Indian Motorcycle Rocks Glemseck 101
The 2019 edition of Glemseck 101 was staged over the first weekend of September near Stuttgart and Indian Motorcycle rocked the now internationally renowned event in front of a crowd of thousands.
500GP legend Randy Mamola, made his German debut on Appaloosa, the Indian-Scout based racer, in the final Sultans of Sprint race event.
Four editors from some of Germany’s most influential motorcycle titles battled it out on production FTR 1200s.
Saturday afternoon saw the coveted International Sprint Series race, with Mamola and Appaloosa taking to the track, giving the thousands of fans lining the track a real spectacle.
Built by Brice Hennebert of Workhorse Speedshop to honour the Indian Scout’s 100th anniversary, ‘Appaloosa’ is named after the famous breed of horse.
Brice explains, “I wanted a name that could link Workhorse, Indian Motorcycle and speed. As soon as I discovered that the American horse breed Appaloosa was one of the world’s fastest horses, I knew I had the name for an American sprint bike built by Workhorse. After putting so much into this build, I’m excited to see the reaction to it and I can’t wait to see Randy blast it down the racetrack.”
‘Appaloosa’ is the culmination of over 700 hours of design and fabrication by Workhorse and has been supported with technical expertise and premium components from project partners Akrapovič, Beringer Brakes, Motorex, Öhlins, and Vibrant Performance.
After completely stripping the Scout Bobber, Brice cut and narrowed the original fuel tank, retaining the side profile, to create a cover for a new aluminium fuel cell which holds just 2.5 litres for sprint racing.
With the fuel cell in place, work focussed on the riding position, a critical element for quick starts.
A new sub-frame was fabricated to better support the rider under hard acceleration and combines with lower clip-on handlebars and drag-style foot controls to tilt the rider forward and keep weight over the front wheel.
To further enhance traction when the flag drops, Brice designed and welded an extended aluminium swingarm.
With parts CNC machined from his drawings by Beringer Brakes, the swingarm is mated to advanced, fully adjustable suspension technology from Öhlins.
Matching the STX 36 piggyback rear shock absorbers, Öhlins also supplied Retro 43 front forks and a steering damper to ensure the best possible grip and stability enabling the full performance of the bike to be utilised.
With a rolling chassis and elements of the streamlined fairing starting to take shape, Brice took Appaloosa to Akrapovič where a bespoke titanium exhaust system was created for maximum power and the best possible sound.
Without making any internal modifications, engine power has been increased to 130hp with a combination of the Akrapovič exhaust, a racing ECU, Power Commander, direct intake, Nitrous Oxide Injection system and MOTOREX oil.
To get the power to the tarmac, the original belt drive has been converted to chain drive and a quickshifter ensures swift and precise gear changes.
Bringing the rapid racer to a controlled stop is the complete 4D Aerotec braking system from Beringer Brakes. The 4D system features two Ø230mm discs per caliper for increased power over standard single discs as well as reduced inertia to aid acceleration. Beringer Brakes also supplied the handlebar controls and buttons as well as CNC machining many of the parts designed by Brice.
Using hosing supplied by Vibrant Performance the cooling system has been simplified for weight reduction and for a cleaner look around the engine. Additional components from Vibrant such as welded dash connectors, fuel and water tank caps and heat protection hoses add finishing touches to Appaloosa.
Images by Dutchground Media / Operation Panda / Iv Ivanov / Gotz Goppert
Source: MCNews.com.au