Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Cheap UK Flat Track Bike for Sale

Alloy tanked CCM running on 19s. Suzuki DRZ400 engine.
Ready to race. £1000 or near offer. Eligible for the Rookie and Restricted/Pro class (not Thunderbike).
I don't know the history of the bike, but it raced at the weekend and you're unlikely to find a ready to race bike on 19s any cheaper.
It won't have a V5 so you can't convert it back to a road bike.
Call or text Ronald on 07533 506062. G

DTRA Round 4, Tir Prince, Wales

This race is on a super-fast, two-thirds of a mile horse racing oval near Rhyl in North Wales. This is proper On Any Sunday action.
It's a Friday night race with racing starting at about 7pm. The DTRA needs marshals for this race. You'd need to be there for 5-ish to get a briefing and cover the practice.
Times and gate prices will be confirmed on the blog.

Sideburn's ongoing sponsorship of the UK Dirt Track Riders Association sees us commissioning different artists to produce a poster for each of the races. Please share this poster on any of your own social media.

Round 1 was Ryan Quickfall
Round 2, Essy May
Round 3 is Dirt Quake by Adi Gilbert
Round 4 is by Adam Nickel, interviewed below.

ADAM NICKEL

Where do you live? 
Brisbane, Australia.

What bike do you own? 
A 1955 Triumph Thunderbird.

What's your dream bike? 
I wouldn't mind owning a DAH Harley race bike.

Who is your motorcycle hero? 
Burt Munro, though watching Malcolm Smith in the Elsinore Grand Prix in On Any Sunday gives me goosebumps.

If you were to start racing flat track what bike would you choose to compete on?
I love the KR flattrack bikes

What was the inspiration for your DTRA poster?
Early 60s graphic design, specifically rock posters from around era.

Finish this sentence: I love my motorcycle... 
...but I think it hates me.

www.adamnickel.com

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Corpses from Hell x Ruby Helmets


Ruby X Corpses From Hell from Richard Baybutt on Vimeo.

Absolutely brilliant video by Richard and Maxwell at Corpses from Hell (also featuring a bit of DTRA racer Ross Herrod) for Ruby Helmets.
Part of it is filmed in Sideburn stockists, The Mud Crab Diner, Sheffield.
Watch it, it'll make your day. G

DSC X Alpinestars X Bell X Ross Herrod

Ross 'King' Herrod's ex-Captain Highside Rotax short tracker now has DSC twinkly livery. DSC has also reeled in Alpinestars and Bell into the equation. Seen for the first time at the Bike Shed show on Saturday and raced in anger on the Sunday at Rye House. BP

Monday, 20 May 2013

The Bike Shed Event

 
Thanks to The Bike Shed for including us in their inaugural show. It was very impressive.
And thanks to Gary Margerum for these photos. G

Out in Front

Just recovering from a great motorcycle weekend in England. Thanks to The Bike Shed crew for their Event (more on that when we get chance) and the Dirt Track Riders Association and all their volunteers for a super-smooth race meet at Rye House.
With nearly 30 riders in the Thunderbike class I didn't qualify for the 12-man A Final, but I was on the front row for the B, got the holeshot, led every lap and managed to break from the pack (see below).
I'd always rather qualify for the A with no chance of a podium, but it is nice to win a race every now and then. 
Thanks to Simon F for the photos. G

Sunday, 19 May 2013

Guzzi Goodness

Grant Ray worked for Confederate Motorcycles and launched Hell For Leather, a website that used to be a daily stop-off for me. He's since left HfL and the site's become more mainstream, uglier and changed its name to RideApart.
Despite the fact Grant once threatened me with legal action because I used the phrase 'hell for leather' in a motorcycle magazine, when he'd copyrighted it (no, me neither) I still really liked his work and finally got to meet him at The One Motorcycle Show in Portland. Strangely, we were wearing matching 50-year-old Swedish army coats.
Grant was tasked with organising a launch for the new Guzzi California in California. This is what he came up with - an art installation with characters from an imaginary TV show that have V-twins for heads. I love it and I really like the bike, if it wasn't so bloody expensive (over £14,000).

In other Guzzi news, I wrote a piece about the company for the Influx website. Go and have a look. I'm dead happy with it. G

Saturday, 18 May 2013

Mule Triumph

I always enjoy opening an email of a newly finished bike from Mule Motorcycles.
What I love about the bike:
1. How tightly the exhaust tucks under the engine (Mule didn't send photos of the other side).
2. The Morris wheels.
3. The colour of the wheels.
4. The rear caliper hanger.
5. The Keihin FCR flat slides.
6. The Mule tail unit.
Lovely job. G

Friday, 17 May 2013

Greasy Kulture x Boneshaker Day

Fellow British-based independent moto magazine Greasy Kulture had a do at Boneshaker choppers HQ in the West Midlands, so we went along to support the cause.
Plenty of traditional style choppers - that's GKM's bag. Man in fez too.
This bike belongs to one of the guys behind the Eat Dust clothing brand. There are a lot of clothing companies starting up that are hanging their metaphorical hat on motorcycling, but I can't think of one of them that puts in the miles this guy does. He rode over from Belgium for this afternoon meeting, then went home the next day for work. He rides everywhere.
I don't profess to know a ton about the Harley scene, and I know a lot of followers of this blog are in the same boat, but I'll share the bit I learnt. This bike is modified in 'the club style'. The club doesn't refer to The Ivy or Bolton Wanderers, but the modern outlaw patch clubs. Straight bars, muted colours, uprated suspension, twin shocks, tuned engine, bikini fairings. It's a totally different kettle of fish to the traditionally-styled hardtails that filled the car park. These FXR and Dyna Harleys are supposed to be the best long mileage big twins (that aren't full dressers). There, you know as much as me.
I took this photo to show the hi-rise bar clamp, stock clocks and satnav. Again, very different to the predominant traditional choppers.
Anyway, Eat Dust know denim and know how to ride a long way.
Liked this Enfield bobber.
 Mr Greasy Kulture
 Modern Husqvarna-powered hardtail, what a crazy cocktail.
Al from the Skeleton Chop Shop with his Sporster he's converted to run a, I think, Shovelhead non-unit transmission. Don't ask why, ask how? In foreground, photographer Sam Christmas about to stuff his face.
Vincent for sale. Like my mum used to say, if you have to ask how much, you can't afford it.
Boneshaker's HQ is an old mill building, full of Harleys, Indian and wonder.
It wasn't all choppers and bobbers. Cristi, rode down from Manchester on his Paul Smart Replica. I thought he looked a stylish dude, so gave him a Sideburn sticker. 'Thanks,' he said, 'I'll have it but I've already got one.' I love it when some I think looks interesting already buys Sideburn. Well, I like it when anyone buys it. 
The West Midlands, not the West Coast. G

Thursday, 16 May 2013

Norm!

 This is Norm on holiday (in an old Sideburn shirt).
This is Norm's place.

Norm makes Motorcycho magazine and stuff. We have the latest issue and back issues in stock, plus more of the Death Rider patch (below) that sold out in seconds. Go to the special Motorcycho section in the Sideburn webshop to find out more. G