Friday 30 September 2016

SB Himalayas 2016: Part 2

The next instalment of Anthony Co-Built/DTRA Brown's reports from the Sideburn x Helmet Stories Himalaya trip from earlier in September.
The 2016 trip sold out in under three weeks. If you are interested in the September 2017 trip, get in touch via dirt @ sideburnmagazine.com  See Part 1 of the 2016 tale.
  Positive encouragement to use your horn on the back of every truck

Riding and camping in the Himalaya’s was epic. The Royal Enfield’s keep things right. 450 enduro bikes would have been fun but I am sure some of the riders would not have returned if we had faster bikes. The Enfield’s are asthmatic especially as you climb, stops are regular not for fuel but to re attach parts that fall off. Geoff (my Co-Built partner in crime) had packed a ton of cable ties. Geoff took his exhaust skills to new levels attaching pipes to frames with cable ties on an almost hourly basis. Those who have driven or ridden in India will know the horn is a major part of driving over there. It's constant and all the riders in the group picked up the hang of the horn pretty quickly, a couple of short beeps to approach anything and a kind of thank you bip once you have passed whatever it was. 
Riding in a large group is not for everyone and I was pleased that as the ride took shape people set their own pace. Our mate Nick the plumber was always at the front grinding through the brake pedal on every tarmac corner and going through parts quicker than underpants. Positions in the mid pack changed as people stopped to take photographs or a leak. It was nice a feel you could set off ride with a friend for a while stop and then ride with someone else.
Temple on top of tarmac high pass on day 1 of riding
Truck descending the dirt side of the same pass on day 1 of riding

I am not going to write lots about the route, one of my favourite things about the trip was that Vir and Harsh didn’t tell you too much about what was coming. It was like a surprise, the scenes unfolded in front of us as we rode. When people asked questions (some more than others) the answers were never rude, but they did a brilliant job of keeping things simple and not building up expectations of what was to come. The ride is unforgettable if you want to know details discover it for yourself. The photos that I took feel flat in comparison to the experience. 
Regular stops were a key part of riding, they enabled people to take a rest but also let the riders get a real slice of mountain village life. 18 riders descending on a small town or village is a big deal but I never felt unwelcome, in fact the opposite everyone was really welcoming.
Anthony Brown

Thursday 29 September 2016

Sideburn 26: World Exclusive

Earlier this year Guy Martin established the record for highest speed on a wall of death riding a Krazy Horse-prepared Indian Scout at 70.3mph. He then went out on his own Rob North BSA Rocket triple and raised the record to 78mph and change, while being subjected to 7G.

You haven't read about the Rob North because it hasn't been featured in any magazines in the world. Until now. Guy only wanted the bike in one magazine, Sideburn.

It was shot in Grimsby for Sideburn by Sam Christmas. We also had Mick Ofield create a blueprint of Guy's bike and highly respected journalist Mick Duckworth write about the history of Rob North and his famous racing frames.

There is only one place to read these features - in the beautifully printed Sideburn 26.

Also, in the same issue, is our regular Ask Guy page, where the very British daredevil answers Sideburn readers' questions. If you want him to answer yours, send it in to dirt @ sideburnmagazine.com

Wednesday 28 September 2016

Down and Out Revival Show

The good fellas at Down and Out Cafe Racers in Rotherham, South Yorkshire are organising an event in the North of England and Sideburn is going to be there.

29-30th October, Rotherham. Find out more at Down and Out Cafe Racers

Tuesday 27 September 2016

A New Dawn for American Flat Track...

At Sunday’s end of season awards banquet, just hours after Bryan Smith was confirmed 2016 champion in one of the most thrilling mile races of recent times, the company that runs professional flat track announced a new era for the sport. Sideburn was there to hear the announcement and below is our take, thoughts and questions about the changes.

THE NAME
Michael Lock, the British CEO of AMA Pro Flat Track, explained that they are changing their name. Why? Because AMA Pro Flat Track are nothing to do with the AMA. Confused, you should be. So was every potential sponsor, partner or new team Lock and his team approached. So the new name is American Flat Track. American Flat Track (AFT) writes the rules, sets the race schedule, runs the races that regional promoters host and organise to the AFT’s guidelines. AFT is to flat track what Dorna is to MotoGP.
The AMA will continue, we assume, as the licensing body.

THE RULES
Let’s be honest, the Bryan Smith wheel situation was a debacle and Lock admitted as much on stage, in an amusing way. He explained that there was too much ambiguity in the rulebook and that it was barely written in English, so, AFT say, it has been completely redrafted, simplified, clarified and will be released online in this week, six months before the season starts.

