DIY Dirt Track

Following on from Captain Highside's step-by-step DIY Hotshoe in Sideburn #3, in Sideburn 8 Skooter Farm Dave gives us the lowdown on building your own mini oval (with a lot of help from your friends)(also handy if you've got an old CJ and some grid-iron to use as a harrow)(and a steam roller)(and lots of sandwiches). BP

Get well soon, Nickers

Stephen sent us this link to Road Racing World. It seems Gary Nixon has had a heart attack, but is in good hands. G

Covered

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Covered: Possibly the best blog in the world. Artists draw their own versions of comic book covers. Some are very close to the original, some are very abstract. No one piece of art is given more space or plaudits than the other. It's amazing. G

Ed's XR

Woah, this is something else (we agree with Ed's daughter though...) G

Hey Gary-
Here you go...pics of the XR that I am building. I think it's been four years. Thankful that I have something else to ride!

Engine is one of the NOS XR1000's that still surface every once in a while. It's got Phil Darcy heads, Branch manifolds, Axtell .500 lift cams, Cosworth pistons, and cylinders that are made from two sets of XR750 ones sawed up, stacked & sleeved for the extra stroke.

Frame is an NOS Terry Knight job with big Ceriani forks, and Sandy Kosman's wheels and adjustable triple clamps. Fuel tank is a one-off sort of Sportser/XR marriage that Fred at Race-tec built to my specs. Oil tank is the bane of my existence right
now, but I think I will get through it.

What else? Daughter recently came home from college and her comments about the taillight have me feeling kinda self-conscious. Street tires for inspection purposes, cool ISR levers, Oberon mirror, Alloy Art headlight. Exhaust is held on with string, but as soon as I get some more bends from Burn's Stainless, I will cut it apart and make adjustments for my tall cylinders.

Can't wait to see Sideburn #8
Best, Ed

Happy Customer

Hi Gary and Ben,
When I got home today Sideburn 8 was in my mailbox. I knew it was in there as soon as I opened the box, because that fine ink smell - I love that smell - wafted out and up under the chinbar of my helmet. Ahh...
You don't need me to tell you how truly excellent Sideburn always is, there are much more accomplished folks than me who can attest...but I will, anyway. I love the sensibility, taste, focus, selection, and presentation you guys bring together. There's absolutely nothing in it that doesn't fit my eye. An engineer co-worker told me once long ago that he went to church because "sometimes it's nice to hang around people that think like you do." I sympathetically resonate with each Sideburn issue for the same reason. And it looks like there are believers scattered far and wide: Blitz bikes, Mule, Nixon, Coolbeth...Ralph White, for Christ's sake, DIY DT, and damned if Dann'ys Cub doesn't look like it's as light as a feather...great stuff.
Again.
I told myself I wouldn't fawn this time, that it's just a squeak of appreciation lost amid the general roar... I couldn't help it. Damn, you fellows do a nice job.
Thanks so much,
John

It's looking good!

From Chris in Cambridgeshire...

Hi, I have been following and buying the magazine and website from the beginning. I am currently building a Street Tracker loosely inspired by Gene Romero's Flattracker. I attach a few photos of the present state of construction. It's looking good! Chris

Metro Grasstracker

From Don at Metro Racing...

Here's some cool sideways action for the readers. A Bultaco/Hagon grasstracker, complete with Metro Nikki.
Enjoy, Don

Gary Nixon For President

Mat Oxley writes an indepth feature on the legend of Gary Nixon for Sideburn 8. Classic archive photos by Dan Mahony. BP

Warzone Suaveway

Inspired by the Warzone Speedway feature in Sideburn 8 Jon sent a great photo of his dad, possibly the most suave motorcyclist I've ever seen, taken during the war. I asked for more details. This is what came back. Thanks Jon. G

Hello Gary,
Yes, rather sauve...maybe something to do with the signoras...the pic of my Dad was taken in Brindisi, Italy in the later stages of the war.

Anyway, I said I'd tell you a bit more -

The old man was born in 1921 and died a couple of years ago. It was he who fostered my lifelong love of motorcycles having been heavily involved in pre-war grass track at places like Brands Hatch and Layhams Farm. He was a keen supporter of New Cross Speedway too and I believe had a 'try out' just as WW2 intervened and put paid to such nonsense. He'd already become a sort of 'sponsored' 'tracker for a guy called Reg Marsh who supplied a dope burning 350 JAP engined New Imperial...Reg emigrated to NZ after the war and set up a motorcycle business there.

Having signed up as a mechanic in the RAF he ended up in North Africa where pretty soon the armed services had a proper league going, eventually he went via Sicily to Italy. I dare say the newly published 'Warzone Speedway' book on speedway will tell you much more (mine's on order) but bikes were very much of the home-brewed variety. There was no shortage of engineering know-how and equipment in the REME, RAF and RN workshops, and as you can see from the shots, rough approximations were made to the look of speedway machines back in blighty...the old man specialised in the tiny petrol tank variety! All parts were
scrounged and they generally ran on 'liberated' aviation spirit. The ultimate was an ohv machine of course, with plenty of side valve hacks knocking about however, this called for much creativity. Accounts of OHV Wermacht BMW ohv heads being grafted onto Brit crankcases via the expedient of a barrel turned from the bronze of a salvaged ship's propellor, weren't unknown. Front wheels often carried brake drums but with no internals. Competition was fierce! and it wasn't unknown for teams to recruit 'ringers' like Split Waterman to boost their chances of success.

He never lost the touch either; when I was a young teenager and a group of us rode field bikes at a mate's farm, the old man turned up one day and put us all to shame by grabbing an old 350 Velo and put it into a continuous slide with consummate ease. Naturally, my mother discouraged such activities but when he finally retired from aviation in 1980 he built himself a very quick Vincent Rapide from the proverbial 'box of bits', assuring her that it was just an old machine and very slow!

I've attached another pic showing the old man with his mate...
Best wishes for a great mag.
Jon Dudley

Bristol re-stocked

Here Gallery Stokes Croft, now has Sideburn #8. BP