Thursday, July 14, 2011

Le Tart and Sheila

During a lull in the monsoons here in Mumbai, Helmet Stories decided to trot out Le Tart (left, yellow), and Sheila to the workshop for some TLC. Le Tart is going off to the Sriperumbudur track near Chennai over the weekend for a little workout... photos and videos next week... Should be a fun weekend. The goodies inside Le Tart (a Royal Enfield LB500 Machismo) include a Hitchcocks 87mm piston, performance cams, improved TCI ignition, Mikuni TM 36mm  carb mated to a bellmouth intake, CNC tripe trees, home-made dry clutch, megaphone silencers (very LOUD!) and Excel rims... In stock garb Le Tart cracked 155 kilometres per hour so it should be interesting to see what she reaches in her new and svelte 135kg avatar on the track.

Sheila, a former 1996 Royal Enfield Standard 500, is no slouch either, but a 600cc stroker. Her vital stats: 87mm Accralite piston, Ace Magnum cams, 100 mm stroke (up from 90 mm), beefed up bottom end, TCI ignition, Hitchcock competition valves, Mikuni VM 34 carburettor couples to a K&N air filter, 19-inch DID aluminum rims front and rear, Barnett clutch plates...
When the rains lets up, Helmet Stories is planning a better photoshoot with these bikes. Watch this space...

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Project Badger

What happens when the Island of Misfit Toys, meets Biker Build Off, and goes racing? Can a rag-tag confederation of enthusiasts build a great street legal, race bike? With a limited budget and meager resources? But rather, make the attempt by applying American ingenuity, elbow grease, and enthusiasm to a humble, antiquated, British designed, Indian made workhorse. We don’t know either.
We want to make a film that documents the journey and story of “The Badger”. This film will chronicle the building of a no frills cafe “racer” that will be driven to the track, actually raced and then ridden home.
The Badger is Royal Enfield "Bullet" based, with a 500cc “iron barrel” engine. Built in a rat cafe style, and built to be both road and vintage race legal. Kitted for a license plate, and a number plate. Hi quality, lowbrow. Ride it to the track, flog it in the heat of battle and ride it home. Possible in this day and age?
We want to find out!
The film features: Leon Stanley, who runs a great vintage and specialty bike shop in Trenton, New Jersey, called Cycle Icons. "Chumma" Janardhan of Ace Engineering, an engine building virtuoso. Art Director and jack of all trades Mark Rounds. And newly drafted Badger Race Pilot, Stu Carter.
This film follows the journey from the shop, to road, to track, and back.

We have two of these same bikes in our Helmet Stories garage and would love to see this project take off. Yes we are pledging as well as asking all of you out there to help however you can after all there are only 16 days left.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Still on the road

While most of our bikes and riders have been packed and sent home. Apu and I are making our way towards chandigah. Right now we are at my inlaws fort(Killa Karthgarh) in punjab.
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