Kennedy Racing Selling Up

DTRA racer Mike Fisher read the previous post, where I mentioned Brandon Robinson, saying perhaps he's happy with his team and wouldn't entertain a move to factory Harley (if it was offered, this is all conjecture on my part). Mike then forwarded me a link to vft.org pointing out that the Kennedy team is selling up. Seems like the sport is running a well-run and competitive privateer outfit.

The ad reads... 'Kennedy Racing going out of business sale. 2 750 Kawasakis, one C and J and one J and M. The best of everything. Three XR-750's. Event winners, $25,000 apiece, all fresh and ready to race.' G

Stone

This is an extract from Dave Bevan's essay on the 1974 Australian biker movie, Stone, written exclusively for Sideburn 24.

The film opens with surely the weirdest (only?) didgeridoo-flecked space-jazz-swamp rock ever to grace a soundtrack, and what would be, if not for the acid mind-melt score laid over the top, a tranquil scene of a politician addressing a crowd toting placards baring environmentalist slogans and ’70s hippie goodwill. 

The relative peace is destroyed by the four-cylinder thunder and whine of sixteen brand-spanking Kawasaki Z1s with psychedelic customised fairings and paint jobs.

Read another 1630 words of this memorable article in Sideburn 24. Stone is often mentioned in relation to Mad Max, and while there are similarities, there are more differences. I've been meaning to watch it for years and finally got around to it while making the last issue. It's well worth £10 from Amazon.

We cover a lot of dirt track related stuff, but it's not all we do. Road trips, custom street trackers, adventure riding, Pikes Peak stuff and the odd (very odd) essay about bike films too, from Once a Jolly Swagman to On Any Sunday. G

Deadvolt by Fuel Haus

This came in from Jeff Yarrington in Philadelphia. Looks like a Dirt Quake Inappropriate Road Bike contender.

I have recently started fresh in Philly, new life, new shop. I will keep this short, My first build out of the Fuel Haus I thought may be something you'd appreciate. a fun bike, that is fun to ride. And way over-powered. 

Have a look at the pictures and hopefully feel free to share in any way you like, blog, site, or simply social media. It all helps with new business and this being our first offering out after getting our space and things that go with it. 

The bike, "Deadvolt" started as a 1987 ZX750R. It now as you see is something much different. Frame, aluminum wheel discs, seat, rack, exhaust , etc etc all handmade here. 110 hp, 6-speed, 60-tooth rear sprocket, its big big fun on and off the street. currently on ebay

Jeff Yarrington and Atticus.

Sit Up And Beg

Keith Code Kawazaki Z-1, leads Wes Cooley also Kwack, Steve McLaughln BMW, Reg Pridmore BMW. AMA Superbike Riverside National 1976.
Mr Code, Grand Master Jedi, looks like he has piles, proving Chris Carr's philosophy of you don't need to look like you're going fast to be a race winner. BP

206mph

The on-board video of TT racer James Hillier on the Kawasaki H2R. That thing revs! G

Hillier x H2R

James Hillier, Kawasaki H2R, Ago's Leap. Today.
Reached a claimed 206mph down Sulby Straight on a parade lap. G

Stevie Gee at Deus Harajuku in Japan!

The original Tequila Mockingbird and Sideburn collaborator, Stevie Gee is over in Japan right now, doing his thing. The show opens tomorrow. Details below...

Stevie Gee art exhibition SUPERDREAM launch party at #DeusExMachinaHarajuku from Thursday May 21 at 8:00PM. A first time visit to Japan by the UK artist known for his memorable Deus artwork. 

イギリスで活躍するDeusアーティスト、スティービー・ジーがDeus原宿店でのエキシビジョンのために初来日。 初日の5/21（木）にはローンチパーティも開催。

To commemorate the London-born artist's first Japanese show we spent a couple of days digging through the Sideburn vaults to find any remnants of the Sideburn 15 Stevie Gee cover that had crawled into a crevice in a vain attempt to save itself. We found a handful.
The cover by shot by Sam Christmas and features the Kawasaki Z200 built by Sideburn and CFM, and painted by Stevie Gee. The story is a beauty and the back cover of this memorable issue features fellow UK artist Essy May, who is now, officially, ripping up trees on the London art scene.
Move quickly to get yours at sideburn.bigcartel.com. G

Sammy's Framer

After years of racing his own Harley XR twin, Sammy got on a Kawasaki twin and won. The Savannah, Georgia race was a non-AMA event, but with plenty of top riders all in the South-East for Daytona Speed Week.
I thought Sammy had done a deal with Yamaha, so I was surprised to see photos of him on this bike.
If he is running his own show again, it's likely he'll keep his XR750 for the half-miles, that Harleys still  do so well on.
Not tied to one manufacturer, Jake Johnson had Harley, Ducati and Kawasaki to choose from in the twin races last year. G

OEM Merlin

The lads at Old Empire are doing a lot of great quality work at the moment. I found these old(er) photos of their Merlin, based on a Kawasaki W650, that are worth sharing. G

Lower Than a Snake's Belly in a Puddle

Kawasaki UK dirt track team rider Alan Birtwistle at last weekend's Dirt Bike Show. Co-Built made him the titanium bar end.
No, he didn't crash. G

Icon Old Ghost GPz900R

This is one of the latest builds by Icon in Portland. It's a 1984 GPz900R, they've called the Old Ghost.

