Kennedy Racing Selling Up

DTRA racer Mike Fisher read the previous post, where I mentioned Brandon Robinson, saying perhaps he's happy with his team and wouldn't entertain a move to factory Harley (if it was offered, this is all conjecture on my part). Mike then forwarded me a link to vft.org pointing out that the Kennedy team is selling up. Seems like the sport is running a well-run and competitive privateer outfit.

The ad reads... 'Kennedy Racing going out of business sale. 2 750 Kawasakis, one C and J and one J and M. The best of everything. Three XR-750's. Event winners, $25,000 apiece, all fresh and ready to race.' G

Hot Dock XR750

A lot going on in this photo. Drink in the details. Hot Dock Harley. G
Photo: Keiji Kawakita

Steve Baker on an XR750

This is an old email that I missed when it arrived and found recently (we get a lot of emails). It's from Brad Peterson whose stunning street legal (lethal?) XR750 was in Sideburn 18 and has raced at both Dirt Quake USAs.

Here's a pic from Friday night flat-track racing at former world champ Steve Baker's home track, Hannegan Speedway, in Bellingham, Washington. First for Baker racing a Harley. The evening was billed as their annual harley night sponsored by the local Harley dealers. 
Racing in the Twins class was tight. Baker battled it out with Gary Beach (father to JD Beach) ending in a photo finish. Both guys were all smiles after the race and plenty of ribbing between the two as well. 
Cheers
Brad Peterson

Below is Steve Baker in his World Championship days. He was a very talented flat tracker, but is better known as a road racer. He did race the fearsome TZ700/750, the bike Kenny Roberts told the world, 'They don't pay me enough to ride that thing'. I interviewed Steve at the Isle of Man for the TZ feature in Sideburn 15. G

Guy wears Sideburn

I was chuffed to see Guy Martin wearing one of Sideburn's T-shirts during his hour-long F1 Speed special last night. The programme showed Guy on a Tyco BMW S1000RR, competing in a number of challenges against 13-time F1 race-winner, David Coulthard driving a 2012 (or 2013?) Red Bull F1 car, at Silverstone.

We have a limited number of the same blue Sideburn XR750 T-shirts, in sizes right up to triple XL, priced at £18 plus post. We also have XR750 blueprints, drawn for Sideburn by Mick Ofield, that the T-shirt art was based on. They are £22 plus post.

If you're in the UK, or can work out some special internet way around it, you can watch the programme at Guy Martin Speed F1 Special.

Finally, Guy offered to do a regular Q&A column for Sideburn. The first one is in Sideburn 24, out soon. More details in the next few days. G

New Blueprints in Stock

We have just made Giclee prints of the Wood Rotax blueprint from Sideburn 22 and...

 The Yamaha TZ700 Miler from Sideburn 15.

We also have blueprints of...
Wood Norton (from Sideburn 13)
Bultaco Astro (from Sideburn 14)
Harley XR750 (from Sideburn 16)
Trackmaster BSA A70 (from Sideburn 17)

They are all high quality Giclee prints, 40 x 30cm, printed exclusively for Sideburn.
£22 plus post from sideburn.bigcartel.com

We also have the XR750 blueprint T-shirt for £18 plus post

And the Bultaco Astro on black T-shirt FOR FREE with the 8-issue subscription deal.

Ricky Graham & the Wood Racing XR750

Ron Wood, better known for the big tube Norton and Wood Rotax racers, built this fantastic XR750 for Ricky Graham before the rider went on to be a champion with Honda. G

XR750 Shirt: Back in Stock

Super-detailed screenprit of an original Mick Ofield blueprint.
Now with sizes from small up to TRIPLE XL. That's right XXXL for the first time in a Sideburn shirt.
£18 plus post from the Sideburn webshop.

Jackie Mitchell #32

Every new order we receive, we check if the person has ordered before (against a massive list, we don't have some clever automated system). If they haven't we send them an email asking a couple of questions. Sometimes we get great replies...

I've known about Sideburn for a while. I am a former national number dirt track racer here in the States. I saw someone posted a picture of the XR 750 T-shirt on Facebook. I was a factory Bultaco racer and thought the blueprint of the Astro was really cool, too. Please put me on your mailing list. Thank you, 
Jackie Mitchell #32
Indiana

Ricky Graham

Many people's choice for the greatest of all time.
Thanks to Roger F for forwarding this photo from, he reckons, 1981-82.
Ricky Graham was three-time AMA GNC champ. He died in a house fire in 1998. G

Photographer unknown.

