For those like me, are interested in the antics of infamous Brit racer “Guy mad man Martin” Then this is a cool little show for you to watch where he puts his motorcycle up against David Coulthards F1 Special, A must watch for your day to cheer you up.
A fun bit of entertainment by two very cool people.
This was a great show and wanted to share it with you lot today, hope that you enjoyed this?
Just for those who may be interested in what is going on at the Manx Island , here is the schedule for the up and coming events.
The Isle of Man TT is a two-week festival held on a 37-mile plus race course featuring events on and off the track.
With the circuit being on closed public roads the track is open when there is no racing or practices taking place, you can (if you have your bike) do laps of the course but beware traffic will also be on the roads it is not a race track! The mountain section from Ramsey to Douglas is one way but speed limits are in place.
Held in the last week of May and the first week of June the Isle of Man TT is split into two weeks the first being known as qualifying or practice week, with daily sessions held in the evening from 6.30pm through to 9 pm where riders can get the bikes up to speed ready for the main race week.
During the practice sessions, the riders can choose which bikes they want to get the most laps on so you are guaranteed to see a real mixture of bikes on the track, previous years have seen unofficial lap records being broken. The sessions are held from Saturday to Friday (except Sunday) and feature top riders such as John McGuinness and Guy Martin from the Monday night through to the final night of Friday.
Race week is the second week of the festival and see’s races held on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday of which each race day features different races, the races tend to follow the same pattern year on year with the Superbike races held on Saturday and Friday’s while the Sidecar races are held on Saturday and Wednesday.
Saturday 28th May
18.20 – Solo Newcomers Speed Controlled lap
18.25 – Sidecar Newcomers Speed Controlled lap
18.40 – Lightweight & Supersport + Newcomers (All Classes) Solo
Monday 30th May
18.20 -19.50 – Superbike/ Superstock/ Supersport + Newcomers (All Classes except Lightweight)
19.55 – 20.50 – Sidecars
Tuesday 31st May
18.20 – 19.25 – Superbike/ Superstock/ Supersport (Newcomers All Classes except Lightweight)
19.25 – 19.55 – Lightweight & Supersport +Newcomers (All Classes)
20.00 – Sidecars
Wednesday 1st June
18.20 – 19.50 – Superbike/ Superstock/ Supersport + Newcomers (All Classes except Lightweight)
19.55 – 20.50 – Sidecars
Thursday 2nd June
18.20 – 19.25 – Superbike/Superstock/Supersport (Newcomers All Classes except Lightweight)
19.25 – 19.55 – Lightweight & Supersport +Newcomers (All Classes)
20.00 – Sidecars
Friday 3rd June
18.20 – 19.45 – Superbike/Superstock/Supersport + Newcomers (All Classes except Lightweight)
19.50 – 20.35 – Sidecars
20.40 – TT Zero 1 lap qualifying
Saturday 4th June
11.00 – RST Superbike TT Race (6 laps)
14.00 – Sure Sidecar TT Race 1 (3 laps)
15.30 – Superstock/ Supersport/ Lightweight practice (2 laps)
Monday 6th June
10.45 – Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 1 (4 laps)
12.25 – Sidecar qualifying (2 laps)
14.15 – RL360 Superstock TT Race (4 laps)
16.05 – Lightweight qualifying (1 lap)
16.25 – TT Zero qualifying (l lap)
Wednesday 8th June
10.45 – Monster Energy Supersport TT Race 2 (4 laps)
12.25 – Sidecar qualifying (1 lap)
14.00 – Bennetts Lightweight TT Race (4 laps)
15.45 – Senior TT qualifying (1 lap)
16.20 – TT Zero Race (1 lap)
Friday 10th June
10.15 – Sure Sidecar TT Race 2 (3 laps)
12.30 – PokerStars Senior TT Race (6 laps)
On the nonrace days during race week, Sunday known as Mad Sunday is a day where the general public do a lap or laps of the course, the roads are not closed so it’s not a racing track but visitors tend to go around the track. Peel day which is a fun day in Peel located on the east of the island also takes place on Sunday.
Tuesday of race week see’s the Ramsey Sprint which is a day of sprint races along the promenade in Ramsey, here you can see some wacky and crazy machines! Thursday’s attention turns to Laxey where a bike show is held, you can even show your own bike off!
Little and unknown races take place on the Southern 100 circuit in near to Castletown in the south of the island. The Pre-TT Classic races take place the weekend at the start of the main practices while the Post TT Races are run on the Saturday after the Senior TT, another excuse not to leave the island early!
