloured BMW M3 DTM and was full of excitement after getting out of the car. “I’m overjoyed to have been given the opportunity to drive the BMW M3 DTM today,” Zanardi said. “This is a very special day for me, and one I will always remember fondly. I would like to thank everyone at BMW who has helped make this special moment possible for me. It was a challenge to modify the car to meet my requirements and I’m surprised just how quickly the BMW Motorsport engineers managed to complete the necessary modifications. However, the guys have done a great job. I had great fun out on the track. When I first saw the golden car I was overwhelmed. I still have a passion for racing.”
16 / 17
On The Track
On the Track
DTM
C O U L D I T G E T A NY B E T T E R T HA N T H IS ? by Mitja Reven
photography BMW Motorsport
After a two-decade absence, BMW returned to the DTM championship in style last year, winning all the laurels. That’s why 2013 is bound to be a big challenge. Dreams turned to reality as Bruno Spengler crossed the finish line in Hockenheim, Germany, at last October’s final race of the DTM racing car series. He won the champion title, his BMW Team Schnitzer won the team title, and BMW won the constructor championship in its first season after a 20-year hiatus. Things really couldn’t have turned out better for Akrapovič’s partner. Spengler followed in the footsteps of Strycek (1984), van de Poele (1987) and Ravaglia (1989) to become the fourth champion with the Bavarian sports car. BMW, which was present last year with six cars, also boasts an average of 16 points per race, more than those won by the eight Audi and eight Mercedes drivers. While 2012 has already entered the record books, what counts now is the 2013 season, for which BMW and Akrapovič have been preparing for quite a while. The eight-valve engines will be roaring at ten races this year, including a new venue in Russia, where the series will travel in August. The season kicks off on the 5th of May at Hockenheimring, followed by Brands Hatch, Spielberg, Lausitzring, Norisring, Moscow Raceway, Nürburgring, Oschersleben, Zandvoort and Hockenheim again. While last year was the first for BMW, and therefore a learning experience, the goals for 2013 are quite clear. To keep the title(s). Last year BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi raced in accordance with a new set of rules and it seems that the Bavarians did their homework the best. Whether it will be the same this year should quickly become clear at the always-exciting races.
16
BMW Motorsport will use eight cars in the 2013 DTM season. MTEK, a new team, secured the services of former F1 driver F1 Timo Glock and rookie Marco Wittmann, while the rest of the drivers will carry over from last year: Bruno Spengler, Dirk Werner (BMW Team Schnitzer); Augusto Farfus, Joey Hand (BMW Team RBM); Martin Tomczyk and Andy Priaulx (BMW Team RMG).
17
Zanardi tests DTM After completing an excellent season, including grabbing two golds and one silver at the London Paralympics, Alex Zanardi was given an incredible opportunity to test the BMW’s DTM racing car. The Italian was the first driver without legs in history to sit behind the wheels of a modified DTM vehicle. Alex, who won for BMW in the FIA WTCC series, lost his legs at an accident on the Lausitz oval circuit in 2001. Last November on Nürburgring he completed 32 laps in his modified gold-coloured BMW M3 DTM and was full of excitement after getting out of the car. “I’m overjoyed to have been given the opportunity to drive the BMW M3 DTM today,” Zanardi said. “This is a very special day for me, and one I will always remember fondly. I would like to thank everyone at BMW who has helped make this special moment possible for me. It was a challenge to modify the car to meet my requirements and I’m surprised just how quickly the BMW Motorsport engineers managed to complete the necessary modifications. However, the guys have done a great job. I had great fun out on the track. When I first saw the golden car I was overwhelmed. I still have a passion for racing.”
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Custom Star
Custom Star
KING’S ROAD CUSTOM by David Carradale Photography Marianne Logica www.mlofoto.co.uk, Profimedia
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19
The King’s Road, Chelsea, London S.W.3. It’s famous, or even infamous, for its colourful past. It still remains a bit rock’n’roll, even today, in all its gentrified glory. And what better location could there be for one of the world’s top custom designers? We go behind the scenes at Warr’s Harley-Davidson store and its unique specialist offshoot, Warr’s King’s Road Customs, for a glimpse into the custom world. The King’s Road runs for just under 2 miles (3.2 km) through the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, by Sloane Square in the east, and then skirting by Stamford Bridge, the home of Abramovich’s Chelsea. Lying at the western end is The World’s End, an area named after an infamous public house. The King’s Road derived its name from its function as a private road used by King Charles II to travel to Kew. It has an illustrious past as a centre of urban counter-culture. In the 1970s, it was home to Malcom McLaren’s boutique originally called Let It Rock, later renamed Sex in 1974, and Seditionaries in 1977. Until 1983, the headquarters of Swan Song Records, owned by Led Zeppelin, was at 484 King’s Road. So where better to find a Harley-Davidson store and sell freedom to the masses, or at least the well-heeled ones? Warr’s Harley-Davidson are Europe’s oldest Harley-Davidson dealer and their specialist offshoot -- Warr’s Custom – has been forging a serious reputation in custom bikes. Warr’s was founded on the Kings Road in 1924 by Captain Frederick James Warr, becoming an official Harley-Davidson dealer that year. Although post-war business was very tough, by the 1960s, Fred Junior had become Britain’s Harley-Davidson distributor. Charlie Stockwell, Mastermind of Design and Custom at Warrs, is well known on the custom scene. He’s also a trend setter.
Charlie’s clients include rock stars, sports stars and F1 drivers. Late last year the bike he built for Jenson Button made headlines, but you don’t need an F1 salary, or to play for Chelsea, to customize a bike. You’d be surprised as to what these guys can achieve on a tight budget. So reject the standard Harley set-up, use your imagination and let the Warr’s team get to work. Fast forward a few weeks and you could be riding down the King’s Road feeling like a king yourself.
Charlie Stockwell How long have you been customizing bikes and how did you get started?
I’ve always had a passion for bikes. Be it GP Race bikes or street bikes. Before I learned to ride I was fascinated with the detail and design. I got my first bike when I was 16. I spent the whole year, before I could even take my test, customizing it. Since then I’ve been doing the same thing to every bike I’ve owned and now I’m lucky enough to be doing that for my customers as well.
Your favourite machine so far?
I don’t have a favourite. Each one gets the same attention and passion. I have always maintained that I will never build two of the same bike. That way each is special to both me and the owner. It keeps each project exciting and although no two are the same, I now have a recognised and unique style that people appreciate.
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Custom Star
Custom Star
KING’S ROAD CUSTOM by David Carradale Photography Marianne Logica www.mlofoto.co.uk, Profimedia
18
19
The King’s Road, Chelsea, London S.W.3. It’s famous, or even infamous, for its colourful past. It still remains a bit rock’n’roll, even today, in all its gentrified glory. And what better location could there be for one of the world’s top custom designers? We go behind the scenes at Warr’s Harley-Davidson store and its unique specialist offshoot, Warr’s King’s Road Customs, for a glimpse into the custom world. The King’s Road runs for just under 2 miles (3.2 km) through the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, by Sloane Square in the east, and then skirting by Stamford Bridge, the home of Abramovich’s Chelsea. Lying at the western end is The World’s End, an area named after an infamous public house. The King’s Road derived its name from its function as a private road used by King Charles II to travel to Kew. It has an illustrious past as a centre of urban counter-culture. In the 1970s, it was home to Malcom McLaren’s boutique originally called Let It Rock, later renamed Sex in 1974, and Seditionaries in 1977. Until 1983, the headquarters of Swan Song Records, owned by Led Zeppelin, was at 484 King’s Road. So where better to find a Harley-Davidson store and sell freedom to the masses, or at least the well-heeled ones? Warr’s Harley-Davidson are Europe’s oldest Harley-Davidson dealer and their specialist offshoot -- Warr’s Custom – has been forging a serious reputation in custom bikes. Warr’s was founded on the Kings Road in 1924 by Captain Frederick James Warr, becoming an official Harley-Davidson dealer that year. Although post-war business was very tough, by the 1960s, Fred Junior had become Britain’s Harley-Davidson distributor. Charlie Stockwell, Mastermind of Design and Custom at Warrs, is well known on the custom scene. He’s also a trend setter.
Charlie’s clients include rock stars, sports stars and F1 drivers. Late last year the bike he built for Jenson Button made headlines, but you don’t need an F1 salary, or to play for Chelsea, to customize a bike. You’d be surprised as to what these guys can achieve on a tight budget. So reject the standard Harley set-up, use your imagination and let the Warr’s team get to work. Fast forward a few weeks and you could be riding down the King’s Road feeling like a king yourself.
Charlie Stockwell How long have you been customizing bikes and how did you get started?
I’ve always had a passion for bikes. Be it GP Race bikes or street bikes. Before I learned to ride I was fascinated with the detail and design. I got my first bike when I was 16. I spent the whole year, before I could even take my test, customizing it. Since then I’ve been doing the same thing to every bike I’ve owned and now I’m lucky enough to be doing that for my customers as well.
Your favourite machine so far?
I don’t have a favourite. Each one gets the same attention and passion. I have always maintained that I will never build two of the same bike. That way each is special to both me and the owner. It keeps each project exciting and although no two are the same, I now have a recognised and unique style that people appreciate.
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Custom Star
You recently built a bike for Jenson Button. Tell us about that project.
Obviously Jenson is a huge ‘petrol-head.’ He loves his cars and bikes. His eye for design and style isn’t bad either. I’ve known him for some time now and he always wanted an extreme custom Harley. We worked together on some concept ideas but he is open minded and not restrictive in design. I’ve always mixed the styles of two of my passions: Customizing bikes and Motor Sports. Whether in style or components. So this was the direction we were taking this project. The bike is an awesome mix of Formula One, MotoGP and HarleyDavidson.
What’s hot right now and how do you see the next year of the custom bike world?
Up until now there has always been a trend. Metal Flake Choppers, Stretched Lowriders with outrageous paintjobs. Then everyone wanted a 300 rear tire. It’s slowly been coming back to the retro 70s look over the past few years and the Cafe Racer has even made an appearance. But now there seems to be a mix of styles. There are a lot more established designers and builders who all want to do their own thing and create their own different style. So this could be the reason why we’re seeing a variety of designs now. It’s a good thing.
Any real difference in styles between Europe and The USA?
You see far more newer Harley-Davidsons (Twin Cams and V-Rods) being customized in Europe than in the US. We’ve also been doing a lot more with H-D Sportsters than the US. In Europe there tends to be more experimenting and combining styles of bikes, culture and lifestyle rather than the traditional choppers and bobbers of the US. I’m not saying that one is better than the other, though!
Customizing isn’t just for the rich and famous... but how accessible is it? What sort of budget do you need?
The beauty of what we do is that there are no rules to follow. You don’t have to build a bike in one attempt. It can be a process that moves slowly over time. You can drip feed your passion and hobby as, and when, you can afford to. You can do it yourself or bring it to someone like me.
If I had a Sportster and say 5,000 euros, what could you achieve with that?
You would first need to install an Akrapovič full system for a Sportster!! I’d go for a pair of ‘Tracker‘ style bars and I’d make you a Cafe Racer seat unit. A high flow air filter and Stage One remap/tune. Custom paint. And nitride coat the front forks and Öhlins rear suspension. You would have a totally cool Sportster!!
“... You can drip feed your passion and hobby as, and when, you can afford to. You can do it yourself or bring it to someone like me. ”
Why do you use Akrapovic exhausts?
I grew up watching my heroes in World Superbikes and what is now MotoGP. The top teams run Akrapovič systems so even before I was educated in why they were the best I always wanted to have them on my bike. I remember cutting out an Akra logo from a magazine to make a decal for the exhaust on my TZR when I was a teenager! Akrapovič make the highest quality exhaust systems. No one else comes close. The style is great and the sound is incredible. It’s almost a shame that my customers don’t get to fit the exhausts themselves......they would appreciate them even more when they see the work that has gone into creating each little piece of the system. Every part is perfection.
Describe the process from start to finish when you do a custom bike.
My head is always jam-packed full of ideas. So I usually start by trying to persuade my customer to go with something I want to build! Not in a bullying way though, ha ha. I’m fortunate enough to be trusted by my customers and so they usually let me run away with the design. However, I always ask them to create a vision or inspiration board. This will have images of everything they have an interest in. From cars to bikes, watches to shoes, colours and textures. And if I don’t already know the customer I’ll spend some time to get to know them in a casual setting. That way I get a feel for the person and can be more personal when it comes to the design. Some of them then want a design sketch...others are happy to watch how the design comes together as the project develops. I never try to nail down the design in the beginning. I’d rather just have a direction and then keep redesigning as I go. That way you’re always going to have something fresh.
“... I never try to nail down the design in the beginning. I’d rather just have a direction and then keep redesigning as I go. That way you’re always going to have something fresh.”
20
For further information Charlie Stockwell, Head of Design & Custom Warr’s Harley-Davidson Europe’s oldest Harley-Davidson dealership Group 2012 Salon Privé Winners 2010 XR1200 British Superbikes Champions Find more content on Web: www.warrs.com the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app! Facebook: www.facebook.com/warrscustoms Twitter: www.twitter.com/warrscustoms Instagram: Bubble_Visor +44 (0) 207 736 2934
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Custom Star
You recently built a bike for Jenson Button. Tell us about that project.
Obviously Jenson is a huge ‘petrol-head.’ He loves his cars and bikes. His eye for design and style isn’t bad either. I’ve known him for some time now and he always wanted an extreme custom Harley. We worked together on some concept ideas but he is open minded and not restrictive in design. I’ve always mixed the styles of two of my passions: Customizing bikes and Motor Sports. Whether in style or components. So this was the direction we were taking this project. The bike is an awesome mix of Formula One, MotoGP and HarleyDavidson.
What’s hot right now and how do you see the next year of the custom bike world?
Up until now there has always been a trend. Metal Flake Choppers, Stretched Lowriders with outrageous paintjobs. Then everyone wanted a 300 rear tire. It’s slowly been coming back to the retro 70s look over the past few years and the Cafe Racer has even made an appearance. But now there seems to be a mix of styles. There are a lot more established designers and builders who all want to do their own thing and create their own different style. So this could be the reason why we’re seeing a variety of designs now. It’s a good thing.
Any real difference in styles between Europe and The USA?
You see far more newer Harley-Davidsons (Twin Cams and V-Rods) being customized in Europe than in the US. We’ve also been doing a lot more with H-D Sportsters than the US. In Europe there tends to be more experimenting and combining styles of bikes, culture and lifestyle rather than the traditional choppers and bobbers of the US. I’m not saying that one is better than the other, though!
Customizing isn’t just for the rich and famous... but how accessible is it? What sort of budget do you need?
The beauty of what we do is that there are no rules to follow. You don’t have to build a bike in one attempt. It can be a process that moves slowly over time. You can drip feed your passion and hobby as, and when, you can afford to. You can do it yourself or bring it to someone like me.
If I had a Sportster and say 5,000 euros, what could you achieve with that?
You would first need to install an Akrapovič full system for a Sportster!! I’d go for a pair of ‘Tracker‘ style bars and I’d make you a Cafe Racer seat unit. A high flow air filter and Stage One remap/tune. Custom paint. And nitride coat the front forks and Öhlins rear suspension. You would have a totally cool Sportster!!
“... You can drip feed your passion and hobby as, and when, you can afford to. You can do it yourself or bring it to someone like me. ”
Why do you use Akrapovic exhausts?
I grew up watching my heroes in World Superbikes and what is now MotoGP. The top teams run Akrapovič systems so even before I was educated in why they were the best I always wanted to have them on my bike. I remember cutting out an Akra logo from a magazine to make a decal for the exhaust on my TZR when I was a teenager! Akrapovič make the highest quality exhaust systems. No one else comes close. The style is great and the sound is incredible. It’s almost a shame that my customers don’t get to fit the exhausts themselves......they would appreciate them even more when they see the work that has gone into creating each little piece of the system. Every part is perfection.
Describe the process from start to finish when you do a custom bike.
My head is always jam-packed full of ideas. So I usually start by trying to persuade my customer to go with something I want to build! Not in a bullying way though, ha ha. I’m fortunate enough to be trusted by my customers and so they usually let me run away with the design. However, I always ask them to create a vision or inspiration board. This will have images of everything they have an interest in. From cars to bikes, watches to shoes, colours and textures. And if I don’t already know the customer I’ll spend some time to get to know them in a casual setting. That way I get a feel for the person and can be more personal when it comes to the design. Some of them then want a design sketch...others are happy to watch how the design comes together as the project develops. I never try to nail down the design in the beginning. I’d rather just have a direction and then keep redesigning as I go. That way you’re always going to have something fresh.
“... I never try to nail down the design in the beginning. I’d rather just have a direction and then keep redesigning as I go. That way you’re always going to have something fresh.”
20
For further information Charlie Stockwell, Head of Design & Custom Warr’s Harley-Davidson Europe’s oldest Harley-Davidson dealership Group 2012 Salon Privé Winners 2010 XR1200 British Superbikes Champions Find more content on Web: www.warrs.com the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app! Facebook: www.facebook.com/warrscustoms Twitter: www.twitter.com/warrscustoms Instagram: Bubble_Visor +44 (0) 207 736 2934
21
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Photo Winner
by Primož Jurman photography Marc Robinot
Akrapovič’s Motosport Photographer of the Year:
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Marc Robinot Last Year Akrapovič Decided to Organize an International Photo Competition Their aim was to engage photographers who would use their cameras to record sporting moments and events connected with Akrapovič exhausts and to capture images through their lenses that would express sportsmanship, passion and speed. In short, They wanted them to show the essence of Akrapovič’s involvement in motorcycle racing and present it to a wider audience through photography. The competition finished at the end of 2012 and a total of 11 photographers sent their portfolios to the company. The response and especially the quality of the received photos excited the 5-member panel, which included Akrapovič representatives as well as outside members. However, the panel was unanimous in selecting Marc Robinot as the winner. It felt his photos fulfilled all the requirements and constituted the essence of Akrapovič in motorsports, through the language of photography. Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
23
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Photo Winner
by Primož Jurman photography Marc Robinot
Akrapovič’s Motosport Photographer of the Year:
22
Marc Robinot Last Year Akrapovič Decided to Organize an International Photo Competition Their aim was to engage photographers who would use their cameras to record sporting moments and events connected with Akrapovič exhausts and to capture images through their lenses that would express sportsmanship, passion and speed. In short, They wanted them to show the essence of Akrapovič’s involvement in motorcycle racing and present it to a wider audience through photography. The competition finished at the end of 2012 and a total of 11 photographers sent their portfolios to the company. The response and especially the quality of the received photos excited the 5-member panel, which included Akrapovič representatives as well as outside members. However, the panel was unanimous in selecting Marc Robinot as the winner. It felt his photos fulfilled all the requirements and constituted the essence of Akrapovič in motorsports, through the language of photography. Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
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Hot stuff
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15 Visit Car stuff
Hot Stuff from Akrapovič Akrapovič exhaust systems are designed for riders who demand maximum performance from their motorcycles. They feature exceptional production quality, hi-tech materials, increased engine performance and of course amazing sound and appearance. The change is also visual, as our mufflers perfectly fit the exterior line of modern motorcycles and add a clean racing image.