THE CLASS STRUCTURE
The twins rule, that was supposed to be implemented in 2016 but postponed after howls from teams and riders, will come into being for 2017.

The current GNC1 class will be the Twins class. The GNC2 class will also be renamed as AFT Singles and will run exclusively on DTX-style 450cc singles, where GNC2 currently mixes singles and twins. The GNC2 riders rode twins at Santa Rosa.

Any GNC2 rider who has scored 50pts in a season on twin machinery can enter the Twins class. If they regret that decision, for whatever reason, the rider can transfer back to Singles for the rest of the season, but then cannot move back to wins later in the same season.

The Twins class will compete the 18-race season exclusively on twins. That means miles, half-miles, two (I think) short tracks and up to three TTs all on twins.

Sideburn has been a big supporter of the twins rule since it was first mentioned. Speaking to Indian’s top brass this week they explained they weren’t interested in joining a series where their riders swapped between manufacturers machinery from race-to-race. If the status quo had continued, who could claim the title, if, let’s say, Baker wins next season, Indian for the twin he rode or Honda/KTM for the singles race points? An insane situation. One obvious downside of this new structure is the lack of opportunities,for singles riders to get experience on pure race machines, the kind of framer chassis used on twins, before moving into the top class. They build racecraft, but not the set-up skills a framer requires and responds to.

In MotoGP, riders in the Moto2 feeder class are riding bikes with a variety of custom chassis all using the exact same Honda CBR600-derived engine. So they’re learning what adjustments to make in different situations before the cream of the class move into MotoGP and race prototypes with twice the power.

If AFT followed the same thinking it could mean a return to framers, using a ‘spec’ stock 450 engine, supplied at a reduced price, and built into a chassis of the rider’s choice. This would be a return to bike that look like proper flat tracker, not motocrossers. I'm not hung up on DTX bikes, but they're no longer the future of the sport, but still an important stepping stone. Let’s face it, the OEMs didn’t get behind the DTX format in any significant financial way and the riders aren’t learning to race framers, which they need to if they want to be GNC1 champs.

The leathers rule, banning the wearing of motocross jerseys and trousers wasn’t mentioned in the presentation, but it’s still going ahead as far as we’re aware.

RACE STRUCTURE
At the moment each racer has two timed qualifying sessions before a heat race. The top qualifiers in the heat race transfer straight to the Main, the event 18-rider final, so the very best riders only have two races in a day. This is changing. From 2017 riders will compete in four heat races with last three (depending on entry number, I guess) in the heat race being eliminated and not taking part in the rest of the day. The qualifiers of the heat races will ALL go into two semis, no one will transfer directly to the main. The top nine finishers from the semis will make the main. There will also be, as there is now, the Get Out Of Jail free card that allows national numbers who don’t qualify to gain entry to the main once in a season if they fail to qualify. It wasn’t entirely clear if they can only use that from the semis or if they can do it from the heats too.

In the current, now old, structure, Brad Baker, who won at Santa Rosa, broke down in his heat race, so missed the automatic transfer and was put in the semi (which is really a last chance qualifier) and finished in the top three. In the new structure he would have been eliminated and not given the opportunity to race in the semi.

There was no talk of the Dash for Cash, but the reason for the new structure is for fans to see the top racers compete more often during a race day, so it might remain.

COVERAGE
AFT has negotiated with NBC sports network to show coverage of the sport in their Thursday night off-road Overdrive programme, shown in Thursday night primetime and available to 90 millions US homes. The highlights package will be shown every Thursday from June to September and will include full coverage of both mains, plus highlights of the semis and interviews with riders and explanation of tech. Fanschoice.tv will continue to livestream full event coverage online for hardcore and foreign fans. It wasn’t made clear if this coverage will be hosted on their website to watch after the event, but there is no obvious benefit, that I can see, to not doing this so we hope they do.

SCHEDULE
18 races, with 17 already confirmed in September of the preceding year will really help people get organised. This is much earlier than in any previous year in our memories. AFT has worked with promoters to try cluster races to minimise travel, and to give a real national spread to the races. There are new events on the schedule. These are the biggest changes…

The traditional Daytona short track double-header has been dropped. The season will still start in Bike Week, in March, but within the huge Speedway, that is undergoing an $500 million refurb. The race will be a TT on a track designed by Chris Carr. This will be the first time new generation twins will compete on a TT track. It’s going to be interesting.

