Sonic Weld Gold Star

Beautiful Sonic Weld BSA Gold Star built by Goldstarfreddie from New Jersey. I lifted the photos from the forum on britbike.com. Reminds me of the stance of the Sideburn Enfield 500. 

Sonic Weld style frames are still being offered, brand new, by Cheney Engineering in the USA. 

The builder of this bikes says...

This is one of those new Sonic Weld frames using up a lot of my old flat track parts. The cases are B33 with an early GS crank and with the quill timing cover and top breather. It handles like a 250 Bultaco but costs 5 times as much I thought this would be of interest to someone with only a motor as he makes these frames for various motors.

Tommy Rockwood

Tommy Rockwood styling on a BSA Gold Star in a Sonicweld chassis.
Apparently he set an Ascot Park lap record on this bike. No rear brake, so pre-1970.
Photographer unknown, but almost definitely Mahony. G

Sideburn 26: World Exclusive

Earlier this year Guy Martin established the record for highest speed on a wall of death riding a Krazy Horse-prepared Indian Scout at 70.3mph. He then went out on his own Rob North BSA Rocket triple and raised the record to 78mph and change, while being subjected to 7G.

You haven't read about the Rob North because it hasn't been featured in any magazines in the world. Until now. Guy only wanted the bike in one magazine, Sideburn.

It was shot in Grimsby for Sideburn by Sam Christmas. We also had Mick Ofield create a blueprint of Guy's bike and highly respected journalist Mick Duckworth write about the history of Rob North and his famous racing frames.

There is only one place to read these features - in the beautifully printed Sideburn 26.

Also, in the same issue, is our regular Ask Guy page, where the very British daredevil answers Sideburn readers' questions. If you want him to answer yours, send it in to dirt @ sideburnmagazine.com

John Harrison: The Early Years

There are thousands of people in the Sideburn universe with great stories to tell, and I've chosen a handful to supply stories and update the blog. One is Travis Newbold, Sideburn poet and test rider, another is John Harrison. We met John through his antics and style in the DTRA and the more I found out about him, the more I wanted him involved.

He says stuff like... 'I don't wear T-shirts or sweatshirts (or jeans). Haven't done since my early 30s.' John is 57 with grown-up children, and started dirt track racing earlier this year. You'll find out a lot more about him, starting now. Hope you enjoy his outlook as much as I do. G

'As we're rained off today I thought I 'd get going on my motorcycling history for you. I can't imagine how you would introduce this sort of thing but here you are. Stand by for following emails. All photos are my own unless stated. 

The picture above is of me as a 12 yr old on the first motorbike I ever rode. This would have been 1972. It is a BSA Beagle (surely the bike Snoopy rode in the recently blogged Peanuts cartoon) which was an early '60s, 75cc 4-stroke that they produced in a forlorn attempt to take the fight to the Italian and Japanese small, cheap bike competition. Pressed steel frame and forks, but this one had been converted into a Schoolboy Scrambler with tele forks, a high level pipe and a bobbed rear guard. One of my friends got it and we thought it was the bee's bollocks, particularly as we reckoned it was a dead ringer for a Husky with the red and white tank. We hadn't ridden motorbikes before, but could drive cars, so set about teaching ourselves. I'm amused that the only new item of clothing I'm wearing is my brand new Stadium Centurion X helmet, the rest - shirt, trousers and shoes are all hand-me-downs. 

We had a field at the back of our place that we got permission to ride in and soon we were all on the lookout for field bikes. Another friend found a 125 Bantam ( also 'converted' to schoolboy scrambler spec) which I think he paid a fiver for. It was barely worth it. This photo shows the two bikes pretending to race; in truth they both rarely ran at the same time, or we couldn't afford enough fuel fuel to keep them both going. The same scene must have been played out by lads all over the country learning to ride and fix field bikes. Hopefully it still is. 
JH 104R

Blueprint: Dimitri BSA B50

The latest bike to be immortalised in our blueprint series is the hardtail B50 of amateur racer, Dimitri Coste. Read how the Frenchman ended up owning the bike and why a 1970s machine has a hardtail anyway in Sideburn 25. Artwork, as always, by Mick Ofield.

If you want to read about the other bikes in the blueprint series, here is the list and the issues they feature in.

Sideburn 13 Wood Norton (sold out)
Sideburn 14 Bultaco Astro
Sideburn 15 Yamaha TZ700/TZ750 (sold out)
Sideburn 16 Harley XR750
Sideburn 17 Trackmaster BSA A70 (sold out)
Sideburn 18 Bonneville Performance 2014 (sold out)
Sideburn 20 1930 Norton DT
Sideburn 22 Wood Rotax
Sideburn 24 Honda RS750D

We have a bunch of different blueprints for sale. Go to the Sideburn Art Print department.

We also have limited numbers of the XR750 blueprint T-shirt for £18 plus post. G

Photo: Dimitri Coste

Harbsa?

If a BSA A10 with a Harley 45 engine in it is just what you're looking for, you're in luck, there's on on sale on UK eBay, by it now for £7495. Nothing to do with us and not entirely sure why you'd do this, but that's not to say there isn't someone out there just waiting for it.
Spotted by the eBay sentinel, Kev H. G

Hindsight

Yeah, I've known a few bikes that've opened my rear eye. One's throttle stuck wide open, another's  swingarm spindle came adrift, and one spat its sump plug (and all its oil) one night on the motorway at 95mph. As spotted in a classic mag's small ads (and no, that's not how you spell Lightning). MP

Cindy on the Wall of Death

Cindy swaps her DKR Manx for a stripped-down Beezer twin to ride the wall of death. I love the signwritten BSA ads around the top of the wall.