24
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
Honda CRF450R + 3 HP/4,200 rpm - 1 kg
Kawasaki Z800 + 4 HP/10,700 rpm - 5 kg
BMW R 1200 GS More power Less weight
Aprilia SRV 850 + 3 HP/6,500 rpm - 3 kg
Kawasaki Ninja 300 Improved power curve - 3 kg
Suzuki RMZ-450 + 1 HP/8,850 rpm - 1 kg
FIA WEC world cham pions Marcel Fässler, A ndré Lo tterer and Benoî t Tréluyer v isi ted the Akrapov ic plan t to learn about the secrets of the exhaust on their A udi R 18 e- tron quattro.
25
24
Hot stuff
/ 25
15 Visit Car stuff
Hot Stuff from Akrapovič Akrapovič exhaust systems are designed for riders who demand maximum performance from their motorcycles. They feature exceptional production quality, hi-tech materials, increased engine performance and of course amazing sound and appearance. The change is also visual, as our mufflers perfectly fit the exterior line of modern motorcycles and add a clean racing image.
24
Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
Honda CRF450R + 3 HP/4,200 rpm - 1 kg
Kawasaki Z800 + 4 HP/10,700 rpm - 5 kg
BMW R 1200 GS More power Less weight
Aprilia SRV 850 + 3 HP/6,500 rpm - 3 kg
Kawasaki Ninja 300 Improved power curve - 3 kg
Suzuki RMZ-450 + 1 HP/8,850 rpm - 1 kg
FIA WEC world cham pions Marcel Fässler, A ndré Lo tterer and Benoî t Tréluyer v isi ted the Akrapov ic plan t to learn about the secrets of the exhaust on their A udi R 18 e- tron quattro.
25
26 / 31
Show Time
27
by Primož Jurman photography Bor Dobrin, Yamaha, Luka Kompare
Valentino was born with motorcycles in his blood. His father Graziano was a petrolhead and a rather successful world-calibre rider at the end of the 70s and early 80s. A quick check shows him winning his first race in the 250cc class in 1979 in what was then Yugoslavia. And, as chance would have it, Igor Akrapovič also took part in that race, but suffered a fall and an injury. Another coincidence: Valentino, the future world champion, was born in the same year in Tavullia, a small village close to Rimini and the Adriatic coast. The bond between Akrapovič and Rossi was beginning to form.
Racing Childhood -
26
Welcome Back,
Valentino! The 2013 MotoGP season saw the return of nine-time world c h a mp i o n V a l e n t i n o R o s s i t o t h e Y a m a h a f a c t o r y t e a m . B u t i t w o n ’ t b e a l l s m o o t h s a i l i n g f o r R o s s i . H i s t e a mm a t e J o r g e Lorenzo won the title in 2012. This means that Yamaha will be fielding a dream team at this year’s MotoGP. Two legends: A n u n c o mp r o m i s i n g Sp a n i a r d a n d a c h a r i s m a t i c It a l i a n , w h o set new milestones in his 17-year career in motorcycle road r a c i n g a n d w h o s e p e r s o n a l i ty h a s m a d e h i m a n o bj e c t o f w o r ship around the world.
Valentino’s childhood smelled of petrol. He cheered for his dad until 1982, when Graziano finished his career. But the boy’s emerging talent was soon recognized, as he began racing on gokarts and later minimoto motorcycles. A minimoto regional level victory at the tender age of 13 was proof of his skills. It was completely logical that he would continue in the junior sections, becoming the Italian champion in Sport Production, and the Italian champion in the 125cc class in 1994. After finishing third in the European championships in the same class, it was abundantly clear that he had overgrown local and European competitions. The time had come to break onto the world scene.
26 / 31
Show Time
27
by Primož Jurman photography Bor Dobrin, Yamaha, Luka Kompare
Valentino was born with motorcycles in his blood. His father Graziano was a petrolhead and a rather successful world-calibre rider at the end of the 70s and early 80s. A quick check shows him winning his first race in the 250cc class in 1979 in what was then Yugoslavia. And, as chance would have it, Igor Akrapovič also took part in that race, but suffered a fall and an injury. Another coincidence: Valentino, the future world champion, was born in the same year in Tavullia, a small village close to Rimini and the Adriatic coast. The bond between Akrapovič and Rossi was beginning to form.
Racing Childhood -
26
Welcome Back,
Valentino! The 2013 MotoGP season saw the return of nine-time world c h a mp i o n V a l e n t i n o R o s s i t o t h e Y a m a h a f a c t o r y t e a m . B u t i t w o n ’ t b e a l l s m o o t h s a i l i n g f o r R o s s i . H i s t e a mm a t e J o r g e Lorenzo won the title in 2012. This means that Yamaha will be fielding a dream team at this year’s MotoGP. Two legends: A n u n c o mp r o m i s i n g Sp a n i a r d a n d a c h a r i s m a t i c It a l i a n , w h o set new milestones in his 17-year career in motorcycle road r a c i n g a n d w h o s e p e r s o n a l i ty h a s m a d e h i m a n o bj e c t o f w o r ship around the world.
Valentino’s childhood smelled of petrol. He cheered for his dad until 1982, when Graziano finished his career. But the boy’s emerging talent was soon recognized, as he began racing on gokarts and later minimoto motorcycles. A minimoto regional level victory at the tender age of 13 was proof of his skills. It was completely logical that he would continue in the junior sections, becoming the Italian champion in Sport Production, and the Italian champion in the 125cc class in 1994. After finishing third in the European championships in the same class, it was abundantly clear that he had overgrown local and European competitions. The time had come to break onto the world scene.
26 / 31
Show Time
29
28
Entering the World Scene -
Valentino’s first appearance was at the Malaysian Grand Prix in 1996. He celebrated his first victory in the Czech Republic and finished his maiden season in ninth place. The 1997 season was when the young Italian finally made his mark, winning 11 of his 15 races and becoming the youngest world champion in the 125cc class. The title allowed him to move to the 250cc class in 1998, when he finished the season in second. He then repeated his accomplishments from the 125cc class, riding to an end-of-the-season victory in 1999. The year 2000 not only marked the turn of the
millennium, but also the time when Rossi moved on to the 500cc class, which back then was like the 1000cc of today: the Holy Grail of motorcycle racing. His first season amongst the elite netted him the vice-champion title, but he quickly got one better than that in 2001. He wasn’t just in the top of his class, he was on top of it! And not for the last time either. Apart from his racing successes, he also started letting his charisma shine off the track as well. His direct approach, angelic looks and occasional playful nature helped him win the hearts of racing fans around the world. He became an icon who was also popular among fellow riders, even though all of them were in his
shadow. They all struggled to catch him, beat him, and be faster than him. In 2001, he took part in the Suzuka 8 Hours motorcycle endurance race, which he won with teammate Colin Edwards. This victory was also important for Akrapovič as, surprise, their Honda was equipped with our company’s exhaust. The paths that first crossed in 1979, crossed again! He proved too fast for the competition in 2002 as well, winning the new MotoGP title with 11 victories and then repeated the feat in 2003. He stood on the podium at every race of the season and again notched up 11 victories. He moved over to Yamaha before the start of the 2004 season,
but nevertheless, or perhaps despite this, topped the standings yet again – the first rider in history to do so. The 2004 title was the first one for Yamaha in 12 years, but Vale was unperturbed, following it up with yet another world championship title in 2005, giving Yamaha the ideal present for his new team’s 50th anniversary. But the winning streak was broken in 2006, partly due to a lot of bad luck at the final race of the season in Valencia. He failed to meet expectations in the following year as well. He finished the 2007 season in third, his lowest final standings since his maiden season in 1996. He collected his wits in the winter break before the 2008 season, winning 16 out of 18 races, breaking record after record and leaving an indelible memory after battling with Casey Stoner on the Laguna Seca track. This netted him his eighth world championship title and the third for Yamaha, followed up by his ninth (and Yamaha’s fourth) in 2009. Despite being a bit older than the ever-increasing number of youngsters who yearn for his scalp, he proved his mastery in 2009. His fight with Jorge Lorenzo all the way until the final turn of the final lap where he showed his skills and beat his Spanish rival even brought him the admiration of Lorenzo’s fans,
regardless of the fact that he beat their idol. Another milestone was reached that year when he recorded his 100th win at a race in the Netherlands. However, 2010 turned out not to be his year: he fell during a practice race in Mugello and broke a leg. This forced him to miss four races and eliminated him from the battle for the top spot. But he still crossed the finish line first in two races and ended the season in third. Under the shadow of what was a poor season by his standards, Rossi made a move to Ducati, but failed to meet expectations in 2011 and 2012.
What about this Year? -
His fans and the general motorcycle public had been feverishly guessing what the popular “Doctor” would decide for the 2013 season. There was long-running speculation, predictions and mounting pressure. He did make a decision in the end: “I’m returning to Yamaha, that’s where my home is.” Hope sprung again in his home village of Tavullia, where the number 46 is proudly displayed at every step. The villagers – all of them fervent supporters – are of the
same opinion as Nicolo, the owner of a pizzeria across the street from the Rossi fan shop: “Yes, yes, Vale will win again and become champion. He is as stubborn as us and we believe in him. He didn’t ‘get along’ with Ducati, but Yamaha is the right bike for him!” The first test runs after the end of the season in 2012 in Valencia, Spain, took place in rainy weather and didn’t provide any insight as to whether he could return to his glory days. But a breakthrough came during the February 2013 testing in Malaysia: Vale was in the top group, his test laps were amongst the best. He said afterwards: “I didn’t know how competitive I could be, but after the testing I’m more relaxed because I think I can fight for a good result!” Of course, his hunt for those precious tenths is aided by an Akrapovič exhaust system on his Yamaha YZR-M1. The circle, begun in 1979, is complete! Welcome back, Vale. Wouldn’t it feel great to crown your return with a world champion title?
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Show Time
29
28
Entering the World Scene -
Valentino’s first appearance was at the Malaysian Grand Prix in 1996. He celebrated his first victory in the Czech Republic and finished his maiden season in ninth place. The 1997 season was when the young Italian finally made his mark, winning 11 of his 15 races and becoming the youngest world champion in the 125cc class. The title allowed him to move to the 250cc class in 1998, when he finished the season in second. He then repeated his accomplishments from the 125cc class, riding to an end-of-the-season victory in 1999. The year 2000 not only marked the turn of the
millennium, but also the time when Rossi moved on to the 500cc class, which back then was like the 1000cc of today: the Holy Grail of motorcycle racing. His first season amongst the elite netted him the vice-champion title, but he quickly got one better than that in 2001. He wasn’t just in the top of his class, he was on top of it! And not for the last time either. Apart from his racing successes, he also started letting his charisma shine off the track as well. His direct approach, angelic looks and occasional playful nature helped him win the hearts of racing fans around the world. He became an icon who was also popular among fellow riders, even though all of them were in his
shadow. They all struggled to catch him, beat him, and be faster than him. In 2001, he took part in the Suzuka 8 Hours motorcycle endurance race, which he won with teammate Colin Edwards. This victory was also important for Akrapovič as, surprise, their Honda was equipped with our company’s exhaust. The paths that first crossed in 1979, crossed again! He proved too fast for the competition in 2002 as well, winning the new MotoGP title with 11 victories and then repeated the feat in 2003. He stood on the podium at every race of the season and again notched up 11 victories. He moved over to Yamaha before the start of the 2004 season,
but nevertheless, or perhaps despite this, topped the standings yet again – the first rider in history to do so. The 2004 title was the first one for Yamaha in 12 years, but Vale was unperturbed, following it up with yet another world championship title in 2005, giving Yamaha the ideal present for his new team’s 50th anniversary. But the winning streak was broken in 2006, partly due to a lot of bad luck at the final race of the season in Valencia. He failed to meet expectations in the following year as well. He finished the 2007 season in third, his lowest final standings since his maiden season in 1996. He collected his wits in the winter break before the 2008 season, winning 16 out of 18 races, breaking record after record and leaving an indelible memory after battling with Casey Stoner on the Laguna Seca track. This netted him his eighth world championship title and the third for Yamaha, followed up by his ninth (and Yamaha’s fourth) in 2009. Despite being a bit older than the ever-increasing number of youngsters who yearn for his scalp, he proved his mastery in 2009. His fight with Jorge Lorenzo all the way until the final turn of the final lap where he showed his skills and beat his Spanish rival even brought him the admiration of Lorenzo’s fans,
regardless of the fact that he beat their idol. Another milestone was reached that year when he recorded his 100th win at a race in the Netherlands. However, 2010 turned out not to be his year: he fell during a practice race in Mugello and broke a leg. This forced him to miss four races and eliminated him from the battle for the top spot. But he still crossed the finish line first in two races and ended the season in third. Under the shadow of what was a poor season by his standards, Rossi made a move to Ducati, but failed to meet expectations in 2011 and 2012.
What about this Year? -
His fans and the general motorcycle public had been feverishly guessing what the popular “Doctor” would decide for the 2013 season. There was long-running speculation, predictions and mounting pressure. He did make a decision in the end: “I’m returning to Yamaha, that’s where my home is.” Hope sprung again in his home village of Tavullia, where the number 46 is proudly displayed at every step. The villagers – all of them fervent supporters – are of the
same opinion as Nicolo, the owner of a pizzeria across the street from the Rossi fan shop: “Yes, yes, Vale will win again and become champion. He is as stubborn as us and we believe in him. He didn’t ‘get along’ with Ducati, but Yamaha is the right bike for him!” The first test runs after the end of the season in 2012 in Valencia, Spain, took place in rainy weather and didn’t provide any insight as to whether he could return to his glory days. But a breakthrough came during the February 2013 testing in Malaysia: Vale was in the top group, his test laps were amongst the best. He said afterwards: “I didn’t know how competitive I could be, but after the testing I’m more relaxed because I think I can fight for a good result!” Of course, his hunt for those precious tenths is aided by an Akrapovič exhaust system on his Yamaha YZR-M1. The circle, begun in 1979, is complete! Welcome back, Vale. Wouldn’t it feel great to crown your return with a world champion title?
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Adventure
Adventure
LA D OLCE VITA DI S COV ER ROME W I TH A V ESPA
THE FAMOUS JACKIE ‘O
by Fabrizio Marcucci photography Luka Ileršič
WHEN IN ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO. FOR THOSE OF US THAT LOVE THE TASTE OF A GO OD VINTAGE, WE CHO OSE TO LIVE THE GLORIES OF THE DOLCE VITA OF THE 1960S IN THIS EXCITING AND CHAOTIC CITY.
I only have to rent a scooter: a Vespa, an icon of Italian design, made famous by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the film Roman Holidays, back in 1953. It’s the best way to visit Rome in a few days, without getting stuck in traffic. You can also stop wherever you want, despite the parking troubles, and always stay cool! Time has stopped and we’re sitting on the Vespa, enjoying the nice Roman breeze. We stay
32
in a 5 star hotel with a beautiful view of Rome. The hotel is a few steps away from the famous Via Veneto, the queen of the Dolce Vita. From there we take a walk to the Doney bar for a good cup of coffee, just like the Hollywood and Cinecittà stars did. Walking along Via Veneto, I imagine Anita Ekberg walking barefoot, or Cardarelli, Guttuso, Pasolini, Moravia and Calvino sitting in a bar chatting.
In Via Boncompagni, a few meters from Doney and the Hotel Excelsior, you can find the most famous nightclub in Rome: the Jackie ‘O, where you can find cinema and jet-set stars that have been to Rome since the 1970s. Marcello Mastroianni, Liza Minnelli, Gerard Depardieu, Liz Taylor, Alain Delon, Burt Lancaster, Sylvester Stallone, Helmut Berger, Ornella Muti… those are just some of the celebrities who have attended this charming club. We enter the legendary place and they offer us a real Italian coffee and invite us to a very cool evening. We have a delicious dinner at the Jackie ‘O restaurant, drinking the great Sassicaia 2008, eating their famous “risotto allo Champagne” followed by a “Chateaubriand,” and a selection of desserts, including a tasty crème brûlée. After dinner, the music becomes so engaging that we spend the whole night dancing. The following morning we wake up with the rhythms still ringing in our ears. The leg-
endary Vespa is still waiting for us outside, ready to discover the dream City. Only by Vespa could we reach all the magic places in Rome. We arrive at the most famous staircase in the world, the “Piazza di Spagna”, known as the “Spanish steps.” We sit on the steps and in front of us we see the streets of the most famous Italian firms: Via Condotti, Via Borgognona, Via Frattina, Via Fontanella Borghese, Via del Babuino. These are the shopping streets of Italian luxury and the most important global fashion brands: Valentino, Gucci, Prada, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Bulgari, Tod’s, Fendi, Ferragamo, Trussardi, La Perla Burberry, Cartier, Hermès, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Chanel. We spend two hours shopping. We can see the beauty of Rome from the steps of the Piazza di Spagna and also in the surrounding buildings and terraces, with a beautiful view offering an incredible panorama of Rome, including the Tiber. It’s time for another tea stop at Babington’s (by the Spanish steps), a typical English tea room.
I only have to rent a scooter: a Vespa, an icon of Italian design, made famous by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the film
Roman Holidays, back in 1953. It’s the best way to visit Rome in a few days, without getting stuck in traffic. You can also stop wherever you want, despite the parking troubles, and always stay cool!
33
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Adventure
Adventure
LA D OLCE VITA DI S COV ER ROME W I TH A V ESPA
THE FAMOUS JACKIE ‘O
by Fabrizio Marcucci photography Luka Ileršič
WHEN IN ROME, DO AS THE ROMANS DO. FOR THOSE OF US THAT LOVE THE TASTE OF A GO OD VINTAGE, WE CHO OSE TO LIVE THE GLORIES OF THE DOLCE VITA OF THE 1960S IN THIS EXCITING AND CHAOTIC CITY.
I only have to rent a scooter: a Vespa, an icon of Italian design, made famous by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the film Roman Holidays, back in 1953. It’s the best way to visit Rome in a few days, without getting stuck in traffic. You can also stop wherever you want, despite the parking troubles, and always stay cool! Time has stopped and we’re sitting on the Vespa, enjoying the nice Roman breeze. We stay
32
in a 5 star hotel with a beautiful view of Rome. The hotel is a few steps away from the famous Via Veneto, the queen of the Dolce Vita. From there we take a walk to the Doney bar for a good cup of coffee, just like the Hollywood and Cinecittà stars did. Walking along Via Veneto, I imagine Anita Ekberg walking barefoot, or Cardarelli, Guttuso, Pasolini, Moravia and Calvino sitting in a bar chatting.
