One of the most significant problems I have with my current apartment is the total lack of motorcycle-related paraphernalia. This is largely due to the veto that was implemented in 2011 by the United Nations of My Girlfriend, sadly my requests for a reconsideration have all died in committee.

The poster above is 1500px x 1000px in size, making it a great desktop wallpaper if your computer’s resolution is lower than that, otherwise you can grab the original poster from the Etsy seller here.

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The Honda CX500 is like a feisty featherweight boxer who’ll take on anyone and will never, ever back down. The model was first released in 1978 and it was fitted with a series of innovative features that were either uncommon or totally unused at the time, things like shaft drive, modular wheels, twin CV carburettors that were tuned for reduced emissions and a liquid cooling system. Interestingly, the electric ignition system was separate from the rest of the bike’s electrical systems, this allowed the motorcycle to be push-started and ridden – even in the case of a total electrical failure.

One of the major benefits of the bike’s relative rarity is that people who choose to own, ride and customise them tend to be a slightly unusual themselves. They genuinely don’t care if you like their bike or not – they built it for themselves, not for the approval of strangers on the internet.

This means that some of the most interesting and (dare I say it) good-looking bikes we’ve featured over the years have been Honda CX500 based customs. This example was built in Montréal by Jonathan Forget and Alexandre Bordeleau, they wanted to create a motorcycle-hybrid between the classic cafe racer and the iconic Japanese Brat Style – the finished custom has clear design elements from both schools of bike building, which I guess makes it a sort of ‘Cafe Brat’.

The donor bike was found through a friend of a friend and even though it had been sitting for 5 years in a shed, it started immediately. Jonathan rode it home the same day and work began almost immediately.

They sourced a pair of Brat-friendly Firestone Champion Deluxe tires, then set about hand-building a leather seat, they cropped the rear sub-frame, moved the electrics around, added a pair of clip-on handlebars, bar-end mirrors, some pipe-wrap and then added my favourite feature – an iPhone mount for GPS navigation. I suspect that if they just started producing these mounts enmasse they’d very quickly become very wealthy.

The finished bike now lives in Montréal and is used everyday by its new owner, we’ll be keeping a close eye on Jonathan Forget and Alexandre Bordeleau and we’ll bring you more of their work as it rolls out of their garage. In the meantime, if you’d like to take a look at more of their work, you can click here to visit their website.

Photographs courtesy of Nicolas Polanco, see more of his work here.

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This is the new-for-2013 ‘Kick Me’ tee by Iron & Resin, it’s a great looking tee for the impending summer and the relative rarity of the design will help you avoid being the third guy to show up at the party in the same Abercrombie & Fitch polo.

Each of these tees is hand printed using a water-based ink, they come in both grey and blue and are cut to a slim fit as standard.

Grab yours here

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This history of American watchmaking would make an excellent feature film, the first North American watchmaking company was founded in 1859 – it was called ‘The American Watch Company’ and it would be the first of many genuinely extraordinary watchmaking institutions established on the western shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

Refined Hardware is a Los Angeles based watchmaker that was founded to carry on the traditions and methodology of those first American horologists. Each Refined Hardware wristwatch is made by hand to order, each design is limited to 33 hand-numbered units and each watch features a handmade 18 jewel, tourbillon movement with a 42 hour power reserve, a 316L stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal face and they’re all rated to 5 atmospheres.

The model pictured at the top is The Gatsby, it’s a handmade American watch named after a handmade American novel. The Gatsby has a visible tourbillon movement at the 6 o’clock position – tourbillons are a fascinating mechanical curiosity originally developed to counter the effect of gravity on a the delicate internal mechanism of pocket watches. They work by rotating the entire escapement assembly (this is essentially the heartbeat of any watch) on its own axis. In the modern world of horology, the tourbillon is something so complex that only the best watchmakers are said to be able to master it and put it into production.

The limited edition nature of the Refined Hardware timepieces with the subsequent rarity and genuinely unique designs make them highly collectible pieces, the price point is set at a level below the big Swiss and German names though unlike the mass-produced european units – Refined Hardware watches will always be a remarkable rarity.

Visit Refined Hardware Here

This post was sponsored by Refined Hardware LLC.