We have been made aware that some Isle of Man residents are offering places to stay during the Isle of Man TT and Festival of Motorcycling but are not legally registered.
Under Isle of Man law, there is a legal requirement to be registered when offering tourism accommodation. Offering rooms or a property when not being registered can also have a negative impact on the homeowners home insurance.
If you would like to check to see if a property is registered please contact us, it takes 2 minutes to check a property. We just need the proprietors name and address.
Send us a message on Facebook or call 01624 694456, email homestay@iomttbreaks.com.
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Regency Travel based in Douglas, Isle of Man is the Isle of Man TT races official Isle of Man TT Travel and Ticketing partner.
Located in the middle of Irish sea between the coastlines of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, you’ll find our beautiful Island the Isle of Man.
Blessed with an extensive coastline, stunning landscapes and unspoilt beaches, the Isle of Man is a perfect holiday destination that’s within easy reach of the rest of the British Isles.
On the island and you will find a place full of contrasts and character. Whether you’re looking for an action packed break, relaxing holiday or the perfect family holiday destination.
The Isle of Man is just 33 miles in length and 13.5 miles wide with 100 miles of coastline. The Island is famous for it’s annual TT Races, a series of motor-cycle races which attract people from all over the world to the Isle of Man.
Douglas is the islands capital and is home to the islands Sea Terminal (where the ferry arrives and departs) and features an extensive array of Bars, Clubs, Casino, Restaurants. During the TT festival Douglas is home to the evening entertainment on Douglas Promenade (Race week only) and is also the location of the TT Village which consists of the courses Start/Finish line, TT Grandstand and TT Paddock.
Douglas is 20 miles from the islands airport ‘Ronaldsway’ and is the main hub for the islands transport system. From here you can get a bus to any location on the island, you can also get a Steam Train to the south of the island and also the Electric Tram to Laxey, Ramsey and the Snaefell mountain.
Moving further north to the Point of Ayre – the Island’s most northerly tip – you’ll find the Ayres Nature Reserve which is one of the best places to wildlife watch.
Visit the Island’s capital of Douglas for a unique blend of traditional seaside resort, thriving finance centre and busy working harbour.
Set on the east coast, Douglas is the Isle of Man’s largest town and offers a wide range of things to see and do.
Set against a two-mile sweeping bay and sandy beach you’ll find the busy promenades buzzing with activity – why not take a trip along the stretch on the horse trams where you’ll be afforded stunning views out to sea? Or start you journey south by steam railway or north by electric railway.
If you are interested in exploring the Island’s heritage, Douglas is a great place to start. The Story of Mann trail, which guides you around some of the most iconic sites, begins at the Manx Museum. A trip to the Great Union Camera Obscura on Douglas Head is also worth a visit.
And if it’s motorsport you’ve come for visit the TT Grandstand where you’ll have a bird’s eye view of the start and finish line as the bikes attempt the gruelling 37 ¾ mile Mountain Course.
You’ll find the Island’s main shopping area in Douglas as well as a wide range of guest accommodation and the magnificent Gaiety Theatre and Villa Marina – both of which offer a year round programme of entertainment.
Moving up the east coast you’ll find the picturesque village of Laxey which is set in a deep valley. Here you’ll be able to start your journey, either on foot or by rail, to the summit of the Island’s only mountain where you’ll be afforded views of the Seven Kingdoms on a clear day.
Laxey also offers an insight into the Island’s mining heritage. It’s home to the world’s largest working waterwheel, Lady Isabella, which used to pump water to the mines, as well as the Laxey Mines Railway – parts of which are still in operation.
Located just 7 miles from the islands capital Douglas lies the quiet picturesque village of Laxey.
Laxey is set in a deep valley and is home to the famous Laxey Wheel which is the world’s largest working waterwheel. Lady Isabella, which was used to pump water to the mines as well as the Laxey Mines Railway of which parts are still in operation.
WIthin the village itself you will find pubs, restaurants and local shops which stock all your needs. Laxey also have a small harbour and a beach which is a favourite with locals throughout the year.
It can be accessed from all parts of the island through regular bus services which go through Laxey from Ramsey and Douglas, while the Electric tram runs from Douglas to Ramsey stopping at Laxey station. From Laxey you can also take the Mountain Electirc railway to the highest point on the island and the islands only Mountain called Sneafell which on a clear day you can see the 7 kingdoms (Scotland, Ireland, England, Wales, Mann, Neptune and Heaven), you can also use the Mountain railway to get to the mountain section of the TT course.