In Via Boncompagni, a few meters from Doney and the Hotel Excelsior, you can find the most famous nightclub in Rome: the Jackie ‘O, where you can find cinema and jet-set stars that have been to Rome since the 1970s. Marcello Mastroianni, Liza Minnelli, Gerard Depardieu, Liz Taylor, Alain Delon, Burt Lancaster, Sylvester Stallone, Helmut Berger, Ornella Muti… those are just some of the celebrities who have attended this charming club. We enter the legendary place and they offer us a real Italian coffee and invite us to a very cool evening. We have a delicious dinner at the Jackie ‘O restaurant, drinking the great Sassicaia 2008, eating their famous “risotto allo Champagne” followed by a “Chateaubriand,” and a selection of desserts, including a tasty crème brûlée. After dinner, the music becomes so engaging that we spend the whole night dancing. The following morning we wake up with the rhythms still ringing in our ears. The leg-
endary Vespa is still waiting for us outside, ready to discover the dream City. Only by Vespa could we reach all the magic places in Rome. We arrive at the most famous staircase in the world, the “Piazza di Spagna”, known as the “Spanish steps.” We sit on the steps and in front of us we see the streets of the most famous Italian firms: Via Condotti, Via Borgognona, Via Frattina, Via Fontanella Borghese, Via del Babuino. These are the shopping streets of Italian luxury and the most important global fashion brands: Valentino, Gucci, Prada, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Bulgari, Tod’s, Fendi, Ferragamo, Trussardi, La Perla Burberry, Cartier, Hermès, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Chanel. We spend two hours shopping. We can see the beauty of Rome from the steps of the Piazza di Spagna and also in the surrounding buildings and terraces, with a beautiful view offering an incredible panorama of Rome, including the Tiber. It’s time for another tea stop at Babington’s (by the Spanish steps), a typical English tea room.
I only have to rent a scooter: a Vespa, an icon of Italian design, made famous by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in the film
Roman Holidays, back in 1953. It’s the best way to visit Rome in a few days, without getting stuck in traffic. You can also stop wherever you want, despite the parking troubles, and always stay cool!
33
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Adventure
REAL HAPPENINGS:
34
35 While parking on the Piazza Navona an interesting thing happened: the security guard of an important political personality came closer and asked about the Akrapovič exhaust that was on my Vespa. He said that he has several racing bikes and they are all equipped with Akrapovič exhausts, because they’re the best.
A COFFEE WITH OR WITHOUT FRIENDS Every “scusa” is a good excuse to have a coffee in Rome! With or without friends. After shopping, we decide to go to the Fontana di Trevi, a few hundred meters from us, and only 5 minutes by Vespa. Fontana di Trevi is really a touristy place. Always full of people. This fountain has a rather troubled history: it was started by the famous architect Bernini in 1640 (already the creator of St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Palazzo Montecitorio, Barcaccia Fountain, the Spanish Steps, etc.) and completed in 1762 but only after going through at least 10 architects. The Fontana di Trevi was the protagonist of one of the most famous scenes of cinema: in Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita of 1960, Anita Ekberg plunged into the fountain, inviting Marcello Mastroianni to do the same. If it was warmer, I guessed it would be fun to do the same … but it’s forbidden! A lot of tourists, with their backs to the fountain, throw coins in the water – allegedly, if you cast a coin into the fountain your wish will come true. Why don’t we try? We decide to cross through Ancient Rome and go by Vespa to the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the way to the Roman ruins. In front of me, the Coliseum stands out (in ancient times, it was known as the Anfiteatro Flavio and was built between 72 and
80 A.D. It’s the largest amphitheatre of the world, and was able to accommodate over 50,000 spectators). If you have time, you can turn around the Coliseum and reach a beautiful little church called “San Bonaventura.” Really nice and peaceful! In 10 minutes we reach the Circus Maximus. It looks like a big lawn where you can play football, but this was the scene of chariot races -- the forerunner of our bikes, although horse-drawn. Amazingly, they also used to have ships here. The arena of the Circus Maximus was flooded by the water of the Tevere River, so that they could simulate naval battles. From the Circus Maximus, you can go along the Tiber and see another historical monument: the Mouth of Truth, an obligatory stop for all tourists. It’s said that if you put your hand in the mouth and you answer a question wrong, the mouth devours your hand. But speaking of devouring ... we were getting hungry so we stopped at the Campo de Fiori (in the morning it’s one of Rome’s most beautiful and characteristic markets, and by night it’s most appreciated by young people because it’s full of bars restaurants and clubs) to eat a little slice of pizza in the “ancient bakery.” It’s delicious. While eating pizza we’re thinking about going to another charming restaurant tomorrow to have brunch. The restaurant’s name is Said and it was an antique “fabbrica del cioccolato” now restored as a restaurant and “chocolateria.” There you can eat greatly and drink very good wine while breathing in the past.
... We decide to cross through Ancient Rome and go by Vespa to the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the way to the Roman ruins. In front of me, the Coliseum stands out...
La Dolce Vita / Resnično: Medtem ko sem parkiral na Piazzi Navona, se mi je pripetila zanimiva reč. Približal se mi je varnostnik pomembne politične osebnosti in me povprašal o izpušnemu sistemu Akrapovič, ki
je na moji vespi. Povedal mi je, da ima v lasti več dirkalnih motociklov in da so prav vsi opremljeni z izpušnimi sistemi Akrapovič, ker je Akrapovič najboljši. >>>
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Adventure
REAL HAPPENINGS:
34
35 While parking on the Piazza Navona an interesting thing happened: the security guard of an important political personality came closer and asked about the Akrapovič exhaust that was on my Vespa. He said that he has several racing bikes and they are all equipped with Akrapovič exhausts, because they’re the best.
A COFFEE WITH OR WITHOUT FRIENDS Every “scusa” is a good excuse to have a coffee in Rome! With or without friends. After shopping, we decide to go to the Fontana di Trevi, a few hundred meters from us, and only 5 minutes by Vespa. Fontana di Trevi is really a touristy place. Always full of people. This fountain has a rather troubled history: it was started by the famous architect Bernini in 1640 (already the creator of St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Palazzo Montecitorio, Barcaccia Fountain, the Spanish Steps, etc.) and completed in 1762 but only after going through at least 10 architects. The Fontana di Trevi was the protagonist of one of the most famous scenes of cinema: in Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita of 1960, Anita Ekberg plunged into the fountain, inviting Marcello Mastroianni to do the same. If it was warmer, I guessed it would be fun to do the same … but it’s forbidden! A lot of tourists, with their backs to the fountain, throw coins in the water – allegedly, if you cast a coin into the fountain your wish will come true. Why don’t we try? We decide to cross through Ancient Rome and go by Vespa to the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the way to the Roman ruins. In front of me, the Coliseum stands out (in ancient times, it was known as the Anfiteatro Flavio and was built between 72 and
80 A.D. It’s the largest amphitheatre of the world, and was able to accommodate over 50,000 spectators). If you have time, you can turn around the Coliseum and reach a beautiful little church called “San Bonaventura.” Really nice and peaceful! In 10 minutes we reach the Circus Maximus. It looks like a big lawn where you can play football, but this was the scene of chariot races -- the forerunner of our bikes, although horse-drawn. Amazingly, they also used to have ships here. The arena of the Circus Maximus was flooded by the water of the Tevere River, so that they could simulate naval battles. From the Circus Maximus, you can go along the Tiber and see another historical monument: the Mouth of Truth, an obligatory stop for all tourists. It’s said that if you put your hand in the mouth and you answer a question wrong, the mouth devours your hand. But speaking of devouring ... we were getting hungry so we stopped at the Campo de Fiori (in the morning it’s one of Rome’s most beautiful and characteristic markets, and by night it’s most appreciated by young people because it’s full of bars restaurants and clubs) to eat a little slice of pizza in the “ancient bakery.” It’s delicious. While eating pizza we’re thinking about going to another charming restaurant tomorrow to have brunch. The restaurant’s name is Said and it was an antique “fabbrica del cioccolato” now restored as a restaurant and “chocolateria.” There you can eat greatly and drink very good wine while breathing in the past.
... We decide to cross through Ancient Rome and go by Vespa to the Via dei Fori Imperiali, the way to the Roman ruins. In front of me, the Coliseum stands out...
La Dolce Vita / Resnično: Medtem ko sem parkiral na Piazzi Navona, se mi je pripetila zanimiva reč. Približal se mi je varnostnik pomembne politične osebnosti in me povprašal o izpušnemu sistemu Akrapovič, ki
je na moji vespi. Povedal mi je, da ima v lasti več dirkalnih motociklov in da so prav vsi opremljeni z izpušnimi sistemi Akrapovič, ker je Akrapovič najboljši. >>>
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Adventure
... Here you can get a portrait done by a painter or query a fortune teller about your future...
Now it’s getting dark, and going around the city on a Vespa is very romantic.
37
Piazza Navona is another architectural marvel from ancient Rome under the name of the Stadium of Domitian. It’s been restored several times and embellished by famous architects such as Bernini and Borromini. Here you can get a portrait done by a painter or query a fortune teller about your future. The square is surrounded by cafés and patisseries and we enjoy a sinfully delicious chocolate bigné! During the Christmas season until Epiphany, the Piazza Navona is entirely occupied by stalls with characters for the crib, Christmas
36
decorations, sweets, toys for children and street entertainers dressed as Santa Claus. In the evening, the best place to go is the “Bar della Pace” or other adjacent bars for a glass of wine and appetizer. At the Cloister of Bramante, just behind the Bar della Pace, there are interesting exhibitions: the Maxxi and Macro Museums are new interesting addresses to enjoy a bit of contemporary art and meet people (who aren’t in the city centre).
A DINNER TO REMEMBER Now it’s getting dark, and going around the city on a Vespa is very romantic. The city light reflects on the river, and divides the centre into two: one side is more chic and trendy and the other one is even more distinctive, colourful and authentic, like Trastevere. Here we find an interesting bar along the Via Benedetta to taste a famous Italian beer: The
place is called “Ma che siete venuti a fà?”, which in Roman slang means “What did you come for?” But I don’t want to miss our dreamy dinner. The Imago Restaurant is a magic place, in the hearth of Rome and in the hearth of the world. Your six senses are all completely satisfied. The food here is poetry. The terrace over the city centre, magically soft music, marble floors with wood trim and mirror tables create a unique atmosphere. Our weekend in Rome could not end in a different way. A dinner to remember. Enjoy your Roman experience!
32 / 37
Adventure
... Here you can get a portrait done by a painter or query a fortune teller about your future...
Now it’s getting dark, and going around the city on a Vespa is very romantic.
37
Piazza Navona is another architectural marvel from ancient Rome under the name of the Stadium of Domitian. It’s been restored several times and embellished by famous architects such as Bernini and Borromini. Here you can get a portrait done by a painter or query a fortune teller about your future. The square is surrounded by cafés and patisseries and we enjoy a sinfully delicious chocolate bigné! During the Christmas season until Epiphany, the Piazza Navona is entirely occupied by stalls with characters for the crib, Christmas
36
decorations, sweets, toys for children and street entertainers dressed as Santa Claus. In the evening, the best place to go is the “Bar della Pace” or other adjacent bars for a glass of wine and appetizer. At the Cloister of Bramante, just behind the Bar della Pace, there are interesting exhibitions: the Maxxi and Macro Museums are new interesting addresses to enjoy a bit of contemporary art and meet people (who aren’t in the city centre).
A DINNER TO REMEMBER Now it’s getting dark, and going around the city on a Vespa is very romantic. The city light reflects on the river, and divides the centre into two: one side is more chic and trendy and the other one is even more distinctive, colourful and authentic, like Trastevere. Here we find an interesting bar along the Via Benedetta to taste a famous Italian beer: The
place is called “Ma che siete venuti a fà?”, which in Roman slang means “What did you come for?” But I don’t want to miss our dreamy dinner. The Imago Restaurant is a magic place, in the hearth of Rome and in the hearth of the world. Your six senses are all completely satisfied. The food here is poetry. The terrace over the city centre, magically soft music, marble floors with wood trim and mirror tables create a unique atmosphere. Our weekend in Rome could not end in a different way. A dinner to remember. Enjoy your Roman experience!
38 / 43
Race Day
by Peter Kavčič photography Christophe Desmet, Suzuki
39
38
– u et y q r u da e To n L ge e o L ur d En
e is anc dist
ing gett
the om . ore r f ar ing en m and o h r m o w like dc ent nd oun stormn. A xcitem , a s w t o , t e ce d ha ng rom ble of f Fran fighti nd t o a lou f a , g o n t g n m i e n n u rom h i ti com erful j e nort ave be and f oun anging s ’ m t d M h h I T ch in t n is won do. ers dK nsio slowly ms orm a y here factur ha an i. r e t o t s rf nu uk ma tor le is , the way ogethe a vic ike ma en Ya nd Suz zing t rumb e z h e d t t b u an a, ki a ey tor etw is b quie e se ach, th beach nt. Mo ught b awasa ere nd. A h t h e p a o co os on by K from e be vem re f atm e se ing n to th t race achie ey we sions m The r by th o r ges eo e s th time n’t c incu loud r is ikes rid the big a life the 80 ional e d as is rb d, is e. In hun occ is t 0 moto ropale nglan m h h t ti t i E aw But a 1,00 . Endu from long s r a d Hond y n n o a a f o h w ti t e n a a her ect ha a ow exp ’s thr e wars Yama n g ne sto presti etwee b r i the 0s on 9 the
38 / 43
Race Day
by Peter Kavčič photography Christophe Desmet, Suzuki
39
38
– u et y q r u da e To n L ge e o L ur d En
e is anc dist
ing gett
the om . ore r f ar ing en m and o h r m o w like dc ent nd oun stormn. A xcitem , a s w t o , t e ce d ha ng rom ble of f Fran fighti nd t o a lou f a , g o n t g n m i e n n u rom h i ti com erful j e nort ave be and f oun anging s ’ m t d M h h I T ch in t n is won do. ers dK nsio slowly ms orm a y here factur ha an i. r e t o t s rf nu uk ma tor le is , the way ogethe a vic ike ma en Ya nd Suz zing t rumb e z h e d t t b u an a, ki a ey tor etw is b quie e se ach, th beach nt. Mo ught b awasa ere nd. A h t h e p a o co os on by K from e be vem re f atm e se ing n to th t race achie ey we sions m The r by th o r ges eo e s th time n’t c incu loud r is ikes rid the big a life the 80 ional e d as is rb d, is e. In hun occ is t 0 moto ropale nglan m h h t ti t i E aw But a 1,00 . Endu from long s r a d Hond y n n o a a f o h w ti t e n a a her ect ha a ow exp ’s thr e wars Yama n g ne sto presti etwee b r i the 0s on 9 the
38 / 43
Be a Man or Stay
at Home
perturbed n of steel, who are un This is a race for me straight or sand being thrown by the icy wind, snow, s of the underneath the wheel into their faces from a clast ue Enduro Le Touq is guys in front of them. Mans du ture as the 24 Heures sic with the same sta dangerIt’s always difficult, or the famous Le Tour. kies of of the top amateur roo ous and chaotic. One ibed it scr de y ni Mulec, vividl the year, the young To this way:
d. When e you even hit the san “The race starts befor in the es bik r nal to mount ou we were given the sig we if as s an almighty rush, ‘parc fermé’, there wa e. a massive discount sal were at the opening of rting sta d an er oth over each People were climbing
antic was followed by a gig their engines, which leading ing the narrow roads column of bikes flood re, on t to the beach. And the from the parking spo pushre mo real. There’s even the sand, it starts for ys in gu ing, crashing into the ing, handlebars collid sand; e have sunk into the front, whose motorbik have u yo r, ve we chaos. Ho it’s complete and utter rting sta the to want to make it to survive this if you were les where and my gogg line. Sand shoots every begun. fore the race had even completely sullied be feeling gate went down, the But when the starting o an int rd We pushed forwa was simply amazing! free a d front obviously ha utter haze. Those in the uple , but being behind a co path and good visibility spray, could see was sand, sea dozen bikes, all you otthr l ful d bikes racing the foaming waves an s the trol stampede toward tle like an out-of-con
ving want to think about ha first turn. I don’t even /h. It km 0 13 re, at more than a massive accident he cre. would’ve been a massa the somehow make it to Fortunately, once you This is ts. sor of l into a line first turn, the riders fal ificial art d e over bumps an followed by a wild rid wd. Your the 200,000-strong cro jumps that entertain lap are g and during the first tactics in the beginnin d with avoid getting entangle crucial. You have to burn to t no take great care your competitors and is just ine the load on the mach your clutch, because enormous.” nture th during his first adve Toni, who came in 45 urn ret to is now even keener on the sandy circuit, ess and . Maybe it’s the crazin and improve his result many perience that draws so uniqueness of the ex
riders to this unique February.
Classic
race at the beginning
of every
uet has , the Enduro Le Touq For more than 30 years e. rop Eu the racing season in signalled the start of d races that has built an It’s one of the classic scuffles. ry da en leg te tion despi maintained its reputa ampions, re motocross world ch The winners here we without , urs siasts and amate who battled with enthu race not have existed. The whom the event could conent and a fair dose of always brings excitem start ers rid st be se when the troversy. Mainly becau r we slo ir hit a crowd of the their second lap, they ing rid d, d up stuck in the san counterparts, who en wn. The do g lin fal d shing an over each other, or cra
Race Day
ie of the year Toni Mulec - rook d o can best predict an winner is the one wh ers rid of the mass find their way through ep sand. de overwhelmed by the and 90s saw factory s However, while the 80 riders taking on other motocross or enduro prestige, nowadays competitors mainly for e for specialists. They it has turned into a rac sand experts, who de are the new breed of to becoming the best vote their entire career most of their time sand riders, and spend tire, made specifically using a knobby back d. for riding on deep san
ed
Dreaming is Allow
ilar to the legendary Enduropale is very sim ateurs pit themselves Dakar Rally, where am
those ir TVs and give it to watching races on the ach be s tless thi res s for take part. Hi The same goes were brave enough to o against professionals. wh me co arly seen both at the torbike lovers who ratory spirit can be cle plo ex d in northern France. Mo an rt’s spo ually difficult to able to start next to the on the beach. It’s act re he d an ly here dream of being ral morthe worst en to do well despite kept so much of its pri superstars and are ke imagine that the race lud during inc , th sts bo , rit since 1975 l these enthusia l and adventurous spi possible conditions. Al dia y the t tha course, numerous us costumes, know s lifetime and after. Of ry’ ier ing comedians in vario Th fer suf ntal restrictions legend. Yes, they will anged and environme ch ve ha s ng will become part of the thi en salty artificially d maybe even curse wh ck from the dunes to greatly, fall down an have rerouted the tra s, ion , where ect elf dir its s on the beach ir faces from all de turns and chicane sand keeps hitting the ma itor their vic a actly the same joy as will declare the day 00 spectators feel ex 0,0 but the vast majority 20 to gh in leted lap may be enou freezing first Sunday ous one. A single comp predecessors did on the er joy! invoke feelings of utt February 1975. time follow them! s nd usa tho te drops for the 38th d an ed d when the starting ga Dreams are allow An us on ed na ow l race. Professio ls at the man who all row, it feels like a rea the And that is exactly wh in th e, bo ov d, a dash for it. From ab adventures on the san to witness incredible their tuned bikes make e bin few Sa ry the ier er Th ov d. ing nte of bees rac r Rally, wa here and at the Daka they resemble a swarm e on ery ev ng adventure to always wanted to bri
ed
elled coast, pummell kilometres of the lev . by the Atlantic Ocean
MX Tuned for 170 Beach
km/h on the
est and this year it Chaos is a regular gu as well! The superb made an appearance cal readiness of the motorbike and physi important role here. rider plays an equally , pushed to its limits The Yamaha YZ450F m the start to the finish by Milko Potisek fro ed perfectly, reaching line, roared and breath ič bike and its Akrapov up to 170 km/h. The de to brutal loads un r exhaust were subjected er race can conjure up conditions that no oth also why ‘Le Touin three hours. That is
41
40
38 / 43
Be a Man or Stay
at Home
perturbed n of steel, who are un This is a race for me straight or sand being thrown by the icy wind, snow, s of the underneath the wheel into their faces from a clast ue Enduro Le Touq is guys in front of them. Mans du ture as the 24 Heures sic with the same sta dangerIt’s always difficult, or the famous Le Tour. kies of of the top amateur roo ous and chaotic. One ibed it scr de y ni Mulec, vividl the year, the young To this way:
d. When e you even hit the san “The race starts befor in the es bik r nal to mount ou we were given the sig we if as s an almighty rush, ‘parc fermé’, there wa e. a massive discount sal were at the opening of rting sta d an er oth over each People were climbing
antic was followed by a gig their engines, which leading ing the narrow roads column of bikes flood re, on t to the beach. And the from the parking spo pushre mo real. There’s even the sand, it starts for ys in gu ing, crashing into the ing, handlebars collid sand; e have sunk into the front, whose motorbik have u yo r, ve we chaos. Ho it’s complete and utter rting sta the to want to make it to survive this if you were les where and my gogg line. Sand shoots every begun. fore the race had even completely sullied be feeling gate went down, the But when the starting o an int rd We pushed forwa was simply amazing! free a d front obviously ha utter haze. Those in the uple , but being behind a co path and good visibility spray, could see was sand, sea dozen bikes, all you otthr l ful d bikes racing the foaming waves an s the trol stampede toward tle like an out-of-con
ving want to think about ha first turn. I don’t even /h. It km 0 13 re, at more than a massive accident he cre. would’ve been a massa the somehow make it to Fortunately, once you This is ts. sor of l into a line first turn, the riders fal ificial art d e over bumps an followed by a wild rid wd. Your the 200,000-strong cro jumps that entertain lap are g and during the first tactics in the beginnin d with avoid getting entangle crucial. You have to burn to t no take great care your competitors and is just ine the load on the mach your clutch, because enormous.” nture th during his first adve Toni, who came in 45 urn ret to is now even keener on the sandy circuit, ess and . Maybe it’s the crazin and improve his result many perience that draws so uniqueness of the ex
riders to this unique February.
