This is one of the occasional posts where I share a column I wrote for French magazine, Café Racer and it is shared here with the kind permission of Café Racer's editor and owner, Bertrand. I wrote this on 4th June and it appears here unchanged. There is a reference to BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic), a phrase widely used in the UK (including by the BBC) but has also been questioned in recent months. The former Triumph PR staffer I referred to is Lance Jones, that's him

I have wondered, for the last few years, if the indie moto shop boom had bust, but I've seen a few shops opening recently, while others have closed, so perhaps this is way things will continue, not a boom a bust but more of an ebb and flow. Be sure that if you like the idea of these kind of places existing that you do your best to support them. They don't run on fresh air and instagram posts. One of the good news stories is Boyd's of Bedford. It's run by a married couple, Tom

'In some circles, the Mint 400 is a far, far better thing than the Super Bowl, the Kentucky Derby and the Lower Oakland Roller Derby Finals all rolled into one. This race attracts a special breed…' so wrote Hunter S. Thompson in the Gonzo classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The Mint 400 is a desert race from the golden age. HST wrote his legendary tale of drugs and wolverines of trapezes after being sent to cover the event for Sports Illustrated magazine in 1971, but don

Here's Mark Atkins, the man behind the Rusty Butcher brand, getting the holeshot at the recent Flat Out Friday/ Mama Tried races in Milwaukee, wearing the limited edition Sideburn goggles. Get your Sideburn x Biltwell Moto 2.0 goggles Read our Rusty Butcher cover story in Sideburn 25 SPECIAL OFFER In fact, buy a pair of our goggles before midnight UK time on Sunday 24th and we will send you a free back issue copy of SB25. While stocks last. #RustyButcher #Biltwell #Sideburnme