King's Lynn TT

I'd just like to thank Anthony at Co-Built, Richard Rowley, BSD Motorcycle Developments and everyone at Skooter Farm Racing... That's what I would have said from the podium, given a chance. I was on the podium! Third in the Thunderbikes. Thunderbikes were on the oval . The track was lovely early, then went into a wide blue groove and I'm usually pretty good on a blue groove short track. I qualified sixth for the final, tucked into fourth and held it until Paul Harrison (4) had trouble on the brakes and me and Steve Coles slid up the inside.
The bike felt good. The misfire was carb all along. Local dyno experts BSD said my desperate stab of 270 main jet was spot on, but he machined the float to lower the needle and drilled out the air screw. It felt great at the race.

Steve at Red Max got his Vertemati TT bike ready and it looked good. Vertemati are the Bimota of dirt bikes.



Steve Hazell has built a mutant for the burgeoning minibike class and came in with a face creased with laughter after every heat.

Tim's budget CCM went well.

Tom's factory CCM was still parked as Tom's humerus is still broken.

Sideburn reader Andy Harris came along to his first flat track race. He reckons...
'Isn't bike racing Brilliant! I thought this about 50 times today at the Norfolk Arena. It's the most fun I've ever seen on track, full stop. More carnage than a slaughterhouse, and more shoving than a German queue.
Years of mechanicing on a '72 Triumph and '86 Guzzi Earlystocks racer were never as good as this.
Good to meet you, and well done! I think you're doing it right because you're making it look easy.
Trouble is, I now need to go and do this myself...I'm booking an FT experience day at Scunny.
Best of luck at the BMF!
Cheers Andy'

Mule Web Surfer

To put a smile on everyone's face. Or most people's anyway. Gracias Mule!

Bad news

This week's Flat Track Friday has been cancelled. The reason is not enough interest from riders but I thought it was more of a run what you brung deal, I didn't realise people had to pre-enter.
Some better news coming soon. GI

Soul Survivor

Sent to France to fight the Hun in the first World War, as a sunny faced school boy, my Grandfather's classmates were all killed.
He didn't talk about it when he returned home to Blighty. He became an engineer, and even when he became sick he insisted that that my Grandmother take the damn grapes away and bring him instead a boat engine to fettle. I never met the great man, he died years before I was born. Here's a shot of him on his beloved mo' bi' (as he called it) near Cantaing-sur-Escaut (or environs), France, 1917. I think it's a BSA???
BP

Get there any way you can

I think I saw this at Church of Choppers. We like his/her style.

Mule x Sideburn x GQ Italy

Adam Wright shot Richard at Mule Motorcycles for Sideburn 3. Michele at GQ Italy liked the story so they've run it in their latest issue. GI

Jawa Land Speeder

Look at this fantastical thing! Thanks Dave.

I thought you may be interested in featuring this rather insane speedway derived land-speed bike on your blog. The bones of it appear to be a modified JRM (Jawa) long-tracker, featuring some rather cool fabrication work by Joker Machine.
The pilot will be none other than 1996 Speedway World Champion, and all round top dude Billy Hamill.
I'm sure that it will provide inspiration to custom builders, especially the fantastic proportions from the side view!
Keep up the great work with the magazine and blog - looking forward to issue 4.
Cheers, Dave Curtis

The Complete Book of Flat Tracking

We're stocking it. This cult book was first published in 1978 and is now updated with a fantastic, embossed linen cover and a few extra pages. Covers everything including what hauler to buy (written in 78 remember), racing lines, technique, prize money and lock wiring. It's a beautiful thing.

PLEASE NOTE: We've had to amend this post, because the British postal service is a scandalous rip-off. We can now only supply this book to UK and Europe. All other Sideburn merchandise is unaffected (for now). We will fulfill the existing US orders.

UK - £19.99 plus £5.50 recorded delivery
Europe - £19.99 - £7.00 shipping
£££ Please note these prices are in pound notes £££

Hardback, 160 pages, 150 illiustrations/photos, 254 x 216mm

Paypal to dirt @sideburnmagazine.com (leave the gap out, I put it in to try stop the spam avalanche)

READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR, GERALD FOSTER

It'll be carnage

King's Lynn TT this weekend. The singles will be on the small TT track, the Thunderbikes are on the oval. This will be third annual UK short track TT and the first one is still fresh in my mind. Practice from 11 racing from 1.
Also, Steve at the Red Max Speed Shop is busy doing a how to flat trackify a motocrosser. He hopes to debut the bike at the weekend.

Leo Williams - Riot photographer

I was out in Turin a couple of weeks ago working with a young photographer called Leo Williams. He was assisting Sam Barker, but had his portfolio on his phone. All his shots are great, but these blew me away, even on a phone screen. He shot these during the recent G8 riots in London, but some are like fashion shoot images (except the one below which I included to show there really was a riot going on). He shoots fashion too. He's only 21 and wears ridiculous trousers (those with the waistband lower than one's buttocks), but we'll let him off. I hope he'll shot for Sideburn in the future. GI
www.leowilliams.net.