Classic
race at the beginning
of every
uet has , the Enduro Le Touq For more than 30 years e. rop Eu the racing season in signalled the start of d races that has built an It’s one of the classic scuffles. ry da en leg te tion despi maintained its reputa ampions, re motocross world ch The winners here we without , urs siasts and amate who battled with enthu race not have existed. The whom the event could conent and a fair dose of always brings excitem start ers rid st be se when the troversy. Mainly becau r we slo ir hit a crowd of the their second lap, they ing rid d, d up stuck in the san counterparts, who en wn. The do g lin fal d shing an over each other, or cra
Race Day
ie of the year Toni Mulec - rook d o can best predict an winner is the one wh ers rid of the mass find their way through ep sand. de overwhelmed by the and 90s saw factory s However, while the 80 riders taking on other motocross or enduro prestige, nowadays competitors mainly for e for specialists. They it has turned into a rac sand experts, who de are the new breed of to becoming the best vote their entire career most of their time sand riders, and spend tire, made specifically using a knobby back d. for riding on deep san
ed
Dreaming is Allow
ilar to the legendary Enduropale is very sim ateurs pit themselves Dakar Rally, where am
those ir TVs and give it to watching races on the ach be s tless thi res s for take part. Hi The same goes were brave enough to o against professionals. wh me co arly seen both at the torbike lovers who ratory spirit can be cle plo ex d in northern France. Mo an rt’s spo ually difficult to able to start next to the on the beach. It’s act re he d an ly here dream of being ral morthe worst en to do well despite kept so much of its pri superstars and are ke imagine that the race lud during inc , th sts bo , rit since 1975 l these enthusia l and adventurous spi possible conditions. Al dia y the t tha course, numerous us costumes, know s lifetime and after. Of ry’ ier ing comedians in vario Th fer suf ntal restrictions legend. Yes, they will anged and environme ch ve ha s ng will become part of the thi en salty artificially d maybe even curse wh ck from the dunes to greatly, fall down an have rerouted the tra s, ion , where ect elf dir its s on the beach ir faces from all de turns and chicane sand keeps hitting the ma itor their vic a actly the same joy as will declare the day 00 spectators feel ex 0,0 but the vast majority 20 to gh in leted lap may be enou freezing first Sunday ous one. A single comp predecessors did on the er joy! invoke feelings of utt February 1975. time follow them! s nd usa tho te drops for the 38th d an ed d when the starting ga Dreams are allow An us on ed na ow l race. Professio ls at the man who all row, it feels like a rea the And that is exactly wh in th e, bo ov d, a dash for it. From ab adventures on the san to witness incredible their tuned bikes make e bin few Sa ry the ier er Th ov d. ing nte of bees rac r Rally, wa here and at the Daka they resemble a swarm e on ery ev ng adventure to always wanted to bri
ed
elled coast, pummell kilometres of the lev . by the Atlantic Ocean
MX Tuned for 170 Beach
km/h on the
est and this year it Chaos is a regular gu as well! The superb made an appearance cal readiness of the motorbike and physi important role here. rider plays an equally , pushed to its limits The Yamaha YZ450F m the start to the finish by Milko Potisek fro ed perfectly, reaching line, roared and breath ič bike and its Akrapov up to 170 km/h. The de to brutal loads un r exhaust were subjected er race can conjure up conditions that no oth also why ‘Le Touin three hours. That is
41
40
38 / 43
Race Day
took the lead just a few Potisek passed him and cial waved a red flag seconds before a race offi Initially, it wasn’t clear in front of Jean-Claude. t passed Jean-Claude, that another rider had jus cameras, journalists and who was surrounded by tulated him on winphotographers who congra Or did he? During these ning for the fourth time. ody knew who the moments of confusion, nob finished another lap and real winner was. Potisek . r crossing the finish line raised his arms high afte e. ner, at least for som And Potisek was the win d that it would be best to However, the jury decide y were before the starter keep the standings as the reby giving Jean-Claude picked up the red flag, the on the beach returns in the win. The rendezvous en the thundering will early February 2014, wh begin anew.
43 Milko Potisek nt test of e, but also an excelle quet’ is not just a rac hnology its of the newest tec endurance and the lim . in motorbike racing etre lap. during the 15-kilom en Anything can happ you try en rrent leader, but wh You could be the cu out in etitor, he could pull to lap a slower comp aybe your u both fall down. M front of you and yo handlethe way down to the bike even sinks all the u could get caught by bars. Even worse, yo en strong nstrated this year, wh tide. This was demo part of the waves to reach the winds caused large event forced e Th ocean’s edge. track that lies at the early. p the event an hour the organisers to sto uet cance again that Le Touq It was also proven on gned when ntroversy; chaos rei not exist without co caught up ved. Milko Potisek the red flag was wa d to slow o de Mousse, wh ha with leader Jean-Clau his goggles. e to problems with down drastically du
42
ial ra in a controvers k - competitors se ti Po o lk Mi d se an Jean Claude Mous
ce
ief Le Touquet in Br --------------Sabine, who
inchild of Thierry The race is the bra r Rally, and of the Paris – Daka is also the father es in the by sand beach rac who was inspired in 1975 and e was organised USA. The first rac e to the Gulf du ed once in 1991, was only cancell nday, quad main event on Su War. Apart from the mselves on tried to prove the bikes and juniors s usually ers and 800 quad Saturday. 1,200 rid by between ed e, which is watch apply for the rac 15-kiloe 00 spectators. Th 150,000 and 200,0 lice officers pervised by 60 po metre circuit is su e officers, 0 additional polic on motorbikes, 30 el and 180 nn security perso 160 firefighters, 80 with three ency health team officials. An emerg out the race. o on call through helicopters is als paration work two months of pre The track needs n begin. before the race ca
// Si
Full gas na plaži
Jean - Claude Mousse
Enduro Le Touquet je najbolj množična dirka na plaži na severu Francije. Že več kot trideset let pomeni začetek dirkaške sezone v Evropi, ena tistih klasik, ki si je ime in ugled zgradila z legendarnimi boji do zadnjega diha in do zadnjega metra, na tej maratonski off road dirki. Na njej zmagujejo svetovni prvaki morokrosa in se borijo zanesenjaki, amaterji, brez katerih te dirke ne bi moglo biti.
38 / 43
Race Day
took the lead just a few Potisek passed him and cial waved a red flag seconds before a race offi Initially, it wasn’t clear in front of Jean-Claude. t passed Jean-Claude, that another rider had jus cameras, journalists and who was surrounded by tulated him on winphotographers who congra Or did he? During these ning for the fourth time. ody knew who the moments of confusion, nob finished another lap and real winner was. Potisek . r crossing the finish line raised his arms high afte e. ner, at least for som And Potisek was the win d that it would be best to However, the jury decide y were before the starter keep the standings as the reby giving Jean-Claude picked up the red flag, the on the beach returns in the win. The rendezvous en the thundering will early February 2014, wh begin anew.
43 Milko Potisek nt test of e, but also an excelle quet’ is not just a rac hnology its of the newest tec endurance and the lim . in motorbike racing etre lap. during the 15-kilom en Anything can happ you try en rrent leader, but wh You could be the cu out in etitor, he could pull to lap a slower comp aybe your u both fall down. M front of you and yo handlethe way down to the bike even sinks all the u could get caught by bars. Even worse, yo en strong nstrated this year, wh tide. This was demo part of the waves to reach the winds caused large event forced e Th ocean’s edge. track that lies at the early. p the event an hour the organisers to sto uet cance again that Le Touq It was also proven on gned when ntroversy; chaos rei not exist without co caught up ved. Milko Potisek the red flag was wa d to slow o de Mousse, wh ha with leader Jean-Clau his goggles. e to problems with down drastically du
42
ial ra in a controvers k - competitors se ti Po o lk Mi d se an Jean Claude Mous
ce
ief Le Touquet in Br --------------Sabine, who
inchild of Thierry The race is the bra r Rally, and of the Paris – Daka is also the father es in the by sand beach rac who was inspired in 1975 and e was organised USA. The first rac e to the Gulf du ed once in 1991, was only cancell nday, quad main event on Su War. Apart from the mselves on tried to prove the bikes and juniors s usually ers and 800 quad Saturday. 1,200 rid by between ed e, which is watch apply for the rac 15-kiloe 00 spectators. Th 150,000 and 200,0 lice officers pervised by 60 po metre circuit is su e officers, 0 additional polic on motorbikes, 30 el and 180 nn security perso 160 firefighters, 80 with three ency health team officials. An emerg out the race. o on call through helicopters is als paration work two months of pre The track needs n begin. before the race ca
// Si
Full gas na plaži
Jean - Claude Mousse
Enduro Le Touquet je najbolj množična dirka na plaži na severu Francije. Že več kot trideset let pomeni začetek dirkaške sezone v Evropi, ena tistih klasik, ki si je ime in ugled zgradila z legendarnimi boji do zadnjega diha in do zadnjega metra, na tej maratonski off road dirki. Na njej zmagujejo svetovni prvaki morokrosa in se borijo zanesenjaki, amaterji, brez katerih te dirke ne bi moglo biti.
44 / 45
Fantastic
4
For the Sophisticated Man
1
Street Shock
The elegant Swarovski Terzio cufflinks from the spring summer 2013 collection, with their subtle retro feel, draw inspiration from art deco. It’s for sophisticated men with character, especially those who pay attention to their physical well being and appreciate high-quality materials. Their elegance seeps from the trendy rose gold-plated surface, embellished with Jet Hematite crystals and their understated design.
The new Calvin Klein fragrance, the CK One Shock Street Edition for Him, is adorned with graffiti illustrations. Its black bottle contains a fresh scent, with the upper notes incorporating refreshing mojito and citruses, combined with delicate spices and geranium at its heart. The cologne’s middle range is further accentuated with enticing cocoa, which makes this fragrance even more special and desirable. All of the above is then enriched with notes of chocolate tonka bean, vanilla and toffee. For the modern generation.
www.swarovski.com
www.calvinklein.com
5
2
44
Blade Runner
Element of Aesthetics
This external hard drive enclosure, designed by Philippe Starck, blends a unique design with top-of-the-line technology. The “Blade Runner” comes with an aluminium chassis and represents a mixture of man and machine. It contains a massive 4 TB of storage and is LaCie’s latest offering in external storage technology. Made in a limited edition.
The bold and talented Australian Marc Newson is one of the most influential designers of his generation. His aesthetic champagne ice box recreates and stylises the timeless silhouette of the Dom Pérignon bottle, giving it the appearance of a sculpture. The limited edition vessel “Dom Pérignon by Marc Newson” is one of the most original items in Marc’s collection.
www.lacie.com
www.domperignon.com
45 3
6
For the Instagram Generation
Rustic appeal & Modern feel
The Canon PowerShot N is the latest must-have photo gadget. This compact camera boasts 12.1 megapixels and comes with Wi-Fi connectivity for real-time uploads. The tiny and extremely light camera won’t take up much space in your pocket. Its 2.8 inch touch screen flips up 90 degrees which gives it the flexibility that no smartphone can provide. The ring-system controlling the shutter release and zoom is responsive and feels natural. And you can share your photos with the world with just a simple touch. Perfect for the Instagram generation.
The iconic British luxury brand Burberry Prorsum always thinks of what men need. Its stylish spring summer 2013 traveller bag is a mix of rustic appeal and modern feel. The secret lies in details like the refined leather, shoulder strap and equestrian belt with a vintage padlock closure. The bag will last forever and improves with age. Worth buying.
www.canon.com
www.burberry.com
44 / 45
Fantastic
4
For the Sophisticated Man
1
Street Shock
The elegant Swarovski Terzio cufflinks from the spring summer 2013 collection, with their subtle retro feel, draw inspiration from art deco. It’s for sophisticated men with character, especially those who pay attention to their physical well being and appreciate high-quality materials. Their elegance seeps from the trendy rose gold-plated surface, embellished with Jet Hematite crystals and their understated design.
The new Calvin Klein fragrance, the CK One Shock Street Edition for Him, is adorned with graffiti illustrations. Its black bottle contains a fresh scent, with the upper notes incorporating refreshing mojito and citruses, combined with delicate spices and geranium at its heart. The cologne’s middle range is further accentuated with enticing cocoa, which makes this fragrance even more special and desirable. All of the above is then enriched with notes of chocolate tonka bean, vanilla and toffee. For the modern generation.
www.swarovski.com
www.calvinklein.com
5
2
44
Blade Runner
Element of Aesthetics
This external hard drive enclosure, designed by Philippe Starck, blends a unique design with top-of-the-line technology. The “Blade Runner” comes with an aluminium chassis and represents a mixture of man and machine. It contains a massive 4 TB of storage and is LaCie’s latest offering in external storage technology. Made in a limited edition.
The bold and talented Australian Marc Newson is one of the most influential designers of his generation. His aesthetic champagne ice box recreates and stylises the timeless silhouette of the Dom Pérignon bottle, giving it the appearance of a sculpture. The limited edition vessel “Dom Pérignon by Marc Newson” is one of the most original items in Marc’s collection.
www.lacie.com
www.domperignon.com
45 3
6
For the Instagram Generation
Rustic appeal & Modern feel
The Canon PowerShot N is the latest must-have photo gadget. This compact camera boasts 12.1 megapixels and comes with Wi-Fi connectivity for real-time uploads. The tiny and extremely light camera won’t take up much space in your pocket. Its 2.8 inch touch screen flips up 90 degrees which gives it the flexibility that no smartphone can provide. The ring-system controlling the shutter release and zoom is responsive and feels natural. And you can share your photos with the world with just a simple touch. Perfect for the Instagram generation.
The iconic British luxury brand Burberry Prorsum always thinks of what men need. Its stylish spring summer 2013 traveller bag is a mix of rustic appeal and modern feel. The secret lies in details like the refined leather, shoulder strap and equestrian belt with a vintage padlock closure. The bag will last forever and improves with age. Worth buying.
www.canon.com
www.burberry.com
46 / 51
Legend
Legend
by Gaber Keržišnik photography Alan Cathcart, Britten Motorcycle Company
46
J o hn Br i t t e n
The L ast R omanti c Tale Innovative Genius And it is. Not so long ago we would have been awed by Anthony Hopkins in the biographical film The World’s Fastest Indian, where he played the role of the extraordinary Kiwi Burt Munro, who broke the land speed record on a motorbike made in his own shed. However, only a few of the most avid fans of beasts on two wheels know anything about another, almost identical story.
I have a mate named Peter, whom we’ve jokingly nicknamed “Couch Commentator,” because he rarely goes out. He watches motorcycle races from his sofa, checks the internet for daily racing news and regularly devours books and articles about motorbike racing. We gave him that nickname because he never moves from his sofa, but still knows more about motorbike racing and its history than many long-serving journalists. Lately, we’ve been discussing two books in particular: Mat Oxley’s “Stealing speed”, which we agreed reads like a thrilling crime story, and Tim Hanna’s book about John Britten, which we called the last romantic tale in motorbike racing.
The place is the same: New Zealand, more specifically Christchurch, where John Kenton Britten was born in 1950. Even though he started his career in construction, he quickly realised that he was more attracted to machines. Twowheeled ones, to be more exact. After completing a four-year engineering course at night school, he decided to make his dreams come true. His dream was to single-handedly build an innovative racing motorbike, which would win at big events, thus beating the world’s best factory bikes and their riders. To make it come true he embarked on his work, utilising his extensive knowledge of motorbikes, mechanics, mechanical engineering, materials, aerodynamics and design as well as a clear goal, strong motivation and a lot of courage. He designed and almost single-handedly built his first racing motorbike. It wasn’t a bad effort, but there was room for improve-
ment. After testing his creations on race tracks, usually by hiring riders but occasionally by getting on one himself, he upgraded them and simultaneously developed extraordinary technological breakthroughs, some of which are nowadays wrongly thought of as originating from the big motorbike brands. For example, the MotoGP Championship Ducati, ridden all the way to the champion title by Casey Stoner in 2007, had no frame. The engine was used as the integral part of the motorbike and all other component parts – mainly made of carbon fibre – were attached to it. But this was not a Ducati invention, because Britten successfully employed the same concept on his bikes in the early 90s. Britten’s V-1000, with only 10 models ever made, was more or less made from carbon fibre. The engine was a fully stressed unit that all the other components attached to. The bike also had carbon double wishbone front suspension and the radiator was tucked under the driver’s seat. Did you know that Britten’s bike was already equipped with an on-board computer? Doesn’t it sound all too familiar? It certainly does… But all of the above started to be used in earnest by the big brands some 10 years after Britten. And he put everything together by himself with the help of some of his friends in his own workshop. All he bought for his bike were the tires, brakes, shock absorbers and some electric parts. Oh, he also used a Suzuki gearbox as the basis for his own. But otherwise the entire bike was the fruit of his design and labour. The carbon seat base, the carbon wheels, the carbon aerodynamic body,
the suspension, the rear swing arm and all the rest. Another result of his innovative genius was the handmade 1000 cc V-twin engine with 4 valves per cylinder, whose engine block and cylinder heads were manually casted in a backyard kiln. Do the scenes featuring Burt Munro in the fastest Indian ring any bells? It’s interesting that distant New Zealand, not really known as a motorcycle powerhouse, spawned so many technical gurus and geniuses who have shaped the history of auto and bike racing. Apart from Munro and Britten, we have to, at least, point to Bruce McLaren, a former racing driver, champion and the founder of the McLaren car brand, which has been successfully competing in F1 for many years.