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This handy little EDC Kit (or every day carry kit) is just the sort of thing we all need in our pockets or bags, should that deadly human-to-human coronavirus ever decimate mankind – you’ll be equipped to head for the hills and wait it all out.

This EDC Kit by Huckberry includes 2 x 2 foot long paracords, a concealed sharp eye knife with sheath (it’s inside the paracord), a fire starter flint, 6″ of fire starter tinder, 3″ of Duct tape, a key ring and it’s all made in the USA.

Grab yours here

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This is 1972 De Tomaso Pantera is a Group 3 Factory Prototype, it’s actually the only one of the 30-or-so examples produced that has an entirely hand-formed body. It’s also running on a ‘pulsante’ (push-button) chassis and it’s widely regarded as being one of the most intensively raced of all the De Tomaso Pantera Group 3 cars.

With this information in mind, it may surprise you to learn that the estimated value of the car is just $120,000 to $170,000 USD – this is considerably less than a modern, production-line Ferrari and I’ll guarantee you that the Pantera will acquire a far larger group of admirers at any city’s Cars and Coffee meet up.

The car was sold factory-new on the 21st of March 1972 to the Auto Club Roma Italia, it was originally registered as ‘Roma KO 9227′. In 1973 it was sold on to Ital Atlantic Express for their driver Maurizio Micangeli to race in the Italian Sports Car Championship in 1974. Micangeli raced the Pantera a total of seven times with three 1st place finishes – an impressive win rate of almost 50%. He moved on to a Group 4 Pantera chassis in 1975 and this car, chassis ’1070′ was sold to Micangeli’s good friend Marco Curti aka ‘Spiffero’.

Marco Curti (Spiffero) raced chassis 1070 all over Italy regularly for the next few years, including the prestigious Giro d’Italia with a best place finish of 10th overall in 1978 behind some the era’s great drivers including Markku Allen, Riccardo Patrese and Michelle Mouton. At the end of the 1979 season chassis 1070 was placed in storage when Spiffero bought himself a more modern Group 4 Pantera.

In the mid-90s Marco Curti sold this car to Dominato Lado who took the car back to the factory for a complete, extensively detailed restoration. He had the colour changed from black to silver-black and entered many Italian historic races before selling the Pantera in 2003 to Lado Niccolo, who carried on in the same vein until 2005. Sold that same year, chassis 1070 has been in Belgium since then and has been driven around the world famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit on more than a few occasions.

Having entered 48 historic races since its restoration in 1997, the car is no longer in concours condition but is very well presented throughout with an immaculate, straight body. Looking almost new, the engine bay was cosmetically refreshed recently when a full service was carried out, the service included a brand new MSD ignition system. The original Ford 351 (5.7-litre) engine runs like new and delivers all the power a person could possibly wish for, as evidenced by a lap time of 2 minutes 58 seconds around Spa.

The brakes were overhauled in 2007 and are in very good shape, as is the transmission, while the heavy-duty clutch is a little rough but does the job. The four original Cromodora wheels (not replicas) were repainted a few years ago, all the electrics work, including the pop-up headlights (though one is slightly slower that the other) while the passenger-side window rolls down unevenly and needs assistance returning.

The following items are included in the sale – the original Italian libretto (registration document) recording all ownership changes, a copy of the original factory invoice to Auto Club Roma dated 21st March 1972, original 1997 FIA papers, original Automobile club d’Italia technical passport recording 48 races between 1998 and 2005, the original Italian license plates (‘Roma KO 9227′), copies of numerous 1970s invoices from De Tomaso Modena and for the work carried out in 2011, and a portfolio containing around 50 large original photographs of the car in action in the 1970s.

A worthy addition to any private collection, this unique prototype Pantera is ready for all of the most important historic motor sport events including the Le Mans Classic (which it entered in 2002), the Tour Auto or even the reborn Giro d’Italia where it should receive a particularly warm welcome, having participated in the original one on five occasions in the 1970s.

Click here to visit the auction listing.

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This is the Riley Aero Special, it’s a creation from the talented mind of Polish designer Marcin Przybys and sadly, it’s not real. It’s a design experiment that involved Marcin dropping a de Havilland Gipsy Major engine from a Tiger Moth biplane into a Riley automobile and it’s left me wanting to have a drive. Even though I can’t. Until 3D printers get far, far more advanced.

