Ducati Davidson XR900

Say What?! yep, Peter Koren's self made 900GTS Ducati fired XR Harley street-tracker. If you have to ask why, then you wouldn't understand if we explained.

its not What you ride, but How you ride it (no.4)

One of our MySpace fans larging it on his nan's scooter.
(sorry we've lost your name, please make yourself know for 15 seconds of fame)

The craziest bodge we've ever seen

Engine Reassembly Part II
There was still a lot of residue from material blasting the head, so I needed to clean it well with spray carb cleaner, and compressed air. I have no air compressor, so I stole an idea from instructables.com to make a simple air blower from an empty spray can, the presta valve from a bicycle tube, and JB Weld. Redneck Air cans are GOOOOO!
via SB fan http://19711007.blogspot.com

Kocinski to race dirt track

Just spoken to Boastie, fresh back from racing at Perris and Pomona in sunny California (where he made the semis in the Top Gun 450 class). He pitted next to Chris Carr and a guy, Boastie didn't recognise, was hanging around a lot. Chris said later, 'Oh yeah, that was John Kocinski. He's racing dirt track next year.'
Now we'd read, on superbikeplanet.com, that Kocinski had tested some flat trackers. This photo is borrowed from them, thanks Soup. And now it's confirmed. Expect to read this story a lot of places very soon (if you read mainstream mags, of course).
And if you're wondering, who is John Kocinski? Well, just one of the most talented GP and WSB racers ever. An enigma, a character, a Kenny Roberts protege and someone who was bullied by the press because he didn't quite fit in (mainly because he had OCD, before the likes of us knew what OCD was). And someone who retired early so he isn't that old now.
Sideburn can't wait to hear how he does.

How to build a street tracker

Lots of Europeans are getting in touch, saying they've been inspired to build a street tracker style bike for terrorising everywhere from Stockholm to Rome. Well, one Sideburn reader has built a blog that would take a lot of the guesswork out of the job.
Check out Adam's 'roach that runs' XR600 project at
http://19711007.blogspot.com

Brits at Pomona!

Boastie flying the Sideburn flag

Sideburn T-shirts available from www.sideburnmagazine.com

Boastie's other-half, Jackie, getitng stuck in. Hope she wasn't expecting a beach holiday

Glyn and Boastie comparing notes

We're really trying to lay off the blog a little to concentrate on making Sideburn 3 and more T-shirts, but great stuff keeps landing on us. This is from Steve at the very excellent Poppa Wheelie blog - http://pwheelie.blogspot.com/

"Ben,
I ran into Boastie at Pomona, great guy. I enjoyed the brief chats we had. He and his mate [Glyn Pocklington] were busy as could be so I just took a few shots of them as they worked. They did pretty good, they obviously know how to slide those bikes around. It was an incredibly strong field of 450s. Pomona is not an easy track but they handled it well. I saw the other guy have a couple of moments in Three and you let off the gas at that speed and three or four guys will come by and roost you right now.
To answer your question, no I had not seen SIDEBURN but I bought both issues from Boastie. I love 'em .Great stuff,keep' em coming. When I was saying goodbye to Boastie , Mike Kidd the new Guru of all Flat Tracking came up and was checking them out.
The whole event was really terrific. I hope those guys got a good feel for one of our Dirt Track meets.When your racing it is hard to pay attention to the other stuff outside of your races. There was a lot going on with three classes racing.
Hey Ben, thanks man, I'm glad you like my Blog.
OH, I love those Wooly Numbers !

Later, Steve"

Mummies Tattoo

Just got this in from Garrett Brittenham. Garrett's beaufitful Harley Aermacchi was our very first post. He's only just come across the blog again.
'You guys are garage fans too? The Mummies are my favorite band. Even have them tattooed on my arm. I was going to go to Valencia, but funds didn't work out.'
Garrett B used to be in the Orangu-Tones.

Bonneville Performance

Are the Florida-based company that brought the Triumph name back to Grand National flat track racing. Oh yes. Here's their big-bore Hinckley Bonnie in action.
www.bonnevilleperformance.com/

More Ventura shots

Photos: Jimmy Mac

Happy anniversary

Just realised it's exactly a year since I rode Casey Stoner's bike at Valencia. Yes, I could've leant it over further, but crash on a test day and your name is never forgotten. And not in a good way.