For years there has been a massive wait for the next race, usually Springfield 1 at the end of May. Things changed for 2016 and 2017 follows the new format with three races between Daytona and Springfield. These are Atlanta: Charlotte and Arizona. There is a new race in Kentucky, a return to New York, but no Austin.

The enormous Sturgis Bike Week event hosts two rounds in four days, first is the Buffalo Chip TT, on a new track with two jumps, then the Black Hills Half-Mile. A hooligan and singles race was trialled at Buffalo Chip this year. The track looked sub-optimal, so it will have to improve for the AFT racers. The season ends on the big track at Perris, So Cal.

The only race of the 18 that is not currently confirmed is Peoria. Insiders say the track itself is not up AFT standards in terms of track width. The famous TT is pencilled in, so there seems a desire to host the race. There is also talk of modifying the jump, taking the top off it, to make it safer for twins to compete on.

PRIZE MONEY
The majority of OEM manufacturers have signed up to support AFT (Suzuki being one notable who haven't), with Indian being the big new name. Lock said there is a potential $500,000 worth of contingency for the singles class alone. I’m dubious of contingency figures. Sure, the potential might be half-a-million, but Manufacturer 1 could commit to paying $5000 to any rider who wins a race on their machine. If no one wins on Manufacturer 1’s bike then no one gets anything. So the manufacturer is in a win-win. They look like they’re supporting the series, but might actually pay out very little. But it’s better than nothing and the actual structure of the potential payments was not made clear, so I might be overly cynical.

Harley-Davidson paid Jared Mees a bonus of £25,000 for being top H-D finisher in the 2016 season, so contingency certainly is being paid in some examples.

ALSO… 
Dunlop has signed a three-year deal to supply tyres and have committed to improving grip. Not sure how this will pan out and what it’ll do to the racing or the level of tuning bikes are then subjected to in order to exploit the new grip, but progress shouldn’t be avoided.

Michael Lock spoke of his desire/dream to put the whole of AFT on a plane, fly them to Europe and race in a soccer stadium. Spain seems an obvious host country thanks to links with Marquez, the RPM organisation and their successful Superprestigio race.

Or what about an Italian soccer stadium or horse hippodromo? Let’s not consider potential flies in the ointment like potential rain-offs. I said let’s not! The Speedway GP make temporary tracks in sports arenas and have a flyaway race to Australia most, if not all seasons, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility, but still is only a dream. It would be a very brave Euro promoter who invested the money needed to help make it happen. Superprestigio has shown some kind of precedent, but on a much smaller scale. Get Marquez involved, or Rossi, and it could grab the public’s imagination. Would 30,000 Europeans pay €25 each to watch a flat track race?

This is a time for optimism and excitement. We’re excited. Pro flat track was crying out for this revolution. There will be bumps along the way, but everything sounds incredibly positive.

We’ll put more meat on the bones of these developments as things progress.
Gary Inman
Editor

#35L and #99A

We hate to post bad news but sometimes it just has to be done. This weekend, at the Santa Rosa Mile, there was a couple of horrific accidents in the GNC 2 support class. I woke up yesterday to the news that it had caused #35L Charlotte Kainz to lose her life. she was only 20 years old.

This morning the news was that a second young GNC 2 racer 17 year old Kyle McGrane #99A has also died from injuries sustained in a separate accident.

Our thoughts are with the families and friends at this very difficult time and we offer our deepest condolences. It is tragic loss of two talented, up and coming pro racers.

Motorcycle racing is such infectious fun that it is very easy to dismiss the very real dangers involved. As racers we accept the risk yet always think it won't happen to us. High risk for low reward.

Dave Skooter Farm

Saturday 24 September 2016

CFTA Santa Rosa on Fans Choice

Tonight's Santa Rosa short track is on fanschoice.tv. I was out at Friday night's racing and the track is short and tight, which makes me* a little nervous as I'm racing one of Roland Sands' Indian Sport Scout Superhooligans in a field of fast and rabid hooligan regulars tonight. Big thanks to Indian Motorcycles and Roland Sands Designs for the opportunity. It'll be the first time I've ever sat on one these. What could possibly go wrong?

Practice/Qualifying: 6:00 p.m. ET (3:00 p.m. PT)
Afternoon Heats: 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. PT)
Opening Ceremonies: 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT)
Evening Heats: 9:45 p.m. ET (6:45 p.m. PT)
Super Hooligan Main: 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT)

Read about Travis's debut on the Indian Superhooligans at the US Superprestigio in SIDEBURN 24.

