Sideburn Sportster Hooligan

I made some time today to work on my Sportster that has been laid up since American visitor Chris Wiggins crashed it and ripped the throttle cables in two at Dirt Quake. I took it over to CFM in Sleaford, because I like hanging out there, they lend me a bench to work on and there is never a problem Carl can't fix when I get stuck.

Today I put on a Motone ribbed CV carb top. I wasn't sure whether to fit it or not, but it's a nice unfussy dress-up part. I'm glad I did because when I looked in the top of the carb, the diaphragm was so split that Carl CFM couldn't believe the bike even ran. So no wonder Wiggins thought it felt more like an 883 than the 1200 it was sold to me as. I got a replacement diaphragm for £31.50 from local Harley specialist Cycle Haven.

The original big Sportster tank was replaced with a Lowbrow/ Cycle Standard 2.2 gallon tank. I can't believe the quality of this tank that retails in the US at just $130. Unreal. Bolted straight on with all new fasteners and rubbers included in the box.

The rusty, cutdown original rear fender was junked in favour of a $199 Lowbrow aluminium Tsunami fender, in an anodised grey finish. It was designed to fit Later Sportsters than my 1991 model, so I had to drill a couple of side mounting holes, then some more holes to mount some of the original (archaic) relays, and then another hole for the rear mounting of the Biltwell Banana seat. It needs yet more holes from

I also fitted new Venhill throttle cables the UK company made up for me. The cables were made using the remnants of the wrecked cables as a template.

Now I have to get it back to being road legal. G

Also already fitted:
The Speed Merchant triple clamps
Roland Sands Designs tracker exhaust
Roland Sands Design air cleaner
19in rear rim laced by Hagon
Biltwell Moto Bars
Biltwell Mushman footpegs
Biltwell Thruster grips
Chain conversion
Maxxis DT1 tyres
Harley XR1200 rear shocks
Alloy Art folding shift peg
Modified mid controls
Motone knurled filler cap
Motone mini Bates LED rear light (not pictured)

Lowbrow Got Sideburn...

We understand it's expensive for US buyers to Sideburn from us at the source in the UK, because the post charge is unavoidable, but you can get the magazine from US sellers and avoid the transatlantic shipping.

Our US distributor Motorsport has a wider variety of back issues than even we have.

And long-time supporters of Sideburn, Lowbrow Customs are also set up for quick deliveries of the mags they have in stock.

So there's are fewer reasons to to deprive yourself of the joy of Sideburn. G

Biltwell Special Edition SB19

We tied up with long time Sideburn supporter, Biltwell to offer a thank you to their customers.
Anyone spending $99 or more on Biltwell helmets, clothing or hard parts through Lowbrow Customs will be sent a copy of Sideburn 19 with an exclusive cover.
This is the only way to get this cover, so don't ask us.

The magazine is identical inside, it just has a different wraparound cover. The idea is for Biltwell and Lowbrow to thank people spending $99 or more. From our point of view the idea is to get Sideburn in the hands of people who might not have seen it before. G

Salem Saturday Night

The indoor series continues at Salem, WA. Get there if you can! G

World Class Enfield

The Sideburn Royal Enfield picked up second in the Performance Custom Class in the British round of the AMD World Championship of Custom Building (the class definition is below).

Thanks to CFM who actually built the bike; Co-Built for the exhaust; Jason for various parts; Revolution for the basecoat; Ornamental Conifer for the signwriting; Steve Adams for the stingray seat covering; Lowbrow Customs for the hardtail; Rupert and Josh for helping convert the electrics and, biggest thanks, to Royal Enfield UK for working with us on this project.
Read all about our Enfield in Sideburn 10. G

Street Performance 
A class designed to showcase customs where the primary intention of the customiser is to improve the street-use performance of a motorcycle, and showcase the customiser's streetable performance engineering, tuning and handling skills and techniques. Open to all or any kind of motorcycle, of any platform or drivetrain, air-cooled or liquid-cooled (or even alternative energy). Open to 'metric', Whitworth/AF, and SAE measure bikes. Open to all kinds of performance engineering and enhancement/tuning techniques, including super charging, turbo charging, NOS, fuel injection etc.

Good Stuff from Good People

All new stuff from friends of Sideburn

The Ruby Castel, from €900

Lowbrow Customs Harley Sportster chain drive conversion, only $160 (plus post)

Venhill 940 and 941 clutch levers. £39 (plus post)

Vintage Drags: This weekend

From the good guys and gals at Lowbrow Customs. G

Redliners Racing

From Tyler at Lowbrow Customs (that's him on the green Triumph)...

Redliners Racing International: A group of six dashingly handsome, smart, and fast individuals who waste way too much time and money on the irrational pursuit of making old, slow machines go fast. An eclectic mix of men and their machines make up the group, of which you can learn more of on the Redliners Racing website. Follow along to see new motorcycles being built, race preparation being performed, and speed efforts in full effect as we approach August and Bonneville Speed Week 2012. Follow the Redliners exploits at www.RedlinersRacing.com

Rusty Gold and Lowbrow Getdown

Two good-looking events, with two great posters - Rusty Gold Swap Meet, 6 May, in Amsterdam and...The Lowbrow Getdown, 14 July, Ohio, USA. G

CFH x Lowbrow

One of Sideburn's favourite artists continues to work with one of Sideburn's favourite companies. Chief Corpse from Hell, Maxwell P, has produced a bunch of artwork that Lowbrow Customs have printed onto their cardboard packaging. What a great idea. Lowbrow do things properly. We want to try set up a small event type thing up with them in the UK this year. We'll let you know if we get it off the ground.
Also, Maxwell has done some art for Sideburn 10. Out in March. G

Sideburn Royal Enfield coming together

Stingray seat by Steve Adams.
Low mileage engine cleaned up nicely.
One-off Renthal sprocket from B&C Express.
Co-Built pipe. Modified engine plates.
Sideburn's Royal Enfield Bullet Classic 500 project is looking amazing. We trusted many of the the people who made a great job of Project FT and some new ones.

