New Great Indie Mags in Stock

We stock a few hard to find magazines that we really like. The latest we have is the large format, high quality title Revival of the Machine from Spain. We have issue 1 and 2. The second has a killer cover image of David Borras shot by our friend Kristina Fender. Find both issues in New Arrivals.

We have the new issue of All You Need Is Ride from France with Dirt Quake hero Serge Nuques on the cover.

And the NEW MOTORCYCHO! Plus a big restock of back issues of the original lame-ass bikerzine, from Canada.

Get them before they're all gone at Sideburn webshop. 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

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

Dirty Sunday

The mystery BM' has been traced to the Activa Garage, Dirty Sunday event in Eauze, France, held last September.

It looks like a great event.
Check out the DIY studded Fat Boy tyre on this Harley chop.

Serge Nuques, 'Knight of Groland', in his element.

More info (and scroll down for a full set of Patrick Douki's photos) on the Classic Racer Facebook page.
And here's a video from their first event in 2013. BP

Dirt Quake III Film by Moto Journal

DIRTQUAKE : Serge Nuques, Guy Martin, des... by moto-journal

Great video from the famous French moto media company, Moto Journal.
We know there are a few Dirt Quake III videos in production, but this is the first to be released.
Moto Journal are the fellas who brought Serge Nuques.
Merci bien.

There's some vey hot DTRA action in there too.

You can click to watch in HD. G

Serge Nuques: Dirt Quake Hero

A French rider arrived at Dirt Quake, perhaps late-40s but with the physique of a gymnast. He took everything in on Friday night, then reappeared on Saturday in a huge overcoat, pink furry legwarmers and riding a brand new Yamaha SR400.
Anyway, he rode like a demon, rodeoing round, playing with some very good riders, and won his class - Inappropriate Road Bike - in style. This is how he arrived for the podium (photo: Dael Poulter)

During the day it clicked, Serge Nuques is the racer I'd seen in loads of French magazines, racing an R1, dressed as a knight. 

When I arrived home, I went searching for photos. These are just some I found, plus the video. Dimitri Coste knew of him and said he arrives at prestigious Enduro events on old DT175s and smokes everyone. Anyway, he had a lot of fun and we loved having him there.

'In France, I am the only one who dresses like thees,' he explained to me. 'Ere, lots of people dress like this. It ees fantastique!'

 No, he didn't crash...

Below is Serge riding on ice. NOTE: 258km is exactly 160mph.