Head north and you’ll find Ramsey, the second largest town on the Island, set against the magnificent backdrop of the North Barrule hills.
You can reach Ramsey by travelling along the world famous TT Mountain Course, which affords stunning views of the countryside and coast, or on the Manx Electric Railway where the line terminates.
Ramsey boasts an impressive working harbour, masses of sand and shingle beach and one of the most impressive recreational spaces the Isle of Man offers. Set in 40 acres, Mooragh Park is a hotspot for visitors who will enjoy the sporting facilities, boating lake and children’s play areas.
Curraghs Wildlife Park in nearby Ballaugh is also worth a visit. This well maintained park is home to a wide range of wildlife from across the globe, much of which is set in walk through enclosures giving you the chance to get up close to these magnificent creatures.
If you’re looking for something to make your pulse race head to the Venture Centre in nearby Maughold where you can take part in a variety of exciting outdoor pursuits including kayaking, abseiling and coasteering.
And if you’re looking for something more relaxing don’t miss Milntown or the Grove Museum. These well preserved period properties offer a fascinating insight into what life was like hundreds of years ago.
Moving further north to the Point of Ayre – the Island’s most northerly tip – you’ll find the Ayres Nature Reserve which is one of the best places to wildlife watch.
Offering a variety of heritage attractions, glorious beaches and excellent walking trails, no trip to the Isle of Man is complete without a visit to the Beautiful South!
Popular with visitors since the Victorian era, Port Erin sits within a beautiful secluded bay which offers a magnificent sweep of sheltered sandy beach – enjoyed by watersports enthusiasts and families. Boat trips to the Calf of Man’s nature reserve and bird observatory also leave from here.
The town is also home to the most southern point on the Steam Railway line and has retained its original station as well as a comprehensive railway museum which showcases vintage transport memorabilia.
You’ll find Port Erin a great place to start if you’re looking to explore the fantastic walking trails in the south of the Island – try weaving your way around the coastline to The Sound in Port St Mary. You’ll be greeted with stunning views out to sea as well as the opportunity to spot the seals which bask on the small rocky islet near to the Calf of Man.
The busy harbour village of Port St Mary is home to the Island’s only nine hole golf course as well as Cregneash – a living museum which shows what life was like in the 19th Century Manx crofting community.
No visit to the south is complete without a trip to the ancient capital of the Isle of Man –Castletown – which is dominated by the imposing Medieval fortress of Castle Rushen. The castle is one of the best preserved in Europe and was once dominated by the Kings and Lords of Mann.
Located around the picturesque harbour you’ll also find the Old Grammar School, Nautical Museum, where you can learn about the Island’s maritime history, and Old House of Keys – the previous home of Manx parliament.
Pay a visit to the aptly named “Sunset City” where you’ll be awarded stunning views of the sun setting, a glimpse of the Mountains of Mourne, and some of the best ice cream in the Isle of Man!
Located on the west coast, Peel is a thriving Manx fishing port with a marine heritage that spans hundreds of years.
Home to an extensive modern marina, the town welcomes a number of pleasure craft throughout the year – many of whom come for the fantastic sandy beach and variety of things to see and do.
The magnificent ruins of Peel Castle, located on St Patrick’s Isle, dominate the landscape and visitors can tour the remains as part of the Story of Mann trail.
There’s also the opportunity to find out more about the Island’s, and Peel’s, history by visiting the interactive House of Manannan museum, the Leece Museum and the unique Manx Transport Heritage Museum.
During your visit you’ll also find the Island’s only cathedral as well as a working kipper curers which offers a fantastic insight into the production of the famous Manx Kipper.
Between May and August Peel is also one of the best places in the British Isles to see basking sharks from the shore. Often up to the length of a bus in size they regularly come within metres of the shoreline and surrounding cliffs.
Near to Peel you’ll find the pretty village of St Johns which is home to the Tynwald Millsshopping centre as well as Tynwald Hill which is an important landmark in Manx history and the location of an annual open air meeting for the Island’s parliament.
Don’t forget to visit the secluded area of Niarbyl Bay, also on the west coast, which is one of the Island’s most important geological sites and offers fantastic walking trails.
Moving further north to the Point of Ayre – the Island’s most northerly tip – you’ll find the Ayres Nature Reserve which is one of the best places to wildlife watch.
Offering a variety of heritage attractions, glorious beaches and excellent walking trails, no trip to the Isle of Man is complete without a visit to the Beautiful South!
Popular with visitors since the Victorian era, Port Erin sits within a beautiful secluded bay which offers a magnificent sweep of sheltered sandy beach – enjoyed by watersports enthusiasts and families. Boat trips to the Calf of Man’s nature reserve and bird observatory also leave from here.