Pink? On a Bike? Even though Britten only made 10 motorbikes under the name V-1000, they made him famous around the world. They looked different from the competition due to their innovative technological design, shape and manner of construction, all of which can be plainly seen in examples found in museums. While they looked different due to design, they also stood out from the crowd due to their colour scheme. Factory colours used metallic blue for the top part of a Britten V-1000, while the lower part was painted in a not-very-racy (or at least quite feminine) pink. The stars and a large Britten
signature on the fuel tank made the V-1000 look more like a circus prop than a racing bike. But that was just another element that gave it worldwide recognisability and allowed you to spot it from afar if you were lucky enough to see it in a museum or in a private collection. But there wasn’t much of a chance of that. As previously stated, only 10 such bikes were made and every single one is accounted for. One of them was actually housed in the Guggenheim Museum in New York for some time as part of an exhibition entitled “The Art of the Motorcycle.” Three bikes remained in New Zealand and the rest are in Europe and the U.S. One of them, a brand new one, which never took part in a race, was kept in a glass display cabinet by a rich owner from Las Vegas, before he sold it to a Californian museum in 2004. These bikes, labelled from 1 to 10, according to their date of construction, are one of the most desirable items for any motorbike collector. But they almost never change owners. It’s also hard to put a value on them, as the price of any one of them at an auction would probably go through the roof. If it actually appeared at one, that is.
“Only 10 such bikes were made and every single one is accounted for.”
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Legend
Legend
by Gaber Keržišnik photography Alan Cathcart, Britten Motorcycle Company
46
J o hn Br i t t e n
The L ast R omanti c Tale Innovative Genius And it is. Not so long ago we would have been awed by Anthony Hopkins in the biographical film The World’s Fastest Indian, where he played the role of the extraordinary Kiwi Burt Munro, who broke the land speed record on a motorbike made in his own shed. However, only a few of the most avid fans of beasts on two wheels know anything about another, almost identical story.
I have a mate named Peter, whom we’ve jokingly nicknamed “Couch Commentator,” because he rarely goes out. He watches motorcycle races from his sofa, checks the internet for daily racing news and regularly devours books and articles about motorbike racing. We gave him that nickname because he never moves from his sofa, but still knows more about motorbike racing and its history than many long-serving journalists. Lately, we’ve been discussing two books in particular: Mat Oxley’s “Stealing speed”, which we agreed reads like a thrilling crime story, and Tim Hanna’s book about John Britten, which we called the last romantic tale in motorbike racing.
The place is the same: New Zealand, more specifically Christchurch, where John Kenton Britten was born in 1950. Even though he started his career in construction, he quickly realised that he was more attracted to machines. Twowheeled ones, to be more exact. After completing a four-year engineering course at night school, he decided to make his dreams come true. His dream was to single-handedly build an innovative racing motorbike, which would win at big events, thus beating the world’s best factory bikes and their riders. To make it come true he embarked on his work, utilising his extensive knowledge of motorbikes, mechanics, mechanical engineering, materials, aerodynamics and design as well as a clear goal, strong motivation and a lot of courage. He designed and almost single-handedly built his first racing motorbike. It wasn’t a bad effort, but there was room for improve-
ment. After testing his creations on race tracks, usually by hiring riders but occasionally by getting on one himself, he upgraded them and simultaneously developed extraordinary technological breakthroughs, some of which are nowadays wrongly thought of as originating from the big motorbike brands. For example, the MotoGP Championship Ducati, ridden all the way to the champion title by Casey Stoner in 2007, had no frame. The engine was used as the integral part of the motorbike and all other component parts – mainly made of carbon fibre – were attached to it. But this was not a Ducati invention, because Britten successfully employed the same concept on his bikes in the early 90s. Britten’s V-1000, with only 10 models ever made, was more or less made from carbon fibre. The engine was a fully stressed unit that all the other components attached to. The bike also had carbon double wishbone front suspension and the radiator was tucked under the driver’s seat. Did you know that Britten’s bike was already equipped with an on-board computer? Doesn’t it sound all too familiar? It certainly does… But all of the above started to be used in earnest by the big brands some 10 years after Britten. And he put everything together by himself with the help of some of his friends in his own workshop. All he bought for his bike were the tires, brakes, shock absorbers and some electric parts. Oh, he also used a Suzuki gearbox as the basis for his own. But otherwise the entire bike was the fruit of his design and labour. The carbon seat base, the carbon wheels, the carbon aerodynamic body,
the suspension, the rear swing arm and all the rest. Another result of his innovative genius was the handmade 1000 cc V-twin engine with 4 valves per cylinder, whose engine block and cylinder heads were manually casted in a backyard kiln. Do the scenes featuring Burt Munro in the fastest Indian ring any bells? It’s interesting that distant New Zealand, not really known as a motorcycle powerhouse, spawned so many technical gurus and geniuses who have shaped the history of auto and bike racing. Apart from Munro and Britten, we have to, at least, point to Bruce McLaren, a former racing driver, champion and the founder of the McLaren car brand, which has been successfully competing in F1 for many years.
Pink? On a Bike? Even though Britten only made 10 motorbikes under the name V-1000, they made him famous around the world. They looked different from the competition due to their innovative technological design, shape and manner of construction, all of which can be plainly seen in examples found in museums. While they looked different due to design, they also stood out from the crowd due to their colour scheme. Factory colours used metallic blue for the top part of a Britten V-1000, while the lower part was painted in a not-very-racy (or at least quite feminine) pink. The stars and a large Britten
signature on the fuel tank made the V-1000 look more like a circus prop than a racing bike. But that was just another element that gave it worldwide recognisability and allowed you to spot it from afar if you were lucky enough to see it in a museum or in a private collection. But there wasn’t much of a chance of that. As previously stated, only 10 such bikes were made and every single one is accounted for. One of them was actually housed in the Guggenheim Museum in New York for some time as part of an exhibition entitled “The Art of the Motorcycle.” Three bikes remained in New Zealand and the rest are in Europe and the U.S. One of them, a brand new one, which never took part in a race, was kept in a glass display cabinet by a rich owner from Las Vegas, before he sold it to a Californian museum in 2004. These bikes, labelled from 1 to 10, according to their date of construction, are one of the most desirable items for any motorbike collector. But they almost never change owners. It’s also hard to put a value on them, as the price of any one of them at an auction would probably go through the roof. If it actually appeared at one, that is.
“Only 10 such bikes were made and every single one is accounted for.”
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Legend
48
“The entire bike was the fruit of his design and labour. The carbon seat base, the carbon wheels,
the carbon aerodynamic body, the suspension, the rear swing arm and all the rest.”
Bonneville and Daytona It’s impossible to do justice to the life, work and genius of John Britten in just a few pages of a magazine, but you can read a voluminous book on him by Tim Hanna or the authorised biography “Dare to dream” by Felicity Price. If you are not a person who likes reading, watch an excellent documentary on his work, motorbike development and race successes, which can be found on the internet. Take your time and see for yourself why the story of John Britten is the last romantic tale in motorbike racing. You’ll also discover numerous breathtaking similarities between him and Munro. Just as Munro lived for and beside his motorbikes, Britten ate, slept and breathed bikes. They both had their Meccas. Their sacred pilgrimage locations. Both of these places were in the USA, which is fitting in that their stories were almost like movies. While Munro travelled to Bonneville Salt Lake in the state of Utah in order to break records, Britten and his friends hoped for success in Daytona, Florida, the craziest oval circuit in the world, where the eponymous race is still being held even though it has lost quite a bit of its sheen. Britten’s bikes were entered into the BOT (Battle of Twins) flight, which was only open to two-cylinder motorbikes. These were mainly Ducatis, with a spattering of Moto Guzzis, tuned Harleys and other exotic brands.
This flight, which sadly doesn’t exist anymore, was extremely popular in its heyday and even though it was started as an enthusiast race, it quickly evolved into a proper category of competition, and was seriously eyed by factories with professional teams and well-paid riders. Both Munro and Britten also shared similar careers. After succumbing to some initial technical issues and lack of experience at the start of their careers, they later rose from the ashes to shine victoriously. Britten was always close to the top, but something always went wrong. His bikes came in 2nd and 3rd at the 1991 Daytona and in 1992 his rider experienced engine difficulties and
had to retire just a few laps before the end of the race, which was a bitter experience for the New Zealand team. But 1994 was finally Britten’s year – he beat all of the competitors and his homebuilt motorbike stood at the top of the podium in Daytona. But there’s more. That same year saw his bikes coming in 1st and 2nd at the New Zealand superbike national championships, while the year before that they set a new speed record on the Isle of Man race and, on-the-by, broke four world speed records. And, to top it all off, they won victories and championships at almost all the races where they appeared.
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Legend
48
“The entire bike was the fruit of his design and labour. The carbon seat base, the carbon wheels,
the carbon aerodynamic body, the suspension, the rear swing arm and all the rest.”
Bonneville and Daytona It’s impossible to do justice to the life, work and genius of John Britten in just a few pages of a magazine, but you can read a voluminous book on him by Tim Hanna or the authorised biography “Dare to dream” by Felicity Price. If you are not a person who likes reading, watch an excellent documentary on his work, motorbike development and race successes, which can be found on the internet. Take your time and see for yourself why the story of John Britten is the last romantic tale in motorbike racing. You’ll also discover numerous breathtaking similarities between him and Munro. Just as Munro lived for and beside his motorbikes, Britten ate, slept and breathed bikes. They both had their Meccas. Their sacred pilgrimage locations. Both of these places were in the USA, which is fitting in that their stories were almost like movies. While Munro travelled to Bonneville Salt Lake in the state of Utah in order to break records, Britten and his friends hoped for success in Daytona, Florida, the craziest oval circuit in the world, where the eponymous race is still being held even though it has lost quite a bit of its sheen. Britten’s bikes were entered into the BOT (Battle of Twins) flight, which was only open to two-cylinder motorbikes. These were mainly Ducatis, with a spattering of Moto Guzzis, tuned Harleys and other exotic brands.
This flight, which sadly doesn’t exist anymore, was extremely popular in its heyday and even though it was started as an enthusiast race, it quickly evolved into a proper category of competition, and was seriously eyed by factories with professional teams and well-paid riders. Both Munro and Britten also shared similar careers. After succumbing to some initial technical issues and lack of experience at the start of their careers, they later rose from the ashes to shine victoriously. Britten was always close to the top, but something always went wrong. His bikes came in 2nd and 3rd at the 1991 Daytona and in 1992 his rider experienced engine difficulties and
had to retire just a few laps before the end of the race, which was a bitter experience for the New Zealand team. But 1994 was finally Britten’s year – he beat all of the competitors and his homebuilt motorbike stood at the top of the podium in Daytona. But there’s more. That same year saw his bikes coming in 1st and 2nd at the New Zealand superbike national championships, while the year before that they set a new speed record on the Isle of Man race and, on-the-by, broke four world speed records. And, to top it all off, they won victories and championships at almost all the races where they appeared.
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Legend
66 50
Immortality Some romantic stories have a happy ending, while others have a more sombre one. Just as his motorbikes were at their peak in 1995 and posed a serious threat to big, established names, designer John Britten fell seriously ill. He watched as his bikes won the World BERAS Series from a hospital bed. He died way before his time from skin cancer in 1995, just a month after the spectacular international victory. John Britten left this world at the age of 45 and his untimely death was without a doubt a huge loss for the world of motorbikes. His genius would have undoubtedly greatly influenced the development of motorbike technology. He could have led, worked for, or served as an advisor at any of the best teams in the top flights of motorbike racing. The man, who was quiet by nature and did not want any extra attention, was accompanied on his last voyage in Christchurch by thousands of fans from all over New Zealand and the world, who basically swamped the city in their desire to bid their last farewell to a man who lived for his dreams. The funeral procession was broadcast live, and the rider at the head of the long line of people through the town was Andrew Stroud, Britten’s favourite racing rider, who was sitting on the first V-1000 in its characteristic pink and blue. And with this farewell, John Britten and his motorbikes drove into immortality.
John Britten - Zadnja romantična zgodba Nova Zelandija, kjer se je leta 1950 v mestu Christchurch rodil John Kenton Britten. Čeprav je začel svoje delo v gradbeništvu, je kmalu ugotovil, da ga privlačijo stroji. Še najbolj takšni na dveh kolesih. Ko je v večerni šoli opravil štiriletni tečaj iz avtomehanike, se je John Britten odločil
uresničite sanje. V domači delavnici je želel po svojih inovativnih idejah sam narediti dirkalni motocikel, ki bo zmagoval na velikih dirkah, in premagoval tovarniške dirkalnike in najboljše dirkače sveta na njih.
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Legend
66 50
Immortality Some romantic stories have a happy ending, while others have a more sombre one. Just as his motorbikes were at their peak in 1995 and posed a serious threat to big, established names, designer John Britten fell seriously ill. He watched as his bikes won the World BERAS Series from a hospital bed. He died way before his time from skin cancer in 1995, just a month after the spectacular international victory. John Britten left this world at the age of 45 and his untimely death was without a doubt a huge loss for the world of motorbikes. His genius would have undoubtedly greatly influenced the development of motorbike technology. He could have led, worked for, or served as an advisor at any of the best teams in the top flights of motorbike racing. The man, who was quiet by nature and did not want any extra attention, was accompanied on his last voyage in Christchurch by thousands of fans from all over New Zealand and the world, who basically swamped the city in their desire to bid their last farewell to a man who lived for his dreams. The funeral procession was broadcast live, and the rider at the head of the long line of people through the town was Andrew Stroud, Britten’s favourite racing rider, who was sitting on the first V-1000 in its characteristic pink and blue. And with this farewell, John Britten and his motorbikes drove into immortality.
John Britten - Zadnja romantična zgodba Nova Zelandija, kjer se je leta 1950 v mestu Christchurch rodil John Kenton Britten. Čeprav je začel svoje delo v gradbeništvu, je kmalu ugotovil, da ga privlačijo stroji. Še najbolj takšni na dveh kolesih. Ko je v večerni šoli opravil štiriletni tečaj iz avtomehanike, se je John Britten odločil
uresničite sanje. V domači delavnici je želel po svojih inovativnih idejah sam narediti dirkalni motocikel, ki bo zmagoval na velikih dirkah, in premagoval tovarniške dirkalnike in najboljše dirkače sveta na njih.
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Go Wild
Go Wild
by Tina Torelli / Photography Bor Dobrin
The Not-Exactly Bloody Battle at St. Moritz, Wink, Wink! The town that hosts an annual “polo on snow” tournament is having a kitschy day under the winter sun.The air is dry and sparkly, so the only source of the mysterious mist above the Lej da San Murezzan at 15 degrees Celsius below zero are the sweating bodies of horses. The most glamorous Alpine destination in the world is definitely renowned for its sparkling extra dry champagne climate. Not that the description of the climate has anything to do with the drinking habits of St. Moritz’s inhabitants, although it’s true that those watching the prestigious tournament, which took place between the 24th and 27th of January for the 29th year in a row, (generally) don’t drink beer.
52
NACHO FIGUERAS, SUPERSTAR
» Quite a few people compare polo with Formula 1 – the competing ponies are constantly warmed up in the “pits” by an army of trainers. It’s also fast-paced, strategic, adrenaline-inducing and the players have superstar status. The analogy is further strengthened by the fact that Schumi and his Corinna are paying close attention from the stands. The four-team players look reminiscent of knights from the same contrade racing in palio of Sienna, fighting for honour and the nominal Cartier Trophy, but mainly having a royally good time – as they should when playing the game of kings. Urs. E. Schwarzenbach, the chair of the St. Moritz Polo organizing committee, says in his address to the public that the trophy is on par with an Olympic
gold medal, but that doesn’t sound too convincing, since he’s calmly answering a private call on his mobile phone during the awards ceremony. Yeah, everything is relaxed in St. Moritz and the losers, including the officially best player of the tournament Eduardo NovilloAstrada (handicap 9+), one of the four famous Astrada brothers and a member of the Sal.Oppenheim team, doesn’t seem too concerned about defeat. “If I keep doing my best in all that I do, I see it as a success and today I did my best,” he says, adding that snow is not his favourite surface and that he prefers to play on grass – where polo obviously must be played – before disappearing into the hospitality tent.
On the stands it soon becomes clear that the English, Irish, Australian, Spanish, and the temperamental Argentine foreign legion (no criminal past) mainly cater to the female audience. While the men conduct business in the BMW tent, women of all age groups watch the tense match decked in fur from head to toe and holding champagne glasses. Some even use spyglasses. Honest to god: without Argentines, born in the saddle and switching between ponies without dismounting, the game would lose almost all of its charm. Linda, a neighbour on the stands, tells me that she came to the tournament from England simply because “polo is sexy.” Let’s just say I totally believe her: the captain of the Ralph Lauren team is a top model, the second most handsome man in the world according to Vanity Fair and the co-owner of the Black Watch professional polo team: Nacho Figueras (later rewarded as the most chic player of the tournament). To be honest, how could it be anything but sexy? This a game where the end of the bamboo stick is called a cigar, the players wear tight white trousers and boots, and they ride around like gods. The man worth the cost of the plane ticket and a stay in Badrutt’s Palace, Nacho (6+) was discovered years ago by photographer Bruce Weber. He then became the face of Ralph Lauren perfumes, was hosted on Oprah, appeared in “Gossip Girl,” and has for several years been a fixture in all polo tournaments with a high handicap. But he also has
four children and suffers from continuous homesickness. He is followed everywhere in St. Moritz by his oldest son, who even joins him on the stage during the awards ceremony. “A cool guy” adds Linda before I catch up with Nacho as he is leaving the field loaded with prizes.“Polo seems simple, but it really isn’t,” he says. “But life … is the other way around, life is great. As far as polo is concerned, there’s a lot of horse training involved behind the scenes and the love of horses is a precondition for becoming a good polo player. To make everything seem so effortless requires a huge amount of practice. But maybe it’s
easier for us Argentines, because polo is part of our tradition and we have been exposed to it since we were kids,” he adds and hugs his son who is already following in his footsteps.
