Steady Garage has released a video showcasing a custom build of the SCL500 that will make you want a new scrambler. This is one of the first custom makeovers of the SCL500 that we’ve seen in the States.
The SCL500, also known as the CL500 in other regions, was recently unveiled by Honda and made available. This scrambler from Big H is based on the Rebel 500, featuring a 471cc parallel-twin engine with a 180-degree crank, producing around 45.5 horsepowers and paired with a six-speed transmission.
While the Rebel 500 is an easy-to-ride beginner bike with a low ground clearance, it does have some design limitations due to its shared engine with other Honda models. That’s where Steady Garage comes in to give it a unique makeover.
The video showcases the entire build process, from unboxing the SCL500 to the final customized version, without any commentary. Steady Garage starts with a teardown, uses computer-aided design (CAD) for planning, and then proceeds to metal fabrication. The end result is a set of quality parts specifically fitted for the SCL500, along with several upgrades.
Some notable upgrades include a skid plate that adds a rugged scrambler look to the bike, hand guards, engine crash guards, and luggage racks designed in the same style as the skid plate. The custom build also features a front Brembo brake caliper, wire-spoke wheels, new contact points such as a Pro-Taper handlebar and brake master cylinder, a Vance & Hines exhaust, and Shinko tires.
The before and after shots in the video highlight the transformation of the SCL500, particularly the change of the tank paint job from bright orange to green and yellow with a custom design. This custom build by Steady Garage promises to make the SCL500 a favorite in the custom scene.
If you hear a squeaking noise from your brakes, it’s important to understand the underlying issue before attempting any fixes. In some cases, the noise may be due to condensation on the brakes, which can easily be resolved by parking your vehicle in a climate-controlled area overnight. Additionally, gently applying the brakes early in your drive can help reduce or eliminate the noise. While applying WD-40 might temporarily displace the water and quiet the brakes, it is not a long-term solution unless you plan to do it every day.
However, squeaky brakes can also be an indication that your brake pads are worn out and need to be replaced. This noise serves as an important safety warning. If you choose to spray WD-40 on your brakes, it can cause damage to the rubber seals on the caliper seals and brake lines. This damage can result in hydraulic fluid leaks and potentially dangerous failures in your brake system. It’s important to note that some vehicles have drum brakes on their rear wheels. If the source of the noise is a stuck drum, using a brake lubricant instead of WD-40 is recommended. Apply the lubricant to the backing plate where the brake shoe sits and avoid applying it to the front brake rotors. Applying lubricant between the disc rotors and brake pads can significantly affect the performance of your disc brakes and potentially lead to an accident.
The idea behind Garage 54’s latest contraption sprang from an offhand comment. One of their friends remarked that the group was so clever if they were thrown into a forest, they would drive out in a car. This led the team to wonder if they could build a car out of logs.
Known for their Lada abuse, the Garage 54 team has built some truly oddball creations. They made an engine run on half gas and half diesel, modified a car with true four-wheel steering, and built a snow removal system that shook the whole car. They seem to have no shortage of junk cars and auto parts lying around to aid in their mad scientist experiments.
Starting with a pile of spare parts, including an engine, transmission, axels, and wheels, the team begins assembling a car in a forest. They build a frame out of logs, using the larger diameter ones for frame rails and smaller diameter logs for traverse beams. The front axle is a solid wood log with upper and lower control arms lashed to it with steel wire. Before long, they have a rolling chassis.
From there, they are able to mount the engine and transmission, connecting the driveshaft to the rear wheels. A steering rack allows them to steer the car normally. Up to this point, the subframe for the steering assembly presented the biggest challenge because it slid around, making the chassis hard to steer. However the team is able to engineer a fix using extra logs and more than a little steel wire.
The next day, Garage 54 installs a driver’s seat, shifter, and a two-pedal arrangement for the gas and clutch. Braking is managed with a hand lever as opposed to modern hydraulics. Test-driving the vehicle, they discover the log car produces wheelspin. It may not drift like an LS-swapped BMW E36, but the potential is there nonetheless.
Looking like an oversized gocart or something the Flintstones would drive, the log car catches people’s attention. Two boys look on in amazement before chasing after it. Other people stopped the Garage 54 team to ask questions and pose for photos. Everywhere it went, it drew people like a supercar.
A 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda Convertible is not in great shape after it survived a fire in the owner’s garage. Although the owner managed to rescue the vehicle from the flames, it suffered significant damage. Photos taken before the fire show that the car was already in poor condition, with faded paint, a missing grille, cracked windshield, and no rear seats.
