Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128381
The Dunlop Legends Series D ue to the positive response of its recent "Legends" ad campaign, Dunlop will offer a series of high-quality, collector-edition Legends posters with the net proceeds benefiting injured riders through the Clayton Memorial Foundation. Printed in black and white on heavy 19x26-inch art paper, the limited run of 10 suitable-for-framing posters feature the likes of David Bailey, Yvon Duhamel, Broc Glover, Kent Howerton, Rick Johnson, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, Bubba Shobert and Jeff Ward. Produced by Dunlop's advertising agency, Vreeke & Associates, the posters feature images captured by photographers Paul Buckley, Bill Delaney, Gold & Goose, Dave Hawkins and Ken Vreeke. "Dunlop has supported some of the most legendary racers in history, and this is a great opportunity to give back to the sport through the Clayton Memorial Foundation," Dunlop vice president Mike Buckley said. The posters are available for $29.9S for a single poster or $24.9S each for multiple posters and can be purchased through the Cycle News website at www.cyclenews.com or by calling 714/7S 1-7433. R&D engineers have made detailed Improvements to the three existing models, including revised cylinder heads for the V-twin engine (which in accordance with French govemment A positive future is emerging for French manufacturer Voxan, rules is currently limited to 100 bhp - 8S bhp for the which, in spite of a healthy order book, fell into the hands of Roadster), as well as new Remus exhausts and more effICient the receivers in June 200 I. liqUid-cooling and lubrication systems Founded in 1995 by millionaire to redress the overheating problems of industrialist Jacques Gardene, earlier models. However, Voxan plans Voxan's range of three different to introduce a 13Q..bhp power-up kit models (Roadster, Cafe Racer and costing less than 2000 euro ($2500 the innovative Scrambler) powU.S.), from September 2005 on, which ered by the firm's own 996cc fuelcan be retrofitted to all models and is injected eight-valve 72-degree Valso claimed to add signifICant extra twin engine, developed by torque throughout the rev range. renowned GP engineer Alain This is being developed on the Chevallier, had succeeded in carvfactory-supported Cafe Racer running ing a healthy slice of its home in the French ProTwin race series, French market after production which scored a promising second place began in July 1999, as well as comon its debut in this hotly contested mencing export sales to Germany, class' Dijon-Prenois round in mid-April Swinerland and Benelux. But per- as well on the race version of the sistent problems with suppliers in a Black Magic neoclassic cafe racer, country with no modem history of which will be raced in the Isle of Man in four-stroke motorcycle producJune by Fabrlce Miguet, who already tion brought Voxan to its knees. In made a satisfactory TT debut for Voxan spite of successive injections of a year ago. Production of the soberly fresh capital by Gardette and his lhanlu to a healthy imIesIment by styled Black Magic street bike, designed Dassault Aviation partners, the French industrialist DlcIIer e:a-ux, by Sacha Lakic (previously best known Voxan appean Iv be back on its company was forced into liquidawheels and .-ely Iv .-.be _ for creating the controversial Bimota tion, before being rescued in June madel, Mantra), is now under way, with more 2002 by Bordeaux-based industri- examples of its Cafe . - r i g all.- new and existing madeIs. than 130 orders already taken for the alist Didier Cazeaux. A dedicated limited-edition model, of which no motorcyclist since his youth, more than 250 will be manufactured. Cazeaux made his fortune in property before acquiring boat Since rolling the first examples of its revamped V-twin manufacturer Guy Couach in 1996 and building it into a signifmodels off the production lines back in April 2003 at its icant - and profitable - force in the worldwide luxury yacht l$$Oire factory, lcocated just south of Michelin tire giant's market. Cazeaux has since pumped more than 3 million euros Clermont-Ferrand HQ in Central France, Voxan has gradual($3.68 million U.S.) into Voxan to restart manufacture, and he ly regained momentum, with 300 bikes (mostly the unique plans to invest further as he expands production and adds to Street Scrambler model) built In 2004 by Voxan's 32 employthe range of models. ees - all drawn from the previous l60-strong workforce, and By reducing the number of suppliers of the 2200 components comprising each Voxan motorcycle, with 30 percent of a further 'ISO targeted for 2005 for the French home market them new to the firm, Cazeaux has addressed the problems alone, plus a further slice for export sale in eighf European countries. Voxan's new CEO, Jerome Remy, is aiming at with price, quality and on-time delivery which spelled the end of Voxan the first time around, while also reducing the cost of breakeven for the company in 2007, with at least 1000 bikes produced, including two new models to be launched at the manufacture of each bike by one-third. At the same time, his Paris Show in September. These are thought to include a Voxan's Outlook Positive French V-twin equivalent of Triumph's good-selling Speed Triple, doubtless designed by a Lakic back to his flamboyant best, and a rally version of the Street Scrambler based on the bikes raced in the flourishing French Rally Championship by Patrick Curtat and "the fastest policeman in the world," veteran speed cop Marc Granie. However, thanks to the collapse of the French sportbike market owing to the government countrywide blin on speeding via cameras and radar, it's believed that Voxan has scrapped plans to introduce a volume production version of the Boxer VB I Sport, the acclaimed Voxan-engined Superbike produced four years ago by Thierry Henriette. Some 30 customer examples of the VB I had already been delivered when Voxan went into liquidation, cutting off Boxer's supply of bikes and engines. This also aborted the launch of the second new Boxer model due to be launched at the 200 I Paris Show, the l08-bhp B2 Roadster street rod, which Henriette t1ad targeted in terms of performance and style as a competitor to the Ducati 54 Monster. This second model would have used only a bought-in engine from Voxan, located instead in Boxer's own oval-section aluminum spaceframe. But now both it and the VB I Sport design, which were taken over by Didier Cazeaux back in 2003 with the intention of launching them as Voxan models, may be scrapped, with the B2 forming only the basis of the forthcoming Lakicdesigned "Speed Twin." Alon Cothcort *_ 12 JUNE 8, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS • \\- " .~,,* '\ --........ - ~ ~./" .... ~ . -~~.- --.0 • - , /. _.~'~. .---'~~ .- --.='- -/ .. ""'.-. .:;;."'f;;;J1~, , -~ p.~ , -, -".> ' ~ \ .\ .. '--- • .~' While retaining the stylish Scrambler mocIeI, Voxan also has tentative plans to produce a rally version of the bike.