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The Magnificent Seven

Jan 6, 2019

The Magnificent Seven

'You drove yourself here from Salem?' This was the first of many questions from the nurse on duty at Good Samaritan Hospital ER, in Portland after I told them my most recent flat track tale. It was about 11:30 PM on the first Saturday in December. Just four hours prior, I was exiting turn four in the first race of the night. Not just our first race of the night (Vintange 250 riders), but in a rare twist of events, THEE first race of the night, which was very unusual, as the V

The Despatch Rally

Sep 14, 2018

The Despatch Rally

Earlier this year I spent a day on a motorcycle event like none I've tried before. Organised by Past Tracks MC, the premise was to honour the skills and abilities needed to become a WW2 Armed Forces Despatch Rider, a role no longer required of course. Based at the fabulous Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum in the New Forest, the day consisted of four tests. Riding skills - slow speed stuff round cones at a nearby mo'bike training school. Off road riding - a couple of miles on fo

Hells Race Road Trip Pt 3

May 16, 2018

Hells Race Road Trip Pt 3

I loved Hells Race in 2017, helped by good weather and a fun road trip with Anthony and Anna from the DTRA. Just about everyone who went last year loved it, word spread and twice as many people entered for 2018, riders coming from Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and the UK (including Sideburn ambassador, John Harrison, above). And the weather was even better this year. The owners of Dirt Track Lelystad had changed the make-up of the track, adding, I

DTRA Sideburn Vintage Class of 2018 Preview: Pt. 1

Apr 2, 2018

DTRA Sideburn Vintage Class of 2018 Preview: Pt. 1

With less than a week to go there is only only thing on everybody's mind. It isn't Trump's next announcement or what The Duchess of Cambridge had for breakfast. From Middlesborough to Memphis I know everybody is thinking about the DTRA Sideburn Vintage Class, which is shaping up to be another fun year for riders and spectators alike. As the class covers bikes from the 1940's to the 70's there will be a hugely interesting and varied selection of machinery on track from hand-sh

Days of Sunshine & Glory

Aug 19, 2017

Days of Sunshine & Glory

Sideburn Vintage Class at Amman Valley from the inside. As round 6 drew ever closer I found my self eagerly anticipating the DTRA's annual trip to South Wales and THE BIG TRACK. I have always considered my Triumph (104) to be a 'half mile special', and had pleasant memories of stretching it's legs in third gear at Amman last year. Regrettably the burgeoning Vintage class was somewhat depleted in Wales and we missed not having the likes of regulars John Boddy and Paul Harriso

The Last Time I Wore a T-shirt

Aug 15, 2017

The Last Time I Wore a T-shirt

I spent the weekend racing in Wales with the DTRA and the two day meeting allowed me more time to talk to Sideburn ambassador, John Harrison, than we do at one-day meetings. I'd awarded John a Sideburn sweatshirt when he won Sideburn's Vintage rider of the day at the DTRA's King's Lynn round. He told me he'd given it to his daughter. I already knew he didn't wear T-shirts, but I thought he might wear a sweatshirt. Wrong. GI As you asked to see it, here is the photo of me in

Malle Mile

Jul 29, 2017

Malle Mile

A handful of DTRA regulars descended on the Malle Mile to join in with the motorcycle grass Hillclimb & lawn sprint competitions. Except that it is all about participation rather than competition.A lovely location, in the grounds of a minor stately home, with fine June weather and peopled only by motorcycle enthusiasts, many on inappropriate bikes, it had the atmosphere of a Grassquake. Indeed, many riders and bikes were riding DQVI the following weekend.There were some inter

DQVI by Gergo Toth

Jul 12, 2017

DQVI by Gergo Toth

Photographer Gergo Toth attended last weekend's DirtQuake and had to think on his feet how to shoot when he realised his media bib didn't get him trackside. We think he pulled it out of the bag, with great portraits, like this one of Jasmine. See more at www.gergototh.com And don't forget to watch the ITV4 highlights at 8pm Adam B bought the Pangea-built Golden Dawn (without the original turbo kit that made it close to unridable, we're told) and before he'd ever ridden it, Ad

Battle Royal

Jul 10, 2017

Battle Royal

Sideburn ambassador, John Harrison, had his best night of racing in the DTRA's Friday night before DirtQuake meeting. Here he is leading the hotshot and much younger, Gary Birtwistle, the DTRA Sideburn Vintage Class series leader. John then flag marshalled all weekend while other people raced. The man is a legend. This is what he has to say about his weekend. Hey Gary, Thank you thank you for another great weekend. Thank you for filling a hole in my life that I didn't realise

John Harrison Needs Help

May 5, 2017

John Harrison Needs Help

Our super Sideburn ambassador, sultan of style and all-round nice chap went on a dirt track practice to Rye House yesterday and disaster struck. My day at Rye Hse went badly. My motor lost oil pressure and started to rattle. Only had an hour's riding, and didn't get in a groove. Could you post a blog requesting a '70s era 650 /750 unit Triumph motor for sale or loan? I'd like to get sorted for Peterboro' if at all possible. Can anyone help? Email John if you can. #Triumph #Si

John H Bike Histories - Triumph 2

Feb 8, 2017

John H Bike Histories - Triumph 2

Sideburn ambassador, John Harrison is back with more tales of how he grew some balls and started racing. Click the link for the first instalment... By 2013 I understood that having a bike that looked like a flat tracker wasn't enough anymore and that I ought to try it and myself on the track. I had been reading in Sideburn that there were men of a certain age riding ineptly around speedway tracks and having huge thrills and fun doing so, but the sight of 12 bikes on track at

The Stansfield Effect

Dec 9, 2016

The Stansfield Effect

The latest instalment from Sideburn ambassador, John Harrison. I first encountered Sideburn mate and perennial Dirt Quaker Pete Stansfield at the 2011 Hotrod Hayride, where he had ventured south to run his Triumph sprint/drag bike at the 1/8th mile Detonator Drags at Dunsfold in Surrey. He told me it was the first time the bike had been out since 1972. I was racing my Harley 45 and drew Pete in my first race. Needless to say, he had blasted across the finish line before I c

Help Hubert Win!

Dec 1, 2016

Help Hubert Win!

Sideburn ambassador and Dirt Quake hero, Hubert Bastie has been included in a photo comp run by 100% goggles, with this photo. Perhaps you're sick of being asked to vote for strangely-coloured people, but if you're on facebook, please give him your support. Not sure what he'll win, but he doesn't win very often so it would be appreciated. Here's the link. #HubertBastie #Sideburnambassador #DirtQuake

Bastie Racing Heritage

Nov 21, 2016

Bastie Racing Heritage

Sideburn's French ambassador, Hubert Bastie sent tells this great story about his family background... Many of us, DTRA riders, are from a family of racers. The same for me. My dad was born in 1950 in Paris. He rode Husqvarna, Ossa and Bultacos from 1973 to 1983. But I never saw him riding, not e even once (but last year he competed in a Super veteran race, after 33 years of not racing). Why? Because he just stopped everything when my brother came to the world. What did he le

Flathead

Nov 1, 2016

Flathead

Another instalment from Sideburn ambassador, John Harrison. My Harley found me sometime in 1983. The father of one of my friends had built it up from three tea chests of parts that he swapped for a complete and running V-twin BSA that was promptly sold to a Japanese collector. He'd built it but ran out of steam before finishing it off. It was copper metallic with white grips and running board rubbers and lots of chrome. I wasn't into Harleys, but saw those 'bars and fell in l

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