The short track meeting is organised by our friends at the CFTA, and is the curtain raiser to Sunday's AMA Pro season finale on the mile race, that will see Bryan Smith v Jared Mees, Kawasaki v Harley-Davidson for the 2016 title. Only 2pts separate them. It's a Sunday afternoon race and also live on fanschoice.tv

Practice/Qualifying: 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT)
Pre-race Show: 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT)
Opening Ceremonies: 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT)
Heats: 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT)
GNC2 Main: 4:30 p.m. ET (1:30 p.m. PT)
GNC1 Main: 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. PT)

* Sideburn ed, Gary Inman

Friday 23 September 2016

For Sale: Triumph T100C

Kev H has found another beauty on UK eBay. Again, this sale is nothing to do with Sideburn, we're just passing on the details...

Triumph Flat track / Ice racing bike, believed to be a Trackmaster frame? Frame No is 197, engine is a 1968 T100C competition engine, turns over with plenty of compression, Imported by myself from the USA which accounts for its well preserved condition. Fitted with ice studs in the tyres. nice leather seat. It came out of a full collection of similar bikes I bought and all have so far run well.

Thursday 22 September 2016

SB Himalayas 2016: Part 1

From Anthony Brown, Mr DTRA, having just returned from the second Sideburn Himalayas Trip.

This is the first of a short series of blog posts I am writing to try and give a flavour of what people should expect from sideburn promoted trips and in particular the Sideburn x Helmet stories trip we just completed in the Himalaya’s. Motorcycling to me is much more than just riding it’s about sharing experiences with a group of likeminded people and that’s why the guys at Helmet Stories love this collab with Sideburn. From the moment we all meet to the rushed goodbyes as we headed back to our planes we all got along and laughed together as we shared in a fantastic experience.

The trip did not feel super curated or planned down to the last mile. Helmet stories do a great job of keeping things right without a feeling of formality, from the initial planning emails to the ride itself things were laid back and relaxed. For eighteen riders, some of whom have never meet before, to hang out together for a 6 days in what can be sometimes challenging circumstances things need to be right. If you have an urge to explore on motorcycles and the words above sound like your kind of fun then I would encourage you to get yourself signed up for the next trip. 
GC45 (Geoff Cain hanging with the Suicide Squad taxi drivers

For those who have not been before, India is a headf*ck, as crazy as it is beautiful and as welcoming as it is chaotic. Ten hours in a suicide squad taxi from Chandigarh to Manali was a great way to break us in gently. Stops for chai and lunch gave a break from the crazy driving and the Indian music played by VK, our driver. Arriving in Manali down a dirt track to an amazing bungalow complex was a welcome treat. 21 Royal Enfield’s in a line ready for adventure was a great sight. Last showers and cold beers set the scene for a 190km ride the following day. 
Main Men Vir and Harsh were riding the new Enfield Himalayans. They seemed to work really well on the roads we took over the trip. Read Vir launch report on this bike in Sideburn 25
DTRA rider Brad Hardman gives the Trip the thumbs up 

Another instalment coming soon....

If you're interested in going on the Helmet Stories x Sideburn Himalayas trip in September 2017, email us at dirt @ sideburnmagazine.com

Wednesday 21 September 2016

Sideburn 26: Pre-Order

The new issue is at the printers and available for pre-order. Please note: If you order anything else with your Sideburn 26, the whole order will be sent out together on or near September 30.

This is a good time for subscribers to let us know of any recent address changes or to check the status of your subscription.
All new 8-issue subscriptions get a free Spark Eagle Sideburn T-shirt worth £20.

It's also a good opportunity to order back issues, because some are very scarce. 14 and 19 were the most recent to sell out. We only have stocks of: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 16, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25.

                                           BUY SIDEBURN 26

COVER STAR: El Solitario x Zaeta Pluto

BIKES: World exclusive Guy Martin's Rob North BSA Wall of Death record breaker; Yamaha TT500; Harley-Davidson XG750R; El Solitario Pluto

EVENTS: Løkken Beach Race; Dirt Quake USA

HOW TO: Win from the front with Brandon Robinson

PEOPLE: Davis Fisher; Kevin Atherton; Guy Martin; Jimmy Hill; David Death Spray; Gene Romero

PORTFOLIO: The photography of James Cheadle

FILM: Werewolves on Wheels

ADVENTURE: Zaeta road trip to Dirt Quake V

Plus: inside the Davida factory; Poetry; Trophy Queen; Shop profile of The Real Intellectuals; Trophy Queen

