Hook Motors

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We are proud to welcome our new sponsors Hook Motors from Bologne in Italy, a region full of life where the world of motorcycles is equally active. Run by Laura Tassi and Cedric Biseuil, In addition to selling cool motorcycles, Hook Motors offers just about everything the passionate motorcyclist might wish for!

"Our Goal at Hook Motors is to offer a cool and refined lifestyle for the motorcycle lover.
A Lifestyle that speak of vintage motorcycle , cafe racers, speed, passion, elegance, and the appreciation of originality. Reconquering the essence of a time when metal sheets were hand shaped to create exclusive motorbike parts and when beauty was found in the crafting of simple, elegant details. We endeavour to create a haven for the motorcycle enthusiast in which to find stylish daywear garments, luxury accessories, fine art, specialized books, but above all, hip motorbikes that reflect our philosophy of life and become one of a kind.

Laura and Cedric

Hook Motors Workshop Bologna: Via Don Minzoni 4/2a, 40121 Bologna Italy

Nous sommes fier d'accueillir aujourd'hui un nouveau sponsor : Hook Motors de Bologne en Italie une région ou la vie de la moto est très active. Dirigé par Cedric Biseuil et Laura Tassi, Hook Motors a pour vocation de nous offrir tout ce que nous recherchons aujourd'hui: un lifestyle raffiné et cool pour le passionné de moto.

Un Lifestyle centré autour d'un style de motos vintage et Café-Racers, ou la vitesse, la passion et l'élégance sont un moyen de penser différement. Revenir à des valeurs simples ou les motos et leurs pièces étaient crées à la main, presque uniques. Créer un espace privilégié pour l'amateur de moto ou l'on peut trouver des vêtements et accessoires raffinés mais aussi une libraire spécialisée des créations artistiques, et par dessus tout de belles motos qui reflêtent une philosophie de vie unique en son genre

Voila la vocation de Hook Motors !






Hook Motors is the exclusive reseller of Wrenchmonkees motorcycles and parts for Italy.
for any queries email Cedric at : Info@hookmotors.com

Visit Hook Motors Website
Visit Hook Motors EShop

Hook represents:
Vitesse Moto, Focale 44, Ateliers Ruby,Daphne, Stewart old Glory, Schott, Monoway, Aviator google, Spektre, Kryptonite, Greasy Culture, Sideburn, Acerbis, Barbour, Brooks, Care Label, Converse, Davida, Deus, DmD, Filson, Halcyon, Hook Motors, Johnson's Motors, Natual Selection, Replay, Scott, Superdry, Taschen, Werk, Wrenchmonkees
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Prescription For A Bob Job

Dr. Sprocket (aka Rich Ostrander), recently set a couple of photos of a knucklehead he just finished for his old friend Chuck V. He didn't give any info but it looks to be a '47 with various rare sourced vintage parts.

Note the front twin leading shoe brake and at the rockers suspension dampeners. Aluminum tool box and taillight are both Crocker parts.


Hollywood bars, 18" wheels, front hub cap, 6" inch air cleaner and rectangular foot boards from the late '30's are all nice touches. I'm guessing that the pipes are vintage Superior.

Being stripped down and yet retaining so much of a Harley's vintage styling just might make Bob Jobs the best all around bikes of them all.
Bobber!
Bobber!
Bobber!

El Solitario Heritage Motorcycle Co.

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Text VP

I have always been passionate about Spain. Since I was very young, in our travels we always felt the the good vibration it pours. I traveled all over the country and find every occasion to go back a good one. Recently in my last trip I encountered a new region, Galicia, very different from the rest of Spain. This region has a very strong personality, from its landscapes to its inhabitants' origins ... David rode us there for the first time of many. He is a truly special specimen and there he's known by the name of "El Solitario". May be it is because he has spent more time abroad than in his native country, which has probably forged his dissident character, and also his love for old motorcycles and their culture. David spent five years in Miami before moving back to Spain and opening "El Solitario Heritage Motorcycle Co.". In his workshop, he has already started the building and transformation of classic and vintage motorcycles. It's great to see those wooden benches already full of work in progress! You can breathe the challenge in its origins. The challenge of a man that left everything behind to pursue his dreams. We are eager to see his very first works that will be exposed in June at the Southsiders week-end.

