Hoi Chi Minh Trail by C90

Criminally I don't make enough time to read books, so it's taken me over six months of dipping to get through this book but it's a good read. 'Ants' Bolingbroke-Kent is a well-traveled TV producer who had already explored Vietnam in preparation for more pampered adventure, but she decided to return on her ownsome to follow the route of the infamous Hoi Chi Minh trail (still littered with unexploded American bombs), which also crosses Laos and Cambodia. On a 1989 C90.

Four back-street engine re-builds later she made the 2000 miles unscathed. Most people she meets on the two month treck think she's mental for her choice of vehicle and lack of companion or logistical back-up, but she proves that her calm determination (and a bottle of stashed gin), will push her through and also makes her also more open to approach.

Wot no knobblies. BP

Enzo Sidecars: Back in stock

These are officially child's toy, but they make a great ornament too (in my opinion). Super tactile, EU approved, designed in the UK for a UK company (but made abroad).
We had British Racing Green and copper-coloured ones that sold out. Now we have red and chrome and silver and black.

Dimensions: Length 250mm x Width 195mm x Height 130mm
Materials: ABS Plastic with high gloss UV coating. Hand-polished with care.

£42 plus post for sideburn.bigcartel.com
We deliver worldwide. G

UK: Looking Good

Our friends James from Kingdom of Kicks and photographer James A Grant, among others, went on a Sailor Jerry-supported road trip around the UK on their Harleys, meeting up with friends (including Sideburn stockists Strong Adolfo's in Cornwall).
Anyway, the film really makes me want to ride the peripheries of our cramped medium-sized island. G

DAY 1 London to Brighton
DAY 2 Brighton to Dorset via Southampton
DAY 3 Dorset to Cornwall
DAY 4 Cornwall
DAY 5 Cornwall to Bristol
DAY 6 Bristol to Wales
DAY 7 Cardiff to Manchester
DAY 8 Manchester drive to Lake District
DAY 9 Lake District to Glasgow
DAY 10 Glasgow to Inverness
DAY 11 Tuesday 1st Sep – Edinburgh - Party at Sneaky Pete’s Bar
DAY 12 Edinburgh to Newcastle
DAY 13 Newcastle to Nottingham
DAY 14 Nottingham to Bedford - The Trip Out Festival, Bedford
DAY 15 Bedford - The Trip Out Festival
DAY 16 Bedford to London - Finish

The Picturebooks

Recommended by Eat Dust, I looked into The Picturebooks. They're a German two-piece whose videos are very Dice, not a bad thing. I started playing the YouTube videos in the background, and began liking the music more and more. It's a bit Black Keys, but heavier. Turns out they played the Trip Out and went down well (but I was in India).
Anyway, they're on a big tour and one of the dates was Grimsby. Grimsby is 90-mins drive from me, but I knew a couple of friends up that way who'd go, and I thought A. Anyone who tours Europe and picks Grimsby needs supporting. B. Any venue who books a little known German band to play on a Sunday IN GRIMSBY needs supporting.
So I went, and they were fantastic. Two piece band: singer-guitarist, drummer-backing vocals. You've never seen a drumer work harder. And they're touring with the drummer's dad, who just happens to be Claus Grabke, 80s pro skateboarder (who also shoots the band's videos).
Go see them if they come near you. G

Deus Slidetober 2015

5th Slidetober weekender organised by Deus in Bali. Looks like a lot of fun. BP

James Brown in Vietnam, 1968

Hey, it's off-topic Sunday! Remember, if you came to this site for motorbikes, you came to the right place. There are over 5000 posts on this blog, pick a subject from the labels list at the side and dive in. Or buy the magazine. Sometimes though, we want to talk about other things. This is one of those times...

I watched the James Brown biopic, Get On Up (co-produced by The Walking Dead's* Mick Jagger) on DVD. I really enjoyed it, but struggled catching some of the mumbled dialogue. It is obviously a dramatisation of a long and action-packed life (abandoned as a child, spousal abuse, laugh a minute), but I don't know how much it gilded the lily.

One great section is when James Brown (aka the Godfather of Soul, Mr Dynamite, Minister of the New New Super Heavy Funk, The Hardest Working Man in Showbusiness, Mr Please Please Please, Soul Brother Number One) and his band are on a troop transporter plane to Vietnam to play to the US soldiers, in June 1968. Part of the dramatisation is clearly enhanced, but they really did perform in Vietnam, when it was the last place of earth anyone really wanted to be. These superb photos are from the performance, and I found them on the internet, so apologies to the photographers for not crediting.

Perhaps it's just me, but I've watched quite a lot of Vietnam movies over the years and I don't remember seeing any that show just how many black GIs were in action. Just look at the crowd here. Clearly if Johnny Cash was playing you might expect fewer black faces right at the front, but the US government didn't fly in a rent-a-crowd to make JB look good. Anyway, just a thought. G

* Sorry, I mean The Rolling Stones

The Beach - A film about racing at Mablethorpe

I worked on this film with my friend James Cheadle (a superb photographer and founder of Union magazine).
We shot it earlier this year at Mablethorpe Beach Races and I supply the narration and onboard footage from my Honda 650. We had a plan to record a race commentary live from my helmet, but I dropped the expensive sound recorder in a salty puddle and killed it.