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Go Wild
Go Wild
by Tina Torelli / Photography Bor Dobrin
The Not-Exactly Bloody Battle at St. Moritz, Wink, Wink! The town that hosts an annual “polo on snow” tournament is having a kitschy day under the winter sun.The air is dry and sparkly, so the only source of the mysterious mist above the Lej da San Murezzan at 15 degrees Celsius below zero are the sweating bodies of horses. The most glamorous Alpine destination in the world is definitely renowned for its sparkling extra dry champagne climate. Not that the description of the climate has anything to do with the drinking habits of St. Moritz’s inhabitants, although it’s true that those watching the prestigious tournament, which took place between the 24th and 27th of January for the 29th year in a row, (generally) don’t drink beer.
52
NACHO FIGUERAS, SUPERSTAR
» Quite a few people compare polo with Formula 1 – the competing ponies are constantly warmed up in the “pits” by an army of trainers. It’s also fast-paced, strategic, adrenaline-inducing and the players have superstar status. The analogy is further strengthened by the fact that Schumi and his Corinna are paying close attention from the stands. The four-team players look reminiscent of knights from the same contrade racing in palio of Sienna, fighting for honour and the nominal Cartier Trophy, but mainly having a royally good time – as they should when playing the game of kings. Urs. E. Schwarzenbach, the chair of the St. Moritz Polo organizing committee, says in his address to the public that the trophy is on par with an Olympic
gold medal, but that doesn’t sound too convincing, since he’s calmly answering a private call on his mobile phone during the awards ceremony. Yeah, everything is relaxed in St. Moritz and the losers, including the officially best player of the tournament Eduardo NovilloAstrada (handicap 9+), one of the four famous Astrada brothers and a member of the Sal.Oppenheim team, doesn’t seem too concerned about defeat. “If I keep doing my best in all that I do, I see it as a success and today I did my best,” he says, adding that snow is not his favourite surface and that he prefers to play on grass – where polo obviously must be played – before disappearing into the hospitality tent.
On the stands it soon becomes clear that the English, Irish, Australian, Spanish, and the temperamental Argentine foreign legion (no criminal past) mainly cater to the female audience. While the men conduct business in the BMW tent, women of all age groups watch the tense match decked in fur from head to toe and holding champagne glasses. Some even use spyglasses. Honest to god: without Argentines, born in the saddle and switching between ponies without dismounting, the game would lose almost all of its charm. Linda, a neighbour on the stands, tells me that she came to the tournament from England simply because “polo is sexy.” Let’s just say I totally believe her: the captain of the Ralph Lauren team is a top model, the second most handsome man in the world according to Vanity Fair and the co-owner of the Black Watch professional polo team: Nacho Figueras (later rewarded as the most chic player of the tournament). To be honest, how could it be anything but sexy? This a game where the end of the bamboo stick is called a cigar, the players wear tight white trousers and boots, and they ride around like gods. The man worth the cost of the plane ticket and a stay in Badrutt’s Palace, Nacho (6+) was discovered years ago by photographer Bruce Weber. He then became the face of Ralph Lauren perfumes, was hosted on Oprah, appeared in “Gossip Girl,” and has for several years been a fixture in all polo tournaments with a high handicap. But he also has
four children and suffers from continuous homesickness. He is followed everywhere in St. Moritz by his oldest son, who even joins him on the stage during the awards ceremony. “A cool guy” adds Linda before I catch up with Nacho as he is leaving the field loaded with prizes.“Polo seems simple, but it really isn’t,” he says. “But life … is the other way around, life is great. As far as polo is concerned, there’s a lot of horse training involved behind the scenes and the love of horses is a precondition for becoming a good polo player. To make everything seem so effortless requires a huge amount of practice. But maybe it’s
easier for us Argentines, because polo is part of our tradition and we have been exposed to it since we were kids,” he adds and hugs his son who is already following in his footsteps.
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Go Wild
FROM PERSIA TO ARGENTINE The oldest team sport in the world, a.k.a. the sport of kings, is said to have originated in Persia in the 5th century BC as a training game for elite cavalry units. It then grew to become the national sport for the nobility and was also played by ladies of the court. It then made its way from today’s Iran to Turkey and Egypt – becoming the favourite sport of the fearsome sultan Saladin – before continuing on to India and China. Its name most likely stems from the Tibetan word Pulu, meaning ball, and points to the possibility that the Mongols could have been playing alongside the Persians. In India it conquered the English, who codified the rules and in 1862 set up the Calcutta Polo Club: the first real polo club. The English then took it to Argentina, which already had all that was necessary to become a hotbed of the game. These polo seeds germinated and Argentines are nowadays the only players in the world with a 10+ handicap and also hold the title of best player, which currently belongs to the
1975-born Adolfo Cambiaso (Adolfito for friends), who is said by those in the know to deserve a much higher handicap. In Argentina, polo breaks the social barriers, while it has, and will probably remain, a sport for the rich in the rest of the world. The most powerful companies in today’s world of lost values strive to have their own cavalry as polo really is a noble game. As Philippe Dehennin from BMW told our magazine: “Polo represents our corporate values and so we decided to set up our own team. It has noble values, which are rapidly vanishing in many places: team spirit and gentlemanship, while the game itself is dynamic and strategic and we recognise ourselves in that as well.” Philippe also told me that he rides a motorbike with the best exhaust in the world. In fact, he was so enthused by it that he actually gave me a hug.
HORSES FAR AT THE FRONT
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After the third day of the tournament, it becomes clear that the Sal.Oppenheim and Ralph Lauren teams would battle for third place, while BMW and Cartier would decide the winner. But the tournament participants first had to go through a gala dance in the blue-lit Kempinski hotel. This is where the lifestyle of the polo world really comes into the limelight, with the dismounted players appearing in black tie apparel with their beautiful wives or girlfriends at their side. “Beautiful girls? Yeah, that’s one of the pleasant consequences of playing polo,” says rising Argentine polo star Marcos Araya (7+), “As is meeting new people and sleeping in the best hotels. But a player’s horse will forever remain number one in a polo player’s heart.” Araya was born with polo in his blood: it was played by his great grandfather and all of the male offspring in his family in the cradle of polo, Coronel Suárez, where they have been raising horses since ages past. “The most important thing about polo is how you ride and sit in the saddle,” adds the charming player, who knows how it feels to receive a victory trophy from the hands of Queen Elizabeth II. Coronel Suárez is a legendary name for polo devotees: the first club there was established in 1929, and the Coronel Suárez Polo Club was the first in the world to boast a team handicap of 40+. Marcos played on snow in St. Moritz for the first time in his life. “You need a bit of time to get used to the plastic ball and the cold. But I’m glad to
be here. I like to try new things and generally strive to live as I play. The most important thing in polo for me is the bond with the horses. Not only are horses more important than women for us, they are more important than family. I played on my own horses here – I brought them over from England, where I’ll mainly be playing this spring.” And that is how Marcos Araya will win a few more handicap points and surely join the legendary 10+ club in the near future.
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Go Wild
FROM PERSIA TO ARGENTINE The oldest team sport in the world, a.k.a. the sport of kings, is said to have originated in Persia in the 5th century BC as a training game for elite cavalry units. It then grew to become the national sport for the nobility and was also played by ladies of the court. It then made its way from today’s Iran to Turkey and Egypt – becoming the favourite sport of the fearsome sultan Saladin – before continuing on to India and China. Its name most likely stems from the Tibetan word Pulu, meaning ball, and points to the possibility that the Mongols could have been playing alongside the Persians. In India it conquered the English, who codified the rules and in 1862 set up the Calcutta Polo Club: the first real polo club. The English then took it to Argentina, which already had all that was necessary to become a hotbed of the game. These polo seeds germinated and Argentines are nowadays the only players in the world with a 10+ handicap and also hold the title of best player, which currently belongs to the
1975-born Adolfo Cambiaso (Adolfito for friends), who is said by those in the know to deserve a much higher handicap. In Argentina, polo breaks the social barriers, while it has, and will probably remain, a sport for the rich in the rest of the world. The most powerful companies in today’s world of lost values strive to have their own cavalry as polo really is a noble game. As Philippe Dehennin from BMW told our magazine: “Polo represents our corporate values and so we decided to set up our own team. It has noble values, which are rapidly vanishing in many places: team spirit and gentlemanship, while the game itself is dynamic and strategic and we recognise ourselves in that as well.” Philippe also told me that he rides a motorbike with the best exhaust in the world. In fact, he was so enthused by it that he actually gave me a hug.
HORSES FAR AT THE FRONT
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After the third day of the tournament, it becomes clear that the Sal.Oppenheim and Ralph Lauren teams would battle for third place, while BMW and Cartier would decide the winner. But the tournament participants first had to go through a gala dance in the blue-lit Kempinski hotel. This is where the lifestyle of the polo world really comes into the limelight, with the dismounted players appearing in black tie apparel with their beautiful wives or girlfriends at their side. “Beautiful girls? Yeah, that’s one of the pleasant consequences of playing polo,” says rising Argentine polo star Marcos Araya (7+), “As is meeting new people and sleeping in the best hotels. But a player’s horse will forever remain number one in a polo player’s heart.” Araya was born with polo in his blood: it was played by his great grandfather and all of the male offspring in his family in the cradle of polo, Coronel Suárez, where they have been raising horses since ages past. “The most important thing about polo is how you ride and sit in the saddle,” adds the charming player, who knows how it feels to receive a victory trophy from the hands of Queen Elizabeth II. Coronel Suárez is a legendary name for polo devotees: the first club there was established in 1929, and the Coronel Suárez Polo Club was the first in the world to boast a team handicap of 40+. Marcos played on snow in St. Moritz for the first time in his life. “You need a bit of time to get used to the plastic ball and the cold. But I’m glad to
be here. I like to try new things and generally strive to live as I play. The most important thing in polo for me is the bond with the horses. Not only are horses more important than women for us, they are more important than family. I played on my own horses here – I brought them over from England, where I’ll mainly be playing this spring.” And that is how Marcos Araya will win a few more handicap points and surely join the legendary 10+ club in the near future.
52 / 57
Go Wild
ROMANCE 10+ Allow me to make a brief detour back to Argentina and Coronel Suárez where polo is a way of life. I’ve been reading up on the Bertola family in Equestrio magazine, a must-read if you love horses and polo. These famous horse breeders and polo players are simple folks, who love to share beer and asado with stable hands in the evenings, even though they have played with Saudi princes, Indian maharajas, the British royal family, European aristocracy, fashion and sports icons and show business bigwigs. But the last few years have seen the dominance of two teams in the Argentine Open, the world’s premiere polo competition: La Dolfina (40+), with the world’s best player Adolfo Cambiaso, and Ellerstina (39+), nicknamed La Zeta. Here in St. Moritz, however, the fourth day of the tournament is kicking off. Third place was won by the Ralph Lauren team, captained by England’s Michael Bickford, while the Cartier cup went to the Cartier team, following a blistering performance
by Chris Hyde, Max Charleton, Nacho Gonzales and Australian captain John Munro Ford in what was one hell of anexciting game. Cartier’s Chris Hyde, named the World Polo Tour’s most valuable player, worked his magic in the first half, helping his team secure a 5-1 lead by half time. However, BMW started to come back in the second half and Cartier had to fight hard to keep them out of the picture. Both sides had a quiet first chukka, with Cartier scoring the only goal of the chukka - a penalty conversion by Hyde. However, after the second chukka, the game really started to heat up. Following another penalty conversion, Hyde received a brilliant hit up field by teammate Max Charlton, and with controlled precision Hyde put the ball between the posts. Nacho Gonzalez then followed this up with the team’s fourth goal. Finally, Lucas Labat managed to get a goal on the scoreboard for BMW, converting a difficult 40-yard penalty. But Hyde, who was in outstanding form, and 22-yearold Charlton, came flying into action to secure another goal before half time. To the spectators in the packed stands, it looked as though it was already all over for BMW. Although BMW had beaten Cartier just 24 hours earlier, Cartier had clearly changed
their tactics for the final. BMW’s three Argentine pros - Bautista Ortiz de Urbina, Lucas Labat and Ignacio Tillous - were still as strong as the day before but it was Cartier’s defensethat shut them down and denied them vital opportunities at goal. However, after some exchanged words at half time, BMW came back with some renewed energy and better play. Labat and Tillous made a perfect play and, getting past Gonzalez, Tillous put the ball between the posts. BMW patron Andreas Knapp Voith could have had his moment of glory after getting ball possession in front of the goal, but he fluffed it and the ball went out of play. But all was not lost as Urbina slotted the ball through the posts before the end of the third chukka. With Urbina then scoring again at the start of the final chukka, it was starting to look dangerous for Cartier. They had let their foot off the gas in the third chukka and needed to work hard to prevent BMW from scoring an equalizer. And they did just that, with neither BMW or Cartier managing to score again. Cartier could finally let out a sigh of relief - and celebrate their win.
56
Legenda, the best playing pony at the event, was also brought to the podium, but refused to eat either apples or carrots from the champagne cooler. Maybe it was the wrong brand? The sun is slowly setting over the lake and the mountains are ablaze in fiery red. There’s everything in abundance in St. Moritz and romance is no exception.
57
RULES From the stands, polo seems quite simple. Two teams, two goals, four chukkas, plenty of horses and one ball. However, the written rules of the game, moves and rights of way are complicated and quite numerous. Besides balanced, competitive and fluid play, the safety of the ponies is given the highest priority. The Field The official international dimensions of a polo field are 182 meters wide and 274 meters long, but actually polo can be played on any level, firm field of sufficient size. Polo on snow is played on smaller fields, since the physical strain of playing winter polo, mostly at higher altitudes (the lake of St. Moritz lies 1,850 meters above sea level!), is greater on the ponies. The goal
has uprights but no crossbar and is 7.3 meters wide. Teams Each team consists of four players. Number 3 is the captain, number 2 or ‘back’ is responsible for defence, while the other two players are attackers. Handicap Depending on ability, each polo player plays with a handicap ranging from 2- to 10+. The entry level of 2- denotes a beginner. A player’s handicap is reviewed annually, according to his performance. When a team is put together, the handicaps of the four players are added up to give the team handicap. If teams with different handicaps play against each other, the difference is made up by allocating the appropriate number of goals to one team.
Ne ravno krvava bitka pri St. Moritzu, blink blink! V mestecu, ki vsako leto gosti turnir pola na snegu, je kičasto lep sončen dan. Zrak je suh in bleščičast, zato edino skrivnostno meglico nad jezerom Lej da San Murezzan pri minus 15
Chukka A polo match consists of four, five or six time units called chukkas. In high-goal snow polo, a match consists of 4 chukkas, each lasting 7.5 minutes. A pony can be played in no more than two chukkas in any one match, and not in consecutive chukkas. Direction of Play Whenever a goal is scored, the direction of play switches. The rule has its origin in the hot climates of the British Empire, where playing against a low and dazzling sun put one team at a disadvantage. Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
stopinjah Celzija ustvarjajo puhteča konjska telesa. Nemalo kdo polo primerja s formulo ena - dirkalne ponije v zakulisju nenehno ogreva vojska trenerjev, igra je hitra, strateška in adrenalinska, igralci pa pravi zvezdniki - in očitno primerjava zdrži, ker s tribune turnir pozorno spremlja tudi Schumi s svojo Corinno.
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Go Wild
ROMANCE 10+ Allow me to make a brief detour back to Argentina and Coronel Suárez where polo is a way of life. I’ve been reading up on the Bertola family in Equestrio magazine, a must-read if you love horses and polo. These famous horse breeders and polo players are simple folks, who love to share beer and asado with stable hands in the evenings, even though they have played with Saudi princes, Indian maharajas, the British royal family, European aristocracy, fashion and sports icons and show business bigwigs. But the last few years have seen the dominance of two teams in the Argentine Open, the world’s premiere polo competition: La Dolfina (40+), with the world’s best player Adolfo Cambiaso, and Ellerstina (39+), nicknamed La Zeta. Here in St. Moritz, however, the fourth day of the tournament is kicking off. Third place was won by the Ralph Lauren team, captained by England’s Michael Bickford, while the Cartier cup went to the Cartier team, following a blistering performance
by Chris Hyde, Max Charleton, Nacho Gonzales and Australian captain John Munro Ford in what was one hell of anexciting game. Cartier’s Chris Hyde, named the World Polo Tour’s most valuable player, worked his magic in the first half, helping his team secure a 5-1 lead by half time. However, BMW started to come back in the second half and Cartier had to fight hard to keep them out of the picture. Both sides had a quiet first chukka, with Cartier scoring the only goal of the chukka - a penalty conversion by Hyde. However, after the second chukka, the game really started to heat up. Following another penalty conversion, Hyde received a brilliant hit up field by teammate Max Charlton, and with controlled precision Hyde put the ball between the posts. Nacho Gonzalez then followed this up with the team’s fourth goal. Finally, Lucas Labat managed to get a goal on the scoreboard for BMW, converting a difficult 40-yard penalty. But Hyde, who was in outstanding form, and 22-yearold Charlton, came flying into action to secure another goal before half time. To the spectators in the packed stands, it looked as though it was already all over for BMW. Although BMW had beaten Cartier just 24 hours earlier, Cartier had clearly changed
their tactics for the final. BMW’s three Argentine pros - Bautista Ortiz de Urbina, Lucas Labat and Ignacio Tillous - were still as strong as the day before but it was Cartier’s defensethat shut them down and denied them vital opportunities at goal. However, after some exchanged words at half time, BMW came back with some renewed energy and better play. Labat and Tillous made a perfect play and, getting past Gonzalez, Tillous put the ball between the posts. BMW patron Andreas Knapp Voith could have had his moment of glory after getting ball possession in front of the goal, but he fluffed it and the ball went out of play. But all was not lost as Urbina slotted the ball through the posts before the end of the third chukka. With Urbina then scoring again at the start of the final chukka, it was starting to look dangerous for Cartier. They had let their foot off the gas in the third chukka and needed to work hard to prevent BMW from scoring an equalizer. And they did just that, with neither BMW or Cartier managing to score again. Cartier could finally let out a sigh of relief - and celebrate their win.
56
Legenda, the best playing pony at the event, was also brought to the podium, but refused to eat either apples or carrots from the champagne cooler. Maybe it was the wrong brand? The sun is slowly setting over the lake and the mountains are ablaze in fiery red. There’s everything in abundance in St. Moritz and romance is no exception.
57
RULES From the stands, polo seems quite simple. Two teams, two goals, four chukkas, plenty of horses and one ball. However, the written rules of the game, moves and rights of way are complicated and quite numerous. Besides balanced, competitive and fluid play, the safety of the ponies is given the highest priority. The Field The official international dimensions of a polo field are 182 meters wide and 274 meters long, but actually polo can be played on any level, firm field of sufficient size. Polo on snow is played on smaller fields, since the physical strain of playing winter polo, mostly at higher altitudes (the lake of St. Moritz lies 1,850 meters above sea level!), is greater on the ponies. The goal
has uprights but no crossbar and is 7.3 meters wide. Teams Each team consists of four players. Number 3 is the captain, number 2 or ‘back’ is responsible for defence, while the other two players are attackers. Handicap Depending on ability, each polo player plays with a handicap ranging from 2- to 10+. The entry level of 2- denotes a beginner. A player’s handicap is reviewed annually, according to his performance. When a team is put together, the handicaps of the four players are added up to give the team handicap. If teams with different handicaps play against each other, the difference is made up by allocating the appropriate number of goals to one team.
