Chairmageddon

It seems the end of the world happened. The Four Chairmen of the Apocalypse at a Danebury grasstrack meet in genteel Hampshire. Photo by Simon Burgess. MP 

Deadman and Wolves

I've banged on about Wolverhampton and the English Black Country before, but I've yet to mention the brilliant Tommy Deadman. A pioneer of British speedway, Deadman captained one of the first English clubs, Wolverhampton Wolves, formed in 1928, as well as racing hillclimbs and grasstrack. He was also a pioneer of motorcycle football, later to be known as motoball and still responsible for the bloodied shins of devotees around the globe. A test rider at Sunbeam, he built the bike he's pictured on here, his 'Sprint Special', using bits cadged from broken factory racers. Loads more over at Wolverhampton History, along with photos and clippings, such as these here, supplied by Deadman's daughter, June. MP 

Top Trumps

Sideburn #19 sees the start of a new series on classic Top Trumps cards. As prepubescent youths, before we got our hands dirty, motorcycles (and dragsters, and trains, exotic cars, and cricketers) were battling each other by torch-light under bedsheets purely on their technical specification.

Our first featurette, is this wonderful Jawa 897 engined Hagon grass tracker photographed by Andy Baker of the Jerkyls. BP

In Aus we don't have any grasstracks so we use dirt tracks which have both right and left hand corners some of which are tight and require gear changes and brakes are required under the current rules. This bike is made up from what we could get our hands on. The chassis is a Hagon sand racer with a homemade swinging arm slightly longer than standard. The engine is a Jawa 987. Wheel adapters, brakes and exhaust are home made.
Here is some extra spec:
compression ratio 14:1; Carburettor Dell'orto 36mm round slide; Ignition is a Pal magneto; Gearbox is a Norton AMC 3-speed with 1st gear removed; wheels 23" front 19" rear; Brakes front Hagon drum, rear Yamaha disc (handlebar operated); suspension front is rubber bands, rear are Hagon shocks.
Cheers Geoff
[fettling the bike in the photo, who built the bike along with Steve Constable and Chris Murrey]

On The Bench

As well as the healthy assorted kittens at the Kiddo party, there was an equal diversity in the motorcycles outside and in. Much Euro free Love. Something for all creeds, needs, and speeds. BP

Vintage Grasstrack (is the new rock 'n' roll)

Lewis Wharton wrote about his dad's grasstrack racing career for Sideburn 10. He has now set up his own blog entitled Vintage Grasstrack.

Lewis is also bassist in the band Little Barrie. This is them below. This great, no-budget video (to a killer song) was shot by filmmaker and photographer, Lee Vincent Grubb who came along to Anthony Co-Built's birthday dirt track party, last week, and was blown away by his first encounter with flat track.

Apparently, the lady in the video, Mareva Galanter, is a former Miss France and also in the band Nouvelle Vague. Get the circles (ovals?) we're moving in! G
 

Beat Combo

We've been mentioning Lewis from the band Little Barrie a bit on the blog because he's supplied a brilliant and very personal feature about vintage grasstrack for Sideburn 10. The band has just been touring the US. Flat track racer and SB contributor Greaser Mike went to see Little Barrie in NY.
When Lewis got back off tour he sent us these photos and this message (he said he doesn't look himself in the top photo. He hadn't recovered from the tour yet...). G

The background to the bike is....a good friend of my dad's Kenny White passed away this year, he had keep it in his garage since the 70s (this is an early 70s outfit). His daughter gave it to his old passenger John Smith. All their old grasstrack crowd met at the funeral and it ended up at my dad's garage to be restored. They are all itching to have a go on it. I haven't seen one of these kind of outfits in the flesh since I was 2 yrs old! And very much doubt there are very many around...I know Gerry Wheeler, one of the top riders of his day still does a lap or two on his at big events for show, that's the only other one I know of.
Tour went really well thanks, although I was a broken man by the time I got back. Thanks for hooking us up with Mike Kramer.
Lewis

Lewis Wharton Jnr.