The town is also home to the most southern point on the Steam Railway line and has retained its original station as well as a comprehensive railway museum which showcases vintage transport memorabilia.
You’ll find Port Erin a great place to start if you’re looking to explore the fantastic walking trails in the south of the Island – try weaving your way around the coastline to The Sound in Port St Mary. You’ll be greeted with stunning views out to sea as well as the opportunity to spot the seals which bask on the small rocky islet near to the Calf of Man.
The busy harbour village of Port St Mary is home to the Island’s only nine hole golf course as well as Cregneash – a living museum which shows what life was like in the 19th Century Manx crofting community.
No visit to the south is complete without a trip to the ancient capital of the Isle of Man –Castletown – which is dominated by the imposing Medieval fortress of Castle Rushen. The castle is one of the best preserved in Europe and was once dominated by the Kings and Lords of Mann.
Located around the picturesque harbour you’ll also find the Old Grammar School, Nautical Museum, where you can learn about the Island’s maritime history, and Old House of Keys – the previous home of Manx parliament.
Pay a visit to the aptly named “Sunset City” where you’ll be awarded stunning views of the sun setting, a glimpse of the Mountains of Mourne, and some of the best ice cream in the Isle of Man!
Located on the west coast, Peel is a thriving Manx fishing port with a marine heritage that spans hundreds of years.
Home to an extensive modern marina, the town welcomes a number of pleasure craft throughout the year – many of whom come for the fantastic sandy beach and variety of things to see and do.
The magnificent ruins of Peel Castle, located on St Patrick’s Isle, dominate the landscape and visitors can tour the remains as part of the Story of Mann trail.
There’s also the opportunity to find out more about the Island’s, and Peel’s, history by visiting the interactive House of Manannan museum, the Leece Museum and the unique Manx Transport Heritage Museum.
During your visit you’ll also find the Island’s only cathedral as well as a working kipper curers which offers a fantastic insight into the production of the famous Manx Kipper.
Between May and August Peel is also one of the best places in the British Isles to see basking sharks from the shore. Often up to the length of a bus in size they regularly come within metres of the shoreline and surrounding cliffs.
Near to Peel you’ll find the pretty village of St Johns which is home to the Tynwald Millsshopping centre as well as Tynwald Hill which is an important landmark in Manx history and the location of an annual open air meeting for the Island’s parliament.
Don’t forget to visit the secluded area of Niarbyl Bay, also on the west coast, which is one of the Island’s most important geological sites and offers fantastic walking trails.
My friend Dan’s pickup truck rattled to a stop near a dusty bungalow in Shadow Hills, a neighborhood on the north side of Los Angeles, tucked up under the 210 freeway, with an inexplicably rural/small-town vibe. The door of the two-car garage was open. Maybe that was part of why it didn’t feel like L.A. to me. Whoever lived here wasn’t afraid of prying eyes seeing a garage full of tools and bikes.
“This is Alp,” Dan said.
Alp shook my hand with less than total enthusiasm. I wasn’t sure whether he was shy or already worried that another journalist was probably going to get the technical details wrong. But he seemed to grudgingly accept that when your Triumph 650 goes 175 miles an hour — unfaired — strangers will show up, wanting to talk.
Alp Sungurtekin is 42 but doesn’t look it. He grew up in Turkey and Germany and studied industrial design in Istanbul, where he operated a tattoo studio. He moved to the United States in 2002 and got a job working for a naval architect.
That might not seem like a good prelude to building motorcycles, but the R&D department where he worked had a full fabrication workshop, where he taught himself how to make the things he designed. With new skills in hand, he began building and racing Triumphs at Southern California Timing Association events.
The prevailing dress and facial hair codes at SCTA events run somewhere on a spectrum between “Duck Dynasty” and ZZ Top. A lot of those old guys are running cars and bikes they’ve been developing for decades, since they were new. Only now they’re running them in vintage classes.
So even if Alp hadn’t showed up with a leggy fashion model as his crew chief, people probably would’ve noticed the new “furriner.” They may also have noticed that he seemed to have built the fastest stock-framed Triumph Thunderbird in history.
He became an SCTA tech inspector, which was a good way to see what everyone else had already tried. Over the years — and after making many, many land speed runs trying idea after idea — he formed his own notions of what a true land speed racing motorcycle should be. That tiny, tiny motorcycle was up on a work stand in the garage as I interviewed him.
