In bed with Toby & Jules

For hardcore MotoGP fans in the UK there are only two commentators, Eurosport's Toby Moody and Julian Ryder. I interviewed them for Bike a few years ago and Chippy did a great Morecambe & Wise-themed photoshoot. That's me in the middle.
Jules also kindly MC'd our David Aldana Night at Oxford last year. G

Mud Fun

BRrrr December. It's hovering around 5°C. Thursday is grim all day. For Friday, Co Built Anthony has organized a group of 5 riders (me, GI, Guy S, Chippy and himself) to ride enduro on the Marlborough Downs, following ancient bridleways, byways and sections of the historic Ridgeway. The most optimistic man in UK motorcycling has promised sun. And he delivers. It's glorious. We meet up 7 miles north of Marlborough. Chippy was on the road at 4:30am to buy a garish 1988 Suzuki RM250 on the way. Gary 5:30. The rest of us live closer.
Anthony's KTM 450EXC that I'm going to borrow has seen action in Africa, and a week at the hands of Travis - I'm not sure which is more grueling? It doesn't want to start. Fault finding requires partial disassembly with molegrips. Anthony goes into Paris-Dakar mode and it's soon brought back to life.
Seemingly easy tracks prove to be very skiddy where the ground is chalk. I crash 4 times. More daunting deeply rutted cesspools are hairy but fun. These photos show open country but most of tracks were more like covered rabbit runs through ancient woodland that would eject us in yet another picturesque Wiltshire village for 2 minutes of tarmac before Anthony would lead us into a farmyard and onto the next. What a blissful day.
Last week I wasn't sure if my dicky back could take the punishment, but after a day's country rutting I feel like I've been given a rejuvenating all-limb going-over by an Swedish Amazon masseur (including a light whipping of hawthorn sticks). BP

Inside Dainese

The marketing department was full of loads of great memorabilia, including three old Rossi suits.
This showroom houses all the current Dainese and AGV range. When the next one is prepared, dealers from around the world come to choose what they're going to stock. The partitions are supposed to signify ribs.
Inside the AGV factory. These are a bunch of Wake Up ltd ed helmets. The graphics are water-slide decals.
Opposite the Vicenza HQ is an outlet centre. If you're ever passing that way it's worth checking out. There are some great bargains. The front of the shops has this sidecar and the Norton, Greeves, BSA below.
Lovely Greeves. The metal blocks in the background are moulds for Dainese's iconic back protectors.
Devil in the doorhandles.
In the marketing department. Photos of Guy Martin dwarf those of Rossi, Simoncelli and Lorenzo.

A post on the Death Spray Custom blog, reminded me that fellow short track racer and ace photographer Chippy Wood went to Italy for Bike magazine to experience the whole Dainese and AGV universe. It was an amazing trip, we met the founder; saw Dainese's private museum full of leathers from every riders they've ever sponsored and met the woman who makes Rossi's helmets. Here are some phone snaps. The whole trip was made into a supplement free with the current Bike magazine. I have another couple of big features in the main mag, too (if you're remotely interested). G

Up and down day

Well, praying for sun worked. I live 35 miles from King's Lynn and it rained most of Saturday and all Sunday night, but it was baking hot on Sunday for the race. I had another up and down day. I crashed trying to miss Steve Red Max (who was riding like a demon all day, but decided to park in the middle of a corner on the one lap I was going up the inside of him), then my brake rod stripped in a heat and fell out. I thought quickly enough to lay it down before crunching into the boards. Then everyone behind me (and there were a few) managed to miss me (including Chippy). Carl from CFM (who was spectating), along with Jacapo Monti's mechanic jumped the fence to get my bike back straightened for the restart. Massive thanks fellas.
I've enjoyed the last two rounds even though my results have been poor. I woke up very early this morning and tried to work out what I'm doing wrong. I'm not short of bravery, just skill or feel. I crash my brains out and keep coming back for more. I must be an idiot, but my mate Diplo, who comes along and offers help and encouragement, sent this email putting a different spin on things.

'Don't de-construct too heavily. Surely crashing goes with the job - a bit - and you're not hurting yourself, which is vital. The thing that grips me is that the nature of the sport is such that a dropped brake link arm can be the cause of a whoopsie rather than a massive bone-crunching event, and that there is enough adrenalin pumping around to force a track-side bodge in time
to make the re-start.
'I thought John Lee (Capt Highside) had an absolutely blinding day, Jacapo was a pleasure (on and off track), the sun shone, lending the arena the atmosphere of a bull fighting ring, and I was exhausted by the time I got home, without the racing, - great drama and on such a manageable friendly scale.'

Thanks to Boastie for the photo who said 'How close!!! love fact gary is put your hands over your helmet'

More King's Lynn soon. GI

Dan Walsh Snaps Stoke

(below) #28 Steve Coles from #47 Anthony Co-Built, but look in the back of the shot to see GI totally crossed up trying to miss Geoff Co-Built having a little lie-down mid-corner.

(below) #65R is Chippy Wood and his home-built, rule-bending Thunderbike. He was flying.Terrific day, brothers.
Funny, friendly & ferocious, noisy nice nasty & keen.
Suerte, Dan

Deadbeats miss The Dead Rocks

So there I was ready for a night out with a bunch of mates, watching a band that came all the way from Brazil to play in a tiny underground bar in a one-horse town in Lincolnshire, then the excuses start. It looks like I'm going to end up riding 20 miles to see a band on my own. Well, so be it. In the end Chippy (dirt track racer, desert racer, ace photographer) turned up too (in a Sideburn shirt). Some people live life, others sit in and watch it on TV. Make sure you're in the former group, not the latter.
The Dead Rocks were brilliant. I even had a one-song wig-out on the floor, all alone.

And if you like surf music (and garage punk, blues, northern soul), download this week's NEW Killer Diller from Johnny Alpha. Yes, this week's, not the one posted lasted week. GI