Ne ravno krvava bitka pri St. Moritzu, blink blink! V mestecu, ki vsako leto gosti turnir pola na snegu, je kičasto lep sončen dan. Zrak je suh in bleščičast, zato edino skrivnostno meglico nad jezerom Lej da San Murezzan pri minus 15
Chukka A polo match consists of four, five or six time units called chukkas. In high-goal snow polo, a match consists of 4 chukkas, each lasting 7.5 minutes. A pony can be played in no more than two chukkas in any one match, and not in consecutive chukkas. Direction of Play Whenever a goal is scored, the direction of play switches. The rule has its origin in the hot climates of the British Empire, where playing against a low and dazzling sun put one team at a disadvantage. Find more content on the Akrapovič Lifestyle eMagazine iPad app!
stopinjah Celzija ustvarjajo puhteča konjska telesa. Nemalo kdo polo primerja s formulo ena - dirkalne ponije v zakulisju nenehno ogreva vojska trenerjev, igra je hitra, strateška in adrenalinska, igralci pa pravi zvezdniki - in očitno primerjava zdrži, ker s tribune turnir pozorno spremlja tudi Schumi s svojo Corinno.
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Crazy Stuff
y z a r C Stuff The Desert Nomad House Art collector and award-winning architect Rick Joy from San Francisco has created a weekend retreat in the Arizona desert. In designing the house as three steel cubes to make a small village, he drew inspiration from nomads and the notion of going back to nature. Every individual cube has one glass wall, offering unique panoramic views of the surrounding desert. The compound is basically one space with a bathroom, living room/kitchen/dining room, a bedroom and an office/guest room. The small size and natural surroundings of this nomadic dwelling are in line with the newest trends of a modern “cabin” existence. The desert nomad house has recently been bought by someone who needed a smaller residence in nature’s embrace. And he got both – architectural and natural perfection.
The Chocolate Artist, a Sculptor of Flavours Precise, passionate, pedantic and rebellious: this is Patrick Roger, a chocolate artist and sculptor of flavours. He shapes chocolate in the same way he would any other raw material, using gigantic 80 kilogram chunks. He sometimes wraps small chocolates in 1 metre boxes. His delicacies are made from the finest ingredients, while their subtle blend of tastes, unison of texture and sublime aesthetics make Patrick’s gourmet world so exciting. He’s constantly striving to innovate and achieve perfection. The photos showcase his Paris creation, where he pays homage to wild African animals – chocolate hippos.
www.rickjoy.com
www.patrickroger.com Chocolate artist Patrick Roger
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“Have You Hugged Anyone Today?” That’s the motto of this small, half-European-owned restaurant and guesthouse. The HUG INN is located on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, in the Sri Lankan village of Hikkaduwa. This lush tropical island, bursting with knowledge about ancient Ayurveda traditional medicine and endless sandy beaches, will provide any traveller with an abundance of tranquillity, leisure and spirituality. And should you want to stay in this wondrous place a bit longer, you can book one of the three completely renovated apartments just above the restaurant. The apartments are fitted with dark wood furniture, while everything
else is in white, which then mixes with the sublime aquamarine of the Indian Ocean, just a few steps away from your bed & breakfast. You won’t need any shoes at the HUG INN. The path from your bed to the sea is covered in gorgeous, soft sand, which will happily pamper you for the whole day while you enjoy refreshing, chilled drinks and tasty snacks. FB HUG-INN- Bed-Breakfast-Hikkaduwa
New Planet in Singapore The Planet by Marc Quinn is an enormous sculpture of a sleeping baby that seems to hover above the ground. It’s on display in the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. The 10-metre-long, 10-tonne-heavy piece depicts Marc’s seven-month-old son and is made of painted bronze and steel. In Quinn’s words, the sculpture is a paradox – despite its immense weight and size, it represents vulnerability. It is both a reflection of ourselves and the planet on which we live. www.marcquinn.com
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Crazy Stuff
y z a r C Stuff The Desert Nomad House Art collector and award-winning architect Rick Joy from San Francisco has created a weekend retreat in the Arizona desert. In designing the house as three steel cubes to make a small village, he drew inspiration from nomads and the notion of going back to nature. Every individual cube has one glass wall, offering unique panoramic views of the surrounding desert. The compound is basically one space with a bathroom, living room/kitchen/dining room, a bedroom and an office/guest room. The small size and natural surroundings of this nomadic dwelling are in line with the newest trends of a modern “cabin” existence. The desert nomad house has recently been bought by someone who needed a smaller residence in nature’s embrace. And he got both – architectural and natural perfection.
The Chocolate Artist, a Sculptor of Flavours Precise, passionate, pedantic and rebellious: this is Patrick Roger, a chocolate artist and sculptor of flavours. He shapes chocolate in the same way he would any other raw material, using gigantic 80 kilogram chunks. He sometimes wraps small chocolates in 1 metre boxes. His delicacies are made from the finest ingredients, while their subtle blend of tastes, unison of texture and sublime aesthetics make Patrick’s gourmet world so exciting. He’s constantly striving to innovate and achieve perfection. The photos showcase his Paris creation, where he pays homage to wild African animals – chocolate hippos.
www.rickjoy.com
www.patrickroger.com Chocolate artist Patrick Roger
58
“Have You Hugged Anyone Today?” That’s the motto of this small, half-European-owned restaurant and guesthouse. The HUG INN is located on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, in the Sri Lankan village of Hikkaduwa. This lush tropical island, bursting with knowledge about ancient Ayurveda traditional medicine and endless sandy beaches, will provide any traveller with an abundance of tranquillity, leisure and spirituality. And should you want to stay in this wondrous place a bit longer, you can book one of the three completely renovated apartments just above the restaurant. The apartments are fitted with dark wood furniture, while everything
else is in white, which then mixes with the sublime aquamarine of the Indian Ocean, just a few steps away from your bed & breakfast. You won’t need any shoes at the HUG INN. The path from your bed to the sea is covered in gorgeous, soft sand, which will happily pamper you for the whole day while you enjoy refreshing, chilled drinks and tasty snacks. FB HUG-INN- Bed-Breakfast-Hikkaduwa
New Planet in Singapore The Planet by Marc Quinn is an enormous sculpture of a sleeping baby that seems to hover above the ground. It’s on display in the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore. The 10-metre-long, 10-tonne-heavy piece depicts Marc’s seven-month-old son and is made of painted bronze and steel. In Quinn’s words, the sculpture is a paradox – despite its immense weight and size, it represents vulnerability. It is both a reflection of ourselves and the planet on which we live. www.marcquinn.com
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J A C Q U E S H E R Z O G A N D P I E R R E D E M E U R O N – A R C H I T E C T U R A L G L O B E T R O T T E R W H E N YO U G O T O T H E I R H O M E PA G E , YO U R F I R S T T H O U G H T I S T H AT YO U ’ V E M A D E A M I S TA K E . N O P H O T O S A N Y W H E R E . I N F A C T , N O T H I N G R E A L L Y. J U S T A W H I T E B A C K G R O U N D . B U T T H E N YO U N O T I C E F O U R S M A L L F R A M E S AT T H E T O P O F T H E PA G E A N D R E A L I S E T H AT T H E W H I T E N E S S R E P R E S E N T S A M A P O F T H E W O R L D . E V E RY T H I N G I N S TA N T LY B E C O M E S C L E A R . T H E H E R Z O G D E M E U R O N A R C H I T E C T U R E F I R M I S A S O R T O F M I N I AT U R E E A R T H . T H E R E I S H A R D LY A M A J O R C I T Y O N O U R P L A N E T T H AT D O E S N ’ T B O A S T AT L E A S T O N E O F T H E I R B U I L D I N G S . T H E Y C A N B E F O U N D IN MEGALOPOLISES LIKE LONDON, NEW YORK, BEIJING AND TOKYO, BUT ALSO IN SMALLER TOWNS LIKE WEIL AM RHEIN AND I N T H E W I N E - G R O W I N G N A P A VA L L E Y. I M A G I N AT I O N W I T H O U T FRONTIERS The firm creates gigantic projects, visible on satellite photos, and miniature pearls that practically require the use of a magnifying glass. They create new spaces and give new meaning to old ones. The pair have carefully built and developed their architectural language. They closely monitor technological progress as well as successfully experiment with it. The list of their projects is too long, and their masterpieces too complex, to be placed under a single roof. But an invisible unifying thread nevertheless runs through them. The chairman of the jury that awarded them the Pritzker Architecture Prize (often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture), J. Carter Brown, put it best: “One is hard put to think of any architects in history…with greater imagination and virtuosity.“ His view was echoed by another jury member,
Ada Louise Huxtable, who added:” They refine the traditions of modernism to elemental simplicity, while transforming materials and surfaces through the exploration of new treatments and techniques.”
G LO B A L FA M E They became recognisable with their very first creation: the 1980 Blue House in Oberwil, Switzerland. Eight years later, the Italian city of Tavole was embellished with their Stone House. But their international fame came with their design for Ricola’s storage building. The early 90s also saw them design the Goetz Collection building, which houses a private collection of works of art. Ten years after that they designed the Dominus winery in California’s Napa valley. However, they had to wait until 2000 to reach global superstar status. That was the year they converted a former power plant into the iconic Tate Modern on London’s Bankside.
Their series of museums continued with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, with a façade covered by an aluminium mesh that shimmers like silk; the de Young Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate park, where they installed a unique tower offering spectacular views of the city; and the Fundacion la Caixa in Madrid, where they gave a completely new character to an old, dilapidated building. Their other prominent projects also include Prada’s store in the Aoyama district of Tokyo, which looks like a jewel. Their aim was to redefine the concept and function of shopping by turning it into a sort of futuristic experience.
>>
The driving force behind the dream team are Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. They met in kindergarten, where they spent their days playing with Lego bricks, drawing, and making models. Architecture was actually not the primary focus of their studies. Herzog first tried design, before switching to biology and chemistry while De Meuron opted for construction. Only later did they enrol in architecture at the Swiss technical university in Laussane, where they attended lectures by the famous Italian architect and designer Aldo Rossi. They graduated in 1975 and established their architectural studio in Basel three years later.
The driving force behind the dream team are Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron.
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by Gregor Šket photography Profimedia
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J A C Q U E S H E R Z O G A N D P I E R R E D E M E U R O N – A R C H I T E C T U R A L G L O B E T R O T T E R W H E N YO U G O T O T H E I R H O M E PA G E , YO U R F I R S T T H O U G H T I S T H AT YO U ’ V E M A D E A M I S TA K E . N O P H O T O S A N Y W H E R E . I N F A C T , N O T H I N G R E A L L Y. J U S T A W H I T E B A C K G R O U N D . B U T T H E N YO U N O T I C E F O U R S M A L L F R A M E S AT T H E T O P O F T H E PA G E A N D R E A L I S E T H AT T H E W H I T E N E S S R E P R E S E N T S A M A P O F T H E W O R L D . E V E RY T H I N G I N S TA N T LY B E C O M E S C L E A R . T H E H E R Z O G D E M E U R O N A R C H I T E C T U R E F I R M I S A S O R T O F M I N I AT U R E E A R T H . T H E R E I S H A R D LY A M A J O R C I T Y O N O U R P L A N E T T H AT D O E S N ’ T B O A S T AT L E A S T O N E O F T H E I R B U I L D I N G S . T H E Y C A N B E F O U N D IN MEGALOPOLISES LIKE LONDON, NEW YORK, BEIJING AND TOKYO, BUT ALSO IN SMALLER TOWNS LIKE WEIL AM RHEIN AND I N T H E W I N E - G R O W I N G N A P A VA L L E Y. I M A G I N AT I O N W I T H O U T FRONTIERS The firm creates gigantic projects, visible on satellite photos, and miniature pearls that practically require the use of a magnifying glass. They create new spaces and give new meaning to old ones. The pair have carefully built and developed their architectural language. They closely monitor technological progress as well as successfully experiment with it. The list of their projects is too long, and their masterpieces too complex, to be placed under a single roof. But an invisible unifying thread nevertheless runs through them. The chairman of the jury that awarded them the Pritzker Architecture Prize (often referred to as the Nobel Prize of architecture), J. Carter Brown, put it best: “One is hard put to think of any architects in history…with greater imagination and virtuosity.“ His view was echoed by another jury member,
Ada Louise Huxtable, who added:” They refine the traditions of modernism to elemental simplicity, while transforming materials and surfaces through the exploration of new treatments and techniques.”
G LO B A L FA M E They became recognisable with their very first creation: the 1980 Blue House in Oberwil, Switzerland. Eight years later, the Italian city of Tavole was embellished with their Stone House. But their international fame came with their design for Ricola’s storage building. The early 90s also saw them design the Goetz Collection building, which houses a private collection of works of art. Ten years after that they designed the Dominus winery in California’s Napa valley. However, they had to wait until 2000 to reach global superstar status. That was the year they converted a former power plant into the iconic Tate Modern on London’s Bankside.
Their series of museums continued with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, with a façade covered by an aluminium mesh that shimmers like silk; the de Young Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate park, where they installed a unique tower offering spectacular views of the city; and the Fundacion la Caixa in Madrid, where they gave a completely new character to an old, dilapidated building. Their other prominent projects also include Prada’s store in the Aoyama district of Tokyo, which looks like a jewel. Their aim was to redefine the concept and function of shopping by turning it into a sort of futuristic experience.
>>
The driving force behind the dream team are Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. They met in kindergarten, where they spent their days playing with Lego bricks, drawing, and making models. Architecture was actually not the primary focus of their studies. Herzog first tried design, before switching to biology and chemistry while De Meuron opted for construction. Only later did they enrol in architecture at the Swiss technical university in Laussane, where they attended lectures by the famous Italian architect and designer Aldo Rossi. They graduated in 1975 and established their architectural studio in Basel three years later.
The driving force behind the dream team are Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron.
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Prada’s store, Tokyo ... Their aim was to redefine the concept and function of shopping by turning it into a sort of futuristic experience.
F R O M T H E I N F L ATA B L E B O AT TO THE BIRD’S NEST They then turned their eyes towards sports. They started in Munich, designing a science-fiction football stadium that shocks, delights and takes your breath away. If you take the highway from Munich’s airport towards the town in the evening, you’ll suddenly spot an illuminated shape that looks out of this world. You may even wonder if the Martians have landed. The shape can be white, red or blue, depending on which of the city’s teams is playing on the pitch. As you come closer, you may even be reminded of an inflatable dinghy. In fact, the residents of Munich have nicknamed the Allianz Arena “inflatable boat” (Schlauchboot). Herzog and de Meuron used 2,874 air-filled EFTE-foil panels, usually used for glass houses due to their low weight and good insulation properties, to build the facility, which hosted some of the 2006 FIFA World Cup matches. On the other side of the world, they cooperated with dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei to create an even more amazing Olympic stadium, nicknamed the Bird’s Nest. While designing the national stadium, the artists looked for inspiration both in nature as well as in traditional Chinese pottery and porcelain. They devised the building as a bird’s nest, inside of which rests the stadium, shaped like a bowl with red stands. >>
The box-shaped and bent structural elements are welded at the edges and intersect at different angles. This allowed the architects to achieve the effect of reeling in a thread and creating a structure that is reminiscent of a bird’s nest. The firm is constantly busy around the world. Its current major projects are in Hamburg and New York. The harbour city in northern Germany will soon be graced with the Elbphilharmonie. The building, which is designed to evoke Hamburg’s ship-building tradition, will have three concert halls, with the largest boasting more than 2,000 seats. Meanwhile, New York’s TriBeCa quarter, and specifically Leonard Street, will be the site of a residential skyscraper, the inspiration for which comes from rock formations in Utah. The architects, whose firm currently employs almost 200 workers and has its main office in Basel with additional offices in Hamburg, London, Madrid, New York and Hong Kong, still swear by their original philosophy: “Every building is unique, which is why we want to create something that hasn’t existed before with each of our projects.” So far they’ve been so successful in doing that that they walk around the planet in real-life, like a dreamy child navigating the map with its fingers.
“Every building is unique, which is why we want to create something that hasn’t existed before with each of our projects.”
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Prada’s store, Tokyo ... Their aim was to redefine the concept and function of shopping by turning it into a sort of futuristic experience.
F R O M T H E I N F L ATA B L E B O AT TO THE BIRD’S NEST They then turned their eyes towards sports. They started in Munich, designing a science-fiction football stadium that shocks, delights and takes your breath away. If you take the highway from Munich’s airport towards the town in the evening, you’ll suddenly spot an illuminated shape that looks out of this world. You may even wonder if the Martians have landed. The shape can be white, red or blue, depending on which of the city’s teams is playing on the pitch. As you come closer, you may even be reminded of an inflatable dinghy. In fact, the residents of Munich have nicknamed the Allianz Arena “inflatable boat” (Schlauchboot). Herzog and de Meuron used 2,874 air-filled EFTE-foil panels, usually used for glass houses due to their low weight and good insulation properties, to build the facility, which hosted some of the 2006 FIFA World Cup matches. On the other side of the world, they cooperated with dissident Chinese artist Ai Weiwei to create an even more amazing Olympic stadium, nicknamed the Bird’s Nest. While designing the national stadium, the artists looked for inspiration both in nature as well as in traditional Chinese pottery and porcelain. They devised the building as a bird’s nest, inside of which rests the stadium, shaped like a bowl with red stands. >>
The box-shaped and bent structural elements are welded at the edges and intersect at different angles. This allowed the architects to achieve the effect of reeling in a thread and creating a structure that is reminiscent of a bird’s nest. The firm is constantly busy around the world. Its current major projects are in Hamburg and New York. The harbour city in northern Germany will soon be graced with the Elbphilharmonie. The building, which is designed to evoke Hamburg’s ship-building tradition, will have three concert halls, with the largest boasting more than 2,000 seats. Meanwhile, New York’s TriBeCa quarter, and specifically Leonard Street, will be the site of a residential skyscraper, the inspiration for which comes from rock formations in Utah. The architects, whose firm currently employs almost 200 workers and has its main office in Basel with additional offices in Hamburg, London, Madrid, New York and Hong Kong, still swear by their original philosophy: “Every building is unique, which is why we want to create something that hasn’t existed before with each of our projects.” So far they’ve been so successful in doing that that they walk around the planet in real-life, like a dreamy child navigating the map with its fingers.
“Every building is unique, which is why we want to create something that hasn’t existed before with each of our projects.”
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THE NEED FOR SPEED — Ada Louise Huxtable:
FROM HENNE TO THOMPSON
” They refine the traditions of modernism to elemental simplicity, while transforming materials and surfaces through the exploration of new treatments and techniques.”
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On 28 November 1937, he set a new World Landspeed Record on a closed German autobahn. Crouched inside his 500cc supercharged BMW, Henne completed the necessary twoway run with an average speed of 173.6mph (279.5km/h). Such was the phenomenal speed for the time; it took another 14 years before it was officially beaten. Motorcycle land speed records are still being chased today – again with BMW bikes. One of the rising stars is Valerie Thompson, a daring lady from Arizona, USA. Her choice of machinery is the 193HP S 1000 RR.
