Reckons Sideburn magazine and blog reader, Jeremy Melling:
Sideburn arrived last week and I meant to email sooner. It's just so good, the size of it, feel of the paper, the colours and of course the content. Even my wife, who thought I was wasting our money, had to agree. And though your blog's great there's still something very nice about holding a magazine or book, I do wonder if this is an age thing and if our kids won't even look at mags in the future but read everything online. Do you remember Road Rocket, early 90's bike mag edited by, I think Mark Williams [it was Mark Graham, not Williams. GI]. Very strange and very brilliant. Sideburn reminds me of that.
Your latest blog, I don't think it's a parallel twin but a twin exhaust valve single. Way back, engineers had worked out that multiple exhaust valves would give more power and most manufacturers did it at the time. See the attached pic of Father in Law's early 30's Ariel 350 single, three valve 'triple knocker'.
If you want to use this picture or the BSA that I sent the other day on the blog, no problem.
Jeremy
So, I made ANOTHER mistake, but you could still build a replica with a twin engine. And it would still look great.
What an amazing photo. You don't see many fellas who look like this any more. I won't even hazard a guess at the plane in the background. Looks like the tail of a Spitfire or Hurricane, but I have no real clue. GI
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ReplyDeleteWonderful picture. It's true about the twin exhaust ports but my Panther-owning friend Joe says they go better with one port blocked off! So maybe it was a triumph of theory over practice.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a Spitfire in the background.
I said too quickly that it was a Spitfire, and then I doubted. The rear of a Hurricane isn't that different...
ReplyDeleteBut now I'm pretty sure, because of the canopy.
I have also two exhaust ports on a Terrot 100cc 2 strokes, and I have to check it somehow, but I'm not sure of the real efficiency...
Jeremy, whose father-in-law is in the photo, meant to post this here, but posted it on Trailing leg instead.
ReplyDelete'The photo is of Bob Peers, taken around the mid 40's at Worthy Down, Hampshire. He was and engineer and Officer of the Fleet Air Arm The plane
in the background is a Seafire, one of his maintenance duties. He went on to assemble and commission the first flight of heliclopters in the UK. They were American built Sikorski R4's, delivered in wooden crates and were apparently, rubbish. Of the twelve that were delivered only four or five ever flew, the rest were so badly made that they broke up during testing.
The bike was salvage from a bomb site in Southampton. On seeing his Officers uniform workmen clearing the site suggested that he would have more use than them so they just wheeled it out of the rubble. I don't think anyone asked questions about ownership at the time.
J'
I too recall Road Rocket - what a fantastic mag that was - shame they only did a few (was it 3 or 4?. I may even still have them somewhere in spite of several house moves since it appeared in the early 90s
ReplyDeleteStating the obvious, but Road Rocket was indeed one of our early sources of inspiration for Sideburn.
ReplyDeleteA benchmark of a motorcycling mag with nuts.
BP
Of course, without wishing to blow one's own trumpet (something I'd certainly do if I could manage it - must take up yoga), Sideburn has a direct link with Road Rocket: me. I was lucky enough to write for the second (and final) issue. Perhaps those two facts are more closely linked than I'd like to admit.
ReplyDeleteStill got a poster for the second issue on my wall. Just. Can't. Let. Go.
I've just realised that I wrote for both issues, and that the poster on my wall is for issue one. Apart from that, my usual journalistic accuracy was spot on.
ReplyDeleteGosh was it only two issues - the Vic & Bob and KLF covers? It made such an impression my senile mind thought they'd done more! Anyway I'm glad the spirit lives on - here's to the next issue of Sideburn!
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