Berlin Coffee Club

We have a new dealer in Germany, the Berlin Coffee Club. It looks like a great place to hang out on a miserable winter's day.
Good luck with the business, Alexander.

If you want to stock Sideburn, or know a place near you that should/coudl stock the magazine, please get in touch - dirt @ sideburnmagazine.com

Troy Bayliss Classic

Multiple World Superbike champion, former car paint sprayer and all-round good sort, Troy Bayliss has organised another of his Classics, a kind of Australian Superprestigio.
Bayliss (pictured above at this year's Superprestigio) is now Aussie dirt track and supermoto champ and a big fan of dirt track.
He has invited Jared Mees, Henry Wiles and Sammy Halbert. Look at them pretending to tolerate each other.
There is a who's who of Australian racers from different disciplines, too.

It all goes off this Saturday in Taree.
More info at Troy Bayliss Classic.

Taree is an oil track. In the old days they'd soak the dirt in old motor oil to help keep it together and form a tacky track, now, I've read, it's vegetable oil. There are no new oil tracks because of environmental issues, but the old ones can still run.

The Australians tend to race lefts and rights. Read Andy from the Jerkyls inside line on racing as a happy amateur, in the current Aussie scene on a vintage two-stroke in Sideburn 19. G

LED Surfer

AMA Rule Changes

From AMA HQ...

For the 2015 season, the winner of the Dash for Cash will be awarded one championship point, but no other finishers will earn points for their performance. Instead, the starting lineup for the GNC1 main will be based on finishing position in the Dash. 

Previously, the top five finishers in the six-rider Dash for Cash earned championship points, with five points awarded to the winner. The change in point distribution promises to keep championship battles even tighter as the season progresses.  

In 2014, three riders were alive for the title at the season finale in Pomona, Calif., but under the new point schedule, even more would have had a shot at the championship in the final round. 

"It's a good thing, for sure," 2013 Grand National Champion Brad Baker and rider of the No. 6 Factory Harley-Davidson said. "The Dash for Cash, you're not recognized for second, third, fourth or fifth. You go out there and you should want to win it."

Dust Hustle

Dust Hustle by Ellaspede, put on last year in Brisbane. Looks like fun. G

Mad Max by Raid71 for Sideburn

Our latest giclee art print is a colour version of the two-tone artwork produced by British artist Raid71 for Sideburn 17.
It depicts Mad Max and the last of the Interceptors meting out some justice to the Toecutter's gang.
It is printed on  Somerset Enhanced Textured art paper.
This limited edition print is signed by the artist.

It is approximately A3 size (300 x 420mm, 12 x 16.5in)

Get your for £22 (plus post and packaging) from Mad Max art print.

DIY Number Boards

I've been doing a bit of sand racing at Mablethorpe. It's an environment that finds the smallest weak link and and makes it a big deal.
Among my exhaust cracking in half, shock falling to bits and water in the electrics, I couldn't manage to keep any stick-on numbers on my boards. So I decided to channel my inner Ornamental Conifer and paint them. I used my daughter's paintbrush and a tub of £3 Plastikote from Wilko's. I plastered it on thickly. If you want to copy, but you're a dim-bulb (or concentrating on something else more important) and can't work out how to do it, I attach a step-by-step guide

Start with the numbers you want to copy. I used the House Industries font created for the DTRA.

Get some greaseproof paper from the kitchen cupboard. Trace over the numbers, being careful the first number is still in place when you start tracing the second one.

Turn the greaseproof paper over and 'scrub' over the back of the numbers to transfer them to a piece of think cardboard.

Cut out the numbers with a sharp knife (not on the dining table).

Draw the numbers in pencil onto your number board and start painting!

As I said, I was after thick rather than pretty and really slapped it on.

 Voila!

 I was so pleased I did my front number plate too.

Tool For The Job

Andrew Hobson Aprilia 450 v-twin, perfect tool for this cold weather. BP

Iron and Resin, San Francisco

Iron and Resin have been big supporters of Sideburn for a long time now and we're pleased they're stocking new and back issues of Sideburn in their new SF store.
Find it at 7 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94111

Click to find a regularly updated list of other Sideburn stockists.

If you want to stock our magazine, email us at dirt at sideburnmagazine.com for details. We send them all around the world. G

AJS Blog Relic

All blog comments new - or ancient, get forwarded to our personal emails. But it's always a pleasant surprise when old posts still send out ripples. Yesterday Canadian John Gregg left this note on his own bike which had been a mystery since 2009! BP

I purchased this bike 46 years ago for $25 and it has been in waiting ever since. Plans now are to do it up and take it to Bonneville Speed Week this year and try for the Ton and a record. Will be respecting the patina as much as we can. Follow progress here - http://www2.vip.net/jgregg/