Calistoga Half-Mile Video

(If the above screen is blank, you'll need to download the new Adobe Flash Player but its quick and easy) Nice video of the Calistoga half-mile from The Fast & Dirty. Makes me want to jump on my race bike and get better. G

Rye House Poetry

Gary,
Great to put a face to a pile of magazines today! Thanks for chatting to me and getting me there in the first place with your cracking Mag and Blog. Had a bloody brilliant day. Whiskey sours and an inability to stop thinking about bikes lead me to writing this messy poem when I got home... thought you might like it. Best read with liquor and music.
All the Best
Gareth

(Photos by Gregory Mild. Paul Harrison, 4, was battered, but ok to race. Then his cam pulley sheared. A bad day.)

Race 1.
Or you could
just stay at home?

The plan of
motoGP and cans - damned to real
life dull by the hint of true dirt and proper people.

Not on any
Sunday, on this Sunday in Hoddestone.

My fantasy
to the test,

The racing
lust Bike porn of every web wander, close enough to touch. Dry terrified I wont
like it,

My daydreams
stuttering upon a reality they dont match.

Get Up and
Out - hung over head desmo soothed,

Go fast, Turn left,
go fast, turn left, A10, A holeshot start.

Its bang on.

Pixels from
pages pass with rooster tails,

XR pops,
Bros shimmy shreak,

Side saddle
roll outs with mono straights.

Slapped onto
sides - angles, lines, grumbles and glides.

Hot tea from
dirty hands feed friendly smiles that

Stride by
with the clunk thud racer limp gait.

Need a steel
shoe.

Grandstand
comfort teased by a For Sale sign.

Need a
Thunderbike.

Needed this
Sunday.

My side
track thoughts will backdrop with memories -

smells,
noises, new toys, flashes and dust.

Sideburn
Soul. Keep the faith. Cheers.

Knoxville rained off, so...

Here's some action from the Springfield Short Track from a few weeks ago.

Henry Wiles won proving he's the master on the 450s. Look at his throttle hand. Anyone who has been on an American Supercamp or taught by Chris Carr on his visits to Europe will know this is what they teach, a light tough on the bars.
1 Wiles, 3 Kopp, 2 Coolbeth, 88 Wood, 26 Bergen, 21 Mees, 34 De Ruyter
Russell 25, Pearson 27.
That looks a lovely short track.
Wiles and JR Schnabel in the heats.
Sammy Halbert and Johnny Lewis. I think that might be JD Beach behind. He moved up from the Pro Sport class and came an amazing third in the main. He is without doubt a name to name.
Qualifying action: Mees came 9th in the main, Johnson (behind him) was 2nd, Halbert 11th.
Pro Sport class winner Brad Baker.

All photos: AMA Pro Racing

Kustom Kulture Blast-Off photos

This, I'm assured, was based on a Citroen BX. Google it. I can't believe it.
The patch on the cut-off of Alex from Skeleton Chop Shop. Neat. He also has the tattoo of the C90 tape in the montage above.
Speedway x Skateboard x Seafront merry-go-round style paint
Alex, Tim and Tim's car and my lad.

I've got posts backing up for weeks. This is the Kustom Kulture Blast-Off that happened in Spalding two weeks ago. I only had time for a quick runaround as I had to travel up north the same day. Pinstripers from all over the world converged, there were some good old-school Brit kustom veehickles and the lovely Lincolnshire Bombers roller derby team. Apologies for the crap photos. Me and my lad did them with my phone. G

Damnation

Flake Kings '65 Chevrolet El Camino shop truck for sale [in Holland]. Very reliable and suited for daily use. Features airride, disk brake conversion, V8, powerglide automatic, shaved and primered body, Dutch (EU) registration. Asking €11000,- Mail us for more information. Unless you're a marine engineer, captain in the army or want to replenish your carpark in the Ivory Coast. We heard all that before...
flakekings @ live .com
Or look here: Mobile.de

Rye House practice

Thanks to Mike Ryan for organizing another Rye House practice on Friday - and fixing the weather.
Had to jump-start my CCM off my Citroën as although the battery was reading 12 volts it wasn't getting through the wiring loom due to the earth cable which is just too poxy and had partially burnt through. Thanks to Steve Red Max and Anthony Co Built for making up for my lack of brain cells. Went for a spin on Rollerball Stevie's frisky Honda CRF450. It's like taking a 19 year old out on the razz. Guy's EXC KTM is very do-able too; made my CCM seem like an Austin Allegro. But honor of honors, tried Steve's mighty H-D XR750. It's as Sherman tank-like as I thought it would be, with as much GRUNT at any revs. On such a short circuit you can just pull off in 2nd keep it there riding straight through/over any obstacles/countries that may get in your way. I kept it rubber side down but Steve binned it on the last session - hope you get it patched up for Sunday's racing mate. BP

CALLING ALL LONDONITES THIS IS THE CLOSEST CIRCUIT
TO LONDON (±50 MINUTES) COME AND HAVE A GANDER!
RACING STARTS AT 1PM

UPDATE:
My middle-aged body takes a few days if not weeks to recover after such exertions, but this time I felt completely fine and flexy. Until the day after, when already having unloaded the bike from my car some hours earlier, I mysteriously put my back out with excruciating consequences. Now I'm on a Dr's prescription cocktail of Diazepam (fabled by the Happy Mondays) and Codeine. Sprinkled with a little Space Dust (which is now called Fizz Wiz due to a fear it would be associated with Angel Dust by school children) I now feel ready to steal the Short Track UK title having come last in every race entered so far - if I don't fall asleep before I cross the finishing line. BP

Six years old and obsessed with Gene Romero

Our mate Simon's boy Louis in his new Davida from Uncle Fiddy.

Calling Des Moines!

The Grand National Championship rolls into Knoxville tomorrow still with six riders in with a theoretical chance of the title. The title race looks like this...
1. Jake Johnson 265pts
2. Joe Kopp 255
3. Jared Mees 246
4. Henry Wiles 239
5. Kenny Coolbeth 231
6. Sammy Halbert 228

'72 Ducati Rat Rod

From Jordi in Spain. I think I'm in love (not sure about that front tyre, though) GI

Finally I send some pictures of my ducati "rat" road 72', and others. Recentlly my first son was born and I have been a "little confused.
This is a Ducati model originally manufactured inthe 60's and 70's under license by Mototrans in Barcelona. As you can see , all are home modifications. Provisional front wheel removed from my Ironhead bobber (the Akront who had suffered a fatal blow), an exhaust pipe that makes it roar as the Red Baron plane, shift pedal brakeon the same side , a saddle of a Montesa and one minimal air filter "tanga" model. All looking for minimal expense, most entertainment and many pure sensations.
Jordi.

Or Glory by Horst A Friedrichs

The beautiful books keep coming. Or Glory is a 176-page photography hardback using colour and mono to document the current state of the Rocker lifestyle. There's a mixture of revivalists - like Hiro from Lewis Leathers, Sarah B and Jake - and slowly decomposing original rockers. This lifestyle and imagery has been photographed countless times (not least by Ben Part during his time shooting the Mean Fuckers) and a lot of Friedrichs' images come across like deja vu. This is the problem with depicting a scene that is defined by its unchanging style - of both dress and bikes.
But the quality of photography is great and the print quality is excellent. The best shots (for me) are the ones away from the bikes - the ones taken in pubs, clubs, bedrooms and dance halls. GI
Buy here www.prestel.com
Remember to check out the great books we have for sale in the Sideburn shop