Metro Racing RS750

Don at Metro Racing builds a mean flat tracker (that's not him in the photo). Just check out the Castro Fiberglas Works Triumph in Sideburn 7. Not he's building the near mythical Honda RS750 for Bubba Shobert to race at the Larry Weiss Memorial race, Harpursville, NY on June 24/25. It will be something special. G

First corner

UK Short Track Final.

5, Jacapo Monti; 1 Ade Collins; 93 Tom Wooley; 21x Tyson Nelson; 14 Tim Neave; 22 Steve Plater; 20 Darren Trapmore. Also in there Glyn Pocklington, Pete Boast, David Haith, Kev Armstrong and Adam Marshall.

Result was 1. Collins 2. Nelson 3. Monti

White Zombie

Über limited edition White Zombies have been given to a select group of inner-circle Sideburn contributors. Hoi Polloi have to make do with the original grey zombie - but only 100 of these were made, and most have them have already escaped.
"Since my son got hooked on my former GT, i wanted to try again 'the Surfer' like i was doing when i was 8 or 9 on the same bike. man, it was awesome, exact same feeling but higher from the ground. well thanks for the present, i try to honour it the best i can.
Merci Dimitri
attached, few shots of the rebirth by Noki Powlonski" Follow the link to Noki's site to see a little video of this bike surfingWhen we first met DC in Paris he was wearing all-white and we gave him a Sideburn Dick Mann white T. DC was the inspiration to do a white sweat. BP

Euro Flat Track Season

The European Flat track season kicks off next weekend. There are rounds in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Netherlands and Czech Republic. For more details go to flattrack.eu
Italy has a championship too, with the first round on the Lonigo speedway track on May 21. I think they need a few more words on that poster... G

RE Tank

Jason bought along a discarded tank from one of his Rotax' many many make overs, as he thought it 'might do' our project Royal Enfield. Looks tailor made. BP

Oxford United: UPDATE

David Aldana in the pits with Suzuki's Boastie and Tim Neave. David rode Boastie's beautiful 450 framer.It was too hectic for me to get any action shots, but I'll post them when they turn up. I've never seen so many photographers and video teams.Aldana wasn't over to do a few demo laps. He was racing Europe's fastest (and not so fastest). He was great, and yes, he wore skeleton leathers. Aldana T-shirts and posters went down well. Get yours at the Sideburn webshop.
Jacapo Monti and his friend/mechanic Ulderico drove from Northern Italy (about 900 miles) to be at both events. Jacapo had new tuxedo leathers, won the Thunderbike final and came third in the Short Track Main, behind Ade Collins and Tyson Nelson. A good week.A lot of people put in a massive effort to put this race on and it was worth it. Co-Built and their family and friends put Adi's poster all over town. The Co-Built guys also worked hard with Boastie of Short Track UK to prep a track that hadn't hosted a motorcycle race for years. They had to deal with people who didn't want it to happen, but had the support of the owners.

There was a televised greyhound race the same day (on a sand track on the outside of the shale bike track). It finished at 2pm, just three hours before practice was scheduled. One condition of the race was to cover the whole dog track with tarpaulin sheets held down with tyres and line the fence between the two tracks with dust sheeting to catch the shale.

We've had the driest April on record, so there had also been days of watering by Co-Built and friends. Loads of people mucked in, the British champion, Ade Collins, spent two hours watering turns three and four before practice. Thanks to all, and of course all the UK Short Track organisation and marshals.

The biggest crowd in UK dirt track history turned out, people who hadn't seen a live motorcycle race, never mind a dirt track race, turned out. Oxford, being a dog track, had a big bar/restaurant, that looked down on the track, and it, the terraces on the main straight and Turn 1&2 looked good and busy from the pits.

The guest star, David Aldana was great, rode hard, crashed harder and kept smiling. A smashed up bike stopped him from making the final. Oh, 2009 Isle of Man Senior TT winner Steve Plater was racing too.Thanks to everyone who came to the Sideburn night, we had people from Newcastle, Scarborough, Liverpool, Kent, Italy, and some big names who could've entertained the crowd telling their own stories (like race promoter Bruce Cox; bike designer, aerodynamicist and cartoonist John Mockett and the two below, journalists and authors, Rupert Paul and Mat Oxley).A huge thanks to those who helped put it on: Co-Built, who basically made it happen; Adi (fueled on Hobgoblin beer) for the killer artwork;Skooter Farm for the DVD projector; Anna Custom Made for bunting and taking money on the door; Jason, Alastair, Peter, Guy and Red Max for the bikesand Julian Ryder for being the MC. GIAldana auctioned off some great memorabilia.

It's nearly midnight, practice started at 5pm, but David is still smiling.Action photos and Drogo Michie movie! to follow...Drogo was so over excited, he got through a lot of tissues.

My old mate Ozzer came along and took some photos. This is Anthony Co-Built showing me how to ride. Am I sitting too far forward? Anthony's well back and was flying that night, 2nd in the Thunderbikes final. G

Aldana Art Print for sale

We've had a couple of great days. In the run-up, lots of people expressed an interest in the great event poster Adi at 99 Seconds designed and illustrated for us, but couldn't they couldn't make the events.
We had a very limited run printed up on 300gsm high quality A3-size paper, then we had David Aldana sign all of them.
We have a few left for sale. Get yours at the Sideburn webshop.

NOTE: If you order more than one the webshop will charge you for multiple postage BUT we will refund the extra postage. G

Aldana in Action

Who wouldn't want to see this? Tonight, for one night only, David Aldana dons the skeleton suit and races a Suzuki framer in Oxford, England. He's up against Britain's best dirt trackers and speedway heroes. You'll regret it if you stay indoors. G

Italy this weekend

In Treviso. Marco Belli, Freddie Spencer, Graziano Rossi!

Boneshaker XS

We like the bikes Boneshaker Choppers build and now Benny's built a street tracker on 19s and Maxxis racing tyres. It's on UK eBay. Thanks to Drogo for the tip-off. G