We've booked the legendary Ken Fox Wall of Death for Dirt Quake V. They will be performing free shows on Friday night, after the the DTRA and Hooligan dirt track racing, then on Saturday during and after the Dirt Quake racing.

Dirt Quake V tickets are now on sale.
Friday is £5, Saturday is £15. Under 11s are free. 11-15 year-olds

All full price Saturday tickets bought in advance will be entered into a draw to win a custom Mutt Motorcycles street tracker worth over £4500. G

Martin's B31 Cider Hauler

This came in from Martin.

So it's a BSA B31 1960, larger T140 piston, loads of mods, suicide shift, both brakes on the foot pedals, no battery, no lights. No primary chain cover, the push rod cover removed so you can see the push rod moving the valves! Great thing to ride, was built by a chap called Odgie Danann, who is a proper bloke. He built it using old scrap metal and with normal tools that we all have. 
I bought a few months back, it's the only thing not for sale in my life! I did my Christmas shopping on it and try to ride it as much as I can. I put the crate on because they only sell the cider I like by the gallon! Notice the sideburn sticker on tank and the cider transportation crate.
Martin L

Get a Sideburn rub-on sticker from the Sideburn shop. G

Maxwell Paternoster: A self-portrait

Kind of.
Maxwell has produced a load of artwork for Sideburn over the years - hand-drawn titles, stickers, T-shirts... And his latest work includes an incredible gilded Shoei helmet. Check him on his @datanoster instagram feed or Maxwell Paternoster tumblr.

 His beloved BSA, Lazer Death, featured in Sideburn 9, photographed for us by Sam Christmas.

That issue is available individually or as a four Sideburn back issue bundle for £10 (plus post). 400 pages for £10! G

Skijoring Freaks

This came in from Karl in Austria, reacting to a post from last week.

The video from 1953 in Tyrol is great. 

I am from Upper-Austria. Skijöring has been very popular all around our area till the beginning of the 1970s. Safety was not that much in the forefront. It was more or less all about speed and giving gas. More and more laws and terms by the government, uncomprehending neighbours and also a lack of snow made it pretty difficult and expelled the Skijöring freaks. 
That's a really big pity. I have sent pictures of Skijöring in my area. 

Greetings from Vocklabruck. 
Karl

Supercharged A65 UXB

Another bike from Westonzoyland Sprint. Tim Howell's fantastic 680cc BSA. I Particularly like the extra head bolts to stop the bomb exploding, and the very rudimentary looking π shaped manifold. I guess if the fuel mix is being foie gras'd in the gullet, then it doesn't need the gently flowed inlet bore that a regularly aspirated carburettor has??? BP

BSA USA

A pleasing dose of nostalgia as spotted on the Britbike forum. The pics are from the collection of the late Joe Ward, who from 1959-'64 was a field rep for the West Coast BSA importer, Hap Alzina, based in Oakland, California. They were posted by Joe's nephew and you can see more here. What's that frame on the A10 TT bike? MP

Happy Christmas from Thrive, Indonesia

La Ruche Moderne

A short trip to San Sebastien in Northern Spain, for work last month, meant I had to fly into Biarritz then drive the 40 mins to the Spanish town. Knowing I'd have a little while before I had to be in Spain I contacted Vincent of Bixente Moto to see if I could visit the workshop I'd heard about, in Anglet, the town next to Biarritz. Vincent gave me the address, but it turned out it was to his new place, La Ruche Moderne. Still, I wasn't complaining.

The painting on the outside was done by ex-pat American Steven Burke who works under the name, Lucky Left Hand.

La Ruche Moderne (LRM) is a multi-purpose building. It has a bar and canteen area, with a BSA desert sled parked in the middle. The canteen hosts corporate events and parties, with enough room for a band to play and a wall for films to be projected onto.

At the back is a small display for Vincent and his wife's men's underwear brand - Hemen Biarritz.
Mrs Inman is stood in the middle, helping give scale. The car in the top left corner helps too.

Also at the back is Vincent's wife's collection of Polaroid cameras. They all still work, he says.

 Above the rusty bar is a store area for Vincent's hoard of old stuff...

 Ancient mini-bikes...

Prehistoric skateboards...

1960 and 1970s Schwinn and Raleigh choppers

 Next to the canteen is a long workshop and bike storage area and garage.

Old Harley, JD, I think.           Old Indian

 Vincent and Ronald.

Vincent's daily rider BSA is always evolving. It raced at Dirt Quake II and thrashes around Wheels and Waves annually.

Read more about this great fella and his bike, in a previous guise, in Sideburn 16 (see below). G

Blueprints back in stock

UPDATE: THEY'VE SOLD OUT AGAIN. WE'LL PRINT MORE IN THE FUTURE. BULTACO ASTRO COMING SOON

Limited numbers of the BSA Trackmaster and Harley XR750 as drawn by Mick Ofield for Sideburn are in the Sideburn webshop.
We have run these illustrations with great technical stories since issue 13. Back issues are available, but running out fast.

SB13 - Big Tube Wood Norton
SB14 - Bultaco Astro
SB15 - Champion Yamaha TZ700
SB16 - Harley-Davidson XR750
SB17 - BSA Trackmaster