The Lola F1R is the result of a bet between Lola engineers about whether it was possible to build something close to a Formula 1 car, that would be UK road registrable. The UK has notoriously finicky road restrictions, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that southern England has more motorsport engineering companies than…
In the twenties and thirties overhead valve engines were well known to be more efficient and consequently more powerful than either side-valve engines or the hybrid “F-head” with its overhead inlet and side exhaust valve. Overhead valve engines were the province of motor-sport performance engines where power was at a premium and maintenance could be…
The Steyr-Puch Haflinger was developed in the late 1950s as a replacement for the ageing American-built Jeeps that were still being used by the Austrian military. The engineering that went into the unusual looking Haflinger was outstanding, and despite its unconventional appearance its capabilities as an off-roader are exceptional. The head engineer was Erich Ledwinka,…
The F-head was the first in a long line of “big” Harley-Davidon V-twins, and it set a precedent that is still going strong today over 100 years later. This is its story. William S. Harley was a boy in Milwaukee who in 1901 got the notion that he would put an engine in a bicycle…
The Invention of the Ford V8 Engine is a documentary about the development of the original Ford V8 – the Flathead that made its debut in 1932, forever cementing the “Deuce” in the annals of hot rod history. The video has clearly been encoded from film and it’s a little crackly at times, but if…
Just 100 examples of the new Aviatore Veloce Turbojet Coffee Machine will be built, and much like the other creations from Super Veloce it’s unlikely that most people will know what it actually is at first glance. Each is made from aviation grade 6061 T6, 2000 series aluminium alloy, stainless steel 316 Ti, 304 and…
The Condor A350 is a motorcycle built in Switzerland by Condor-Werke AG for the Swiss Military. Rather then building a bespoke engine for the motorcycle it was decided that the single-cylinder from the popular 350 Scrambler would be used. The benefits of this were significant – it was a simple, well-engineered motor with excellent parts…
This new Ducati by XTR Pepo is a chimera of sorts, much like the creature from Greek mythology it’s composed of parts from multiple other creatures – in this case a 1994 Ducati Monster 750, a Ducati 900SS, and a Ducati 749. XTR Pepo is a Madrid-based custom garage run by Pepo Rosell, you may…
The Rokon Trail-Breaker is an American-made 2-wheel drive motorcycle that’s been used by everyone from the US military, to the forestry service, to treasure hunters. It’s designed exclusively for off-road use, however it can be driven on the road at speeds up to 35 mph if needed. The original design was completed by American inventor…
The Suzuki RG500 has been hailed by many as the Norton Manx of the 2-stroke era. Its unusual square-4 engine launched the Japanese 2-strokes to the forefront of global motorcycle racing competition – and kept it there for the better part of 20 years. The water-cooled, square-4, 2-stroke powerplant used in the RG500 was a significant gamble for…
The engine used in the MV Agusta 750S was originally placed in the MV Agusta 600 in 1966 – making it one of the first road-going motorcycles to mount an inline-4 transversely across the frame. It’s unlikely the Italians had any idea how common this engine arrangement would become, particularly once it was adopted by Honda…
The Egli-Vincent has become so famous since it was first developed in the mid-1960s that its name now almost rivals the Vincent marque itself. Developed by Fritz Egli of Switzerland, the original Egli-Vincent was his own race bike, a bike he used as a testbed for his own engineering experiments. The main drawback to the original…
