Kocinski's Wood Rotax

Is this the prettiest Wood Rotax ever? So beautifully put together. The exhaust has that unusual run, along the right hand lower frame rail, because this is one of Ron Wood's monoshocks with the RSU under the engine, early-Buell -style.

It belongs to former 250 grand prix world champion and multiple 500 GP racewinner, John Kocinski. He holds a couple of outright lap records on short tracks, set within the last few years, not in his racing heyday.

I interviewed him at Pomona a while ago, for a major motorcycle title who made a clichéd dog's dinner of it and I was embarrassed at the outcome. Maybe it's time to put it in Sideburn and make it sing... G

Kocinski wins in Vegas

From our West Coast correspondent, Randy K

Former Int'l 250 champion still has it and in a big way.  He won the Vintage class at the Gene Romero WCFTS race last night. He and his son came to the races together. Very cool as the pit moms took turns handling the kid while John was racing. 

We feature this incredible Honda in Sideburn 12. 
Looks like Tom Jones was back in Vegas to interview the winners. G

Kocinski's new bike

It's short notice, but John Kocinski will be racing his Knight Honda in the SCFTA meet at Perris today. Practice starts at 5, so there might be time for some of you to get out there. Someone interview him about his bike for us, please! I'd love to be there. G

More details of Kocinski's framer

Loads of people have told us about the great detail shots of John Kocinski's Wood Rotax over at Superbike Planet. It's only fair to share the news. It's something special. I wonder if it have got so much attention if it was a DTX bike... GI

John Kocinski's Wood Rotax

Krumple said that John Kocinski turned up to race at Pomona on a nice Wood Rotax (he was hardly going to ride a nail, was he?). But, we didn't know just how nice until we saw these shots on Poppawheelie. This is beautiful. A monoshock with rare RWU Ohlins (UPDATE - I've looked at these photos more closely and the forks look like Yam R6, with nitrided stanchions. Sorry) and PM wheels. If, by any weird quirk, you are reading this Mr Kocinski, can we come take some photos of it please?
The 40-year-old Kocinski was flying, it seems, winning a semi in the Open Class and losing the final to the XR750-mounted Wiles, who won the National and was obviously on fire.
There's a cool interview on Cycle News.

This is one highlight

Do the [MotoGP] 800s interest you?
Nah... I enjoy the flat track racing and that's why I put this bike together. When I stopped dirt tracking at a very young age and went road racing, that's when the Rotax were just coming out. It was a bike I never got to ride and I always wanted one so I figured, ‘what the hell I'll start right here.' We've got a big task ahead of us to do well and we have to make sure we don't fall short of our expectations.

We told you John Kocinski was back into flat track exactly one year ago. We love the Wood Rotax patches on John's leathers. That's the respect Ron Wood deserves. Want to learn more about Wood's bikes? Buy Sideburn 3 for the eight-page feature. GI

Kocinski to race dirt track

Just spoken to Boastie, fresh back from racing at Perris and Pomona in sunny California (where he made the semis in the Top Gun 450 class). He pitted next to Chris Carr and a guy, Boastie didn't recognise, was hanging around a lot. Chris said later, 'Oh yeah, that was John Kocinski. He's racing dirt track next year.'
Now we'd read, on superbikeplanet.com, that Kocinski had tested some flat trackers. This photo is borrowed from them, thanks Soup. And now it's confirmed. Expect to read this story a lot of places very soon (if you read mainstream mags, of course).
And if you're wondering, who is John Kocinski? Well, just one of the most talented GP and WSB racers ever. An enigma, a character, a Kenny Roberts protege and someone who was bullied by the press because he didn't quite fit in (mainly because he had OCD, before the likes of us knew what OCD was). And someone who retired early so he isn't that old now.
Sideburn can't wait to hear how he does.