Thursday, 26 November 2009

Short Track Roller for sale


Seen on Short Track UK, but the rolling chassis is in Holland. This looks a bargain. It says 'Wood frame', but this one looks different to my twin shock. The Dutch Bros know their stuff though. Come on Britain, buy it.

Wood frame, oil tank in frame, Showa shocks (I think he means forks) but bent, extra shocks (forks?) available (will not fit triple clamp), comes with exhaust, central stand available
Asking 1000 Euro (£900), contact tom@dutch-brothers.com


This is because, I think, Tom has bought a Mule-prepared C&J 1200 V-twin race bike. GI

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Douglas

Now living in Bristol, I have a new soft spot for Douglas bikes. The red brick Victorian factory on Hanham Road, in the suburb of Kingswood, still stands. This lovely 1930 shot of Wally Kilmister is from the excellent New Zealand national library collection. Speedway was started by Ozzy brutes in 1923, then quickly picked up by the Kiwis, before being introduced to the Brits four years later. BP

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

Ted

In case our foreign friends - or those of you born after 1980, have never heard of them before, the Teds were a peculiarly English phenomenon of the 1950s (originally). Ted is short for Edwardian, which is supposedly where their historical vein runs back to. Check Wikipedia if you are lazy, or for entertaining tales of infamy, speak to any man down your local boozer in their late 40s (or older) whose towering quiff is still held in place with 1/2 a tub of Brylcreem, has brothel creepers with a 2" crepe sole, sports an American style bootlace tie, but who most crucially is wearing a drape jacket
(see photo). Teddy Boys went through several make-overs, but even with the advent of Mods and Rockers, they always maintained independence. Crash helmets and big hair don't mix so their preferred mode of transport was the bus, or for the more well-to-do, the likes of the American styled (but English) Ford Zodiac, or Vauxhall Cresta. I first came across the writings of Mick Phillips in the pages of Performance Bikes magazine. I was on an aeroplane, and spat my powdered orange juice on to the neck of the passenger in front with an uncontrolled splutter. I immediately texted Gary that this man should be on the staff of Sideburn magazine. It turned out they were already best mates. He now lives in Rome, and although I have never met him in person, we have become pen pals. He has become a crucial pin in our operation; not just writing funny stories, but dotting our 'i's and crossing our 't's as a medically meticulous proof reader. But not until tonight when he emailed me this transparency, did I ever suspect he had been a Ted. BP

Stevie Coles

Stevie Coles, UK's short track #28, IS Rollerball. His bollox are bigger than those stainless steel lumps used to score points in the 1975 film of the same name (judgement here is made from witnessing his riding style rather than peeking down his frontage). I made some snaps of him and his machine that runs on a fuel mix of pink diesel and Nitromors paint-stripper, last year at Scunthorpe, intending to do a Sideburn magazine feature, but his mutoid Honda Bros (or Hawk as it's called in the States), has since morphed into something even more brutal. We've already got enough material for SB#5, so it will have to be SB#6, by which time it will have probably grown teeth and three heads. BP

The World's Most Beautiful Welding?


It can't be far off. This is the latest work in progress over at Co-Built's UK HQ. Geoff, one-half of Co-Built, welds Formula 1 exhausts for a living. If you've ever seen one, I have, you'll know the quality demanded by those F1 freaks.
Order your Co-Built frame now to ensure delivery for next season. GI

Roller Derby Devastation







On Saturday I took the kids to the Carnival of the Strange roller derby festival. Met up with Minx a'Matosis (who used to puts together Wrench magazine and is one of the forces behind the Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Derby team).
I'd never seen it before, but something about the ingredients had me intrigued...
Tattooed, face-painted, hot-panted, fishnet-stockinged women on roller skates, everywhere. Live bands, kids' facepainting, fairground games. Then the roller girls own brand of 'Go fast, Turn left' started. It was nearly as brutal as a short track first corner. It took a while to get my head around the rules and longer to understand the scoring, but it hardly mattered. It looks fun.
And the names are great too - She'za Payne; Fight Cub, Kym Tensive-Care... And now, three days later, everytime I close my eyes I still see athletic thighs pumping...
Great day out. I'll keep you posted on more derby action. G
Photos: Adam Rhoades, In-Depth, Darren Bannister, Jason Ruffell

Monday, 23 November 2009

A60 Pick-Up

Trawling the small ads looking for a new 'family' car, but as usual very tempted by all the bike catering classics. Came across this '65 A60 Morris for sale. Gorge. BP

Sideburn Aldana Badges


Crazy Dave Aldana being interviewed, plus a Sideburn logo badge.
Set of four, handmade in England, very limited numbers. 36mm (1.5in) diameter, so slightly bigger than your common-or-garden button badge.

UK £5.50
Europe €6.50
USA $8
Rest of World £6.50

Price includes shipping.
Paypal, cheque, cash, grazie! GI

Coming out swinging




We were sent these images from Indy 09 by Chris Pedersen. Love the first corner shots. Thanks Chris.

We said 'Larry send some photos'




Larry said 'Sure. Here are a few shots of me racing my 1971 BSA B50MX at Devil's Ridge in North Carolina.'
Cheers, Larry

Cool, eh?