For as long as there have been motorcycles, there have been riders chasing speed records – none more so than legendary BMW rider Ernst Jakob Henne. His fame reached its greatest height when he captured a staggering 76 land speed records between 1929 and 1937.
Nekaj, kar še ni bilo Arhitekturni studio Herzog de Meuron je neke vrste svet v malem. Skorajda ni pomembnejšega mesta na našem planetu, ki ga ne bi krasila kakšna njihova stvaritev. Domujejo v megapolisih, kot so London, New York, Peking, Tokijo, pa tudi v manjših krajih, kot na primer Weil Am Rhein, vinarska dolina
Henne encompassed his BMWs in enclosed, wind-cheating bodywork, which gave rise to the tag ‘Henne and his egg’, which sat nicely with his nickname of ‘The White Ghost’ from competing in all-white garments.
Napa. Gonilni sili te sanjske ekipe sta Švicarja Jacques Herzog in Pierre de Meuron. Še vedno prisegata na njuno osnovno filozofijo: “Vsaka stavba je drugačna, zato z vsakim novim projektom želiva ustvariti nekaj, česar še ni bilo.” Photo credits: BMW Archive and Scooter Grubb
Valerie’s personal best top speed of 209.5 mph (337.157 km/h) is claimed to be the fastest speed (measured true speed) achieved on a production RR to date. This happened on 2 June 2012 at the Mojave airfield in California. In accordance with strict rules, the RR was standard, apart from the final drive gearing ratio and approved racing-fuel. Now the record has been set for a standard production machine, Valerie is moving into the modified bike class. Having taken delivery of a BMW Motorrad HP programmable ECU and special Akrapovič exhaust for the RR, her aim is to go even faster. Watch this space, but blink and you may miss her…
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Original
THE NEED FOR SPEED — Ada Louise Huxtable:
FROM HENNE TO THOMPSON
” They refine the traditions of modernism to elemental simplicity, while transforming materials and surfaces through the exploration of new treatments and techniques.”
64
65
On 28 November 1937, he set a new World Landspeed Record on a closed German autobahn. Crouched inside his 500cc supercharged BMW, Henne completed the necessary twoway run with an average speed of 173.6mph (279.5km/h). Such was the phenomenal speed for the time; it took another 14 years before it was officially beaten. Motorcycle land speed records are still being chased today – again with BMW bikes. One of the rising stars is Valerie Thompson, a daring lady from Arizona, USA. Her choice of machinery is the 193HP S 1000 RR.
For as long as there have been motorcycles, there have been riders chasing speed records – none more so than legendary BMW rider Ernst Jakob Henne. His fame reached its greatest height when he captured a staggering 76 land speed records between 1929 and 1937.
Nekaj, kar še ni bilo Arhitekturni studio Herzog de Meuron je neke vrste svet v malem. Skorajda ni pomembnejšega mesta na našem planetu, ki ga ne bi krasila kakšna njihova stvaritev. Domujejo v megapolisih, kot so London, New York, Peking, Tokijo, pa tudi v manjših krajih, kot na primer Weil Am Rhein, vinarska dolina
Henne encompassed his BMWs in enclosed, wind-cheating bodywork, which gave rise to the tag ‘Henne and his egg’, which sat nicely with his nickname of ‘The White Ghost’ from competing in all-white garments.
Napa. Gonilni sili te sanjske ekipe sta Švicarja Jacques Herzog in Pierre de Meuron. Še vedno prisegata na njuno osnovno filozofijo: “Vsaka stavba je drugačna, zato z vsakim novim projektom želiva ustvariti nekaj, česar še ni bilo.” Photo credits: BMW Archive and Scooter Grubb
Valerie’s personal best top speed of 209.5 mph (337.157 km/h) is claimed to be the fastest speed (measured true speed) achieved on a production RR to date. This happened on 2 June 2012 at the Mojave airfield in California. In accordance with strict rules, the RR was standard, apart from the final drive gearing ratio and approved racing-fuel. Now the record has been set for a standard production machine, Valerie is moving into the modified bike class. Having taken delivery of a BMW Motorrad HP programmable ECU and special Akrapovič exhaust for the RR, her aim is to go even faster. Watch this space, but blink and you may miss her…
66 /
Column
by Julian Ryder
66
illustration Natan Esku
TH E IM AGE OF A RAC E R
photo © Stuart Dent Archive
Column / High Gear
10 reasons why akrapovič INNOVATIVE DESIGN.
Akrapovič is recognized as a leader in exhaust-system design. Akrapovič’s patented hexagonal shaped mufflers created a storm in the motorcycle aftermarket industry, and their shape transformed the concept of exhaust systems, replacing the standard oval. Our conical design reaffirms our commitment to great design. Akrapovič: there are no better-looking exhaust systems.
PURE POWER.
Our exhaust systems are designed to provide you with higher levels of performance. We call it Pure Power. Reduced weight from the combination of the right materials and the best design to ensure optimum exhaust flow. More horsepower. More torque. More performance. Pure Power.
THE UNMISTAKABLE SOUND OF AKRAPOVIČ. Our exhaust systems sound like no others. Just the right notes at the right times. Deep, resonant sound. The sound of Pure Power. Make your own sound with Akrapovič. Bill Doran.
RACE PROVEN.
Writing books is a good way to pass the time in a close season. One of the joys is doing photo research, as I recently did for a book on the history of the Grands Prix. The trouble is, when you go back to the late 1940s and early ‘50s, it’s really quite difficult to find images you haven’t seen before. So when Stuart Dent, an itinerant old car racing friend, told me that he had access to the archives of a German company and that there were some bike pics in it, I was hopeful of finding something new.
I wasn’t disappointed: lots of NSUs, weird aluminium fairings, black leather, and pudding basin helmets. But one photo in particular leapt out at me from a welter of beautiful finegrained black-and-white. It showed a racer on the grid looking over his shoulder at the camera. He looked like you want a racer to look: scuffed leathers and all. Unfortunately very few of the photos were captioned, so serious detective work was necessary. The AJS logo was visible on his helmet – could this be the first ever world 500cc champion Les Graham? I asked his son Stuart, himself a GP winner. It wasn’t his dad, but Stuart knew who it was: Bill Doran, after whom the „Doran’s Bend“ on the Isle of Man TT course is named. After a little more research, we knew it was taken on the grid for the opening race of the 1952 season at Berne in Switzerland. That should have been the end of the story, but this is an image you don’t just quickly forget. At a charity evening a few months later, I described it to James Whitham. ‘Does he have a devil-may-care look on his face?’ ‘Whit’ asked through a haze of gin and tonic, before adding sombrely, ‘You bloody had to then.’ That was it! That was what this racer’s image was telling me. This man knows the risks, he knows what could happen, and he doesn’t give a monkey’s. There’s no tension in the picture, no fear, just the look of a man who knows what he’s doing. One of Honda’s first stars, Tommy Robb, told me during a break at the same event that there was a photographer in the ‘50s who took nothing but portraits. Tommy thought he was
German. The photo may have been his work. This conclusion was supported by the fact the archive didn’t contain a single action shot. I realised that I was dealing with the work of a brilliant portrait artist. Back then, you only had one chance before you had to wind the film. Timing was everything and this guy had it. Returning from the bar I noticed a name on the reserved seating: Mrs. Peggy Doran. Sure enough, it was the widow of the man himself, accompanied by her daughter Jayne and granddaughter Emilie. Now, whenever you meet old racers, the first thing you notice is that their wives are strong, capable, impressive women, and sure enough the impeccably turned out and razor-sharp Mrs. Doran fit the pattern. The good news was that the photo was indeed of Bill and that the family hadn’t seen it before, and that they loved it. When was it taken, they asked? I told them. There was a strange pause, after which Jayne took off her watch and showed me the back. The engraving read ‘1952 Grand Prix Suisse Berne’! Bill must have won it on the day the photo was taken -- and he was also wearing it when he died at home, in his armchair. Jayne has been wearing it every day since. It is, incidentally, the earliest Tissot watch that the company is aware of being used in sports sponsorship. Bill Doran won two GPs, the 1949 Belgian 500 at Spa, and the 1951 Dutch TT at Assen, both on AJS. At Spa he nipped past the Gilera of Artesiani on the last corner of the last lap to win by a fifth of a second, causing the Italian to stomp on his goggles in frustration in parc
ferme. His best championship finish was second in the 350s behind Geoff Duke in 1951. In 1950 he crashed at high speed on the Isle of Man and broke his leg, the corner in question was thereafter known as Doran’s Bend. Bill was immensely proud of the fact that he was the only living person to have a section of the Mountain Circuit officially named after him. Bill Doran retired from racing after a crash in France and married Peggy. He had been adamant that motorcycle racing was not a job for a family man. ‘We lost so many friends,’ says Peggy. Bill opened a bike shop with his longtime AJS engineer Matt Wright – Peggy thinks he’s the guy with his hands on his hips on the left side of the picture. Apparently, going for a test ride on the pillion was not for the faint hearted. After Bill died, Peggy and Jayne continued running the shop with a Yamaha franchise. I wouldn’t have liked to be a male customer assuming that the distaff side couldn’t tell a fork leg from a piston ring. The last word goes to Jayne: ‘He was a lovely man, very popular rider, hysterically funny and a magic father.’ But you can already tell that from the photo, can’t you?
Racing’s in our blood. Akrapovič has successfully supported racing teams since it was founded. Over 70 world champions have relied on Akrapovič when it really matters. It’s the choice of champions whether racing on road or offroad. Factory racers or privateers. There’s no better proving ground for your exhaust system than the world’s most demanding racetracks.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & TESTING.
We invest heavily in research and development. The best people, new materials, new technology, and new processes ensure that we develop innovative new products. We back this up with rigorous measurement, testing, and quality control to ensure our exhaust systems meet the most stringent EC type-approval standards where required.
THE BEST MATERIALS.
We only use the best materials. Titanium heat-resistant alloys for all the key parts of our titanium exhausts, not just the outer sleeves like many of our competitors. Austenitic stainless steel and carbon fibre which is pre-impregnated and ultralight for high tensile strength and temperature resistance.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. We are pioneers in developing and using technology to bring real benefits to the rider. Technology and its applications are developed in-house. Hydroforming is one such process, where header tubes are molded by applying pressurized water. The material forms the ideal shape for optimum exhaust flow, with no loss in strength. We are recognized as pioneers in the plastic deformation of titanium alloys and also in precision welding.
STATE-OF-THE-ART FACTORY.
All Akrapovič facilities are state-of-the-art, where quality control is maintained by designing and manufacturing all exhaust systems in-house. This enables the creation of exhaust tubes to our own demanding specifications for maximum performance and quality. In-house laboratories ensure that the most exacting standards for type approval and certification are met.
PASSION & EXPERIENCE. It’s the passion, experience, and dedication of the Akrapovič team that few can match. Over twenty years of devotion to developing the best exhaust systems and a desire for perfection in the design, performance, and sound of all our products. All Akrapovič employees work with a passion for our products, for racing, and for satisfying our customers.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL. It’s all in the detail. From the design right through to the packaging. The right looks, the right sound, and the right power delivery combined with perfect fit and durability. These are the details that matter.
Julian Ryder is a British Eurosport MotoGP commentator, journo, author and part time antiques dealer. “Follow Julian @motogpjules”
The article here does not necessarily correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors.
www.akrapovic.com
66 /
Column
by Julian Ryder
66
illustration Natan Esku
TH E IM AGE OF A RAC E R
photo © Stuart Dent Archive
Column / High Gear
10 reasons why akrapovič INNOVATIVE DESIGN.
Akrapovič is recognized as a leader in exhaust-system design. Akrapovič’s patented hexagonal shaped mufflers created a storm in the motorcycle aftermarket industry, and their shape transformed the concept of exhaust systems, replacing the standard oval. Our conical design reaffirms our commitment to great design. Akrapovič: there are no better-looking exhaust systems.
PURE POWER.
Our exhaust systems are designed to provide you with higher levels of performance. We call it Pure Power. Reduced weight from the combination of the right materials and the best design to ensure optimum exhaust flow. More horsepower. More torque. More performance. Pure Power.
THE UNMISTAKABLE SOUND OF AKRAPOVIČ. Our exhaust systems sound like no others. Just the right notes at the right times. Deep, resonant sound. The sound of Pure Power. Make your own sound with Akrapovič. Bill Doran.
RACE PROVEN.
Writing books is a good way to pass the time in a close season. One of the joys is doing photo research, as I recently did for a book on the history of the Grands Prix. The trouble is, when you go back to the late 1940s and early ‘50s, it’s really quite difficult to find images you haven’t seen before. So when Stuart Dent, an itinerant old car racing friend, told me that he had access to the archives of a German company and that there were some bike pics in it, I was hopeful of finding something new.
I wasn’t disappointed: lots of NSUs, weird aluminium fairings, black leather, and pudding basin helmets. But one photo in particular leapt out at me from a welter of beautiful finegrained black-and-white. It showed a racer on the grid looking over his shoulder at the camera. He looked like you want a racer to look: scuffed leathers and all. Unfortunately very few of the photos were captioned, so serious detective work was necessary. The AJS logo was visible on his helmet – could this be the first ever world 500cc champion Les Graham? I asked his son Stuart, himself a GP winner. It wasn’t his dad, but Stuart knew who it was: Bill Doran, after whom the „Doran’s Bend“ on the Isle of Man TT course is named. After a little more research, we knew it was taken on the grid for the opening race of the 1952 season at Berne in Switzerland. That should have been the end of the story, but this is an image you don’t just quickly forget. At a charity evening a few months later, I described it to James Whitham. ‘Does he have a devil-may-care look on his face?’ ‘Whit’ asked through a haze of gin and tonic, before adding sombrely, ‘You bloody had to then.’ That was it! That was what this racer’s image was telling me. This man knows the risks, he knows what could happen, and he doesn’t give a monkey’s. There’s no tension in the picture, no fear, just the look of a man who knows what he’s doing. One of Honda’s first stars, Tommy Robb, told me during a break at the same event that there was a photographer in the ‘50s who took nothing but portraits. Tommy thought he was
German. The photo may have been his work. This conclusion was supported by the fact the archive didn’t contain a single action shot. I realised that I was dealing with the work of a brilliant portrait artist. Back then, you only had one chance before you had to wind the film. Timing was everything and this guy had it. Returning from the bar I noticed a name on the reserved seating: Mrs. Peggy Doran. Sure enough, it was the widow of the man himself, accompanied by her daughter Jayne and granddaughter Emilie. Now, whenever you meet old racers, the first thing you notice is that their wives are strong, capable, impressive women, and sure enough the impeccably turned out and razor-sharp Mrs. Doran fit the pattern. The good news was that the photo was indeed of Bill and that the family hadn’t seen it before, and that they loved it. When was it taken, they asked? I told them. There was a strange pause, after which Jayne took off her watch and showed me the back. The engraving read ‘1952 Grand Prix Suisse Berne’! Bill must have won it on the day the photo was taken -- and he was also wearing it when he died at home, in his armchair. Jayne has been wearing it every day since. It is, incidentally, the earliest Tissot watch that the company is aware of being used in sports sponsorship. Bill Doran won two GPs, the 1949 Belgian 500 at Spa, and the 1951 Dutch TT at Assen, both on AJS. At Spa he nipped past the Gilera of Artesiani on the last corner of the last lap to win by a fifth of a second, causing the Italian to stomp on his goggles in frustration in parc
ferme. His best championship finish was second in the 350s behind Geoff Duke in 1951. In 1950 he crashed at high speed on the Isle of Man and broke his leg, the corner in question was thereafter known as Doran’s Bend. Bill was immensely proud of the fact that he was the only living person to have a section of the Mountain Circuit officially named after him. Bill Doran retired from racing after a crash in France and married Peggy. He had been adamant that motorcycle racing was not a job for a family man. ‘We lost so many friends,’ says Peggy. Bill opened a bike shop with his longtime AJS engineer Matt Wright – Peggy thinks he’s the guy with his hands on his hips on the left side of the picture. Apparently, going for a test ride on the pillion was not for the faint hearted. After Bill died, Peggy and Jayne continued running the shop with a Yamaha franchise. I wouldn’t have liked to be a male customer assuming that the distaff side couldn’t tell a fork leg from a piston ring. The last word goes to Jayne: ‘He was a lovely man, very popular rider, hysterically funny and a magic father.’ But you can already tell that from the photo, can’t you?
Racing’s in our blood. Akrapovič has successfully supported racing teams since it was founded. Over 70 world champions have relied on Akrapovič when it really matters. It’s the choice of champions whether racing on road or offroad. Factory racers or privateers. There’s no better proving ground for your exhaust system than the world’s most demanding racetracks.
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & TESTING.
We invest heavily in research and development. The best people, new materials, new technology, and new processes ensure that we develop innovative new products. We back this up with rigorous measurement, testing, and quality control to ensure our exhaust systems meet the most stringent EC type-approval standards where required.
THE BEST MATERIALS.
We only use the best materials. Titanium heat-resistant alloys for all the key parts of our titanium exhausts, not just the outer sleeves like many of our competitors. Austenitic stainless steel and carbon fibre which is pre-impregnated and ultralight for high tensile strength and temperature resistance.
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. We are pioneers in developing and using technology to bring real benefits to the rider. Technology and its applications are developed in-house. Hydroforming is one such process, where header tubes are molded by applying pressurized water. The material forms the ideal shape for optimum exhaust flow, with no loss in strength. We are recognized as pioneers in the plastic deformation of titanium alloys and also in precision welding.
STATE-OF-THE-ART FACTORY.
All Akrapovič facilities are state-of-the-art, where quality control is maintained by designing and manufacturing all exhaust systems in-house. This enables the creation of exhaust tubes to our own demanding specifications for maximum performance and quality. In-house laboratories ensure that the most exacting standards for type approval and certification are met.
PASSION & EXPERIENCE. It’s the passion, experience, and dedication of the Akrapovič team that few can match. Over twenty years of devotion to developing the best exhaust systems and a desire for perfection in the design, performance, and sound of all our products. All Akrapovič employees work with a passion for our products, for racing, and for satisfying our customers.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL. It’s all in the detail. From the design right through to the packaging. The right looks, the right sound, and the right power delivery combined with perfect fit and durability. These are the details that matter.
Julian Ryder is a British Eurosport MotoGP commentator, journo, author and part time antiques dealer. “Follow Julian @motogpjules”
The article here does not necessarily correspond with the opinions of Akrapovič d.d., the publishers or the editors.
www.akrapovic.com
75 World Champions. 3 TimEs lE mans 24 hoUr WinnEr WiTh aUdi sporT. 2012 Fia World EndUranCE Championship WinnEr WiTh aUdi sporT. 2012 dTm Championship WinnEr WiTh BmW moTorsporT. 20 BEsT Brand aWards. THE CHOICE OF CHAMPIONS.
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Audi R18 e-tron quattro Winner with Audi Sport 24 Hours of Le Mans 2012. Equipped with AkrapoviÄ? Titanium exhaust system.