Sideburn 32 - OUT NOW

Sideburn 32 is the greatest issue of Sideburn ever created. A thudding wodge of motorcycle stimulation and illumination that crackles with fun and good ideas.

It's perhaps our most diverse issue ever. Obviously the 116 pages of thick, gloss paper is crammed with motorcycles, but they range from pro flat tracker, through backwoods backflip 450s and ice racing Yamaha XSR900s to heavyweight street trackers, plus a dose of long distance adventure touring on dinky 125s in a FREE 16-page supplement created in conjunction with Tom Bing. There's also art, architecture, poetry and racing advice. We couldn't pack another atom of goodness into it.

COVER: Yamaha XS650 Framer with Lucia Aucott

BIKES: Yamaha XS650 Framer; See See Harley-Davidson XL1200 Roadster Street Tracker; OMT Garage Yamaha XSR900 SnowQuake racer; BSA Hornet; Honda CRF450 hillclimber; Honda 650 sand racer 

PEOPLE: Jeffrey Carver; Oliver Brindley; Lucia Aucott; Skip Aksland; Lynn Griffis

HOW TO: Win a Hooligan Championship

PORTFOLIO: The art of Sami Graystone

MOVIE: Akira

SHOP: Deus Ex Machina, Milan

EVENTS: Nine Years of Portland One Moto Show; Travis at the Land’s End Hillclimb

ADVENTURE: LA-Barstow-Vegas on classic Brits; Chile to San Francisco surf safari on Honda XR150s

PAGES: 116 + 16-page supplement

Snow Quake is back

WHAT: Snow Quake TWO! It's Dirt Quake on ice with Sideburn and Deus Ex Machina.
Same fantastic track as last year. Similar format.
Then drive down to Milan for an exclusive party at Deus Café.

HOW TO RACE: If you would like to race email us a photo of your bike and some details and we'll send rules and regs. sideburnmag @ gmail.com
No DTX bikes, sorry.

WHERE: Ice Rosa Ring, Riva Valdobbia, Italy

WHEN: Thursday 19 January. The day before the start of the Motor Bike Expo show in Verona.

ENTRY FEE: €50 plus Italian day licence/insurance (price of licence etc to be confirmed)

Check out last year's fun below...

Snow Quake from Deus Italy on Vimeo.

48-hour film marathon with Deus Milano

If you're going the the EICMA bike show, or if you just happen to be in Milan over the next couple of days, get down to Deus Ex Machina where they'll be showing a marathon 48 hours of films on the theme of women riders, starting on Monday 7 November at 8.30pm. Free entry, come and go as you please. It's all happening at the Deus Leica Theatre, via Thaon di Revel 3, Milano.

Deus Bike Build-Off

Ten years in and the Deus are still the force to be reckoned with when it comes to way-leading, cross-cultural alt. motorbike happenings. Their global bike build-off is one of the few competitions it is more important to have a sense of humour rather than a huge budget if you want to win.

This is last year's Milan winner. An SR250 with a dinky, hidden shock that works in extension rather than compression. Go to deuscutoms.com  to register if you want to enter. The competitions are happening at the company's five flagships. G

DTRA Round 1 Report: Rye House

The first DTRA race of 2016 was the biggest ever UK short track race (except for the Dirt Quake two-dayers that we hold with the DTRA). The meeting was split into two, with self-contained morning and afternoon sessions. Juniors, rookies and minibikes ran in the morning. Pros, restricted, vintage and Thunderbikes got on track at 2pm.

Rye House has a new owner and is under-going renovation. The DTRA seemed much happier with the new regime and the track was well prepared and looked after during the meeting. In the past, the previous owner would dump 1000 litres on it halfway through the meeting and totally screw it.
One result of the track being looked after was a very safe meeting. I didn't see the medical staff called once.

There were a ton of new riders in all the classes and some of last year's top restricted riders moved up to the Pro class. The DTRA has introduced a B Final for the Pro class to encourage those without a realistic chance of making the final to enter the dwindling Pro class in the knowledge they'll get three heats and a B Main. The B Main also acts as a last chance qualifier (LCQ) with the top two from the B Main qualifying for the A Main. There was a slight mix-up with the race order of this meeting so the B Main riders went straight from their ten-lap B into the 10-lap A Main without a break. That was a bit of a poisoned chalice, meaning they had to race knackered against the best amateur riders in Europe. The DTRA will sort that for future races.

