Visting Chopper Dave

Every time Sideburn takes a trip to the US we try to visit a few different shops or garages. Earlier in the year we visited the new Brat Style outpost and Suicide Machine Co in Long Beach. This time, while we were out for the US Superprestigio/ Superhooligan and LA-Barstow-Vegas, we called at long-time supporter of Sideburn, Chopper Dave's  in Hawaiian Gardens. 

He was the first American to buy Sideburn issue 1; his race-ready street tracker featured in Sideburn 5; his Born Free turbo street tracker was in Sideburn 15. 

In a entirely forgettable trading estate, and behind a plain door, without a sign or clue to what's inside was the scene above.

Some of the most influential Harleys of recent years were parked or in parts.

A whole swap meet of tanks on the stairs.

Dave casts a load of great-looking parts: filters; footpegs; car club plaques; ignition covers; belt buckles. See more at Chopper Dave's Casting Co.

Wax to be melted to start the shaping process of casting.

Great hauler with FTWCo's 'Support Your Local Racetrack' order

Dave!

Dave giving us directions to Roland Sands' place. His fingers read H-O-L-D F-A-S-T. When Dave chopped the end of his little finger off at work, he added C-H-O-P S-A-W.
Thanks for showing us around Dave. G

Sideburn 5 BACK IN STOCK

We have found a few copies that we sidelined because the clear, matt laminate we pay to have on covers or the special purple foil logo we chose for this issue might be VERY slightly damaged during packing at the printers, but these have been sold out a long time, so if you want one it's worth it.
No returns.
Sold at the ORIGINAL cover price of £4.50 (plus postage)

100 quality A5 pages including:
Shayna Texter, Nichole Cheza
C and J Rotax
Dave Aldana
Jake Johnson
Harley WR racer
Roland Sands, Drake McElroy, Thor Drake: The Smoking Seagulls and their Super Singles
Cay's BSA B40
Graziano Rossi and the Zaeta DT Mk1
GSX-Rs on ice
Chopper Dave's street tracker
Alan Bellham's Speedway Service shop
Fay Taylour (amazing story of lady speedway rider and nazi sympathiser)
The first appearance of Dimitri and his Parisian TR6C street tracker
Don Emde's Trophy Queen
And more....

Get it at sideburn.bigcartel.com

Offers like this and limited edition found artefacts appear on the blog first, so remember to check back on a daily basis (or more often). G

Sideburn scarves

Great plug by Chopper Dave for something we've run out of . It's the thought that counts. See quite a lot more at Chopper Dave's Blog.

Go buy some other stuff that's going to run out soon at the Sideburn webshop. We operate a here today, gone tomorrow stocking policy. G

Chopper Dave footpegs

These are going on Project Royal Enfield. I think a British company are doing copies of these, but ours are Chopper Dave originals from the LBC! Thanks Dave! Get yours at Loud Fast Rules.
By the way, all Chopper Dave fans (and that's got to be the whole world) can read about his 11x street tracker/outlaw racer as written by Jeff of Church of Choppers and shot by Mark at Joyrides Art Co. in Sideburn 5. G

Chopper Dave's Casting Company

A compact package of goodness arrived at Sideburn HQ the other day. Chopper Dave casts his own parts, and while a lot of it is for American twins (that I haven’t got) these fantastic footpegs can be made to fit anything. The Death or Glory pegs are going to be adapted for my Guzzi. They cost $80 plus shipping. The Race Only points cover is going on the back of my LDV.
It even came wrapped in the sex ads from his local paper. 'TS 8.5 fully functional'. God only knows what that means, but I don't want any of it.
Thanks Dave. Get your stuff from Chopper Dave’s Casting Company.