The de Havilland Gipsy Major engine was a remarkable piece of engineering, it was designed to be mounted and used upside down, that is with the crankcase at the top, this was meant to keep the majority of the engine out of the pilot’s line of sight. The downside to the design was the amount of oil the engines tended to burn through, I’ve heard that it consumed as many as 4 pints (2 litres) of oil per hour. This became less of a problem as engine technology advanced and as better piston rings were implemented.

In the Riley, the engine has been mounted upside down – that is, the pistons are at the top and the crankcase is at the bottom. It’s also been placed back to front to allow the engine to send its power rearward to the transmission instead of forward to the propeller.

This model is fitted with a Mk I Jaguar Moss gearbox, clutch and flywheel as well as a 51mm SU carburettor. The Gipsy Major engine has a capacity of 6.12 litres (374 cubic inches) and a total weight of 330 pounds – which is actually pretty light for an engine of that size. It’s said to produce 130hp (no torque measurements are readily available).

If you’d like to visit Marcin’s listing for this car via Luxology you can click here and if you’d like to read more about that incredible engine, you can click here.

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This is the new 2014 F 800 GS Adventure, it’s one of the most highly capable off-road touring motorcycles in the world with its brother the F 1200 GS and the British upstart, the Triumph Tiger Explorer XC as its primary competition. There’s a bit of contention as to whether the F 1200 GS or F 800 GS is actually better, of course it depends on the requirements of the individual to a large degree, some like the slightly longer legs of the 1200 and some like the slightly lighter weight of the 800.

If I’m honest I’d probably fall into the latter camp, an 800cc twin is going to have no trouble getting you moving and when it comes to off-road riding, every pound of weight you can save counts.

The new 2014 F 800 GS Adventure is essentially an upgraded 2014 F 800 GS, it has a larger fuel tank 24-litre tank (8 litres more than on the F 800 GS model), it’s equipped with ABS as standard and also comes with a new bench seat, a larger windscreen for improved protection against the elements and handlebar mounted hand protectors.

The total weight of the GS Adventure is 229 kg and it’s maximum load is 225 kg – this should be more than enough for even the most well-equipped of off-road riders. Motorcycles like this obviously aren’t designed for the occasional ride around town, they’re continent crossers famous for being as tough as a 2-wheeled Land Rover and as reliable as nuclear decay.

The MSRP of $14,950 USD won’t be for everybody but if you have a few thousand miles of dirt, asphalt or grass that needs to be covered, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better vehicle.

Click here to visit BMW

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The Wolverine Boot Company was originally founded in 1883, they started out in Rockford, Michigan and they clad the feet of the men and women who built the railroads across America. The Wolverine 1000 Mile Boot was first released in 1914 – since then it’s been a popular choice amongst people who earn their living from the sweat of their brow.

The Wolverine Austen 1000 Mile Lacer Boots are available in black or brown, they have a Goodyear™ Welt sole, a Horween Predator leather upper, a full leather sole with Vibram® technology and enough character to star in their own Tarantino film.

Grab yours here

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Classic board trackers like this impeccable 1911 Indian Board Track Racer are becoming harder and harder to find and locating an example as original as this is now almost impossible, some of the rarer original bikes from the era have changed hands in the last few years for prices in the mid-6-digit range.

This bike was restored by the well-known motorcycle craftsman Jim Prosper. It was an incredibly complete motorcycle when he began his restoration – apart from the fuel tank and handlebars no reproduction parts were used in this restoration. This makes it one of the most perfect board trackers we’ve ever featured.

Jim Prosper’s restoration work has received several Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA) Senior Awards, these are highly sought after and most restorers are lucky to receive one in their lifetime.

If you take a look at the close up image of the engine below, you’ll see how much attention to detail has been applied to this bike, all it really needs now is a kind-hearted velodrome owner who’ll turn a blind eye to some classic racing.

This bike will be up for auction on May the 18th 2013 at the MidAmerica Auction in Newburgh, New York. There’s no estimated gavel price but I’m willing to bet it’ll have enough zeros on it’s receipt to bring a tear to the eye of even the wealthiest of motorcycle collectors.

Click here to visit the official listing.

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