Me confieso un enamorado de España desde muy temprana edad. Es un pais donde siempre he percibido buenas sensaciones y que conozco bien tras multiples viajes a lo largo y ancho de su territorio. En mi ultimo viaje descubri Galicia, una region distinta y misteriosa. Tierra de gran personalidad, tanto en sus paisajes como en sus origines. Alli nos llevo David, un personaje muy especial... Alli le llaman El Solitario, dado que se ha pasado gran parte de su vida vagando por distintos lugares del mundo, siempre lejos de su tierra natal, lo que probablemente sea la raiz de su marcado caracter disidente y su pasion por las motos viejas y la cultura que las rodea. David vivio 5 años de su vida en Miami antes de su regreso a Galicia, para la apertura del El Solitario Heritage Motorcycle Co. En los bancos de su taller ya se perfilan las siluetas de sus primeras creaciones y huele a madera quemada y desafio. El desafio de un hombre que lo dejo todo para realizar sus sueños. Ansiamos el momento de poder contemplar sus obras que seran expuestas en Junio en la fiesta de Southsiders MC.









Text by Chris Hunter
The bike-building scene in Spain is absolutely booming, and I’ve no idea why. We have the specialists—like Radical Ducati—and the new wave custom shops, like Café Racer Dreams. Now we have El Solitario MC, based in the Galician town of Gondomar and run by vintage motorcycle racer David Borras. It’s hard to categorize this shop, but it’s run on enthusiasm and skill, without being tied to any particular style. This distinctive, heavily patina’d machine is the first creation, a matching numbers Triumph T120R that’s had a complete motor rebuild and been fitted with a hardtail frame. The rims are Borrani—19” rear and 21” front—with a 1971 Triumph twin leading shoe drum up front and race tires. Carburetion is twin Amal monobloc, and David has also fitted a QPD open belt drive and Boyer Bransden ignition. The tank and rear fender are classic Wassell. It’s grungy, oddball and stylish at the same time, and will no doubt polarise opinion …

Images courtesy of Vincent Prat, Southsiders MC. Take a look at the El Solitario MC website for glimpses of other interesting machines and some very good photography.

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Matt and the Machines

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News from the far end of the world !

There is a special link between Southsiders and Matt at Machine in Australia. Three years ago we were the first to tell you about the wonderful, multitalented, and enigmatic Matt, a man of taste, capable of designing and building architectural dream worlds and building the most beautiful and brutal bikes in our small world.
We are honored today, to be the first to show this superb film by Mat Harrington with original music by Surya Bajracharya.
Watch it and share it with your friends!

Matt ..., i'm very proud of you !

MACHINE from matt machine on Vimeo.

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Good for Retro and Classic Motorcycles

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Text by Chris Hunter
During the austere and oppressive reign of General Franco—a remarkable 36 years from 1939 to 1975—foreign motorcycles were a rarity in Spain. So this BMW R75/5 must be a novelty on Iberian roads. It’s owned by Juan Ramón Ortega, a Madrileño with a longstanding passion for BMWs. He bought this 1972 model six years ago: “It’s one of three R75/5s that I found in Belgium and brought back in a small truck with some friends. Then we left the bikes gathering dust … the crisis came.” Two years ago, Ortega wheeled out his bike and started work. He cut down the rear subframe, fitted a Harley-Davidson rear fender and a Ford stoplight, and got out the paint gun. He also fitted a new hand made seat, Renthal bars and Firestone vintage-style tires. Racing-style number plates from England provided the finishing touch. But this custom is no bar-hopper: Ortega has just finished a huge motorcycle tour of Spain and Portugal, and it’s his daily driver too. For such a practical bike, it’s remarkably beautiful.

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Spain and Portugal 2011 Part II

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After a night in Salamanca's streets, the third day began with some roadside repairs to my Guzzi under the watchful eye of Santo Domingo. Thanks to Juan Ramon who kindly brought the much needed part all the way from Madrid, we were soon on the road again to Portugal.

The sky above was grey and threatening, just the way I like it!
For maximum riding pleasure we kept to the minor roads where possible, even though it probably doubled the length of our journey.

Guijuelo

A few kilometres down the road we stopped at what could easily have been the Baghdad cafe, far from anywhere we sat down for a banquet of Spain's finest ham and wine. The 'Guijuelo Restaurant', you probably won't find it in the Michelin guide. One of life's simple pleasures, good friends around the dinner table, far from anyway, excellent.

Olé !

Party man Juan La Fuerza

Loren and El Solitario

My Bmw is a night club and I like it ! (full feature soon)

Spain trip Summer 2011

Storm Approach...