“This is an A-PF 650-class machine,” he said. “A means special construction, P means pushrod, and F means fuel. It’s a top fuel motor, running on 90 to 100 percent nitromethane.”
“Special construction” means it’s not a factory frame. Alp designed and fabricated the chassis himself, from chromoly tubing. It looks a bit like a vintage drag bike; too short, too light, and too lacking in rear suspension to fit in as a land speed racer. The rear hard-tail loop is as short as possible, with a member that actually penetrates the gearbox, which keeps the final drive short, too.
Check it out. He’s got his own serial number sequence. Triumph pattern cases are new, supplied by Thunder Engineering in Leicester, England. Photo by Mark Gardiner.
It’s a pre-unit motor, but part of his design concept was to join the cases and gearbox with a pair of massive aluminum plates. That allows the combined motor and tranny to be used as a stressed member in an otherwise-slight main loop. The motor’s actually hanging off that spine, more like a modern bike than a classic Triumph.
The fork legs are NOS Ceriani items from the 1970s (he thought, maybe from one of the Aermacchi/Harley-Davidson dirt bikes) with Tomaselli clip-ons and Pingel controls. Rear axle plates are adjustable for both height and wheelbase. The RC Component wheel is shod with a Goodyear drag slick.
The motor’s built up on Thunder Engineering pattern cases. The cylinder block is a 750 cc pattern from Triples Rule, sleeved back down to 650 cc with special sleeves from Northwest Sleeve. The head began life as a 1964 alloy Triumph item, fed by 1 3/8-inch Amals.
The carbs aren’t the largest ones available, but the jets needed for nitro are huge. Basically, if you could see into the ports when a bike like this is running, you’d see big droplets, not finely atomized fuel. Since nitro also tends to quickly dissolve into engine oil, Alp’s happy that Klotz is a sponsor; he changes the oil after every run.
Land speed racers are generally pretty open about stuff you can see. They’re more evasive when discussing inner workings: porting, cams, mag timing…
“It’s not a secret,” Alp told me when I asked questions about those things, “but I don’t talk about it.”
Hmm…
He allowed that the pistons were nothing special: Hepolite items with some hand-shaping. Valves were 1.66-inch Kibblewhites. “Standard oversized Bonneville valves. They’re, like, $28 a piece,” he said. A belt primary drives what he says is a stock tranny.
Nitro burns slowly, so it doesn’t need to spin over 7,400 rpm. You can’t really run a top fuel motor on a dyno, but Alp’s has to be making at least 150 horsepower.
He had planned to run it at Bonneville, but the salt was lousy all last year. So he broke it in at the Mojave Mile, on an airport runway, where it obliterated the SCTA record by 25 mph.
“People who are 50, 60 years old have been doing this for years, and they move the record up one or two miles an hour,” he told me. “You can imagine that I show up, with my funny accent…” His voice trailed off, but then he added, “There was this one guy, a BSA racer, with a streamliner. He made a post listing about 10 things that are wrong with my bike: the bore/stroke ratio, the angle of the inlet tracts… I told him, ‘Can you imagine if I did it right?’”
Experts said his rigid frame would have traction problems at El Mirage, because it’s a dry lake, but it went even faster there: 175.625 mph. Fast enough to set the record in the 1000 cc class too, if he cared to enter it.
To put this in perspective, a couple of years ago, Shunji Yokokawa set an official record for the fastest production 600 cc motorcycle. That’s one of Honda’s top R&D engineers, on a Honda CBR600RR. He went 170.828. Alp went faster than that, on a motorcycle with a cylinder head — among other components — older than he is.
This video makes record-setting look easy, although the reason so many of those SCTA racers are literally grizzled veterans is that it usually takes a long time to master this seemingly simple discipline.
Key sponsors, like Lowbrow Customs, help to defray his costs and, as word of his record-breaking spreads, Alp pretty much always has a customer project or two in the garage, as well. So although he still does a bit of custom design work outside the motorcycle world, most of his time’s spent building customer bikes or working on his own projects.
For his next trick, Alp wants to break into the 200 Club on a partial streamliner powered by one of his 650 cc pushrod twins. That would make him the first guy ever to go that fast on a “sit-on” motorcycle (as opposed to a full streamliner). He’s already sketched out the bodywork, which will be all aluminum he plans to hand-form himself.
I made him promise to call me when that bike’s ready for a record attempt, so hopefully you’ll read all about it here.
Well, it’s that time of year and even though Dakota has not finished built his TT 500, Meatball was kind enough to loan Kota an old 250 Honda to bimble about for the Hell On Wheels Races that were held at Glen Helen on the Lucas truck race track.
