CATEGORIES

Starting and fettling!

I had been looking forward to fitting there chromed header pipes to my red Z1Super Six so I was really excited when the postman called with a large package from ACF Howell.

Project Kawasaki Z900 Stocker part 1 Stripping yarns!

Kindly given a box of old Zed bits, Ralph Ferrand is back on the case with one of his favourite four-strokes!

Suzuki TL1000R

Why are prices of the fat and frumpy TL1000R rising? Could we see a revival of a Suzuki sports V-twin?

The art of noise (reduction)

As racecars rely ever more heavily on electrical devices, shielding them from interference becomes critical. Racecar asks if graphene-based coatings are the answer

Storm in a teacup

The introduction of Hypercar has meant the FIA and ACO have compromised every other category in their portfolio and led to total confusion for all on track

Fluids and solids

On Hydrolastic and live leaf spring suspensions

FIA seat upgrade

The FIA has delivered an update to the 8855-1999 seat that is used as standard in closed-cockpit racecars. The update is designed to significantly improve the safety of the device.

Stop right there

AP Racing started out as a skunkworks project and grew into a globally recognised leader in brake technology

Mad 4 it

BMW says its M4 GT3 car is a step change improvement over the outgoing M6, and will be proven in competition this year before customers take over for 2022

New old Stock

In early May, NASCAR launched its Gen-7 car online. Known as the Next Gen, it is looking to recreate the series’ production car values

Two steps beyond

Michelin and Goodyear have sliced up the FIA World Endurance Championship and become sole tyre suppliers to individual classes within it, but with very different targets

Channel hopping

A window into the possibilities available using advanced simulation channels

H uncovered

Toyota entered a hydrogen-powered racecar in the Super Taiku 24-hour race at Fuji as it seeks to prove the long-term future of the ICE

THE SLED

I’M A SEMI-PRO SHED BUILDER, WHO BUILDS UNDER THE NAME DIRTY DICK’S… I SAY ‘SEMIPRO’ BECAUSE I’VE ONLY, AT THE TIME OF WRITING, SOLD TWO BIKES (AND, USUALLY, I GET PAID IN BEER FOR ANY OTHER WORK I DO).

THE CHIEF

I BOUGHT MY ENFIELD, A 2001 350 BULLET, IN SHROPSHIRE IN JUNE 2019, WITH JUST 11,000 MILES ON THE CLOCK. IT WAS IN TRIALS TRIM, BUT I ALREADY HAD IN MY HEAD WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH IT – MAKE IT INTO A ‘50S-STYLE CUSTOM, BASED LOOSELY AROUND AN INDIAN SCOUT THAT I’D SEEN PICTURES OF.

MADE O'GUBBINS

OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO, MANY OF US’VE HAD TO FOREGO THE JOY OF SEARCHING FOR PARTS AT AUTO-JUMBLES, SHOWS AND BREAKER’S YARDS, RELYING ON EITHER THE HIT-AND-MISS OF INTERNET AUCTION SITES, OR TURNING TO OUR OWN STOCK OF PARTS, WHEN LOOKING AT BUILDING OR MODIFYING A BIKE.

BUDGET BOBBER

PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY CUSTOM BIKES’RE EXPENSIVE, THAT ONLY THE RICH CAN HAVE ‘EM, BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT ONE THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY…

LEAF IT OUT

THE SUZUKI LS650 IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR HAVING ONE OF THE LEAST SUITED AND MOST RANDOM MODEL NAMES IN MOTORCYCLING HISTORY – THE SAVAGE.

SIZE O

I DECIDED I NEEDED A BIKE FOR MYSELF AS A KEEPER (RATHER THAN THE USUAL BUILD IT, SELL IT, FUND THE NEXT ONE), BUT TIME AND FUNDS WERE GOING TO GET TIGHT. I WANTED A ‘60S/’70S-STYLE HARDTAIL WITH A DECENT-SIZED MOTOR, SINGLE OR TWIN, AND SOMETHING I DIDN’T HAVE TO DO ANY FRAME MODIFICATIONS TO.

LITTLE VICTORIES

SOME FOLK SAY WORK’S A NECESSARY EVIL, OTHERS MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR SITUATION. A GOOD FRIEND ONCE SAID TO ME THAT IT’S THE LITTLE VICTORIES THAT COUNT WHEN AT WORK, USING THEIR MACHINERY TO MAKE BIKE PARTS, BLAGGING FREE STATIONARY, OR JUST HAVING A POO ON THEIR TIME…

BACK TO THE EIGHTIES!

AFTER THE STYLISTIC EXCESSES OF THE 1970S, THE 1980S SAW A KIND OF DIRECTION CHANGE IN CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING – ONE WHICH RESULTED IN NO SMALL PART FROM THE ABUNDANCE OF FAST, RELIABLE FOUR-CYLINDER MOTORCYCLES FROM THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN.

APPLE

MY GOAL WAS TO CREATE A CAFÉ RACER WITH STYLING FROM THE FIFTIES – ROUND CURVES THAT’D MAKE IT POP.

3 DIRT DIGGERS

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS DIRT DIGGERS, HELD AT THE EDDIE WRIGHT SPEEDWAY STADIUM IN SCUNTHORPE, HAS BECOME THE NUMBER ONE, ALL-COMERS-WELCOME BIKE RACE IN THE UK.

RENAULT CAPTUR E-TECH PHEV

Renault’s first foray into plug-in hybrids has arrived with the Captur. Jonathan Musk drives.

Hyundai IONIQ 5

Globally, Hyundai will launch more than 12 additional BEV models in the next four years starting with the IONIQ 5 you see here – proving that range isn’t the only thing that matters, instead it’s their charging time that counts.

MAZDA MX-30

Mazda reckons there’s more to selling EVs than offering long-range and straight line speed – but will potential customers agree?

CIT ROËN Ami

The Ami proves electric mobility doesn’t have to be expensive, provided you don’t mind sacrificing some luxuries…

FUELLING CHANGE

With an end date set for combustion engines and plug-in sales accelerating in the UK, demands are ramping up for a widespread public charging infrastructure. So what do the companies tasked with deploying them see as the biggest hurdles ahead?

AN ABSOLUTE APPROACH

Chinese EV maker NIO offers smart technologies and a holistic view of the electric vehicle experience. Ahead of its arrival in the west, Autovolt talks to NIO Europe vice president Hui Zhang about the company’s innovative user concepts

2010 KIA VENGA EV

Kia is best known today for its electric e-Niro and Soul EV models, yet their roots reside with the Kia Venga EV concept car first displayed at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. While Nissan was just getting its Leaf off the ground, Kia (and the wider Hyundai Motor Group or HMG) were busy reading themselves for their future too.