The race attracted riders from Italy, Germany, France and Belgium, 12-15 foreign riders in total.
Thanks to the DTRA volunteers for all they do for the sport. They were working for ten hours on Sunday, plus travelling time, to make the event run as smooth as an oiled eel. GI

Sean Vukovic entered his very first dirt track race on his Survivor Customs CCM Rotax and won the Thunderbike class ahead of a strong field. Ross 'The King' Herrod was second, Survivor Mike Hill was third.
Want a potential race winner for £3500-£4000? Talk to Mike at Survivor Customs.

Frenchman Frank Chatokhine, #5R, came back to the series after missing much of last season and bossed the ever-growing Vintage class. We featured his Metisse Triumph in Sideburn 17.

17-year-old Ollie Brindley #24, hasn't had an off-season. over winter he has raced both Superprestigios and a bunch of Florida races, plus spent two weeks with AMA Pro Johnny Lewis. He followed the hard-charging current champ, Aidan Collins, for a few laps before finally making a pass stick and then he cleared off. Aidan came in second, Alan Birtwistle (aka Moto Ninja) came a good third. 

Vintage class rookie John Harrison looked like he'd been parachuted in from 1974. He is one of many riders who lost their dirt track virginity at Dirt Quake and now are racing in the DTRA.

Another is Ross Sharp, one of the Bike Shed MC full-time staff. Ross bought a used DTX bike last year, did a few practices, entered the Rookies and won first time out. A very confident rider.

Alessandro Rossi from Deus Milan bought Jason's gorgeous Wood Rotax (that we have a blueprint of for all the Wood Rotax fans out there) and flew in with his family for a weekend of motorcycle fun.

James from Hard Luck Tattoo is another graduate from the University of Dirt Quake. He raced two classes and was smiling like a loon every time I saw him. 

And me? I missed the Eastbourne practice because of bike problems at the Rye House practice the week before, then didn't get the bike working properly until the Friday before this race. It ran like a dream, but I forgot I only wanted to leave that rear tyre on for the pre-season practices and turned up to the first race with a worn Maxxis DT1. Better riders than me could cope with worn rubber, but I need all the help I can get. This photo shows ambition getting the better of talent. Still I made the Thunderbike final, stayed on two wheels all day and had a lot of fun. 

The next race is at the MCN Festival, Peterborough over the weekend of 14-15 May and Colin Edwards is racing with us! G

Photos: Ian Roxburgh

Pirelli Moto at Snow Quake

The godfather of European Flat Track, Marco Belli, raced the Deus XJRX Yamaha XJR1300 at Snow Quake. And he flew on it. I got the holeshot in one heat race and he came past me like a 100bhp blizzard making me think, almost simultaneously, 'How is he riding that so quickly?' 'Why aren't I riding this more quickly?' and 'Jesus, those tyres look dangerous. Second place is fine this time.'

The special Pirelli tyres helped. A lot. The clip-ons didn't help. One bit. Marco Belli blew people's minds.

Marco also runs the Di Traverso flat track school in Italy. Fly in, ride the Yamaha SR400s on a beautifully prepared track, hang out at Deus Milan and neighbouring bike shop Officine Mermaid, then fly home. Perfect.

Thanks to Pirelli for helping make Snow Quake happen. A big report on the event is coming up in the next issue, due out in March. G

Snow Quake - Deus Report, Video and Photos

Snow Quake

Words: Gary Inman
Photos: Marco Renieri / Deus Ex Machina

It’s a mild May Sunday, in the middle of Milan. The Deus Portal of Possibilities is packed with the owners, builders and fans for the 2015 Deus Bike Build-Off. As the editor of Sideburn magazine, I’ve been asked to be one of the 2015 judges.

In a brief lull in the proceedings, Deus’s Alessandro Rossi, leans over to me, and asks ‘Could we make a Dirt Quake in Italy?’ I pull a face. Then reply, Why don’t we organise something different? Why not… I think for a minute, Snow Quake?

Over the next few months Alessandro shakes trees. The godfather of European flat track and founder of the Di Traverso flat track school, Marco Belli works with Luca and Giulio of Deus Milano and the Deus Café to find a suitable track and Pirelli come on board as a sponsor.

