Hauler for Sale

I don't normally put stuff on here for sale unless it's a bike (or our Sideburn merch), but a very good friend of my brother is selling this race truck they use for car racing, but it could be converted into a lovely camper/ multi motorcycle hauler.

1 ton tail lift, rear roller door
Remote control heavy duty winch (nearly new)
Bespoke aluminium Italian ramps (nearly new) and some wooden ramps
Side door and steps
Tow bar
Rear camera
MOT’d until end August 2017

Also included in sale: Set of digital ‘Intercomp’ corner weights, and calibrated sound meter (includes light and temperature also)

New price £5000.
Ring Clive on 01572 823514
Located in Leicestershire

Church of Choppers/ FTWCo Hauler

Church of Choppers/ FTWCo have a new bike hauler and Jeff Wright, the founder of CoC, co-founder of FTWCo and builder of stunning motorcycles, hadpainted a Bultaco desert racer on the hood (bonnet).

Read Ryan Quickfall's interview of Jeff Wright in Sideburn 19.

FTWCo also have a new T-shirt, also with artwork by Jeff, of his own toolbox. Nice to see a Sideburn sticker on there. G

John Harrison 104R: UPDATE

I mistakenly called John 'Andrew' in a blog post last week, after meeting him at Rye House, and got this email...

Amazed to be included in today's blog (and Sunday's instagram) but really ...Andrew?!? 

I'm gratified that you and others realised I'm trying to keep the whole look as early '70s as possible. It's pathetic really, but I'm simply acting out my 'On Any Sunday' fantasies at last, 44 years after being mesmerized in The Regal, Eastleigh. Now if I can just find some old race boots that lace right up the shin. 

Due to pre-race nerves and chronic inarticulacy I fear I didn't express myself adequately when I blurted out that The World of Sideburn is a huge part of my life. What I should have expressed perhaps, is how checking your blog and instagram are part of my daily routine, and just how much I enjoy gems like the rubber boned sisters and Sam n' Dave's early 70's sartorial wonder etc as well as all the mo'sickle related stuff and things like your wonderfully understated Mablethorpe film. 

 I just wish I'd had the balls to join in years ago, when I first discovered Sideburn, and found that I wasn't the only Limey who got flat track. 

I was speaking in truth when I said that I wouldn't have been at Rye House and racing if it wasn't for Sideburn, but I expect you hear that a lot. I thank you deeply and sincerely for making it possible for an old fart like me feel enabled to have a go. Just don't call me Andrew please. I don't have anything against the name, I like several Andrews /Andys, but it's just not me. 

 To show there's no hard feelings, and because I'm unlikely to ever to be able to afford to use it to get to a DTRA meeting here's a pic of my other old kit, which I think you'll get. 
Cheers, John Harrison #104r

UPDATE: John sent a follow-up email of him racing his 1958 Dodge Coronet at a local hillclimb. It's impressive.

Read more about John's car at akinamedia.jp

The Sherp

The Sherp ATV is made in St Petersburg, Russia and runs on its own design of patented tyres.

The $65,000 entry level model comes with...

Tent (soft top)
Automatic interior heating system
Analog dashboard devices and indicators
Halogen headlights
Hubcaps on wheels
Special exterior paint with durable polymeric coverage
58 liter fuel tank
Motor heat and noise reduction isolation technology
Driver and passenger seats equipped with seatbelts
Interior arc of safety
Automatic greasing system of SKF chains
Kingston valves to drain the water from the body
Two batteries
Hand brake

Order yours at Sherp.Ru (and let me have a go if you do, please)

Spotted on Le Container. G

Race Hauler for Sale

I wouldn't normally put this on the blog, but I know there will be a lot of UK racers looking for a good van and this Transit belongs to Sideburn's good mate, Carl CFM (who did the lion's share of building both Sideburn's project bikes - the FT500 and Royal Enfield).

Carl is selling his Transit because he has a new van.

115K miles
Heavy-duty spec with rear-wheel drive
2.4 Turbo Diesel
1 previous owner
£2500

Carl owns a garage and MoT station, so this van has been properly looked after.

Call Carl at CFM in Sleaford, Lincolnshire on 01529 304793 in work hours if you want it. G

Mablethorpe

Mablethorpe sand racing season continues tomorrow. Racing from around 11am. Free to spectate, cheap to race.

They'll let you race just about anything. You just need to fit a lanyard cut-out wired into the loom. This Kawasaki GT550 is a regular in the unlimited road bike class (for anything over 250cc).

