15 minute read
MACHINES THE 715-HP
from Zaqwsaqw
MACHINES
SILVER DREAM WALT SIEGL’s custom Ducatis and MV Agustas are breathtakingly beautiful...
Advertisement
Text b y DUNCAN QUINN Photographed B y DANIELA MARIA M assimo Tamburini’s limited edition Bimotas are legendary. Constructed in Rimini, Italy using Japanese superbike innards cannibalised from brand new bikes, then shoehorned into superior frames with visionary aesthetics. Also responsible for designing the Ducati 916, and the MV Agusta F4, Tamburini was an icon. In the Top Trumps game of cards the Bimota was always the most expensive piece of kit. Which made sense, given they threw away most of a brand new bike to make every one.
Today, if you are looking for an exotic and beautiful beast of a bike like a Bimota your list will be short. Right at the very top with a star will be someone who shares more than a few things in common with Tamburini. His name is Walt Siegl. And for a cool US$36,000 you can join an elite cadre of petrolheads basking in the glory of machinery so beautiful it makes grown men go weak at the knees. And your granny come over all of a quiver. Without Brad Pitt offering her a ride in her nighty on one of his.
It’s a long way from dropping out of art school in Austria to becoming one of the finest custom motorcycle builders in the USA today. But it was also a long way from pipe fitting school dropout to co-founding Bimota and later designing the Ducati 916 and MV A gusta F4 for Tamburini. One thing he and Siegl share in common is being self taught. Both guys with no formal training who loved going fast while looking good. Becoming renowned for tuning bikes both aesthetically and mechanically.
You could just as easily stick one of Walt’s creations on a pedestal in your Ferris Bueller -esque man cave as thrash it to within an inch of your and its life. But as with all the very best things, Walt’s bikes are not simple head-turners with no brains. Each is a precise accumulation of decades of experience and experiences, hours of meticulous research and meditation, and just as many man hours of meticulous construction. Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus, is often quoted as saying his main objective was to “simplify, then add lightness.” Walt builds his bikes with this same ideal in mind. And with perfect geometry and balance.
My two favourites of his “production” bikes, the Leggero and Bol d’Or, are built around a Ducati heart on the one hand, and an MV Agusta on the other. Yet more parallels with Tamburini for thos e so inclined. The Leggero is powered by the classic Ducati
Desmo engine, and the Bol d’Or an MV three cylinder mill. Both deconstructed and heavily modified to attain the performance Walt demands. He raced competitively in his younger days in Marseille, France, so understands the addiction of speed. But also that there is
As he says himself of the Ducati powerplant, “It’s that 90 degree, two-valve, Desmo engine that won so many hearts, including mine. There is no engine out there with the same characteristics. It’s a brilliant performer that can be hammered on the racetrack or ridden to the café. No, it won’t have 200 horsepower, but that was never really what owning a Ducati was all about. People bought Ducatis because they evoked a certain feeling that other manufacturers were never able to capture. They made you fall in love. No matter what engine size, be it a 650 or an 1100, you have plenty of grunt out of corners: You dip the bike in, and as soon as you clip the apex you feed the throttle in and it makes you grin stupid. It’s how these engines make power that is so much fun — and at the end of the day your jacket smells like spent fuel.”
If his breathtakingly beautiful hand built Leggero and Bol d’Or are not fantastic enough, you can work with him to spec your own. Like the silver dream machine that is the Leggero “Brave”, or the David Yurman Project. And if Brad Pitt pokes his head around the door with your granny with smiles for miles, don’t be surprised.
more to riding pleasure than horsepower and straight line missile-like hyperspace. His obsession with lightness and the correct delivery of power, chassis flex, suspension and rubber leads to a riding experience very different from that of today’s high-tech crotch rockets. Superlative analog in a world of digital bits.
Top: Siegl outside his workshop in Harrisville, New Hampshire; Middle: Every exposed element of the Leggero “Brave” exudes beauty;
Below: The custom tachometer/speedometer is minimalist in design
MACHINES
BIG RED Britain’s deBolex Engineering coachbuilds one-off masterpieces...
Text b y DUNCAN QUINN
Photographed b y AMY SHORE
Asummer’s day in Provence. Lazy afternoon sun. Lavender fields as far as the eye can see. A sweet floral haze tasting of aquamarine and purple. Black sticky tarmac lanes. And a whiff of perfectly burned high octane fuel. Crisp. Metallic. Rich and oily. The glow of an engine block shimmering in the heat.
I wake up. And yet, there was more. Something beautiful. Spellbinding. Toned. Sleek. Curvaceous. And fast. God may have invented fast bikes. But deBolex Engineering, a two-man custom motorcycle builder based in Croydon, England, created this.
An experience so ethereal no mere mortal could resist. I say experience, as to describe their Ducati 803 as “ just” a motorcycle is to
describe Elle Macpherson as “ just” a girl. They are Pininfarina. Or Zagato. For deBolex do not build motorcycles, as much as coachbuild on top of rolling chassis. The 803 was created as part of a series of one-of-a-kind commissions.