Icon 1000: Three Martini Lunch



When Icon 1000, the Portland-based company that never sleeps, release a new video I get excited. They have a fresh new website too, covering their Icon Motosport, Icon 1000 and Icon Raiden brands. Go to www.icon1000.com. G

Tuesday 20 September 2016

Introducing Hubert Bastie

Joining Travis and John Harrison as new blog contributors, is Frenchman Hubert Bastie. Hubert is a nurse/paramedic, a racer, a wildman, a DTRA and Dirt Quake regular (Super Mario, Marge Simpson, Ninja Turtle), even though he lives and works in Paris, France. He loves two-strokes and competes in various different types of amateur competition, and also rides on the road. Here's what he says about a recent race...
Two month ago my old mate Oliver told me about a race close to Paris (for once) called Ultracross. A mix between motocross and supercross. He was so enthusiastic to race it because there was a Enduro class. Yeah maybe... I looked at the website. Whaaaaat! There is a Vintage Class! I filled in my entry form in one second.

- Me: Oliver, I'm gonna race with you mate!
- Oliver: Sorry, I forgot that I have a job interview this day.
- Me: Ok. I'm gonna make it on my own.

Two weeks before the Ultracross - Driiiiing driiiiing 

-Me: Hello?
-a Girl: Hello Mister Bastié?
-Me: Yes.
- the girl: I call you about the Ultracross. Unfortunately we must cancel the Vintage Class cause you are the only one to enter, so do you have a modern bike?
-Me: Yes, but I want the ride my Husky, so let me ride with the fuel-injected ones.

Racing in France is a different thing. It's all about winning and having the biggest van with the biggest trailer and the biggest tent. Unfortunately I have no tent, no trailer and a small dirty van.
Nobody cares about my bike during tech inspection because they didn't understood how fun it is to ride a vintage compared to the modern ones.
Nobody cares about me till my first race. I start dead last. By the way, it is my first start on a real motocross starting gate. But I overtake 3 or 4 guys every lap. The commentator and the crowd start to focus on me. I became the little fun thing in a too serious race. Between the races I become the crowd favourite and people queue in line to ask me what year my bike is.

I make three strong races and got the 8th place out of 22. Overall. I was damn happy, but had nobody to share my happiness. Don't mess with a vintage bike!

On the way Back home I saw the Facebook page of the event. The report shows two photos : The first is the Pro Class winner and an other of me and my Husqvarna jumping the finish line.
Strange world.

HB89
Read about Hubert's Racewear, the kit he competes in, in Sideburn 25.

Monday 19 September 2016

Hauler for Sale


I don't normally put stuff on here for sale unless it's a bike (or our Sideburn merch), but a very good friend of my brother is selling this race truck they use for car racing, but it could be converted into a lovely camper/ multi motorcycle hauler.

1 ton tail lift, rear roller door
Remote control heavy duty winch (nearly new)
Bespoke aluminium Italian ramps (nearly new) and some wooden ramps
Side door and steps
Tow bar
Rear camera
MOT’d until end August 2017

Also included in sale: Set of digital ‘Intercomp’ corner weights, and calibrated sound meter (includes light and temperature also)

New price £5000.
Ring Clive on 01572 823514
Located in Leicestershire

Saturday 17 September 2016

2000ft over the canyon… but 6 inches UNDER the media radar.

Earlier this week we posted about the recreation of Evel Knievel’s Snake River Canyon jump, well, Eddie Braun successfully ‘jumped’ over the infamous 1400 ft canyon.

The launch was scheduled for today, September 17th….but the EVEL SPIRIT team opted to do it yesterday, possibly because of better weather conditions. There seemed to be virtually no crowd watching.

It looked like a textbook exercise and everybody is smiling. Hats off to the team but this is possibly one of the most under-publicised events in recent history. I don’t know why this newsworthy event failed to get any media coverage. It was rather badly covered by a local TV news crew and (so far) captured with a couple of quite frankly, terrible amateur Youtube clips. I sincerely hope that this occasion has been properly documented.  

I acknowledge that times have maybe changed and everybody these days is ‘Extremed-Out’ but I can’t help but think that this just shows what a showman and entrepreneur Knievel was. Always able to ‘Bring the Circus to town’ in what seemed an effortless and flamboyant way, hawking his stunts on a global scale.