 There's also a class for grasstrackers.

The previous race was my first of the season. My dirt cheap Honda SLR650 (also unlimited road bike) had been neglected all summer, but was treated to a new Renthal chain, oil and filter and a once over at CFM of Sleaford, plus a seat unit from Survivor Customs. Much appreciated support from son/mechanic Max and Dave Taylor.
Got a second (I think) in my final heat of five after having terrible starts. I also had the narrowest escape from a crash that I've ever had. I was so sure I was down and out that I was already looking behind to see if anyone was going to hit me, when the bike came back in line and I didn't even lose a place.

Glyn is in the under 250 road bike class on his modified Suzuki X7.

Andy's started racing a Honda  XL250 in a KLX frame.

Ross (Rootbeer Bobber) has built a DT400 (above and below) to race in Vintage DTRA next year, but has bought some tyres for a run out on the beach. He debuts tomorrow.
It would be great if some of the sandpeople would cross over to the DTRA, though a few sand bikes (like my Honda have no brakes, and they need a rear brake for UK dirt track). And they'd need 18 or 19in wheels for DT tyres. G

Visting Chopper Dave

Every time Sideburn takes a trip to the US we try to visit a few different shops or garages. Earlier in the year we visited the new Brat Style outpost and Suicide Machine Co in Long Beach. This time, while we were out for the US Superprestigio/ Superhooligan and LA-Barstow-Vegas, we called at long-time supporter of Sideburn, Chopper Dave's  in Hawaiian Gardens. 

He was the first American to buy Sideburn issue 1; his race-ready street tracker featured in Sideburn 5; his Born Free turbo street tracker was in Sideburn 15. 

In a entirely forgettable trading estate, and behind a plain door, without a sign or clue to what's inside was the scene above.

Some of the most influential Harleys of recent years were parked or in parts.

A whole swap meet of tanks on the stairs.

Dave casts a load of great-looking parts: filters; footpegs; car club plaques; ignition covers; belt buckles. See more at Chopper Dave's Casting Co.

Wax to be melted to start the shaping process of casting.

Great hauler with FTWCo's 'Support Your Local Racetrack' order

Dave!

Dave giving us directions to Roland Sands' place. His fingers read H-O-L-D F-A-S-T. When Dave chopped the end of his little finger off at work, he added C-H-O-P S-A-W.
Thanks for showing us around Dave. G

Cars and Women 2

Off-topic: Back in early January I posted some old photos of concept and supercars photographed with models. I love the style, the colours, the fashions, the outdated optimism of the cars, the whole unsophisticated sophistication of it all.
Anyway, Anders from the superb http://twwhlspls.com blog sent the one above - an NSU concept, the 1973 Trapeze, designed by the Bertone studio.

Then I found the one below. It's not quite right as it's contemporary, but still a nice image.  And it's got a motorcycle in it.
Don't know the original photographer. Sorry.

Click to see the first Cars and Women post. G

When You Dead You Dead

So says Waldemars Kidals. That saying (and Sideburn 18) inspired Rufus Day to make this funny, little animation. Thanks Rufus! Owners of Sideburn 18 will know the significance of the saying.

Rufus says…

Works been a bit slow recently and Ive been enjoying my Sideburn no.18 so much I decided to make a little video- hope you like it. 

I'm an Illustrator but I make some short videos too- here is my blog and vimeo page.
rufusday.tumblr.com 
Rufus Day vimeo

I've spent the last few years tinkering with a Puch moped but I thought I'd show you my latest project - a rusty Citroen Acadiane van (just enough space for a chicken chaser in the back).

Glemseck snaps

What with the chunnel and roadworks it was a 14 hour schlep from home to the Glemseck cafe racer sprint - but worth it. Trying to digest a very phallic Brätwurst washed down with a 1litre tankard of beer at 10am is quite daunting but we had fun.

Gary's Black Arrow was hot to trot.

- or if post-industrial GSX-R is not to your taste how about rear-as-front 16" white-wall tyres and drum brakes?

Seb's BM was sporting some new bling - including nitrous, and a new paint job.

Guy Martin: "SIDEBURN, the bloody best motorbike magazine on the planet....And not just because I'm on the cover"

Nutty Target 320, based on a KTM 690.

Nick's fugly but purposeful Honda Magna mongrel.

Frank Chatokhine's Triumph with lovely mesh fly-screen.

Kraftstoffschmiede R90S

BMW Roadster concept with impressive machined aluminium tail piece

Germans do like Trannies, this Feuerwehr was a minter. BP