Eight months later, I’m struggling to pull an old lady’s fake fur coat over my armoured leather jacket, my hands still cut and nicked from replacing dirt track tyres with sharply studded rubber. It is -8 Celsius in the makeshift paddock of the Ice Rosa Ring race track, situated in a deep Italian valley, surrounded by jagged peaks, including the famous Monte Rosa, the second highest mountain in the Alps.

Thirty racers from all over Europe are trying to convince their motorcycles to start. A few of the infernal internal combustion engines comply, most find a reason they’d rather not, at least not right now. Two hours later a rare Borile, brought from England, is still being kicked. There is a 65-year-old Harley WL raced by fashion designer Nick Ashley, a fuel-injected MV Agusta 800 and just about every two-wheeler on the spectrum from Piaggio Ciao to Honda chopper. All that links the machinery is the studs and screws in their tyres and the adventurous stripe running through their owners.

It’s clear that few people know what they’re doing, including the race organisers – me in their number. Motorcycle ice racing experience is thin on the ground in Europe. Snow Quake is an experiment with invited riders, we’ll make it up as we go along.

There were loose plans for classes, which bikes and specifications should be grouped together, then even those were junked – just race who you want. No one really cares who wins or loses. We only demand that no one dies. Please.

Like every race, each rider is having their own private battle, some with their choice of tyres and the curving Ice Rosa Track, others with a competitor in front, or just behind.

Incredibly, two riders Mauro from Classic Co in Madrid, Spain and Marco Belli chose to race Yamaha XJR1300s. Mauro is on El Solitario’s BBW that he tuned, Marco is riding a Deus four-cylinder with clip-ons on vicious Pirelli spikes. Julian from Deus Venice flew in from California, via Berlin, desperate not to miss the event. He rode a rare Kenny Roberts Rotax, prepared, and delivered, for the ice track by Geoff of Co-Built in England. With other racers coming from France, Switzerland, Corsica, the UK and Germany it was an international event.

Practice stretches for longer than normal to allow people to acclimatise, before three rounds of heats and a final. The slapdash attitude towards the organisation stretches to lap scoring. It is decided that the first three riders in each heat will score points and they can mark their position on a white board. It’s the honesty principle. No one’s going to say they won if they didn’t. It works, here at least, with this group.

After six hours on the ice, it’s time for the 12-rider final. Young English flat tracker George Pickering is on pole, with Marco Belli, Filolocio on Triumph Bonneville and former WSB, World Supermoto and current World Endurance rider, Giovanni Bussei also on the front row. El Solitario’s David Borras also makes the final on his Triumph ‘Sal del Diablo’.

The four-lapper ends with Pickering ahead of Bussei and a heroic Belli. The podium is carved out of snow, the trophies look like ice. Then the real race starts – to pack up vans and head the two hours back to Milan for the party at the aptly named Deus Portal of Possibilities, where we daydream about following this unforgettable day.

DTRA racer Tom Clemens on the self-built Yamaha that featured in Sideburn. He made his own ice tyres.

Giovanni Bussei brought some WSB/World Supermoto/World Endurance bling to proceedings. 

Charge!

Deus's Filippo Bassoli has the best guards.

Julian from Deus in Venice, CA came all the way from the US via Germany, and borrowed Wilky's Rotax to race.

Marco Belli was something else on this beast, Deus Milan's own XJR1300 custom. He had the most aggressive tyres, made by event sponsor Pirelli, but he also had clip-ons! He wasn't even the only XJR1300 there. El Solitario brought their awesome BBW.

Tom Clemens leading Geoff Co-Built.

Coats.

 Jason on the Sideburn 23 Borile cover bike. 

 Tom C again. 

 Roman from Belmondo Garage, Switzerland

 Top Italian journalist and Sideburn contributor, Paolo Sormani and Italian flat track hero Jacopo Monti. His Ciao was something else.

 Nick Ashley on the Private White VC Harley WL. 70-plus years old and still going strong. The bike's good too.

Dirt Quake legend Serge Nuques arrived on this Honda (?). And, as usual, rode it like he stole it. Perhaps he did. Watch the video below for parking tips. 

David Death Spray pulled Adam Brink for a few laps of stylish skijoring. 

Watering the track, Snow Quake-style.

The podium: 1. George 'Greenfield' Pickering. 2. Giovanni Bussei. 3. Marco Belli

British winner on a borrowed bike, with borrowed tyres. Does that constitute team work?

Thanks to all the racers, Deus Ex Machina, Marco Belli's Di Traverso School and Pirelli Moto Tyres.

