Lash Up

Maxwell's BSA (featured in SB#9) has just passed it's MOT. He fitted a dynamo, a star-gazing headlamp, and Ikea paniers in preparation for his slog to the south of France, heading off tomorrow, for the South Siders shindig this coming weekend. Me and Gary will be leaving at first light on Thursday. We are under time pressure so cant be swanning about with scenic routes and will chuck the Sideburn Enfield and FT, and some SB wares, in the back of a van to burn down there in a day. Looking forward to some poncing about on the sunny boulevards of Biarritz - I'm a bit bored of the monsoon here. BP

Hotrod music

It's hard to imagine now the impact that Chuck Berry's first single must have had when it came out in the summer of 1955. All I know is, it rattled my cage when I first heard it, aged about 13 in the late '70s, and 57 years after its release it still does it for me today. Great guitar sound and Berry's brilliant poetical lyrics, as typed out below (my version, many people hear them differently). MP

Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
Oh Maybellene, why can’t you be true?
You just started doin’ the things you used to do

As I was motorvatin’ over the hill
I saw Maybellene in a Coupe de Ville
Cadillac a-rollin’ on the open road
Nothin’ outrun my V8 Ford
The Cadillac doin’ about ninety-five
We was bumper to bumper, rollin’ side to side

Maybellene...

The Cadillac pulled up to hundred and four
My Ford got a-hot and wouldn’t do no more
It done got cloudy and started to rain
I tooted my horn for the passin’ lane
Rainwater blowin’ all under my hood
I knew that was doin’ my motor good

Maybellene...

The motor cooled down, the heat went down
That’s when I heard that highway sound
Cadillac sittin’ like a ton of lead
A hundred and ten, a half a mile ahead
Cadillac lookin’ like it’s sittin’ still
And I caught Maybellene at the top of the hill

Maybellene...

The Full Monty

I love this photo. This is my good friend Dave Skooter Farm on his dad's Montesa back in the Mid-'70s. His hair's shorter these days, but he looks just the same. Nice wellies and RAF chip bag cap. That's his sister on the back. Check out Dave's blog- Full Frokkul Fiasco. G

Big Mac - updated!

Brilliant on-bike colour footage of Bob McIntyre riding a Norton Manx at Oulton Park in the very late Fifties, maybe 1960-'61 (the Cheshire track where he'd sustain fatal injuries in 1962). You can only imagine the size of the camera bolted to the bike. I've had this for 15 years or more on VHS but went looking for it on DVD. I'm glad to say you can get it from Duke, and it's well worth it, there's more of this lap, plus you get a full lap behind the flyscreen, and there's loads more stuff about all types of bikesport. I think it was one of those films made to show before the main feature in cinemas to stop the nation's youth from slipping into a dirty rocker lifestyle.

It's an apt time to mention that McIntyre was the first rider to put in a 100+mph lap of the TT, in the 1957 Senior on a four-cylinder Gilera 500. To mark the TT's golden jubilee, that year's Senior was run over eight laps (instead of six). That's over 300 miles and more than three hours' racing. On the Mountain Course. On a 170mph bike with drum brakes. Bloody hell. MP
PS: Don't know where the video went earlier. It's here now and the rest of the post should now make sense.

SLR650 Scrambler

Very tasty street scrambler made from a modern-ish SLR650 by 'ecalzo' in Italy.
'Here we are guys... let me hear your thoughts.. :-)'
 See more of it here.

Jaws

From Mike S in the US - he calls it a cafe tracker.

All fabrication and paint done in house. I can't stop building these things. Toughest build to date. I'd forgotten how great these bikes are. Owned one in 89.
Cheer Mike

Live & Jive Legends

Another ear-splitter from Heptown Records. This time, a compilation of bands that have graced the Live & Jive stage over the Swedish international music festival's 20-year history. Big mix of rockabilly (Go-Getters, Eddie & the Flatheads), psychobilly (Batmobile), surf (The Barbwires), and punk (The Accidents), plus most stuff in between that sits comfortably in such three-chord, twanged-out, high-octane company. My dad would smash the speakers with a claw hammer, which is reason enough to play it. If you're wondering, the first volume came out five years back, it's a slow-burn thing. MP

Brits at Springfield

Every year, for the last five or six, some of the best riders in Britain have dug deep, saved up, used favours and connections and flown over to the US to race one or two flat track meets. It started with just the UK's Mr Flat Track, Peter Boast, then Tim Greig, also Marco Belli from Italy. Then last year a new, younger crop of riders went and impressed - Tim Neave, Ben Baker and Tom Woolley. They returned, noticeably quicker. This year Tim Neave (Sideburn 10 cover star), Alan Birtwistle and young Ollie Brindley flew to America to race at Springfield and they all made their finals.Ollie went better than that and won his final in the TT. The thing is, you couldn't hope to meet nicer lads. Well done to the Brits and anyone who helped them get out there - especially the trip's manager, Tim Coles. G

Evil French Attack Monkey

From Hadrien in Paris...

I am a reader of your magazine and would to present you my lasest creation. A full prepared monkey bike, in the dirt track style. I let you see few pictures of the bike. 
It has an aluminium Kitaco frame, Brembo brake calipers, wheels are Cnc and were anodized in black. Swingarm is a Gcraft, fork is an Nsr takegawa with an Over stem kit. Disc brake are 220mm front and 160mm back. Engine is a 124cc, takegawa, with a 5-speed gearbox and a dry clutch (same as a Ducati). Headlight is from a monkey baja, tank seat and number plate are from a Z50R from 1985 very rare parts. 
The exhaust is a Japanese custom made line, entirely made in titanium (only 650gr!) 
I think that's it if you want more informations please ask. 
Hadrien 
PS: I am 20 and The bike was entirely made in my 5th floor Parisian apartment.

Coffee Table Clearance

Jason is tidying up his coffee table and selling some copies of DiCE and unobtanium Sideburn#1 and #2 over on eBay. Sale Now Ended. UPDATE: Congratulations 'c***0' (who ever you are). 18 bids for a mint SB#1 ceiling at £80.98. I have to say I'm shocked and flattered. SB#2 went for £26. DiCE #1 went for £37.
And they say 'print media is dead'. Long live print media. BP