Icon say, 'Modified fairings and dry-break tank gave the Ninja the sophistication of a monocled endurance racer. A Wiseco big bore kit, K and N filters, ducted Earls oil-cooler, and Racefit pipe increased her mechanized punch. The oversized Roaring Toyz swingarm, equipped with Ohlins TTX race shock, kept things properly stanced in the rear. And while the English origin of both the Avon tyres and EBC rotors was well known, the suspicious domestic origin of the bespoke billet wheels could be neither confirmed nor denied.'

Bryan Smith at the Mega Mile

AMA Pro Racing are serving up some great video content this year: full races and smaller features like track walks with the top  races.
This is an interesting short. I'd like to see Bryan Smith win the #1 plate this year.

An in-depth tech feature on SMith and his 2013 Crosley Kawasaki 650 twin is featured in SB15. G

Brits to Race US Top Amateurs

Kawasaki DTRA team riders, Ollie Brindley, #24, and Alan Birtwistle, #30, along with George Pickering, are flying to the US to compete in five races in five days, in the Midwest.

They're going to be at the 2014 AMA Dirt Track GRand Championships

Springfield Mile on Monday 23 June
Springfield TT on Tuesday 24
Springfield TT on Wednesday 25
Springfield Limestone half-mile on Thursday 26

Plus one more race I don't have details of yet.

Travelling and watching five races in five days would be tiring, so imagine what racing the best young US riders is going to be like.

If you see them, say hello and wish them luck. They're good fellas. G

Photos: Ian Osborne/DTRA

Decades of have to, want to, hope I can...

From Brad in Northern California

Hey guys...Brad Puckett here. Concord, CA  and a subscriber. You are among my favorite sites on the planet. Not to drag on, after too many years of life and where it takes us, I find myself pretty much washed up and burned out. Somehow, the tides of negativity and despair have changed in a pretty damm cool way. 

Riding since forever, lots in between, in the last 32 hours I have gone from nothing but hope that "someday I could....." and you know the rest....to this. In a few hours. Decades of have to, want to, hope I can....tomorrow morning I pick this up. Im 47-48, not sure. Im going flat track racing. Now. Thanks for the inspiration. Brad

Mad Max in Sideburn #17

In the latest issue of Sideburn, we run two pieces on the first, the rough and the dirty... Mad Max. We interviewed key players in the film's making, including the director George Miller, cinematographer David Eggby, Hugh Keays-Byrne (bike gang leader The Toecutter) and Bertrand Cadart, who made the fairings for the (mainly) Kawasaki Z1000s. We even managed to talk to Dale Bensch, reputedly killed when the infamous bridge stunt went wrong (see clip below). He seemed remarkably chatty for a bloke 36 years dead.

On top of that, in a separate feature we asked Repo Man and Straight To Hell director Alex Cox for his views on what has become a post-apocalyptic benchmark, shot on a budget, featuring Melbourne bike gang members as stunt men and that only made it to the screen thanks to long nights and hard graft by a couple of blokes with a vision. There you go, just two reasons of many to pick up Sideburn #17. MP

Kawasaki UK Flat Track Team

Kawasaki UK have backed a new team set up by DTRA racer, and former top GP sidecar man, Derek Brindley. The two-man team comprises 2013 title contender Alan Birtwistle, #30, and the current junior champion, Ollie Brindley, #24, who is moving up to the adult class this season.

I saw the team at the first official practice and they have a very slick set-up, with two very down-to-earth, but hellish-fast riders who have both travelled to the US and won.

The new Kawasaki team joins the Honda UK-backed multiple champion Adi Collins and the Suzuki UK-supported Peter Boast making three importer-backed teams in the DTRA Pro class. Come see them all battle at Leicester, next Sunday. All the Thunderbike framers will be there too. Racing from 12. Free entry for spectators. G

M&M's Street Scramblers

Bultaco Frontera 250

Honda 90 Scrambler

Kawasaki 250TR

M&M's in Japan consistently turn out the neatest street trackers and street scramblers. Nothing too flash or fancy, just handsome and tidy.
We have a full feature on M&M's in Sideburn 6 (of which there are only a few left). G

Slacker by Paul Bryant Photography

Photographer Paul Bryant took these shots of the Stevie Gee project bike (Sideburn 15 cover bike) for us to send The Bike Shed website. He's built a photo studio with an infinity cove and is offering a service of shooting owner's bikes for them to have pro quality shots of their bike, scooter, whatever. The photos are delivered hi-res on disc, for the owner to them have prints made or Paul can get prints made at a good price.

The price of a shoot starts at £125 plus VAT. For that you get a variety of angles of the bike and detail shots. The bikes are all professionally lit.

He is based in Bourne, Lincolnshire. Contact him through paul @ paulbryantphotography.com

I've worked with Paul for magazines around the world for nearly ten years and he is the man. I can't recommend him highly enough. Below are other examples of Paul's studio-style shots (but not all in his studio). G

Muscle

By Racefit.

Lorenzo Buratti Bol D'or Chair

You might remember Lorenzo Buratti's SWM Guanaco from Sideburn 14. The Italian also makes moto-themed one-off furniture. This €1500 1970s endurance-themed seat his the latest work. Check out his website for more details. G

www.lorenzoburatti.com