See more photos at the Deus Ex Machina blog

Snow Quake Success!

El Solitario heavyweights!

Just a quick post to say a massive thanks to all the racers who drove and flew from far and wide to race at Snow Quake. I put my hands together for Dave Skooter Farm and Anthony Co-Built for race-flagging and organisational support on the day.

Thanks to the hardcore fans who came from as far away as Athens, Greece and Vigo, Spain.

Mille grazie to Pirelli Moto, Deus Ex Machina and Marco Belli of Di Traverso for helping make it happen.

More reports to follow. G

 Marco Belli was incredible on the Deus Yamaha XJR1300 on Pirelli spikes.

Pierre-Alexandre Truest raced the Lara MV 800

My ice tyres were crap. Anthony's electrics were playing up. I took the electrics off mine and we shared Anthony's bike. Team work!

Nick Ashley makes the party and Paolo Sormani is always a pleasure.

Dirt Quake hero Serge Nuques raced a Honda chopper. Park it like you stole it. G

Viba Lara at Snow Quake

Just heard that the French company Viba are bringing their MV Brutale 800-base special - Lara 800, to race at Snow Quake in Italy on 21 January. This is going to look wild on the ice.

Snow Quake is our first experiment at an ice race and would only be possible with our partners at Deus Milano and Pirelli. G

Yamaha Yard-Built x Dirt Quake

This is Yamaha Yard-Built's official video from Dirt Quake IV. They brought a great line-up of modified Yams from their Yard-Built program and two 'official' riders - Marco Belli (dirt track legend and man behind the Di Traverso school) and Alessandro Rossi (one of the owners of Deus Ex Machina Milano).

Marco raced the Deus modified XV950 D-Side (with sidecar and surfboard removed - see it below in its beach-bothering incarnation). Alessandro raced a 2014 SR400 modified for the Di Traverso School.

The video - which was made by the same crew that film Yamaha's MotoGP coverage and campaigns - features other Yamaha riders from the weekend: the DTRA's reigning Thunderbike champ Dave Chadburn and the wicked fast #36 TT500 he raced on Friday's night DTRA round; Hubert Bastie - the Ninja Turtle on the Clutch Paris-supported FZ750 and Serge Nuques on the 1000cc R1 he raced at the TT. Watch him win the inappropriate road bike class at 3:01 for an incredible way to cross a finish line.

Big thanks to Yamaha Yard-Built for supporting Dirt Quake IV, all the sponsors help make the show bigger and better. G

Deus Bike Build-Off Public Vote

Back in May I was invited out to the Deus Bike Build-Off in Milan, Italy, and asked to be one of the judges. You can see the earlier posts here (Deus Milano Bike Build-Off).

Now the public vote is open to choose the Global People's Vote, and it reminded me to post these photos of some of the finalists.

The builder of this Monster 750 street tracker got the stance dead right, I reckon. It might be a little long, but I could see someone having fun against the Harley Sportsters in the Hooligan class on something like this. 

 Another Ducati street tracker mash-up.

 Dagger Cycles neat SRX600.

Judges looking studious. Clockwise from front left, Raffaele Paolucci (Sideburn contributor, great photographer, shot Sideburn 11 cover); Vincent from Wheels and Waves (who shot one of Sideburn 12's two covers); Paola Furlan (web journalist); Roberto Ungaro (editor of Riders magazine); me!; Fabric Roux (editor, found of French magazine Moto Heroes).

 2 Right Hands' Yamaha XS

 CZ Chopper.

Euro dirt track hero, Jacopo Monti. He's in Sideburn 21 riding the KTM 690 Duke he build for his friend. His little Motobi Motoretta minibike was converted to fuel in frame. The 'tank' was a leather rucksack that Jacopo made himself, It unclips from the bike.

 Honda Domi scrambler.

K Model BMW was neat, but I cut off the bottom to show the setting. Deus Milan is in a courtyard, with residential apartments looking down on it. If you get chance, make sure you go to this great shop. Elsewhere on the same street is Officine Mermaid's two shops and cafe and a couple of other interesting moto-themed shops.
I also like how European bike show crowds, especially Italian ones, look quite like no other crowds on earth.

 Brand new RnineT modified by a local BMW garage, with a bunch of nice touches.

 The MC was Virgin radio's  DJ Ringo. He's bike mad and a big deal in Italy.

Go to the Deus Bike Build Off Global People's Choice page to vote for your favourite. G