The owner had plans to restore the ‘Cuda, but now the task is even more challenging. The paint has severely faded, and there are several missing or damaged components. Despite the setbacks, the owner still hopes to bring this muscle car back to its former glory.
The ‘Cuda was the high-performance variant of the regular Barracuda model offered by Plymouth. This particular ‘Cuda features a 340-cubic-inch V8 engine and an automatic gearbox with a steering column shifter.
Plymouth offered a variety of engines for the Barracuda lineup. The base model came with a 198-cubic-inch inline-six engine, while the ‘Cuda could be equipped with a powerful 426-cubic-inch Hemi V8 that produced 425 horsepower.
The 1971 ‘Cuda is considered relatively rare, with Plymouth selling only 18,690 units that year. This was a significant drop from the 55,499 units sold in 1970. The 1971 model featured a revamped design with a four-headlight layout, chrome gills on the front fenders, and different taillights. Plymouth offered 21 exterior colors for this model.
Aside from the ‘Cuda, the owner also has a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS with power windows, a 1970 Barracuda, and a Henderson motorcycle in his collection. The owner plans to rebuild his garage so that the ‘Cuda can be safely stored once the construction is complete. Hopefully, this will mark the start of the car’s restoration journey.
Although this ‘Cuda is in rough shape, there are other examples in worse condition. Motor1.com previously covered a triple-black 1972 Plymouth Cuda 340 that was discovered in the woods in Virginia, completely overgrown and covered in leaves. It took a winch-equipped flatbed truck to retrieve the car from its hiding spot.
This stunning 1951 Daimler DB18 convertible had been patiently waiting in a garage for many years before its owner finally decided to part ways with it. With its rare right-hand drive configuration, this car boasts unique features such as suicide doors, a regal grille, and an elegant yet dignified profile. Recently, the owner generously donated this pre-war beauty to the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. To ensure it was presented in its best possible condition, the WD Detailing crew stepped in to work their magic.
Before embarking on its journey to its new home, the DB18 had to overcome its first hurdle – the challenge of being extracted from the confines of the garage. Thankfully, the tires, albeit deflated, still held air and allowed the convertible to easily roll onto the waiting trailer. Once it arrived at the WD Detailing shop, the first order of business was to rejuvenate those tires and restore the white walls to their former glory.
A tyre gauge is a must-have tool, whether you keep it in your car or in the garage. With so many options available, we set out to discover which ones are the best.
To determine the top performers, we tested the tyre gauges in both daylight and low-light conditions. We considered factors such as visibility of the dials, ease of connecting to the tyre valve, quality and durability, pressure range, and any additional features offered. Of course, we also took value for money into account.
The Goodyear gauge is compact and well-built, making it ideal for storing in a glovebox. It features a 45-degree rotating chuck, which makes it easy to attach to the valve. While gauges with flexible hoses are more convenient for hard-to-reach valves, the Goodyear gauge is still highly functional. Additionally, its durable plastic case allows for easy storage in a garage. We particularly appreciate the simplicity and reliability of the analog design, especially considering that this tool is often left unused for long periods of time.
The Draper gauge features a stylish blue face that is easy to read, and the overall build quality is impressive. Despite its affordable price, this gauge feels durable enough to last a lifetime. With its flexible hose and angled chuck, it is effortless to attach to the tyre valve. It also performs well in high-pressure readings. While we give the Goodyear gauge the top spot for its compact size, if portability is not a concern for you, the Draper gauge is an excellent alternative.
The Triple F Collection, known for its collection of powerful supercars and hypercars, has organized a head-to-head drag race to answer the questions that car enthusiasts often have. The race features the recently acquired Rimac Nevera, an all-electric supercar, going against the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, which is equipped with an 8.0L quad-turbocharged W16 engine producing 1,578 horsepower and 1,180 lb-ft of torque.
The Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, despite being a multi-million dollar vehicle produced under the same Bugatti Rimac brand as the Rimac Nevera, is considered the underdog with its 1,578 horsepower compared to the Nevera’s 1,914 horsepower. In the race, Jordan and Jason, the owners of Triple F Collection, each drive one of the hypercars down a private quarter-mile drag strip. While the race results are not revealed, it is mentioned that Jordan pushes the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport to its limits, giving the Rimac Nevera some competition. Apart from the main race, the Triple F Collection also presents an EV showdown featuring the Tesla Model S Plaid. With the addition of the Rimac Nevera, fans can expect more high-speed content from the Triple F Collection. If you’re interested in purchasing a Bugatti Chiron, you can find examples for sale on duPont REGISTRY by clicking the link below.