Ford Capris, Bay City Rollers barnets, chunky cork soled sandals, nostalgia is everything. I also love that crystal ball thing, whereby you can look at this old photo and know what that little baby doesn't
- He can't yet wipe his own arse, but he will be come a bassist in a rock'n'roll band, he will (have no choice but to) love motorbikes. And in 37 years time, he will write an article about his Dad's antics as a grass-track side-car monkey for a motorcycle magazine called Sideburn. His band is called Little Barrie. They have a new album out in the here and now, today. It's called King of the Waves. They're playing at Bowery Electric in New York tonight. BP
UPDATE: You can see a special recording of Little Barrie playing live on Breakthru Radio. It's good. G

Something For The Weekend Sir?

Tom Swallow BSA C15 Elstar grass tracker. BP

Little Barrie

Love this song. Little Barrie's bassist, Lewis, has written a story about his dad's grasstrack racing for Sideburn 10. It's great. G

Metro Grasstracker

From Don at Metro Racing...

Here's some cool sideways action for the readers. A Bultaco/Hagon grasstracker, complete with Metro Nikki.
Enjoy, Don

Ansel Bultaco

On UK eBay, ends soon. Thanks to Tom B for the tip. G

- meanwhile on the other side of the village...

FLYMO
It all began with a tin of cat food, an empty coffee tin and a hairdryer. When air was forced between the two tins, the ensemble began to float on its own little cushion of air. Thus, through a combination of eccentricity and genius, Sir Christopher Cockerell invented the hovercraft, in a shed, in a boatyard, in Norfolk. For years afterwards, the invention was kept top secret, as the government wanted to explore its military potential. But on 11 June 1959, the SRN-1 was finally unveiled to the world's press, at the Saunders Roe boatyard at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
One spin-off of Sir Christopher Cockerell's invention has been the hover mower. Like its counterpart, it works on the principle of a cushion of air. The leading brand, Flymo, has a 40% share of the British lawnmower market. But although gardeners in the UK have adopted the hover technology in their millions, very few of the mowers are exported. Brian Milligan for the BBC
BP

The scorched green grass of home

Grasstrack. It's a bit mental. Which is why we love it. Thanks to Mike Gordon for the great shot (go on, click on it). MP

Fugly

One of the most fugly motorcycles I have seen in a looong time - but there's still something about it that's giving a cheeky wink.
What the hell is it?! BP

Aldana grasstrack update

We've had some great responses from people related to random posts we've put up in the post and this is email we got in is one of them. This one gives us an excuse to run another shot from Metro Racing of Aldana's new and old lids.

Hi,
I have just seen the picture of Dave Aldana grasstrack ridingon your website.
You may be interested to know it was my bike he was riding. We rode short track at Haldon near Exeter. Kenny Roberts, Dave Aldana, myself ( Richard 'Chippy' Moore).
I seem to remember a group of us went to a party at Chris and Dave Baybut's house and rode a grasstrack meeting the following day. Dave Aldana rode my bike for a laugh He was a natural uou would have thought he had been riding grass for years.
Best regards
Richard Chippy Moore (Andy Moore's Dad)

Aldana Grasstrack

One for the collectors - Aldana grasstracking! Don't forget, there's a great shot of Aldana in SB3 for those who haven't ordered yet...

Wondered if you would be interested in this photo of Dave Aldana riding Grass Track. I took the photo way back in 1979. After reading your Blog and seeing photos of his latest helmet it brought back happy memories of a truly great racer.
My first memories of him were at oulton Park in the 1974 Transatlantic Races . He rode a John Player Norton and waved at what I thought was me and my Dad every time he came past us.
I did not realise until after the race that he was waving at his Team mate Yvon Duhamel who was stood by us after being injured in an earlier race.
My fascination with this guy and the others who could race on road and also pitch it sideways on dirt at over 100mph was born.
Perhaps this photo is a rare as I don't think he raced Grass Track again.
Great Mag. I will subscribe.
Tim Beaumont

Grassy Arse HWZN

First came across this pair of hay-makers via Paul at Magneto Zoo, then tracked them down all the way to Ishikawa in Japan. BP

Dig the new breed

Saw this mutant kiddie grasstracker at Scunthorpe. Tuned two-stroke in a Brit frame (Antig?), with front and rear suspension. Ben likes the kid's Mighty Boosh kevlar suit best.