The weather was ominous but no matter what, this event will go on, Rain or Shine.
We got there around 10am and people were already set up, we put the easy up together and unloaded the bike etc, and Kota got to do some practicing, and had fun as the bike was just a little 250 and would give him some good practice for when he gets into the Flat track season later on.
To be honest, the weather could not be better as we had a little light rain and that took care of the dust, as out here in the desert, it sure does get dusty, so it was great to have intermittent weather and everybody was thankful for that. Taking off on jumps with a lose foot peg was hilarious for me to watch and Dakota was having fun.
After practice, Dakota got a late start, as the bloody foot peg fell off, so he was half a lap down at the start of the Race, but still managed to get onto the track and have fun on that 250 with no working front brake and leaking front forks.
The races were fun, the track was bumpy but not technical enough to be dangerous as to crash all the time.
He did well and managed to get a lot of experience on that track, on a bigger machine he would of really placed well for sure, but this was a fun event and the commeraderie is unsurpassed at any event that I have attended and loved all the different styles and era’s of machines that were there for people to get close to.
My old room mate Granter Peterson of now Born Free fame, has recently acquired this unreal 1929 Harley tank shifter and so original its stunning to see and hear.
I have known Grants for over 16 years and was so glad that he got into Motorcycles, I thought I was the only nutter in that town we lived in.
Plenty to see and do and to watch these old boners bang and shake their way around the track at speed was immense, and this is how the Pioneers did it back then, showing the owners of these prestigious two wheeled contraptions, how hard it was- and still is to run an machine over hard dirt.
I was in for a treat of Vintage Motorcycles and some wearing vintage style clothing just added that proverbial Cherry to the top of the cake.
You should try and make it out to these events as Meatball has run these types of events for a long time.
This is a event for every type of classic machine and so many different people and we all had a unique bond with motorcycles and the like, something that is missing from many events these days.
The track was perfect for racing and lots of room to pass and do your thing as you fight your way around this infamous race track.
There were plenty of Machines I liked and I was stoked to see an Elsinore to be amongst the machines for this race event.
I loved this Trumpy and boy did it sound smooth.
This Bultaco bought back awesome memories of me and my brothers era of Dirt bikes and riding when we were teenagers back in the UK.
Another sweet Trumpy that was fun to watch out on the track all day at Glen Helen. Be sure to spread to word and bring a bike to race for the next one.
Here he is having a go and made me very envious in a good way, so cool to see these ridden on the dirt.
People were doing their own wrenching, and helping out with others, a really cool atmosphere that was rare to see these days.
Another Triumph taking a corner as he enters the whoops and then the table top here at Hell on Wheels in Glen Helen.
How about the Girls then? They too were racing and I loved that, so much fun to watch and these Girls were into it too.
Classic shot of this Tall Girly on a Trumpy and having fun yet still being really competitive too.
We need more ladies doing this, so pass the word.
This girl was a blast on a Motorcycle and in Trumpy attire too!
I was so glad that I captured this shot, just so Nostalgic and goes back to the day of rigid rides and back ache!!!
How about this, Suzuki, Yamaha and Husky in the bend with this slick Hipster smoking like a Reefer.
Such a Classic start line and was glad to be part of it, the weather was bang on for this race.
Committed to the corner, this looked like a blast.
Three deep and such a fun wide turn and made for a cool shot of these Classics battling it out for the lead.
Grant Peterson Hauling more Arse than a truck load of Colostmy bags as he hits the corner on this Dirt track on his 29 Harley.
Great racing and all mates afterwards, we need more of this going on thats for sure.
Epic shot of the table top and these guys were on it for sure.
Airborne and having fun, sure looked like he was having a blast .
These bikes are super hard to find and to race them is even rarer, I loved watching all the Boner shaker Tank Shifter machines giving it all they had.
I love this shot, I took it just as he got to the top and am so glad I captured just a little of the intensity but fun they were having at the track.
Big Fella, Big Bike, bring your vintage bike out next time, you will love it.
Flying like a bird as he gets to enjoy the view of coming back down to earth with a shuddering Rattle.
This Bloke was having a blast, he fell off on the corner but was still smiling, right on mate.
Giving it all as he hits the corner and his mates not far behind him, and he knows it.
The chase is on and the determination shows too.
Great photo as they are pushing each other to their max with old Jacket, jeans. Boots and Helmet, love this stuff.
Grant, gritting his teeth as he fights his 1929 Bone Shaker around the track.
Taking his Harley to the limit as the final lap approaches here at Glen Helen.
