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
As we explained ahead of part one of John Harrison's look back at his early biking years, his attitude and style caught our eye at DTRA races, so we invited him to share his thoughts on the blog. We're glad we did, and here's his latest instalment.
I was really lucky when I turned 16, because I coerced my mum into getting me what I reckoned was the best moped of the lot, a Fantic Caballero. She wasn't best pleased when my O level results came through a while later, though.
It was a proper little trail bike. High-level pipe with a natty heat shield, knobblies, enduro-style pouch on the tank, satin black with Italian stripes and raised, polished guards. Most of the lads went for FS1-Es or the rather more sluggish four-stroke Honda SS50, but me and my mate (who got me onto bikes with his BSA Beagle) both had Caballeros and never had trouble outrunning the other mopeds. The rings went at 3000 miles and it blew tail light bulbs weekly, but that was worth living with. We rode them down to Cornwall for a week's holiday and I thought nothing of riding 50 miles each way to visit my girlfriend every weekend. Great off road, too. My ride to work took in some green lanes so it saw plenty of trail action.
At 17 I traded it in on an RD250C Yamaha, but I couldn't keep up with the repayments and had to let it go after nine months or so. Still, I had it for the fabulous summer of '76. A lovely, good-quality bike. I've liked Yamahas ever since.
Pics of the RD and Caballero from the internet, they're not my bikes.
A little later I bought a clapped out 250 Bultaco Sherpa and rebuilt it. I had the frame nickel plated and replaced all the knackered bits.
But, much as I love trials I'm no good at it and trials bikes are not much use for daily transport. So I bought a DT250 that had been stripped down and used as a common basher. Luckily, the road equipment had been kept so I put it back on and it was a fun road bike, really rideable. I'd love it now to convert for DTRA racing.
This is the only picture I've got of it, peeping out from behind a project
that inevitably never got finished. A friend and I went halves on the Capri, which was going to be a high-steppin' gasser with a straight-tube front axle. We
got as far as the chassis and bulkhead work seen here, and bought a flip front
and a (supposedly) hot small-block Chevy before running out of steam. JH 104R
Texas Chris Jenner is selling his street legal DTRA racer. The bike is located in Yorkshire. £5500.
Here's the info...
1976 Yamaha XS650 Flat Tracker, Street legal, DTRA Thunderbike race bike. -Motor rebuilt in February, kick start only, all electric starter parts removed -Aluminium, box section Radian swing arm conversion -Frame and swing arm powder coated -Fibreglass tank and seat unit -Morad, Akront high shoulder aluminium 19 inch rims -Maxxis DTR-1 flat track tyres (DTRA and road legal) -Single wall TT style pipes -Custom made, solid mount, aluminium riser bushings by Survivor Customs -PMA Stator conversion -New Boyer Bransden ignition, coils, battery and regulator this summer -small ‘shark fin’ chain guard and lanyard kill switch (as per DTRA race regs). -LED taillight and headlights set in front plate. Overall, it’s a super clean bike, and starts (1st or 2nd kick), runs and rides and races great. It’s fully compliant and race ready for Dirt Track Riders Association flat track racing. Just take the front brake off and the taillight/number plate (the taillight/number plate is built onto a little removable sub-frame bracket, comes off as one with 4 bolts). For the road, it’s just had its MOT in August, passed with only 1 advisory, headstock was a little loose (it's adjusted now). Contact him through thebikeshed.cc
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
eBay hound Kev H has found another tracker on UK eBay, this time an XS650 with a 750 big bore. At first I thought it was a race bike, but it has a front brake on the other side and those are 18in rims (with VanVan K180s). Those tyres are fine for the road and make sense. They're ok for the track, but really you want 19in with proper race rubber if you want to compete.
This sale is nothing to do with us, we're just passing on the details, but if it is good and you do buy it you'll have it in time for the final DTRA round at Rye House... This bike is eligible for Rookies, Restricted, Pro (if you're good enough) and Thunderbike classes, so you could ride two classes in one day (like I love to do). G
2002 XT600e, R6 forks rebuilt by MCT with K-tech Comp adjusters, custom Nitron N2 shock, 2.5in rear rim, good Maxxis, custom alloy tank. Ready to race, £2200. Pete 07739 852 866
Not one single interesting flat trackers being sold on UK eBay gets past Kev H. He combs the online auction site with a fine-toothed comb and clues us up when he finds one.
His latest find is this Boss Yam 250. Non-runner parts missing, but has potential. It certainly looks the part. Bultaco Astro botherer? Could be. G
Back in May we organised a Yorkshire Ride Out with HebTroCo. Among a bunch of great bikes was a very neat very neat, street trackered XS650 built by and belonging to 'Texas' Chris Jenner and American living in the UK. Nothing particularly unusual, there were a few good looking street trackers among the mix. What was interesting was I knew Chris was heading to dirt track practice at Greenfield the next day on the very same bike.
Chris is a graduate of the University of Dirt Quake, yet another rider who has undertaken their first motorcycle race at Dirt Quake, only to be seduced by the action and atmosphere and then bought or built a bike to race more seriously.
