Coste Contemplation

Sideburn first met Dimitri when Ben, Steve Redmax and I went over to Paris to visit Ruby Helmets, not long after they'd just launched, and attend a local bike club meet (that turned out to be crap, but we became good friends with Sonic Seb through it).

Dimitri visited the offices of Ruby (his brother is the founder) and we got along so well he invited us to lunch at his house the next day. He had just bought a Triumph TR6C that wasn't running right. Steve Redmax tuned it up and made it fly and Ben shot a feature for Sideburn 5 there and then, perhaps the first on Dimitri Coste and his motorcycle passion.

Since then we've raced together, and the 'French Steve McQueen' has contributed a number of stories and attended all the UK Dirt Quakes, plus become a regular DTRA racer, and raced all over the world.

First and foremost, he's a great photographer and, for Sideburn 20, we have an eight-page portfolio on some of his favourite recent images.

If you want to see that first feature on Dimitri and his Triumph, you can read it in Sideburn 5. We have a very limited amount of this issue in our Back Issue Deal.

There is also a feature on Dimitri racing Pikes Peak in Sideburn 10 (available individually or as part of the back issue deal)

Above is a short video made at Dirt Quake III in 2014, featuring his two children. G

Manga Smoking Seagulls

Thanks to Adriaan for sending this Manga version of a shot we ran in Sideburn 5 of the Smoking Seagulls in Sideburn 5 (limited stock available).
The photo shows freestyle motocorsser, Red Bull X Fighters jump, artist, musician and all-round good guy Drake McElroy (who made the most memorable travel programme I've ever seen, Drake's Passage - see one episode, below then search it on YouTube) and regular Sideburn feature chap, Roland Sands jumping their cafe racered MX bikes. G

Jason x Racefit

Jason's UK short track, Skooter Farm C&J Rotax, with Racefit titanium pipe. This bike featured in Sideburn 5 in a previous (gold leafed) guise. Photos lifted from Racefit. G

Shayna Texter wins Knoxville Half-Mile

25A, Shayna Texter in attack mode. 10z is Briar Bauman.
She ain't no heavyweight. Look at the size differential.
Shayna Texter, who we featured back in Sideburn 5, won the Pro Singles class (the support class) at the Knoxville half-mile on Saturday night. That is something special. The champs of this class tend to make an instant impression when they move up to Expert. The other top female racer, who also featured in SB5, Nichole Cheza, came 7th in the expert main, I think her best result of the season. Good going. G
Photos: AMA Pro Racing

New Zaeta Wheels

This is Marco Belli's European Flat Track Championship-winning Zaeta DT. Check out the new wheels. Beautiful. Read about Zaeta in Sideburn 5. 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

'Douggie'

Douglas DT 500 flat twin, as used by Fay Taylour in the late twenties. The champion's weapon of choice. What elegance. This catalogue shot from the great Flick collection of Bubbles 44. BP

Dusted

Ass Kicker Shayna Texter shot by Tim White for SB#5...BP:
Tim I kept meaning to email you and say how much I particularly love this shot. There's so much going on. It's so competitive.
There is an optical illusion, in that Joe is bigger (in reality and in the shot) and it looks like he's ahead, but then you notice Shayna (tiny in reality and tucked down small in the shot), her throttle hand is in front, she is definitely ahead - and holding a steady line, whereas Joe has a weave on - was he ahead and got cut up by Shayna steaming through? or is he trying to go around the outside? What was the scenario?
I also like the shallow depth of field that still has the grit spit up pin sharp.
That diagonal white stripe is great graphically too - is it the start / finish line?
And to top it all, some nice blank space for the text, pefect for our Sideburn layout!

TW:
Ben, Thanks very much! The photo is from an AMA semi-pro event called the Barbara Fritchie Classic, in Frederick, MD, which is only about 30 miles from my house. It's not part of the Grand National Championship but often a number of the GNC riders will enter.
That shot is the first in a small series (see attached). Shayna was passing Joe at the Start/Finish, and looking at her right wrist you can clearly see how she powered deeper into the corner. The 4th photo is from the succeeding lap, and shows how much ground Shayna gained after making the pass.

Motel Coste

My new favourite blog. We featured Dimitri and his Triumph TR6C in Sideburn 5 and we couldn't be happier to have some of his fantastic photography in Sideburn 6. Check out Motel Coste blog, it's great. GI

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

Scribbletastic

Roland Sands' Honda CR500 stroker featured in SB#5 is unpainted ally and just has '500' scribbled on the tail with a Sharpie. The headlight-shroud is resplendent with a doodle that any numbskull stoner could have done. These excellent American marker pens are now readily available in Britain; W.H.Smiths does a rainbow 12-pack for £6.50. Roland prefers black. BP

Sideburn Party: Headline News

Why Wigan? Some people have wondered about the location of Sideburn 5's release party. Lots of reasons, but we never thought we'd make the local paper.
Two days till the Sideburn party and a wet Wednesday in Wigan is brightened by the news 'Motorbike Art Comes to Wigan!'