For Sale: Harley XR750 from SB18

This outstanding 2007 C&J XR750, in (kind of) street trim, is on sale on US eBay.
It raced at Dirt Quake USA and it's featured in Sideburn 18 if you want to read all about it.
Buy it at Harley XR750 street tracker. G

Blueprints back in stock

UPDATE: THEY'VE SOLD OUT AGAIN. WE'LL PRINT MORE IN THE FUTURE. BULTACO ASTRO COMING SOON

Limited numbers of the BSA Trackmaster and Harley XR750 as drawn by Mick Ofield for Sideburn are in the Sideburn webshop.
We have run these illustrations with great technical stories since issue 13. Back issues are available, but running out fast.

SB13 - Big Tube Wood Norton
SB14 - Bultaco Astro
SB15 - Champion Yamaha TZ700
SB16 - Harley-Davidson XR750
SB17 - BSA Trackmaster

Coolbeth wins Knoxville Half-Mile

With the intake restrictors* removed Harley's filled the top six at yesterday's Knoxville half-mile. Kenny Coolbeth, #2, won on the Zanotti bike we featured in Sideburn 11. This is his first National win with the team he joined in the winter, and his first since losing his ride with the official Harley team.

*For years, certain bikes have had to use intake restrictors that strangle the performance of the engine, in an effort to create a level playing field (don't ask us why). They crudely allow less fuel and air charge to transfer from the carbs to the combustion area. For 2014 they're no longer being forced on teams. A Kawasaki won the Springfield Mile. A Harley won the half-mile, but I think Harleys have won every half-mile for the last 200 years).

Sammy Halbert, #7, won the Dash for Cash and came third in the main

Jake Johnson, #5, who rode a Ducati in the Ramspur colours at Springfield, was on an XR750 in the same colours and came in second.

Brad Baker was sixth, 9secs off the lead in the 12.5-mile race. We don't know if this is still a hangover from his broken leg injury or points to the much-held belief that private teams can currently get more out of the XR750 that the factory can.

Mikey Martin on the Bonneville Performance Triumph, 11th in the main. A solid result for a team that is quick but suffers from minor reliability problems just when they don't want them. 

UPDATE
both Mikey, and Shayna below, are sporting the new Super Wheels designed by Dutch Brothers Jan-Willem

Shayna Texter, #25A, earned her national number by making the 18-rider main (out of 34 riders who tried to qualify). Her Latus Castrol Triumph had horrific handling issues at Springfield, but they tested between the two races and went some way to curing it, but she was still more than a lap down. Jeremy Higgins, #82, came back after missing a few races to come 13th on the Baer Kawasaki.

After completely dominating Springfield, Jake Johnson found himself down in 7th, the first of seven Kawasakis to make the main. There were also were also two Triumphs, one Suzuki and the eight XR750s.

Never happier than when he's holding a big cheque. Sammy Halbert.

1. Coolbeth. 2. Johnson. 3. Halbert.
That's how it stands in the combined championship standings too.

Next race is Lima Half-Mile on June 28.

All photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing.

Harley 750 Street + Vance & Hines = X Games Flat Track?

This is exciting on a couple of levels. Harley are pushing both their new, entry-level Street 750 (built, at least in part, in their new Indian factory) and also putting flat track in front of a new audience, while commissioning a handsome race bike from one of the most respected tuning houses in the USA.

1. Harley are really pushing to get flat track included in X Games (the Olympics of extreme sports). Having rally involved didn't do a lot of the WRC, but it couldn't help but raise profile, attract sponsors and pay some of the riders a little more. It would be a great spectacle too.
I'm sure supermoto was involved a few years ago and it didn't help that sport in the long-term, but flat track has more history, is more American, is due a comeback. It feels like the right time.

2. These bikes aren't XR750s, they're flat track versions of the new liquid-cooled 750 Street. The bikes were prepped by long-established, multi-faceted tuning house and race team (drag, road, whatever) - Vance & Hines.
Only the engine remains, but that doesn't mean a bike with a similar look couldn't be created further down the line. Certain sections look like the XR1200R (a bike I thought was a massive missed opportunity). XR750R anyone?
There is a current XR750 in one of these photos and it doesn't jump out. Vance & Hines have done a great job with this concept. G

This is the 750 Street 750 in the foreground (looking like a cross between an XLCR, a V-Rod and a 2014 'club' bike).

XR750 Blueprint

We've been running (and commissioning) Mick Ofield's amazing technical drawings since issue 13. The Wood Norton, Bultaco Astro (SB14), Champion Yamaha TZ700 (SB15) and the XR750 (SB16).

Now we've made the XR750 into a limited edition Giclee art print. Here's the technical bumpf from print nerd Ben 'High quality Giclée printed with an Epson Pro 11880 on Somerset Enhanced Velvet 330gsm paper with archival quality Ultra Chrome K3 pigment inks.'

The folds, replicating the original blueprint style, are printed on.

The size is 40x30cm, designed to fit in a cheap (Ikea) frame and still look great.

£20 plus post. Go to the Sideburn webshop if you'd like one, or to buy a magazine to see and read the stories behind the bikes. G