Porsche scale car and bike!

 

Never saw this before ... Spark 1/43 scale Porsche 911 turbo and Porsche Bike combo. Limited to 1,000 made in 2015. Super cool!

Bike S illustration

 

Created a computer illustration of the Bike S last night. I may print this out 18"x24" for my garage. Definitely need more posters in my garage!

$76,500 sim racing rig

 

I got to drive a $76,500 sim racing rig for a PCA video. Here's the end result.

Top 2021 Fun Porsche Experiences

This time of year, I like to reminisce about the fun things I have accomplished throughout the year. Even with a global pandemic, I have much to be thankful for and had many amazing experiences in 2021. So, here are my top 13 fun Porsche experiences in 2021. Click on the links to read the posts.

13) 4-week Boxster strut replacement project

12) Porsche Sportscar Together Festival: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

11) I got to drive a Porsche Taycan!

10) Porsche Parade French Lick, Indiana

9) Werks Reunion events in Amelia Island and Monterey

8) Porsche Bike shock rebuild party

7) I hosted a Porsche Cayenne & Macan offroad event

6) 76-mile BWI to Annapolis Porsche Bike ride

5) World's largest display of Porsche Bikes

4) Bike Spyder #37 arrives in the U.S.

3) Porsche Bike Century ride

2) 550 Spyder 17-mile drive

1) 360-mile C&O/GAP Porsche Bike ride: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, published story

Christmas decor ride

Another good weather day and another short ride. 13 miles around my neighborhood on the 2004 Porsche Bike X today. 

Christmas ride

 

With temps into the mid-60s, I took the 2004 Porsche Bike X in Florida Coast to Coast configuration out for a Christmas Day 12-mile ride. It’s been awhile since I have been on any of my Porsche Bikes. Sure missed riding around. With weather like this, I’ll try to get out some more. 

Christmas Eve: 919 at Daytona

 

Excited about the new Porsche LMDH prototype announcement and rumors circulating that the car may be at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona to turn some demonstration laps, I drove the Porsche 919 Hybrid around Daytona for a few laps this morning. Great way to spend Christmas Eve!

Porsche Bike oddity: the Bikester mystery solved

I have counted 18 different Porsche Bike models, from the very first 1991 Porsche Bike Spyder 9.85 prototype to the latest Porsche eBike Sport. Some of these bicycle models are rather common among the Porsche Bike community. The Guards Red Bike S of the late 1990s would be considered the most common. The current line of Bike RS and Bike RX are still seen in most Porsche dealership showrooms.

Other bikes are much more rare. The Bike Spyder prototype is of course the rarest, but others like the Bike CS, Bike X, and Bike ST were not sold in the U.S. and only hundreds were produced of each. So these are considered rather rare among the entire line of limited Porsche produced bicycles.

Out of the 18 models, one bike is both very rare and very unusual … bordering on odd. I am a huge Porsche enthusiast, so saying a Porsche is odd is probably an understatement for others. This oddity among Porsche bicycles is called the Porsche Bikester.

It looks different and even has a model name distinct from the entire Porsche Bike line naming convention. The name Bikester is likely a combination of the Porsche "Bike" and "Speedster" names. This is dissimilar from all the other Porsche Bike names – that typically end with S, FS, ST, CS, X, R, RX, RS, etc.

I first learned about this Bikester while searching online for Porsche Bike memorabilia. I found the above 1997 Porsche Bike brochure with this unusual looking bicycle. I thought I was aware of all the Porsche Bikes produced. To my surprise, here was this unique full-suspension bike with huge red mudguard fenders with integrated lights and adjustable seat post and handlebars. It sure didn’t look anything like all the other Porsche Bikes.

Then I stumbled upon a press release announcement in the November 1997 edition of the PCA Chicago Region's Chicago Scene monthly newsletter. The announcement included information about the Bike S, Bike FS, Bike FS Evo, and the Bikester prototype:

Porsche Bikester. An entirely new kind of bicycle now entering the Porsche range is the Bikester. This prototype bike is designed for everyday use by the discerning touring rider. ln the interest of superior comfort, both on and off the beaten track, the Bikester has an adjustable dual suspension that can be optimized to a biker’s weight and personal preference. Instead of wire spoke wheels, which require a certain amount of care and maintenance, the Bikester comes with three-spoke wheels constructed from cast magnesium. Sachs Neos disc brakes, in turn, guarantee reliable stopping power. The Bikester’s transmission is also unconventional, with a maintenance-free V-belt leading to a 7-speed Sachs hub with grip shift. 

