Nuts to Butts 1

This has done the rounds, but it's good (even if I'm too much of a leftie to like the term 'riding bitch' when used non-ironically. I'm so right on I even had to point that out.). G

Socks and Strokers

Some great stuff going on over at the Iron & Resin blog. G
PS And yes, we have a specific 'socks' label.

Big Night Out

I rode the 110 miles down to London to see The Stags play at the Soundflat Records party at The Stag's Head, Hoxton. I didn't know how great it was going to be. The venue is cool, with a tiny stage. Loads of interesting people turned up, the DJ - the boss of Soundflat Records, whose party it was, rivalled Johnny Alpha for danceable rare tunes, including an original pressing of Northern Soul classic, Magic Touch.

First band up, MFC Chicken, looked like a 50s prom combo, but sounded like The Sonics. All their songs were about love or chicken. Or loving chicken. Can't wait to see them again.Sideburn's Dave Skooter Farm played in two bands on the night, The Stags and first, The Shook-Ups, who did a great set of original garage killers with lead singer Steve getting turned on by the crowd's attention.

Race van, band van. LDV does everything.

No hot ashes

Stags Style: slip-ons and manmade fibres.

Somewhat disappointingly Topsy Stag didn't bother getting dressed up for this gig.
Big daft Shaun and Stags drummer Kenny Roquette.The Stags in action!
Stags keyboard maestro Spencer Chess was on fire.
Two go-go dancers flew in from Paris just to see the gig. They had matching shimmy dresses (Dave told me that's the name of them and it makes sense) and danced for the whole Stags set. That's what the Stags do to people. This is Spencer Chess with one of them. The other was Mimi de Monmartre. Youtube search her if you're feeling down.

A couple of interesting cruisers were locked up outside. I never imagined anyone this cool would be riding. The lady had hotpants, patent high heels and a Wookie fur jacket, the chap had black and white correspondent brogues and fanciful facial hair. Good going.
1.20am. 70 miles down, 40 to go. The Cockroach now stands me at £1100 with new Continental tyres, oil change, and a day or so at CFM fitting the lights and clocks that the previous owner cut off. About ten minutes after this I was buzzed on the A1 by motorway plod. I dropped from 85 to 70 and he shadowed me for a couple of miles, probably running my plate, then had the decency to leave me alone, for which I was grateful. Common sense rules.

Great night out. G

Big fins

I've been thinking a lot about twin shock scramblers lately, but I have no space in my life for another bike and I don't want to sell anything I've got. There's something about big-fin two-stroke and kerbstone-thick seats that get me going, though. Don't get me started on Scholl sandals and white socks... G
Colour photos from Derestricted. Don't know where the B&W is from. Or what model. CZ, right? The admirers look Eastern Bloc-ish, in a good way.

Eddie Lawson

We've heard he hasn't been to Yoorope for at least 15 years, but he's in Stafford this weekend. What's more, while the UK's best selling motorcycle title had its interview cancelled, Sideburn's is supposed to be still going ahead. Yahoo.
We have exclusive T-shirt deals and other new merch. Come Sideburn's Stafford Stand for a nosey. In the main hall. M52, follow the crowds.

Sideburn: Back in Stockholm

At the very excellent Sivletto store.

Roller Derby Devastation

On Saturday I took the kids to the Carnival of the Strange roller derby festival. Met up with Minx a'Matosis (who used to puts together Wrench magazine and is one of the forces behind the Lincolnshire Bombers Roller Derby team).
I'd never seen it before, but something about the ingredients had me intrigued...
Tattooed, face-painted, hot-panted, fishnet-stockinged women on roller skates, everywhere. Live bands, kids' facepainting, fairground games. Then the roller girls own brand of 'Go fast, Turn left' started. It was nearly as brutal as a short track first corner. It took a while to get my head around the rules and longer to understand the scoring, but it hardly mattered. It looks fun.
And the names are great too - She'za Payne; Fight Cub, Kym Tensive-Care... And now, three days later, everytime I close my eyes I still see athletic thighs pumping...
Great day out. I'll keep you posted on more derby action. G
Photos: Adam Rhoades, In-Depth, Darren Bannister, Jason Ruffell

Torino details

I was in Turin for 24 hours for work earlier this week. There was lots going on.

This is Marco P's Sportster (Nightster?). Had new Ceriani forks, Brembo radial master cylinder but stock calipers. Maybe he ran out of money. He also rode in trainers with no socks. Now, I know a sock is going to do eff-all in an accident, but psychologically I couldn't ride without socks. Nice Harrington jacket though.



Tidy 50 Special.

Saw another Sporty with a knackered Supertrapp. Bet it's loud.

This food cost about 12 euro ($20) and was shared between four of us. The beer cost 12 euro! What? Are you kidding? Perhaps the most expensive bottle I've ever had. Just as well someone else was paying.

Headturner

Cool National automobile club signs outside our hotel.

Tres Chic

Unearthed by Chico Moto, this looks like a '20s Scott Flying Squirrel that would have normally housed a screaming 486cc two-stroke, but here seems to be transplanted with the four-stroke JAP engine that was so popular for speedway. Any one have a better educated guess? NB old carpets wired on to the rear tyre for better grip in the ice ballroom. Jolly nice socks too.
BP