We now have our first official 2024 motocross bike in the garage. It’s the KTM 450SX-F and we already love it. That’s a little odd because this is an unchanged bike for 2024, and we didn’t especially love it last year. Not at first, anyway. It was new at that time–very new. The frame had different flex characteristics and the motor was relocated with a lower output shaft in order to provide an anti-squat characteristic. The motor–which didn’t look that different–had significant differences in the head and throttle body. A new map switch on the left side of the bar had dedicated buttons for the aggressive and mild maps, as well as traction control and Quickshift. The shock was completely new, while the fork was still a WP Xact air fork with new valving. Along the way, the bike gained weight–around 6 pounds.
KTM is a leader in the MX market in every way, including price. The MSRP for the 450SX-F is $11,099.
The problem was that we were big fans of the previous version. The new frame felt stiffer and we had a hard time getting past that. We thought it was a concession to the Cooper Webbs of the world for Supercross. Then it came out that Cooper Webb wasn’t a big fan, either. Now, we have a very different perspective. In our 2023 450 Shootout, we had the 2023 GasGas MC450F, which had the old frame that we thought we loved so much. It was flexy and squatty compared to the new KTM. It turned out that we had to come to terms with the new rigidity and learn to use it. We also learned to give the bike some time. Both the frame and the fork needed break-in before feeling comfortable. Cooper Webb obviously came to terms with the new chassis as well, but at that level, his issues were more or less irrelevant to the rest of us. It was interesting that when Tony Cairoli came to America, he was forced to use the frame because of the AMA’s production rule. He was shocked at how flexy it was compared to his European works frame. To each his own.
Cornering is still a KTM strength. The frame changes that came last year contribute to level, predictable manners.
In that same shootout, the KTM was the king of the dyno, with 59.94 horsepower at 9360 rpm. What really sets the KTM apart isn’t the peak output as much as the smooth, controllable nature of the power delivery. The build-up is linear and the peak comes fairly early. You don’t have to rev it, but you do have to respect it. The 450SX-F has excellent low-end torque, so you can short shift and keep it clear of the crazy zone if you like, but it isn’t stall-proof. If you brake hard or yank open the throttle at low rpm, you run the risk of stalling out.
Pete Murray on the 2024 KTM 450SX-F.
KTM gives you two maps that can be selected on the left side of the handlebar. The white map is smoother and the green map revs a little more freely. The same control cluster gives you the option of traction control, which some riders find useful. Most are indifferent to it. And then there’s the Quickshift on/off button, which interrupts the ignition when you shift. This can be very useful, but you have to be on top of your game. If you have a clear run to the end of the straight, it allows clean up-shifts at full throttle. In the real world, you don’t often find conditions where you want that. Most of the time, your front wheel is coming up or you’re struggling for traction. Full throttle, as it turns out, isn’t attained that often on a 60-horsepower motorcycle.
The KTM still ranks on top of the charts when it comes to cornering. It’s super easy to initiate a turn and once established, it holds a level, even attitude throughout the corner. It’s still a very light motorcycle; 229 pounds without fuel. That might be heavier than the old version, but it’s lighter than anything else in the 450 class. The KTM still uses the WP Xact air fork on its motocross models. It is an excellent fork in many regards including adjustability and light weight. In terms of outright performance, however, there are more comfortable units on the market. The KTM delivers some feedback to rider’s hands on square-edge bumps that’s hard to eliminate through normal fork tuning. It’s interesting that KTM’s XC cross-country models now have a coil-spring version of the Xact fork. Our initial testing with those forks in an off-road environment has been encouraging. We can’t wait to try one set up for motocross; we understand it performs like the air fork equipped with the WP drop-in spring kit, which has become very popular. We have a lot of testing to do and we are just getting started. The full test will appear in the October, 2023 print edition of Dirt Bike.
RETRO STAR YAMAHAS AT WASHOUGAL
Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA kicking-off of a year-long celebration of the YZ and its 50 years of production. Commemorating the occasion on track this weekend, the Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing team will be sporting a special throwback livery from the ’90s era at the Pro Motocross Washougal National. The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 Teams will also be donning the 1993 purple and white colorway at the MXGP of Flanders in Lommel, Belgium, as part of the global celebration of the iconic off-road model line.
OLD BIKE CORNER
We have a couple of older bikes in the DB studio right now. This one is particularly close to my heart because I’m old and I raced the hell out of this particular machine. It’s a 1980 RM250, which has to be considered the end of an era. It was the last truly competitive air-cooled, Japanese two-shocker. Next year came the single-shock Full-Floater and then liquid-cooling came to the 250 in 1982. Interestingly enough, Suzuki was the only one that actually had a good single-shock design in 1981 and it got them in big trouble. Don Richardson was the inventor and he successfully sued for patent infringement and breach of contract. The 1980 two-shock RM250 actually had much better suspension than any of the single shocks system from Kawasaki (in 1980), Honda (1981) and Yamaha (which had evolved continuously since 1975). This particular bike is owned by Mark Dooley of DG Performance. It turns out that DG doesn’t make a pipe for this particular model.