Now on the the straight and hold on .!!!!
Determination with a capital D as he enters the final lap of this race.
Giving it all he has got as the Checkered flag is not too far away.
This is hard to get around on the bend.
It goes down but softly and people quick to get the fella back up and in the race once more.
Back up and ready to continue, all fun and games and the soft dirt made it a little more forgiving if you fell.
Hitting the corner and ready for the straight away, such a Classic Harley to watch as it speeds by me.
Head down and wind it all the way open, hoping to keep his lead as the guy behind is trying hard to catch up.
I took this shot for the last Race and it sure looks like they are all set for the flag start from the cool Girl in the Red Jump Suit.
Everything was fun and the Flag girl was into it for sure.
On the start line once more, fun to watch them Roar off at once, backfiring and smoke too.
I took this shot from the pits of the start from behind, looked great.
Even with Mud all over his Glasses, he gritted his teeth and had such a blast on the track.
Grant seemed to have a blast on that 1929 Harley, a very Rare machine none the less but- so good to see it used like it was many moons ago.
Grant is all focused as this is the last lap for him and a fun one at that, good job mate.
On the last bit of the straight just before the finish, the old 29 held up well and it was brilliant to watch that’s for certain.
Grant finishes and everything is still in one piece, not sure the rider is though!
What a blast it was to see these Vintage Motorcycles rip along this dirt track, I sure hope that they continue to hold these races and if so, please try and attend, you will love it.
It sure was entertaining watching these heavyweight machines tear it up.
The Bomber Class is a Must to see.
Was great watching the girls and hopefully more will follow.
Everybody enjoyed these machines and I thank you for all your effort getting them ready.
Could not of asked for better weather for this race Event.
Top quality Rain wear too!
Until the next time.
Make sure you pass the word on this great event.
All types of machines too.
This Husky sounded great.
Old XR Honda, I have had a few of them over the years.
Gimme Gimme!
Honda getting some air time too.
These Girls love to race, get your lady out on a bike, its a Blast, My Girlfriend rides and loves it.
Classic Racing Jersey.
Elsinore got a few laps in too.,
Dug all the vintage styling too.
Have fun in the dirt and get some practice in for the next one.
When I was a kid I loved many Motorcycles, Obviously the TT bikes, any Road Racing, Drag bikes, but what we called Dirt bikes were a huge impact on my life, I loved trials riding but only has a little SL125 but could do unreal things on that only because I had the passion, will and determination to accomplish anything if it was up a hill, through some tree’s or through some rocks.
Sad to hear that Martin has passed away, my brother informed me this morning, only seems like yesterday i was using Blu-Tak to stick a poster of him up on my bedroom wall, much to my mum and dad”s annoyance.
My Heros of the Trials back then in the 1970’s and had poster taken from either motorcycle News or trials and Motorcross news were:
Mick Andrews ( TY250) Martin Lampkin (Bultaco), Sammy Miller ( CZ), Rob Edwards ( Montesa), Jim Sandiford (Montesa).
God Bless you mate, plenty of wide area’s to ride now ya upstairs Martin.
All great guys with skills I would never come close to ever even if I practiced 24 hours a day.
Martin and later on his Son Dougie really did dominate the trials world and as a teenager, I had Posters of these at home.
His family has stated via Trials Central:”It is with deep regret that we inform you of the sad passing of Harold Martin Lampkin, better known as Martin Lampkin, who lost his cruel year-long plus battle with cancer earlier today at the age of sixty-five.
“As the first ever FIM Trial World Champion back in 1975, Martin who continued right through to the present day to be a recognised and much loved figure within the motorcycle community the World over, passed away peacefully surrounded by his immediate family near to his hometown of Silsden, Yorkshire.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with his wife Isobel, his sons Dougie and Harry and other members of the Lampkin family, plus all his many friends motorcycling and otherwise at this sad time.
“Funeral details will be confirmed in due course.
“In the meantime, we politely request that the family’s privacy is respected during this difficult period.”
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His son Dougie, who followed in his father’s footsteps to become a 12-times world champion motorcycle trialist, stated on his Facebook page:” Devastated to announce the news – my dad Martin Lampkin passed away this afternoon after year plus battle with cancer aged 65.”
Martin Lampkin was born 28 December 1950.
He competed in a variety of off-road motorcycle events, but specialized in observed trials competitions, winning the inaugural FIM Trial World Championship held in 1975.
My heroes of the trials era were a Family named Lampkin.