Inspired by 1960’s Italian GP racing bikes, then coachbuilt on reliable mass-produced engineering. For the 803 the donor was a Ducati Scrambler, but other manufacturer donors including Triumph and Buell have also been used. Each of the special oneoffs bears the moniker “1/1” on the coachwork. And each is one of the “One of One” prototypes built by deBolex.
They have one more “One of One” left in them, based on a
Kawasaki ZXR. Once complete they will turn their hand to the bit that is important for you to understand. A series of limited edition bikes, the “Lightweight Sports” will begin production. A total of 25 LS bikes will be built with the aesthetics of the 803. But a little more grunt to boot. Aluminum will give way to carbon fibre. And you will be able to specify colours, fabrics and finishes, together with technical upgrades to wheels, brakes and exhausts from the stock Ducati 1200 Monster donor.
Whatever happens, we are sure it will be the beginning of a love affair. So get the £25,950 required ready, and take a ticket to get in line behind us. We’re gonna be living the dream. ■
BROOKE BENSON CAMPBELL (BHSc Nut Med) investigates how the new regulations and coronavirus guidelines are affecting us, both physically and psychologically, and gives some tips on how to overcome this current social slump…
t this stage of the social isolation game, you may have noticed an obvious divide emerging among your friends. As distancing and self-imposed quarantine wear on and workplaces begin staggering employees in-office days to cope with regulations, the COVID-19 outbreak has left many people feeling alone and detached in ways never thought possible. Some of us respond by hunkering down into cosy domesticity: baking banana bread, reading books or taking long baths alongside a trusty IPA. Others challenge themselves to return from seclusion with inflated muscles and a spray tan in a show of over-exercise meets ‘whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger’.
And yet by this stage, more and more of us are beginning to fray: Zooming with friends (or colleagues that you previously wouldn’t have given any attention to) becomes a necessity rather than a luxury; the closure of a favourite coffee shop is cause for tears (and withdrawal tremors); and the walls are closing in Jumanji -style. Regardless of how hipster-hygge you’re feeling at the moment, experts suggest that the negative feelings and experiences associated with prolonged s ocial isolation will come for us all. So, how are the new regulations affecting us, physically and psychologically, and what can we do to beat the social recession? Read on…
While the coronavirus pandemic is an extreme, largely unprecedented moment, the kind of seclusion that’s been causing people to display their tragic dance skills on TikTok over the last few weeks is not as uncommon an experience as you might imagine. The impacts of social isolation on our bodies and minds have been felt and studied in a variety of different groups over the years, from astronauts to incarcerated criminals and Antarctic researchers. The patterns that have emerged from their experiences with radical is olation illuminate ways to understand and improve our own.
And whilst research on the psychological toll of social distancing during epidemics is thankfully limited, a review in the March 14 Lancet provides some clues into how people are affected during outbreaks of
infectious disease. Researchers evaluated 24 studies looking at the psychological outcomes of people with were quarantined during outbreaks of SARS, H1N1 flu, and Ebola. The study found that many quarantined individuals experienced both short- and long-term mental health issues, including stress, insomnia, emotional exhaustion and substance abuse. Another study looked at the effects of the 2003 SARS outbreak on 549 hospital workers in Beijing.
Those who were quarantined or worked in high-risk settings — almost half the sample group — reported higher levels of alcohol abuse three years later than workers with less-intense exposure to the outbreak. And certain factors increased the risk of psychological problems, such as quarantines lasting longer than 10 days (which was associated mostly with post-traumatic stress), poor information about the rationale for quarantine and lack of access to necessary supplies and telecommunication services.
Thankfully, for Australians, we have had an abundance of information and exceptional telecommunication services to mitigate this type of stress throughout the last few months. Still, though most people living in coronavirus-stricken countries aren’t officially quarantined, research suggests that even less-extreme forms of social distancing, such as staying several feet away from other people or avoiding regular outings will take a toll on our psyche as a whole. Why?
First of all, it is important to remember that self-isolation doesn’t just numb your brain with boredom and have you attacking household cleaning duties with the excitement of a five-year old at the cinema lolly bar. Research shows that people start to become physically lethargic when they don’t have positive external input. Perhaps even more concerning is that the psychological strain of loneliness manifests itself physiologically, too. In fact, some studies show that social isolation over many months has the mortality effect on the human body of smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
In many people (particularly the elderly population), social isolation
also seems to exacerbate any pre-existing medical conditions, from cardiovascular disease to Alzheimer’s, but this effect can influence us all. In interesting trials, researchers who study stress immunology at the University of Munich have seen similar radical changes in the bodies of people participating in simulations of manned spaceflight missions. Participants, some of whom were only isolated for three months, experienced severe changes to their sleep, their immune, endocrine and neurocognitive systems, and alterations to their metabolism. It seems quite clear — if you change your environment in an extreme way, it will change you.