Ventura Vintage Violence!

Calm before the storm

Maely boots!

Not the ideal riding position

Who are you putting your money on?

Wish we were there

Ventura sounded like it was a great event. Loads of people told us they were going. The first photos we've had in are from Jimmy Mac and they're of the soon-to-be-legendary outlaw class.
Jimmy, I tried to email you but it got bounced. Thanks for your order. The mags are in the next post.
Apparently Jimmy took the famous shot of the hero on the orange chop from a few posts ago. GI
Photos: Jimmy Mac

Antique AutoRacer

As featured in SB#2, Japanese Auto Racing is now dominated by the Suzuki AR600 powered Grasshopper bikes, but in the oldendays, British iron ruled the roost. Fueled on a secret blend of Methanol & Darjeeling. & No it hasn't been under a bus, the bars are meant to be wonky, so when you've got the bike chucked sideways your hands are level.
BP

Pre Speedway English Track Racing

'Evidence of speedway in England well before the cinder sport began in Australia? Well no! The bikes were fitted with Jap engines and certainly look like early speedway bikes. I believe they raced on grass. These old bikes show their bicycle frame roots, the front forks for example are borrowed from bicycle technology.'
Words and photo from the very excellent www.newcastlespeedwayhistory.co.uk

What happened here then?

I think that's Scott Russell (not Thee). Don't know who that hot shoe belongs to. Or the foot. Or the visor.

Marco Belli

European Champion. UK champion. Sideburn hero.
Marco crashed heavily riding for Italian TV cameras the day before the Scunthorpe race. He dislocated his shoulder and spent five hours in the local hospital. The next day he finished third in one of the hottest finals of the year, behind Chris Carr and Peter Boast, on the framer 450 that CCM built especially for him. It was enought to win the UK title for the second year on the trot. Hard bastard.

Full feature on Marco's tasty CCM C&J framer in SB#3.

Ben in France

Sideburn's Ben has moved from Amsterdam to France. Looks quite happy, doesn't he?

its not What you ride, but How you ride it (no.3)

This one's been bouncing around on the web for a while but it's such a classic. Somewhere posted on YouTube there's some film footage too of it getting sideways. Dig the paper dinner plate number board.
BP

Trying too hard

Going

Going

Gone

Couldn't get past Steve. Didn't see the last lap flag. Got off line. Didn't get off gas. Still qualified for the final.
If you're not falling off every now and then you're not going fast enough. GI

Photos: Digidawn Photography
PS Photos are the right way now.

Croydon's finest

Kate Moss. Not exactly on topic, but she's got a helmet in her hand. Any complaints.
GI

PS The sun shines out of her...

Monkee fashion tip

We went to the suburbs of Copenhagen in search of the infamous Wrench Monkees. Hoping to gain an insight into their art & pick up some tips on Z Kawas & which breakers-yard USD forks to best use on a Monkee machine. Instead we got shown the secrets of how they make Danish pastries, how to down a pint of coffee without letting it touch the back of your throat, & which trainers to sport when riding out. GI even received a pair of 1981 vintage Adidas golf shoes as a going home present.
BP
see the latest Monkee SR500 in SB#2

For Sale

Check out today's bikes on the AHRMA website:
http://www.ahrma.org/mart/webmart.htm
Popular in the States, but I've never seen one in Blighty
How about this Bultaco Astro for starters?
BP

Ken Maely

The Legend. Shot taken by Craig Randall at Houston. Read about the amazing Houston Astrodome races in Sideburn 2.

Girl Racer

This is Amy P. She's in Sideburn 2. She's also in plaster after a crash. Get well soon.

Tortured Soul

Just discovered this wild man.
He heads up a hard soul revue called King Khan and the Shrines. I can't stop listening to the CD 'The Supreme Genius of...'
Find out more at www.hazelwood.de/kingkhan/index.php

Gloves? We don't need em

Former Us flat tracker, now holed up in London, Craig Randall sent this beautiful shot. More coming soon. Here's the caption for this shot from Craig.
Just found an old photo I bought from Walt Mahony in the late 60s. This was Gene Romero, Ralph White, and Sammy Tanner at Ascot Park 1/2 Mile, California;
Craig