The sand racing season starts again on 18 October (Mablethorpe Sand Racing dates). They will let you race just about anything, but if you have specific questions, leave a comment and I'll try answer them.
2015 DTRA champions George Pickering and Leah Tokelove are regulars on their KTMs in the MX classes. I'm in the unlimited road bike class.

Hope you enjoy the film. G

Sideburn 21 - Kriega Cover and so much more

We're offering very limited supplies of SB21 with the special cover we printed for Kriega. Kriega sent this magazine to buyers of their new Sling and Urban bags.

To be clear, this SB21 Kriega magazine is identical to the regular Sideburn 21 EXCEPT for the cover, that was shot by the world famous Vogue photographer David Sims. That means it's for collectors and completists only. Don't buy it looking for content different to the regular SB21.

Read about David Sims here. Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Calvin Klein, Sideburn...

We have also a new 3 issue back issue bundle offer to clear a bit of shelf space.
Issue 11, 14 and 16 for £9 plus post.
This is in addition to the 4 back issue bundle (7, 8, 9, 10) we have.

And another for the collectors, a Sideburn Programme bundle of all our A5-sized event programmes for four of our biggest events so far. Relive the joy and triumphs, the gathering of motorcycle tribes, the dodgy on-track catering, the motorised pie, all from the comfort of your treehouse and all for just £2.50 plus post.

On Monday the law is changing in the UK (then probably everywhere else) that sees supermarkets charging 5p for every plastic bag. You're going to need bags! So get this Dirt Quake IV tote bag, complete with the Sideburn gaffer tape font by Ben Part, for just £3.50 (plus post).
It's not quite a Kriega bag, but it'll carry your bananas, quinoa, Mellow Birds and copy of OK! home from Asda in style.
We have a few black DQIII totes too.

Finally, for now, we have Union Magazine, made by a friend of mine, the photographer James Cheadle. It's great, big heavy thing, full of brilliant true stories about exorcists, spies turned religious kooks, bike gangs, drug dealers, Sikh martial artists.
£8 plus post.

Get them all, and much more, from sideburn.bigcartel.com
Remember, every order gets a free Sideburn sticker. Whoop! G

Chiffon Specialist

Inspired by the album cover of Love & Kisses 1979 disco hit, photographed by Scott Hensel, we are conjuring up a photoshoot with Jason’s equally glam Borile scrambler.

We are looking for an accomplished high-kicking model who is available for a day's shooting in Leicester, UK. (in lieu of a Los Angeles heat-wave, we will be indoors).

Do have golden Farrah Fawcett big hair?
Do you like the feel of chiffon blowing in the wind?

Please contact us if you think you are a contender. BP

2015 DTRA Champions

It's nearly the end of another great year of British flat track. Sideburn was a proud supporter of the DTRA.

The DTRA has its Johnny Lewis Presentation night coming up on October 10, King's Lynn. There might be room for spectators to come and watch the Johnny Lewis Q and A. Leave a comment or email us if you want to come. £5 entry.

Here are the end of season results and photos of the class champions (Photos: Ian Roxburgh/ DTRA)

Pro Class

1^st Place: Aidan Collins #90

2^nd Place: Oliver Brindley

3^rd Place: Alan Birtwistle

4^th Place: Adam Allott

5^th Place: Tom Neave

Thunderbike Class

1^st Place: George Pickering #38

2^nd Place: Geoff Cain

3^rd Place: Tom Clemans

4^th Place: Guy Sutherland

5^th Place: Ross Herrod

Restricted Class

1^st Place: Ross Herrod #52R

2^nd Place: Scott Faulkner

3^rd Place: Gary Birtwistle

4^th Place: Leah Tokelove

5^th Place: Christophe Decombard

Vintage Class

1^st Place: Guy Sutherland

2^nd Place: Anthony Brown

3^rd Place: Hubert Bastie

4^th Place: Paul Harrison

5^th Place: Milo Hiscox

Rookie Class

1^st Place: Sean Kelly #33R

2^nd Place: Andrew Smith

3^rd Place: Phillip Gerrard

4^th Place: Michael Herman

5^th Place: Peter Jordon

MiniBike Class

1^st Place: Leah Tokelove #37R

2^nd Place: Adam Lovesey

3^rd Place: Alfie Collett

4^th Place: Adam Waller

5^th Place: Martin Huning

Youth Senior Class

1^st Place: Toby Hales #20

2^nd Place: Skye Adams

3^rd Place: Jordon Miller

4^th Place: Connor Jackson

5^th Place: Ben Neave

Youth Inter Class

1^st Place: Joe Burden

2^nd Place: George Hopper

3^rd Place: Kier Armstrong

4^th Place: Storm Stacy

5^th Place: Jack Bell

Youth Junior Class

1^st Place – Leon Collier