Hero / Philippe Canapa
Article for Moto Heroes
Written by Philippe Canville - Photographs by Laurent Scavone
Before reading Philippe Canville's excellent article on Philippe Canapa's car and motorbike collection, I'd like to tell you about this beautiful and efficient Harley Davidson, prepared for Flat Track by Doolish Racing (Vincent Hallouin).
Flat track preparation / Doolish Racing
I must admit that this machine is particularly well thought out. A beautiful motorbike is what you expect from a customisation, and for some, aesthetics take precedence over handling on the road. This is not the case with this motorbike; on the contrary, it can boast of being both at once. For many, a Harley is made for cruising and that's it! The transformation of this motorbike has reinforced its "performance" character, and you can feel it when you're riding it. It is agile and very easy to handle. The more aggressive riding position increases the bike's responsiveness, and it must be said that this bike is a featherweight, which compensates for its small displacement (883). The 19-inch wheels also contribute to this feeling of performance, unless it's just an impression, but I don't think so. And making a flattracker on a 1200 would not make sense because to gain agility, the bike's weight must be as light as possible. With a 5L tank, wide handlebars, and a well-designed center of gravity, you feel good on this bike. Strangely, it doesn't make any noise, unlike Harleys in Chopper mode; at first, it's unsettling, but you quickly get used to it because you're comfortable on this machine. The electronic instrumentation that replaces the instrument cluster is magnificent, and all the cables are meticulously hidden and streamlined to the bare necessities. There's a great sense of precision in the attention to every detail, which provides a feeling of security. I should also mention that I weigh 75kg and am 1.79m tall, which is perfect for this bike. Taller and especially heavier, this bike would not seem as pleasant. The seat, yes, the seat is made for a small butt; 10kg more, and it would become unbearable... In short, this bike is made for me.
Laurent Scavone
"Since his early youth, Philippe Canapa, a native of Lille, has lived his passion to the fullest. Whether on the track, the road, or the dirt ovals, he loves above all to go fast and treat himself to beautiful toys. A meeting with an epicurean versed in hedonism…"
“What distinguishes adults from children is the size of their toys,” wrote a great journalist named Françoise Giroud in her time. Philippe Canapa, whom we met for this article, perfectly illustrates this little philosophy, as he has spent so much time in his life and his career as a biker treating himself to what he enjoys most. He started early, it must be said, this native of the early 60s. He says: “I think I discovered the pleasures of mechanics from my very first years. My father worked in motor racing and marketed Bosch systems to make cars perform. He traveled to circuits and adjusted or helped adjust carburetors and ignitions. So very early on, he dragged me to the Gueux circuit in Reims and elsewhere; I must have been five or six years old. The bug hit hard, and I never recovered…”
He announces this with a big smile, and his words are beyond contradiction when he lists his many possessions in terms of motorbikes or cars: “Obviously, as soon as I could, I hopped on a moped. Like all my friends. And we did everything possible to go... fast. Around 16, I received my first real motorbike, a Yamaha 125 DTMX with which I had many adventures. Then there was a string of bikes, not always very efficient, but which I tried to make go as fast as possible.
In no particular order, Yamaha 1100 XS, or 650s of the same brand, then a Buell, but before that two or three Harleys. Little by little, I became passionate about speed bikes. With a Ducati 750 SS, I discovered the joys of the track. Sometimes at my expense, because I crashed very often. It must have been my generous side on the throttle (laughs). In short, as my company's premises are based in Lezennes and there was this circuit in the city center, I devoted a lot of money and time to building famous machines to ride there. First, there was a Yamaha R6 that I had prepared by my friend Vincent Hallouin. A super-skilled mechanic, a former national championship rider who knew how to make these bikes go fast. I enrolled in riding courses with the Sarron brothers, and I was able to improve. And then, with learning and passion helping, I moved on to a bigger bike. The R1 from Yamaha. And there, a lot of my time and my leisure went into it. My wife accepting that I spent my weekends with my friends racing”.
Philippe speaks with such passion and a fair bit of chronological disorder about his love for speed. We try to put some order into all of this. Not easy, however. We do, however, retain that the Ducati brand brought him a lot of satisfaction and pleasure. He recounts: “With the Ducatis, it was a fantastic period. A 999, then an 1198 to finish with a Panigale. Incredible bikes, truly designed for the track, which Vincent made more reliable and powerful. As he had set up his workshop in the meantime, my local friends hooked up with him, and we formed a formidable team. During that period, I rode on many circuits, in France and also in Europe. One day, I found a 500 Grand Prix bike, ex Eddie Lawson. I bought it, and we redid everything with Vincent. Then I rode it. Well, that was another dimension altogether. Nothing to do with road sports bikes. A real racing bike. Demanding and difficult… but what a thrill!” His enthusiasm is contagious, and his experiences are captivating. But as he points out: “I had a good number of crashes. Necessarily, wanting to go faster and faster, it had to work or break. It broke. A shattered collarbone, and I took the time to reflect, just to calm down a bit too. My girls were young, my wife wasn't too keen on finding me with a big health problem. I calmed things down. Finally, I sold the track bikes and moved on to something else…” A long enumeration of all the toys Philippe has bought himself and all the thrilling disciplines he has approached follows. Jet Ski, Wakeboard, Snowboard, but also tennis, classic cars, boats... Always beautiful objects from a period he is very fond of, as he specifies: “In fact, the 70s are for me a symbol of freedom and carelessness. Another era in which I truly recognize myself. With a truly particular aesthetic and a totally disappeared philosophy. I also had beautiful cars, notably a Dino Ferrari that I kept for a while, before selling it and eventually buying it back. But also this Porsche 356 that I completely restored and transformed to my taste. A Jaguar E-Type too…” Phew, the man would easily make your head spin. Especially since he has become passionate about flat track motorbikes (those that go around in circles on a dirt oval).
Which brings us to pivot towards his two favorite motorcycles, a Yamaha WRS 450 with a Cheeney frame and a Harley-Davidson 883 transformed for the discipline. Here too, his old friend Vincent lent a hand. And not just that. Philippe says: “These two motorcycles reflect what currently motivates me. The 450 WRS was built according to my specifications by Vincent in his Doolish Racing Parts workshop (Editor's note: Doolish is the Manx name for Douglas, the capital of the Isle of Man where the Tourist Trophy takes place every year). It's a weapon. Not easy to handle but truly astonishing. In addition, we thought of making two versions, one of which can be used on the road, with a front brake, lights, and everything necessary. It's similar for the H-D. It seems simple at first glance, but there's significant work on the frame and running gear. To respect the flat track style, we found a drum front brake no bigger than a hub. Just to have a little margin anyway. The rest involved long hours in the workshop to ultimately achieve true efficiency both on dirt and on the road.” We shouldn't doubt it. Philippe is not one to leave things to chance. His passion for good motorcycles is something he lives every day…