I read that Braun Spent $1.5 million of his own money to make this happen. Perhaps the EVEL SPIRIT team invested all their combined resources and energy into the mechanics of making a successful jump, maybe overlooking the pre-event publicity and build up. Or maybe the mainstream media just don’t care about an ongoing 42-year-old story. Either way, it seems criminal that this wasn’t presented ‘live’ on satellite TV and it didn’t make ‘News at Ten’. I found a picture of a tattoo belonging to an English chap who made the pilgrimage to Twin Falls Idaho to witness the jump. Ironically, this tattoo could possibly make a bigger internet splash than the jump itself.

In other news it seems Rocket Sky-Cycles are just like buses…you wait 42 years for one and then two turn up together. Apparently, on October 18th , self-taught rocket scientist ‘Mad Mike Hughes’ will climb aboard his own version of Evel Knievel’s X-2 Sky-Cycle and endeavour to jump over the ghost town of Amboy in California. You couldn’t make it up!

Dave Skooter Farm
All photos: AP

Flat Track BC: Season Ender Bender

Flat track BC isn't Before Christ. No one is racing around the track in a hebrew tunic and sandals on a push-along balance bike with wooden wagon wheels. Well, I'm pretty sure they're not, that might be happening in Hoxton.

No! It's British Columbia, beautiful BC, over there on the west coast, perched on top of Washington state like a stately owl in fake Raybans, sitting on top of totem pole of confusion.

This region of Canada is a place full of good people with the common decency to retain the word British in the name of their region.

Anyway, the've got a great race scene going on, fast at the top, welcoming at the bottom. Their final race of the season is coming up soon. Our old mate Grant Robinson helps make it all happen, and he got his dirt track start back at Dirt Quake 1, so it shows how that is an event that keeps giving. Go to flattrackbc.com for more info. G

Friday 16 September 2016

Yamaha XS650 for Sale

Texas Chris Jenner is selling his street legal DTRA racer.  The bike is located in Yorkshire. £5500.
Here's the info...

1976 Yamaha XS650 Flat Tracker, Street legal, DTRA Thunderbike race bike. 
-Motor rebuilt in February, kick start only, all electric starter parts removed 
-Aluminium, box section Radian swing arm conversion 
-Frame and swing arm powder coated 
-Fibreglass tank and seat unit 
-Morad, Akront high shoulder aluminium 19 inch rims 
-Maxxis DTR-1 flat track tyres (DTRA and road legal) 
-Single wall TT style pipes 
-Custom made, solid mount, aluminium riser bushings by Survivor Customs 
-PMA Stator conversion 
-New Boyer Bransden ignition, coils, battery and regulator this summer 
-small ‘shark fin’ chain guard and lanyard kill switch (as per DTRA race regs). 
-LED taillight and headlights set in front plate. 

 Overall, it’s a super clean bike, and starts (1st or 2nd kick), runs and rides and races great. It’s fully compliant and race ready for Dirt Track Riders Association flat track racing. Just take the front brake off and the taillight/number plate (the taillight/number plate is built onto a little removable sub-frame bracket, comes off as one with 4 bolts). For the road, it’s just had its MOT in August, passed with only 1 advisory, headstock was a little loose (it's adjusted now).

Contact him through thebikeshed.cc

Thursday 15 September 2016

Dust & Throttle: A film about Dirt Quake


DUST &THROTTLE from sam barker on Vimeo.

Very emotive film shot at the two days of Dirt Quake V by top photographer, Sam Barker. The action and characters are a mixture of Friday night DTRA and Saturday Dirt Quake.

Sam filmed and wrote the poem for the narrative. Lovely stuff. G

Wednesday 14 September 2016

Never Go Back: Snake River Canyon

Dave Skooter Farm reports...

In this modern age, there seems to be an insatiable quest to revisit the good old days. The ‘rebooting’ of classic movies, old bands you thought you would never, ever get to see, reforming and long-discontinued chocolate bars once again available in the newsagents. However, maybe some things should be left in the nostalgic mind’s eye.

On September 17th 2016, as tribute to his childhood idol Evel Knievel, Hollywood stuntman Eddie Bruan will attempt to recreate Evel’s 1974 career highpoint (pun intended) and jump the Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls, Idaho. Regular readers of Sideblog won’t need me to point out how Knievel’s effort played out.