And read Jeff Wright (of Church of Choppers) writing about Dave’s bike in Sideburn 5. GI

11x

Loud Fast Rules Chopper Dave, is a big noize on the chopper scene. He runs his own aluminium foundry making bike parts. Points covers, kicker pedals, carb tops, foot pegs, belt buckles etc. He even valiantly re-made my favourite 80s BMX wheels; Motormags, but then grown-up size and strength for his X-Wedge chop. But less well known is his love of flat track. We feature his Pan-head framed street tracker in SB#5 and who better to write the story than fellow closet flat tracker, Jeff Wright; Reverend at the Church of Choppers. Photos Mark Kawakami. BP

FTW Racing

The recent LA/Las Vegas mini-trip had plenty of highlights, but one of the best for me was meeting the FTW Racing crew. Supported by the FTWCo organisation, the flat track part of the team was made up of Dustin, Noah and Steve, all riding SR/TT500s Yams. They’re all members of the Sinners club, but they have dirt riding experience. And it showed. They rode like demons. Dustin and Noah made the Saddleman Classic Main on separate nights. Steve’s bike was screwed. In the stands they were supported a bunch of bike-building faces. Chopper Dave, Brandon from Brawny Built, Jeff Decker, Denver Dan and the JoMo Racing crew, the Des Moines mafia…
It was great to see people out supporting their mates' racing. It was a long out of town trip for everyone. If you’ve ever raced you’ll know how much it means to have people in the stands.
Much respect to FTW. GI
Photos: Up there, Jeff at FTW, down here,: GI

Chopper Dave at Pomona

Chopper Dave's Loud Fast Rules is one of the first blogs I ever came across and I visit regularly. Dave loves dirt track and speedway, he's raced a bit, and was at Pomona shooting. He posted a photo of someone in a Sideburn Gene shirt. Who are you, mister?
We have a feature on one of Chopper Dave's bikes coming up in Issue 5. GI

Footpeg delight

Marcus from Stockholm sent us the top photo of the pegs he's making for his Sportster project. And this is just a quick runabout, daily rider project...
It reminded me that I still want a set of Chopper Dave's footpegs for my Guzzi. He casts the bottom two styles. Attention to detail.

Chopper Dave

We love Chopper Dave (the first American to cough up $12 for issue 1) and he seems to like what we do. Get a T-shirt like Dave's here
Photo: Joyrides Art Company

Mr Perfect and his perfect bike

Last month we put out an APB on this guy via our own private dick Chopper Dave. At that point we had no name, no nothing, except that he and his vehicle are Perfect. Lieutenant Dave is good. The name is Homer Knapp. The game, gnarley 1928 JD.
BP

XR1200 finally reaches the US

The Harley factory have been in touch (no shit). They want to 'reach out' because 'Your site is a great example of
our riders helping to bring the community together online'. Mmmm. Need to put more pics of King Khan up, I reckon.

Anyhoo, the want to tell the world the XR1200 is going on sale in America. If you want one you probably already know, but as they asked nicely we thought we'd pass the news on. And Chopper Dave likes it and he's forgotten more about Harleys than me and Ben will ever know so we'll bow to his superior knowledge.

If you want an XR1200, 'there is a pre-sale of only 750 XR1200 models from 12/1 – 12/15.'

Looking for Mr Perfect?

It's been a bit quiet. I've been in Macau.

Anyway look at this hero. He is so perfect I want him framed. Now, we like DTX bikes, but the kid in the background offers the ideal juxtaposition, what with his lairy ONeal gear (you paid how much to advertise for those guys?), neck brace and Stormtrooper boots. Mr Handshift has got lace-up rigger boots; goggles and lid, circa 1970, revealing a Judge Dredd facial set. Even his rubber-trimmed gloves are period.

And we're pretty sure that is Chopper Dave behind him. Dave, what's the story with this guy? GI

We heart Chopper Dave

We've 'met' some good people through Sideburn, but Chopper Dave is something special. He was the first American to cough up $12 for Sideburn (it costs us $7 to post it by the way). Then he put a link on his super-popular blog and helped us sell some more around the world.
Dave is one of the most influential fellas on the formerly underground, now overground chopper scene. He set/re-popularisd the style thousands (desperate to build something authentic and not covered in chrome and billet) have copied. And he rides them. And the photos prove he rides them. Not just to the local bar either.
Check out his blog at www.chopperdaves.blogspot.com/