Chris took off the front brake and light overnight in preparation for the practice. These aircooled Yamaha twins are solid machines, but it didn't stop Chris, a BMX rider, launching it off the Greenfield TT jump and even crossing it up in mid-air, looking like a 21st Century Kenny Roberts. Great photo by James Boddy.
The DTRA Greenfield TT is on this weekend. Spectator entry is free, but car parking is £5. There is a bar on site, camping, and two days of racing.
Aim for Greenfield Farm, Alford, Lincolnshire, LN13 0EB.
A report of the Yorkshire Ride-out will be in Sideburn 25, coming very soon. G
The next round of the 2016 DTRA race series is the Greenfield TT, next weekend. TT racing is dirt track's nod to going right and leaving the ground. To the best of my knowledge, TT races only ever have one jump per lap. They're contested by flat track bikes, usually with slightly more compliant suspension and front brakes. There have been TT races in the UK, when the national series was organised by Short Track UK, but this is the first DTRA TT. It's also the first all dirt TT. Previous races have had concrete sections when the course turned onto the infield of King's Lynn speedway track, with a dirt jump.
As a very amateur racer, I'm not a massive fan of the TT format as I've never been much of a jumper, but there was a small scale practice at the Greenfield track earlier in the year, and running a few laps over the jump gave me more confidence for the upcoming race. I think the racing is going to be wild and action-packed, especially as this year, most classes are running without a front brake.
It's free to spectate, and it's a two-day meeting at:
Greenfield Farm
Greenfield
Alford
LN13 0EB
Anthony Brown, big cheese of the DTRA, sent a link to this clip through to get us excited about TT racing and it is wonderful. Evel Knievel is the guest pundit and while he does get some good info over, when asked about TT racing, he compares Ascot TT with the Isle of Man TT. Perhaps he'd only heard of the Isle of Man TT, not actually seen it. I don't have to tell you the two couldn't be more different.
This 100-lapper is dominated by Rick Hocking. He must have been the big favourite, because he was interviewed before the race, with the clips inserted into the coverage. I saw Hocking race at Vegas in 2010, also on a Yamaha 500, like he using in this race, then I was in the hotel hot tub with him (it was a big outdoor hot tub, not that awkward). I wish I'd seen this clip before that impromptu meeting. And it's too late to ask him about it now as, sadly, he took his own life a year later, in early 2011.
Another fact, the late Paul Bostrom (incorrectly captioned Bostrum in this Wide World Of Sports footage) is running third for part of the race. He was the uncle of former superbike racers Ben and and Eric Bostrom. G
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
Gorgeous Shell TT500 on UK eBay.
The description is quite confusing, because it has a Buy it now price of £8000, but the seller is asking for details on the history of the bike. It looks pukka, right foot shift conversion, all the right parts and even an AMA scrutineering sticker on the headstock. And not an outragous price, if it is a bike built by the late Shell Thuet and the motor is good, but only if you've got the money. G
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
Mablethorpe sand racing season continues tomorrow. Racing from around 11am. Free to spectate, cheap to race.
They'll let you race just about anything. You just need to fit a lanyard cut-out wired into the loom. This Kawasaki GT550 is a regular in the unlimited road bike class (for anything over 250cc).
There's also a class for grasstrackers.
The previous race was my first of the season. My dirt cheap Honda SLR650 (also unlimited road bike) had been neglected all summer, but was treated to a new Renthal chain, oil and filter and a once over at CFM of Sleaford, plus a seat unit from Survivor Customs. Much appreciated support from son/mechanic Max and Dave Taylor.
Got a second (I think) in my final heat of five after having terrible starts. I also had the narrowest escape from a crash that I've ever had. I was so sure I was down and out that I was already looking behind to see if anyone was going to hit me, when the bike came back in line and I didn't even lose a place.
Glyn is in the under 250 road bike class on his modified Suzuki X7.
Andy's started racing a Honda XL250 in a KLX frame.
Ross (Rootbeer Bobber) has built a DT400 (above and below) to race in Vintage DTRA next year, but has bought some tyres for a run out on the beach. He debuts tomorrow.
It would be great if some of the sandpeople would cross over to the DTRA, though a few sand bikes (like my Honda have no brakes, and they need a rear brake for UK dirt track). And they'd need 18 or 19in wheels for DT tyres. G
UPDATE: Sold. Let's hope to someone who is going to race it.
Thanks to Kev for sending us the link to this Yamaha XS650 for sale on UK eBay. Looks like it has potential to be a Vintage DTRA race bike. It's on 19s. Buy it now for £1750.
Please note this sale is nothing to do with us and we know nothing about the history of this bike, so buyer beware. G
Yamaha are throwing some serious cash as custom builders and videos to promote them. Roland Sands delivers another high quality concept/custom for yet another manufacturer. This time with the well-loved FZ-09/MT-09.
We have a great article written by Roland coming up in the next issue out later this month. G
Rare opportunity to own a bike painted by Death Spray Customs. This bike featured in Sideburn 4 (a long time ago), in a different form. It's not the artist who is selling the bike.
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