Bruan will be piloting an exact replica of EK’s ‘X-2 Sky-Cycle’ built to vintage blue-prints belonging to the builder of the original, NASA rocket scientist Bob Truax. The new version of the Sky-Cycle has been co-built by the late Bob Truax’s son, Scott. The craft has been christened ‘Evel Spirit’
Just like Evel’s ‘bike’, it’s steam-powered. 
Steam is superheated to precise temperature and pressure and when released, produces 6,000 pounds of thrust and 10,000 Horsepower! Expected maximum speed is in excess of 400 mph in 3.0 seconds with a calculated altitude of 3,000 feet. 
In keeping with exact specifications of Evel's X2 Sky-cycle, all of that temperature and pressure is being held in the rocket by THE LID OF A DOG-FOOD CAN!
'Evel used it—so we're using it! That's right, we actually cut off the tops of dog food cans (just like Evel did) and place the lid inside the rocket engine to keep all the pressure at bay until we are ready to release it!' 
For some reason, live spectators at the launch site have been limited to 500 people. We could speculate that it may have something to do with Evel (above) leaving behind a trail of unpaid bills with vendors and the local services his team used during their stay 42 years ago. A city councillor in Twin Falls said the town was wiser about what to expect from a daredevil attempting to jump their canyon.
Happy landings to the ‘Evel Spirit’ team.
Dave Skooter Farm
(Above) This post's author, Dave Skooter Farm, with the original Sky-Cycle in 1999. It prompted me to ask, 'Where was the photo of you taken? And why do you look like you’ve just taken one to the nuts?'
Dave replied, 'Daytona Bike week 1999, Met Evel that day too. Can’t explain why I’m in that position….soz'

Tuesday 13 September 2016

Smith Gets Points Back

Following on from last week's blog post about Bryan Smith's disqualification, the AMA have reversed the decision. Below is their official release...


AMA Pro Racing announced today that an independent Appeal Board has heard and considered the appeal of a technical protest filed by No. 1 Jared Mees against No. 42 Bryan Smith on August 20, 2016 at the Central New York Half-Mile, Round 12 of the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track season.

The technical protest concerned a rear wheel assembly alleged to be out of compliance with Rule 3.22.h of the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track rulebook:

3.22 Weight Limits and Weighing Procedures
...
h. All chassis ballast must be fixed to the frame. Under no conditions is it allowable to add chassis ballast as rotating mass to the wheels outside of normal balancing procedures.
  
In post-race technical inspection, the wheel was retained by AMA Pro Racing staff for further investigation where it was deemed to be out of compliance. The original penalty assessed included disqualification of the #42 and loss of championship points and purse for the Central New York Half-Mile following the issuance of a Penalty Notice.

Earlier today, the Appeal Board, which consisted of a non-voting chairperson from AMA Pro Racing and three voting members not affiliated with AMA Pro Racing and with no material interest in the matter at hand, heard the appeal and examined evidence presented by Smith. 

After an executive session, the Appeal Board made the decision to reverse the original Penalty levied by AMA Pro Racing and restore the finishing position and points earned by Smith at the Central New York Half-Mile.

The appeal board has issued the following statement:
"After considering evidence presented by AMA Pro Racing and Bryan Smith, the Appeals Board identified a series of central questions:
  1. Is the wheel technically legal according to the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track rules?
  2. If not, was the team given permission by AMA Pro Racing to utilize the wheel in competition?
  3. If the team was given permission, was that permission rescinded according to the rulebook at any moment in time after they were given permission?
The following language in the introduction to the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track rulebook was a determining factor in today's decision: 'If any rule is unclear to the entrant or competitor, the entrant or competitor is advised to get written approval prior to any modifications. Requests for rule clarifications or interpretations must be submitted in writing by riders and teams to AMA Pro Racing.'

The Appeals Board has determined that, regardless of whether or not the wheel is technically legal according to the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track rules, AMA Pro Racing officials gave Smith's team written permission to utilize the wheel in competition, and that the permission was not rescinded in writing at any point. 

On that basis, the team was acting in good faith by competing with the wheel and, therefore, the disqualification upon technical protest is not considered to be valid and Smith's finishing position and points are to be restored."

The decision of the Appeals Board is final and binding on all parties.

AMA Pro Racing is committed to sanctioning a professional series with safety and fairness for all competitors as primary objectives. The AMA Pro Flat Track rulebook is currently undergoing an exhaustive review of language, policies and procedures in order to provide a solid platform for fostering competition on the racetrack. AMA Pro Racing will study the conclusion of the Appeals Board and implement protocols to ensure a fair, equitable and transparent process for rule-setting and enforcement. AMA Pro Racing will provide additional information on rules and procedures following an internal review.