Sideburn readers, march to your local town hall and DEMAND you are the host city for the next Sideburn party. Dreams can come true.

UPDATE: Sideburn's favourite DJ Sir Johnny Alpha promotes the Wigan Wig-Out on his superb Killer Diller radio show. Download it here.

SIDEBURN #5 Has Landed

It's official! 3000 copies arrived on Gary's doorstep last Friday and he has been posting furiously since. He sent me one guaranteed next day delivery but I missed the postie, and only got it in my mits this morning. I'm always as over excited as a 6 year old on Christmas eve. Thanks a 1,000,000 to everyone who contributed to another great issue. BP
Don't forget the issue 5 special offer. Shirts are going fast.

Tallon

The home of the Flying Ospreys has burned down. There’s no insurance, no money in the bank. What now? Club captain Jo Tallon has an idea. Read the under the covers by torch-light, comic book saga, in SB#5. BP

HOW

This is our second to last tear-sheet teaser for SB#5. Words and photos from the German globe trotter Frank Kletschkus; this time in the Oz outback. An Indian Scout with a heart transplant (I think the owner must have had one too, but of a 16 year old, judging from his merciless abuse of an antique). Any minute now our Sideburn website man Kar Lee, will up-date our shop page. SB#5 should be back from the printers in less than a week. BP

Dave Aldana

Continuing our 'Who? When? Why? How?' series from previous issues, for SB#5 we have an exclusive interview with Dave Aldana #13. Lucky for some. Illustration James Chappell. BP

UPDATE: Tim Beaumont sent us this artwork of Dave Aldana to celebrate the release of issue 5. Thanks Tim. See you in Wigan?
UPDATE 2: James Chapell from his own private curling piste in Spain earlier today said:
"I'm so excited about seeing SB#5 the finished article, I did an extra hour of scrubbing this morning. Sorry for my wife's crap photography."

Ass Kickers

Gash. When the word is used in a derogatory manner towards a woman, it's probably one of the most vulgar. But if it's simply referring to a gruesome knee scar belonging to a Lady that is about kick your ass on a dusty oval, the steel shoe is right royally on the other foot. You better be afraid, and sorry that when you saw her hanging around in the pits you assumed she was 'just someone's girlfriend'.

Flat track racing is one of the only professional sports that doesn't segregate the sexes. Nichole Cheza and Shayna Texter, realise they are a pair of cats in amongst the dogs, but they ain't no pussies. Full feature SB#5. Photos Adam Wright and Tim White. BP

Sideburn 5 Special Offer

Sideburn 5 is due to land on March 22. You can buy the magazine for the normal rates or choose the special offer mag + one T-shirt. All prices include postage (recorded in UK and EU).

UK - £15
Europe - €20
USA - $27
Rest of World - £20

The T-shirt has the logo in yellow, on a dark grey Gildan pre-shrunk top quality T-shirt. We have men's S to XXL and FOR THE FIRST TIME ladies skinny fit in small. You can pre-order NOW to avoid disappointment. Remember to give your T-shirt size.

SIZE UPDATE:
We have 1 x XXL, 1 x L and 5 x S and 5 ladies.
THAT'S IT.


If existing subscribers want to take up this offer they can pay the rate and have their subscription extended by one issue.
Anyone wanting more than one T-shirt (perhaps his and hers) should email us at dirt @ sideburnmagazine.com (but take out the spaces).
Thanks G

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

The Sammy and Jake Show!

Sammy on it.


Night 1 podium, 1 - S Halbert 2- H Wiles 3 - J Johnson


Wiles Style


Coolbeth gunning for number 1


We told you to keep an eye on him. Sideburn fan Slammin' Sammy Halbert (#7) won the first night of Daytona's short track. It was held on the new oval within the Speedway itself, not the Municipal Stadium as in previous years. The short track number 1 plate holder Henry Wiles was 2nd, Jake Johnson (#5) 3rd and Sammy's brother Jethro (#69) a good 4th. The next night didn't go so well for Sammy as he came in 17th, don't know why. Jersey Jake Johnson won night two from Coolbeth and GNC number 1 Mees (running #21 in the singles class for this year). Jethro came in a solid 5th.
More from Sammy when we get it.
(Photos: AMA Pro Racing)

This seems as good a time as any to say that Jake Johnson is on the cover of issue 5. Tim White took the excellent photo. Can't wait to get it back from the printers. We're not actively taking orders yet, because we have a special offer up our sleeves. More details soon.