CJ Powder Coatings in Grimsby turned the frame, seat and other parts around in three days. Les, one of the owners there, is a sand racer and they're brilliant to deal with. Just send a part and they mask it up. Highly recommended for all you powder coating needs. They don't have a website, but click the link for their details.
Lowbrow Customs supplied the David Bird hardtail loops and Co-Built modified the frame to fit.
Our friend Jason did us a great deal on the Mikuni flatslide and A&A/PM rear brake assembly. Thanks Jason.
Co-Built made the exhaust. Just look at it.
Steve Adams covered the cutdown Enfield twin seat. It's an amazing job. Call him on 07958 990962, next time you need any kind of seat trimming.

The rest is down to Carl at CFM. We can't rate him highly enough. Need a project building or finishing? Go to him. He's quick, good and reasonably priced. He won't take the work in and then sit on it for months like a lot of people out there. He's worked on five different bikes of mine now and I don't want to go anywhere else. He's based near Sleaford.

The paint is nearly finished and the one-off brake discs are being made in Italy, right now. When the bike is finished it will be in Sideburn 10 and on the Royal Enfield stand for the eight day Motorcycle Live NEC show. If you're there check it out, but don't go on the first Saturday, because that's Rollerburn day. G

How to dress for the races...

We've just managed to get hold of the emails that went missing. We're catching up over the next few days. We got this one from Sideburn contributor Roger F...

From the 9/24 shorttrack at Salem [the 2nd Lowbrow Holeshot], note the Sideburn sticker and the latest shirt. The brakeless Triumph 500 belongs to my friend Alan Lonneville....Roger

Corpses from Hell x Lowbrow Customs

Great stuff for Lowbrow from Maxwell P. I think this is going to end up on packaging.
Maxwell is displaying at Rollerburn with other artists Chris Wilson, Stevie Gee, Adi Gilbert... G

Lowbrow Holeshot 2

I meant to post this ages ago. Sorry Tyler. Get to Lowbrow Holeshot 2 in Ohio if you can.
This is what the Lowbrow Holeshot 1 looked like. G

Lowbrow

Lowbrow Customs are a great company. On the surface they're retailing the best of the bobber, traditional chop, garage-built scene, but follow them for a while and they're racing (on dirt and dry lakes), promoting events and races, making films and magazines... They're ploughing back so much of the money they're earning into new stuff. These are just two of the things they've got going on - a film of their Bonneville escapades and also the second Lowbrow Holeshot...

Project RE hardtailed

There was a photo of Project Royal Enfield in the back of the LDV, but here are a couple leaning on it. The tank was bought from Jason. He had it custom made for one of his bikes, but he was never happy with it. It was made by the Tank Shop and it isn't their best work, it has to be said. It'll look great on the Enfield though.
Co-Built welded on the Bird hardtail loops we got from Lowbrow Customs. Co-Built also made the rear wheel spacers. The Rear brake is PM on an A&A hanger. The bike is back with us to make a few decisions about footpeg position, rear mudguard, seat and the front wheel clearance. I want that rear seat tube cutting and repositioning. Looking good so far though. G

Tools Of The Trade

A brick, a tapemeasure, a lump-hammer, 1 spanner, and a broken butter knife. Sideburn project Enfield takes shape at Co-Built Geoff's. BP

Sideburn Enfield Progress

It didn't take long for Co-Built to mock-up what the Lowbrow Customs/David Bird hardtail loops will look like on our Enfield. Just need master welder Geoff to get on the case. G

Project RE progress

Tyler at Lowbrow Customs and one of his trusted suppliers, David Bird, have sent us bolt-on hardtail tubes and axle plates for the Sideburn Royal Enfield. They're beautiful quality (though my phone pic isn't). They're made for a Triumph, but Co-Built are going to make sure they fit our Enfield.
Big thanks Lowbrow and David Bird. G

Max Power

Maxwell Paternoster is a nut case. I Love him. He's designed us a new Sideburn sweat shirt (the Zombie McQueen you can see on the merchandise page of SB#7). It went off to the printers today. Some wind-down at the end of a long day with a whiskey, or a ciggie. Or some TV. Maxwell does a doodle in his sketchbook; religiously every night. I was very honored that he showed them to me and James Chappell when we ended up at his vinegar stinking bedsit after the Stevie Gee party - to be fair, he did warn us beforehand. Apparently an olde boy told him to soak his BSA gearbox in a bucket of the stuff and then all the rust would fall off. As we went up the creaking stairs I joked "So I suppose you have lots of dry pickle jars then?" No joke. After a few tins they almost look like stacks of bruised eyeballs. Maxwell is a very talented artist. BPThis is a new one of the wall of death for Lowbrow Customs (one of our trusty US stockist).BSA rubbish bin stand.