As the AMA go on to explain, 'With his points restored, Smith now leads Mees by 2 points, 221-219, heading into the season finale at Santa Rosa.'

That is going to be a wild race. It's a mile, it could be Smith's year, but anything can happen. Winning the Dash for Cash gains points. Leading the most laps gains points. Mees is a fighter, and there are only two points in it. I've just been reminded the race was cancelled because of mist a few years ago. I hope that doesn't happen again, because I'M GOING! G

Survivor Rotax for Sale

Mike at Survivor Customs is selling his race bike to fund a new project. He came second in the Restricted class and third in the 2016 Thunderbike class on this bike this year. This is what he says. 

CCM Main frame with custom welded on subframe conversion to fit a Knight seat unit, custom twinshock swinging arm with Marzocchi shocks, R6 forks, 19in DID rims, front laced to a Talon spool hub, Rear laced to a KTM gs hub; polycarb American flat track tank, Renthal bars, carbon number boards, recent service with new throttle and clutch cable and oil lines,... This bike wants for nothing it's got a really nice strong motor. I can't fault it the only reason I'm selling it is because I want to build another one. If i don't get the asking price I'll keep it and put it on the road
survivorcustoms@gmail.com Tel: 07835649903

Monday 12 September 2016

Don't You Wish That We Were Dead?


The Damned New Rose post, on the Sideburn blog, prompted a belated response from regular magazine contributor, Dave Bevan (who has been writing about cult motorcycle films for the magazine in recent issues). He pointed me to the trailer for documentary above, that had passed me by.

Even the trailer puts the hairs up on the back of my neck like no blockbuster can. Look out for Captain Sensible, who for a man of my age (mid-40s) first appeared on my radar in 1982 as a human pop sock puppet singing an unlistenable version of Happy Talking from the msucial South Pacific. This killed him in my young and dumb view as worthy of any punk cred, but really proved he didn't give a shit. Criminally, it did stop me from going back and investigating The Damned for decades. Damn you, Raymond (Capt. S's real name).

Anyway, watch this clip. I'm going to hunt down the full length doc to rent or buy as soon as I get the next couple of weeks out of the way.

Thanks to Dave B for the link. He has another feature coming up in Sideburn 26, this time about the film, Werewolves on Wheels. Dave wrote about Psychomania in SB25 and Stone in SB24 and you should check them out. He does the illustrations too. G

UPDATE: Find out more about Don't You Wish You Were Dead? at damneddoc.com

Sunday 11 September 2016

John Harrison: The Early Years

There are thousands of people in the Sideburn universe with great stories to tell, and I've chosen a handful to supply stories and update the blog. One is Travis Newbold, Sideburn poet and test rider, another is John Harrison. We met John through his antics and style in the DTRA and the more I found out about him, the more I wanted him involved.

He says stuff like... 'I don't wear T-shirts or sweatshirts (or jeans). Haven't done since my early 30s.' John is 57 with grown-up children, and started dirt track racing earlier this year. You'll find out a lot more about him, starting now. Hope you enjoy his outlook as much as I do. G
'As we're rained off today I thought I 'd get going on my motorcycling history for you. I can't imagine how you would introduce this sort of thing but here you are. Stand by for following emails. All photos are my own unless stated. 

The picture above is of me as a 12 yr old on the first motorbike I ever rode. This would have been 1972. It is a BSA Beagle (surely the bike Snoopy rode in the recently blogged Peanuts cartoon) which was an early '60s, 75cc 4-stroke that they produced in a forlorn attempt to take the fight to the Italian and Japanese small, cheap bike competition. Pressed steel frame and forks, but this one had been converted into a Schoolboy Scrambler with tele forks, a high level pipe and a bobbed rear guard. One of my friends got it and we thought it was the bee's bollocks, particularly as we reckoned it was a dead ringer for a Husky with the red and white tank. We hadn't ridden motorbikes before, but could drive cars, so set about teaching ourselves. I'm amused that the only new item of clothing I'm wearing is my brand new Stadium Centurion X helmet, the rest - shirt, trousers and shoes are all hand-me-downs. 
We had a field at the back of our place that we got permission to ride in and soon we were all on the lookout for field bikes. Another friend found a 125 Bantam ( also 'converted' to schoolboy scrambler spec) which I think he paid a fiver for. It was barely worth it. This photo shows the two bikes pretending to race; in truth they both rarely ran at the same time, or we couldn't afford enough fuel fuel to keep them both going. The same scene must have been played out by lads all over the country learning to ride and fix field bikes. Hopefully it still is. 
JH 104R