Another older bike that will appear in Dirt Bike is this 1995 Yamaha YZ250 owned by Rick Doughty of Vintage Iron. There wasn’t anything especially memorable about the 1995 YZ, but it did win the Dirt Bike Shootout that year (which was written by Roger DeCoster). We think he might have been a little mad at Honda in 1995, but that’s another story. The reason Doughty’s bike is special is because it presents what we think is a great restoration project. You can still get a lot of parts for bikes of this vintage and it’s the newest bike allowed to race in the “Revo” class. The story will be called “Restore It” and it will be in the October 2023 issue.
The “RDx5” image on the cover of the January 1995 issue of Dirt Bike was created before Photoshop was used in publishing. It was set up at El Mirage dry lake. A twin-lens reflex camera was set up on a tripod and Roger DeCoster changed clothes five times while I shot the five images. The images were merged at our film stripping house Valley Color. The image was used to illustrate our 250 Shootout that year, which was written by RD. The Yamaha YZ250 was the winner.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
The Road 2 Recovery Foundation (R2R), the official charity of the Pro Motocross Championship, is excited to announce the second wave of the historic Brian Barnes Moto Museum Collection Auction, which is slated to begin at 9 a.m. PDT / 12 p.m. EDT this Saturday, July 22, at MXLocker.com. This unprecedented auction will be held concurrently with Round 8 of the 2023 Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the MotoSport.com Washougal National, where the majority of the items listed hold historical significance linked to the storied history of iconic Washougal MX Park and come with confirmed race-worn provenance. With over 110 unique items, including some extremely rare autographed jerseys with verified authenticity and added commentary directly from the riders to the ever-popular “buy it now” items, this auction demands attention. To ensure enthusiasts have ample time to study the extensive inventory, MXLocker.com is offering an early access “preview only,” beginning Friday, July 21. This will allow bidders the opportunity to create or update their MXLocker account, familiarize themselves with the listed items, and plan their bidding strategy.
MXA FANTASY
Our buddies at Motocross Action are in the fantasy sports business, but it’s not gambling and won’t cost you anything. Round 8 of the AMA Pro National Series will take place in Washougal this weekend! The winning prize for this round will be a $150 shopping spree on the Blud Lubricant website.
The owner of this 1972 Ford Gran Torino put it in an open garage bay 20 years ago, and it sat there ever since. Now, the folks at WD Detailing drag the forgotten personal luxury coupe out of the resting place to give the vehicle a much-needed wash.
While it was partially covered, this Gran Torino still looks rough. There’s dust and grime on the body. The interior is filthy. According to the owner, a raccoon got into the engine bay at some point and tore things up.
WD Detailing focuses on cleaning the car, but the team also makes sure the engine still turns over. It does, but the Ford needs lots of work before the powerplant gets running again.
Rather than starting by washing the body like usual, the detailers begin with the cabin this time because they plan on dyeing the carpets. The upholstery on the seats is also filthy. There’s a massive mouse nest under the rear seat.
As usual, just washing the body goes a long way toward making this Gran Torino look better. Instead of using wash mitts, the crew wipes the body with sandpaper to remove the oxidation from the paint. While unorthodox, the tactic works well here.
At the end of the cleaning process, the Gran Torino looks significantly better. There’s still some patina on the body with some chipped paint and less-than-shiny chrome. Inside, there are big holes on the driver and passenger side of the front bench. Plus, there would still need to be lots of mechanical work to make the car road-worthy.
Ford introduced the Torino name in 1968 as an upmarket subseries for the Fairlane. In 1970, the Blue Oval swapped the nomenclature by making Torino the primary model and Fairlane the submodel. For the 1972 model year, the Torino entirely took over, and the Blue Oval introduced the Gran Torino moniker.
Ford offered the ’72 Torino with an inline-six and a variety of V8s. This one has an eight-cylinder powerplant, but we can’t see enough to identify which one.
Jay Leno’s Garage features the latest off-road-capable machine, the Ford F-150 Raptor R, with Tony Greco, the muscle truck’s program manager and engineer. This video showcases a detailed discussion about the truck’s specifications and development. The Raptor R is equipped with a modified version of the 5.2-liter supercharged V8 found in the Mustang Shelby GT500, developing an impressive 700 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque, providing an excellent rev range.
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