Physically, studies show that people who are more socially connected show less inflammation, and chronic inflammation is linked to a downturn in cardiovascular function — blood pressure, heart rate, circulating stress hormones and cellular aging are all affected. However, it is important to note that while a single period of a few weeks in isolation should not lead to inflammation and risk of cardiovascular trouble, periods of social isolation can still have immediate and short-term effects on our physiology. And one of the reasons people can suffer in social isolation is because inherently personal relationships help us cope with stress.
We have evolved to be social creatures. For the history of humanity, people have been in large family structures and group; we have evolved to crave and rely on interaction between others. Interestingly, the human brain has limited bandwidth to solve problems and to regulate emotions, and so our intense sociability serves yet another purpose: to expand that bandwidth. In short, our brains process all manner of information more efficiently in the presence of other people than they do while alone.
Touch is also essential; studies have shown that simply holding hands with a loved one can decrease the anxiety that causes a person a\ Z\b[a N `a_R`` _R`]\[`R N[Q RcR[ _RQbPR NPaVcVaf V[ aUR x[Rb_\Y\TVP pain signature’, resulting in an analgesic effect similar to Panadol. Touch quietens the brain’s emotional activity and is something we just don’t get from that online Houseparty conversation.
Thankfully no matter what your individual situation, there are many things you can do to improve your experience whilst being socially isolated. These include:
● Aim to create as much structure and predictability as you can with the pieces of your life that you have control over. Pursue neglected projects, continue working and stimulating your brain, but also be patient with yourself — both now, and when this strange time ends. Research shows that people who go through a period of self-isolation and social distancing (whether they’ve been on the International Space Station or in quarantine) often experience Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms and struggle when integrating back into their ordinary routine. Regardless of how excited you are for a Parmie at the pub with your mates, this situation may seem strangely anxiety-causing initially as you allow yourself to regroup, regather and rejoin society.
● You are not in this alone, and you shouldn’t leave others that way either. This is a time for strengthening weak connections, so if you haven’t heard from a friend for a while, email or text them to say hi. With any luck, you’ll emerge from social distancing a whole lot closer. While tech isn’t the perfect substitute for a game of touch footy, you will still get some benefit by engaging with others digitally; and the richer the format, the better — a phone call is better than a text, a video conference is better than a phone call and so on.
shortages in equipment and facilities. We have seen families spending more time together and a renewed discovery of nature as people are truly appreciative of their limited time outdoors. We see people growing their own vegetables, making their own bread and buying fresh local produce instead of frozen supermarket fruit that was shipped via container eight months ago from Europe. We see people relishing human connection and simple things we once all took for granted.
In some ways, necessity is the mother of invention, and from this pandemic we will see exciting innovation and new ways of connecting, exploring and growing as a whole.
We need to ask ourselves, when this is over, when life returns to a new normal, and when our daily lives return to a hurried bustle of energy, over-exhaustion and distinct lack of work-life balance, what will we take with us? Will we prioritise connection? Will we learn to live in the moment? Will we continue to appreciate the value of social effort? It is true that our experience through this pandemic will inevitably change us (both psychologically and physiologically) but do we have the strength and foresight to acknowledge that in some ways, this change may be for the better? Use this time to prepare, think and goal-set, because Post-COVID, the future is ours for the taking. ■
Brooke Benson Campbell (BHSc) is a Clinical Nutritionist and Naturopath, speaker, writer and presenter with a passion for all things health, beauty and wellbeing. A self-proclaimed human test subject, she is constantly trialling the newest products, seeking the latest discoveries and reading the current clinical studies, in order to share her findings with the public through private practice, social media and industry education. Follow Brooke on Instagram at: @the.b.b.c
ON SALE NOW!
OFFICIAL 2020 CALENDAR
T H E M A X I M A U S T R A L I A O F F I C I A L 2 0 2 0 C A L E N D A R
IS AVAILABLE AT NEWSAGENTS, OR ONLINE AT
AUSTRALIA OFFICIAL 2020 CALENDAR
Bianca & Yasmin
If you haven’t already got your copy of the incredibly stunningMAXIM Australia Official 2020 Calendar it’s not too late to do so. This essential item features 12 of our gorgeous local and international models, shot on location at
Namale Resort, Fiji, and this month we introduce you to sexy social media savvy twins, and swimwear designers, BIANCA & YASMIN WILSHIN …
Photographed b y BRIAN B HAYES
The MAXIM Australia Official 2020 Calendar is available at
www.maxim.com.au/
calendar, RRP $19.95
Status Update
NAMES: Bianca Wilshin and Yasmin Wilshin HOME TOWN: Newport Beach, Sydney, Australia FIVE-WORD SELFDESCRIPTIONS: “Spontaneous, adventurous, driven, motivated and dynamic.” FAVOURITE DRINKS: “Margaritas!” LIFE MOTTO: “If you don't like the road you’re walking start paving another one.” INSTAGRAMS: @Bianca.Wilshin and @Yasmin_ Wilshin ARCHIE & WOLF SWIMWEAR INSTAGRAM: @archie.and.wolf TWITTER: @ArchieAndWolf WEBS ITE: archieandwolf. com.au