Here we are... In Portugal

The rest of the day we rode mile after mile on deserted roads, with the dark skies above this was certainly one of the more memorable moments of the road-trip, until finally the heavens opened up as we crossed the frontier into Portugal.
We headed to the nearest village, Termas de Monforthino, where the only shelter and apparent sign of life was at the local bar. After a beer with the locals they were only too happy to direct us to a 'Pensao', or bed and breakfast, with enough rooms to house an Army let alone a few bedraggled bikers!
To finish the day we headed to the finest restaurant in town, an easy choice as there was only one to choose from and after a superb dinner it was back to the Pensao in the early hours for some Spanish style measures of Rum!

15€ With breakfast, unbeatable!

On the morning of the fourth day and just after a few kilometres El Solitario's Panhead broke down in the middle of nowhere's ville. For once it was not me and the Guzzi slowing our progress. With plenty of helping hands and to the sound of Bob Dylan, the Linkert was soon in pieces.
Once cleaned and reassembled, which didn't actually do much to improve the Pans performance, we were on the move again, Acres and acres of Eucalyptus and Olive trees flashed by, hour after hour passed and the group became separated but we headed onwards. Our sights were on Lisbon and the seaside bungalows reserved by Joao, eventually we arrived late at night.

Linkert Attack!

Azulejos

And so began our stay in Lisbon, beautiful sunshine and lodgings on the beach. With our guide Joao, we rode the coast north and south of Lisbon by day, and experienced Lisbon and Tequila by night!
We also met up with the boys from 'Rev' magazine for a photo shoot.

Cascais

America's cup 2011

Forte de Sao Juliao de Barra

Boca do Inferno

Guillermo

Loren

Cabo da Roca

La Déesse or DS by Citroen

With Rev' Magazine crew

Ponte 25 de Abril

the streets of Lisbon

Lisbon by night

Setubal

Then came the time to say au revoir to our friends. Juan left us to join his family in Madrid and 'El Solitario' headed off with plans for everyone to meet up again in Galicia in northern Portugal. Our original group took the road north via Eciceira, Nazare, Sao Pedro de Moel.

Sintra

Ericeira

Polo & Mark

Ribeira d'Ihlas

Nazaré

Raining! do we go?

Sao Pedro do Moel

Fantastic houses of Sao Pedro do Moel

Surfer's squat

Then the transmission on the Guzzi began to emit some worrying sounds, I pressed on regardless arriving at Praia de Mira where we spent the night.
The following morning the Guzzi's final drive drive broke and in an instant, I realised that it was the end of the road-trip for the two of us. With absolutely no chance of repairing the bike locally due to a complete absence of Moto guzzi delaers, the only solution was to repatriate the Guzzi to France.

Praia de Mira

Just before the fatal failure...

Renault 12 from 1970

Fishermen's Widows

Azulejos

Mark and Polo continued on the road north while we stayed behind to coordinate bikes the recovery.

We would have given anything to be with Mark and Polo, as they crossed the Portugese Spanish frontier at midnight, but for us the trip to Galicia was in the back of a Taxi. With everyone safely regrouped in Galicia, we were treated to several days of luxury with David and Val's family, superb cuisine lovingly prepared by Davids mother followed by long nights partying thanks to Loren. All of it unforgetable.

Biological culture

El Solitario's Bobber (full feature soon)

Lansbricae Celtics Ruins

O'Carballiño Rock bar

Dancing all night long...

Santiago de Compostela

Pimientos del Padron

O'Grove, Gallicia

We wished it could last forever but eventually the time came to repatriate the Guzzi back to Toulouse. El Solitario lent me his van to recover the Guzzi from Portugal and then the long road all the way to Toulouse, off with the Guzzi, on with the Norton, and en suite all the way back to Galicia! Three thousand kilometres in three days.

Cudilliero, Asturias

Santoña, Cantabrica

Back in Galicia we were once again ready to continue the road trip, this time on the Norton, less comfortable but lighter and better handling. Our paths seperated once more, Mark and Polo opted for a slighter quicker route back to France while we preferred heading northwards to the coast beginning with Gijon, Santander and onwards to Bilbao.
I don't particularly like Bilbao but the idea of finishing our journey with a visit to the Guggenheim museum was iresistable. Our voyage ended there, all that remained was the final three hour ride back home in the rain.

Kids of Santoña

Bilbao Guggenheim Museum

I wish for only one thing, to do it again...

Thanks to: David,Guillermo,Ivan,Joao,José,JuanRamon,Lalo,Loren,Mark,Pilar
,Polo,Tania,Valeria,Vitor

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