The Bikester comes complete with a short list of options and special equipment that includes a luggage rack, a child seat adapter, and a towbar for a child tow cart. Its full-illumination features comply with even the strictest road traffic regulations in Germany and most other countries. 

(From PCNA Web Site: for more information, contact your nearest authorized Porsche dealer.)

So, where is this unique Porsche Bikester? What was the idea behind it? Was it ever sold in the U.S. or only in Europe?

Researching other leads about Porsche Bikes, I was fortunate to ask some of the guys responsible for the 1990s Porsche Bikes a few questions about the Bikester.

Jürgen Steiner and his brother-in-law, co-designers and co-owners of VOTEC bikes in Germany, created the bike design that would ultimately become the 1990s Porsche Bikes.

Briefly asking Steiner about the Bikester, he said, “It was never produced, it was a study and concept bike."

Steiner pointed out that the Bikester “wasn’t their idea.” He didn’t seem too disappointed it was not considered for production.

Steiner then connected me with Bernhard Kciuk, who was in charge of the technical development of the entire Porsche Bike line in the 1990s.

Bernhard added that the Bikester prototype was created by VOTEC and Porsche as a concept study to be presented at the EUROBIKE exhibition in 1997.

“The sales executive and the head of marketing at Porsche urgently wanted to show a bike at the EUROBIKE exhibition. They wanted to display what was possible from the technical side in terms of a future concept. This was the birth of the Porsche Bikester,” Kciuk emailed me. “It was a difficult effort to design and realize such an unbelievable project.”

Kciuk went on to explain that the VOTEC team worked days and nights before the EUROBIKE event to fulfill the requirements set forth by Porsche. The parts for the stem and seat post adjustment were extremely complicated, because the idea behind the bike was to build one bike with a range of rider height from 5’4” to 6’4” without changing the frame.

“I think it was a brilliant idea but it was really, really expensive to realize this bike for a comprehensible amount of money. Most of the parts of the Bikester concept study had been unique pieces handmade including the mudguards,” Kciuk added. “The presentation at the exhibition was very impressive and we got a lot of demands for this bike, but the relevant board members at Porsche could not make the decision to build this bike in a small range. So, the Bikester, unfortunately disappeared in an archive room and I don’t know if it is still exists.”

Asking Bernhard if anything from the Bikester concept prototype still exists, he responded, “One highlight would be the technical drawing of the Porsche Bikester concept bike and a copy of a design drawing. Unfortunately I don‘t know where this drawing disappeared too. Would be great to have it.”

Asking Bernhard if the Bikester ever went into production, he also confirmed, “the Bikester has never been produced or sold. It was only a concept study, unfortunately.”

Learning the history and purpose of the Porsche Bikester provided a glimpse into what Porsche had in mind for the future of cycling. By today's standards, this prototype bike might seem unusual, but to the 1997 EUROBIKE attendees, this bike was likely seen as innovative and visionary.

The mystery of this Porsche Bike oddity was solved with personal information from both Steiner and Kciuk. But the Porsche Bikester prototype and any conceptual or technical drawings may still be out there. The search continues…

718 GT4 RS blueprint drawing

 

Using my MacBook Air, I illustrated the new 718 Cayman GT4 RS in a blueprint style drawing for an upcoming PCA event T-shirt. With COVID and all, I hope the event happens and these shirts are produced. If not, here's the first draft of the artwork.

Porsche prototype drive

 

Celebrating the press release announcement of the 2023 Porsche LMDH prototype, I drove some laps with the Porsche 919 Hybrid prototype at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps this afternoon. I set a new personal best of 2:00.5. Looking forward to 2023!

Porsche LMDH prototype tease

 

Yesterday Porsche teased the new 2023 LMDH prototype. Porsche posted a news announcement that was followed by all the racing websites providing these images. There was also one website claiming that the Porsche dealerships were shown a few exclusive images. Above is a collection of all of those images. Some have said the new prototype looks like a cross between a Porsche 956 and a standard LMP2 prototype, with a hint of Taycan. There’s a rumor circulating that this Porsche LMDH prototype will be doing a few demonstration laps at next January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. I am really looking forward to the 2023 racing year with this new Porsche prototype!