Thursday, 15 March 2012

Northern Soul

No stories yet on sand racing in Dubai, or ice racing in Antarctica, but we are covering a lot of territory. SB#10 has a story on chopper speedway in Finland. Photos by Finn Mikko Toiviainen, words by Mancunian globetrotter Dan Walsh.

If you are still wondering what the hell defines Sideburn? It's more about attitude. We don't care if you wear leather or lace.
"It's not what you ride, but how you ride it" is core. If your bike has knobblies or high bars, you're probably half way there.
BP

4 Years Old!

The Sideblog was 4 years old - yesterday! duh missed our own birthday. Championing zeroes and heroes past present and future. Thanks for riding with us. BPphoto by Dan Mahony taken at San Jose Mile 1974. Roger Crump #4, Gene Romero #3, Bob Sanders #5

IMPORTANT: Please sign this petition

The EU are trying to ban modifications on bikes and stop any motorcycle over 7 years old being used in urban areas.

UK residents please sign it here

It takes about 1 minute. Do it.

Wednesday, 14 March 2012

American (bike-riding) Werewolves in London

Saturday's Stags show was in a pub I'd never heard of on a street I wouldn't have gone down if it wasn't for the gig. But I'm glad I did, a great place and they're having a free film night showing Werewolves on Wheels on Thursday March 29.
The Stags Head, Hoxton.
This movie is covered in The Big Book of Biker Flicks.G

HWZN

Mattie Roberts, stationed in Tokyo, who wrote the Animal Boat story in SB#7 has been to Komyomachi to get the inside story on the brothers HWZN. Magical photos by Yochiki Suzuki. SB#10 Scorches highways, byways, race tracks, and beaches. BP

Tuesday, 13 March 2012

Lorenzo's YZ250 Flat Tracker

From Lorenzo in Italy. If you like this, you'll love the SWM 340 two-stroke in SB10.

Hi Gary
Just to let you know about an old 1994 yamaha yz250 2 strokes that I have modified into a flat tracker, I sent you just a couple of shots of the bike and one shot of the same bike before the work, I hope you appreciate it!

Now the problem is to learn to ride fast..but this is another story!
my bests,
your friend from Italy,
Lorenzo

Before (below)

Back in Stock: Big Book of Bike Flicks

Yes, the last lot sold out pronto, so we have more directly from and signed by the Author, John Wooley.
Get yours at the Sideburn shop. G

Monday, 12 March 2012

Nearly there!

Only three go-to-sleeps till the GNC season starts at Daytona. Sammy Halbert cleared up there last year. G
I love this photo of last year's podium. Three riders I really like - Sammy, Jake Johnson and Johnny Lewis. Look how pee'd of JJ and JL are to have only finished second and third. Bad asses.
Johnny Lewis will be selling Sideburn from his pit all year. Go buy and help fill his gas tank. G

Guido and Sue - Morning Glory


Guido and Sue are back, and once again, despite hot-trotting Sue's utterly unambiguous come-ons, poor old clueless Guido runs absolutely no risk of overheating or seizure.
As culled from 'Motorcycles. Maintain Your Own Machine' (1977) by top journalists Guido Bettiol and Vic Willoughby, with artwork by George Domenech. MP

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