His family has stated via Trials Central:”It is with deep regret that we inform you of the sad passing of Harold Martin Lampkin, better known as Martin Lampkin, who lost his cruel year-long plus battle with cancer earlier today at the age of sixty-five.
“As the first ever FIM Trial World Champion back in 1975, Martin who continued right through to the present day to be a recognised and much loved figure within the motorcycle community the World over, passed away peacefully surrounded by his immediate family near to his hometown of Silsden, Yorkshire.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with his wife Isobel, his sons Dougie and Harry and other members of the Lampkin family, plus all his many friends motorcycling and otherwise at this sad time.
“Funeral details will be confirmed in due course.
“In the meantime, we politely request that the family’s privacy is respected during this difficult period.”
His son Dougie, who followed in his father’s footsteps to become a 12-times world champion motorcycle trialist, stated on his Facebook page:” Devastated to announce the news – my dad Martin Lampkin passed away this afternoon after year plus battle with cancer aged 65.”
Martin Lampkin was born 28 December 1950.
He competed in a variety of off-road motorcycle events, but specialized in observed trials competitions, winning the inaugural FIM Trial World Championship held in 1975.
He was the third son in a Silsden motorcycling dynasty and began riding motorcycles at an early age.
His older brothers Arthur and Alan Lampkin were successful motorcycle racers and became members of the BSA factory racing team in the 1960s. In the early 1970s, Lampkin established himself as one of the top competitors in motorcycle trials, gaining the attention of Francisco Bultó, the owner of the Bultaco motorcycle company. Bultó offered him a job as a member of the Bultaco factory trials team and, in 1973 he won the European trials championship as well as the British trials national championship. The European championship was considered to be the world championship at the time, as the sport of trials had yet to develop outside of Europe.
In 1975, the European championship was upgraded to world championship status and Lampkin claimed the title to become the first-ever trials world champion. He continued to experience success in the world championships until 1980, when the Bultaco factory began to experience financial troubles.
Lampkin then joined the SWM factory team until he retired from professional competition in 1982. Besides his European and World Championship titles, Lampkin was also a four-time winner of the Scott Trial (1977, 1978, 1981, 1982), a three-time winner of the British trials national championship (1973, 1978, 1980) and won the grueling Scottish Six Days Trial three consecutive times (1976, 1977, 1978).
After retiring from competition he supported his son Dougie in his successful career.
Well, Only a few days away and the BIG event to be held at North America’s biggest Triumph Motorcycle dealer will soon be upon us.
We shall be having a small Booth there,, showing parts and Apparel from our shop and be great to see you in Person. Maybe have some headlights, Seats and other cool parts for your british iron. So we sure hope that you will ride over to this Open house and come enjoy this fun Saturday with more Triumphs than you will know what to do with.
Where:Southern California Motorcycles
515 W Lambert Rd
Brea, CA 92821
When:Saturday, April 2 – 10am-5pm
This is a big and fun event, so jump on your Trusty Trumpy and head over to Southern California Motorcycles in Brea on Saturday the 2nd April for some great bargains, heck, you might even fancy buying a New machine as they can hook you up right there and then if so needed.
I have bought Three Motorcycles from them there and have always given me a super deal and an easy Transaction too.
Bring you and the Family as there will be all sorts of stuff going on and know that you will enjoy yourself.
Here is a Bit more about their show for you to read:
Southern California Motorcycles invites riders and enthusiasts of all ages, as well as their family and friends, to join us for our annual Spring Open House. The event will take place on Saturday, April 2nd from 10am to 5pm at our dealership located at 515 W. Lambert Rd. in Brea, CA. Attendees can enjoy free food and drinks, live music, and the chance to win prizes from free raffles and a Best Bike contest. Vendors will be displaying the latest and greatest in motorcycles and more. We will have a bikini bike wash, photo booth, and tons of great deals throughout our showrooms. Our Service department is now taking appointments for an exclusive offer for onsite suspension setup. For only $40, riders can have their suspension set up (an $80 savings) in about twenty minutes. We will have over 20 motorcycles ready for demo rides from all our brands; sign-ups are on a first-come first-serve basis.
We shall be there with a few of our own Motorcycles too, so make sure you can come by and say hello, maybe even buy some products from us too?
Hope to see you pop by and have a chin wag on Saturday as the weather will be perfect for it. We shall be there early and stay until the end, so please come out and say hello, we support all businesses that are local and love to see some of you there. Ride safe.
Lets go with some ripping sounds of Eddy & the Back fires to get things started right out of the gate.
THX Carl da Silva !!! You´re unforgotton for us !!!
Posted by Eddy & The Backfires on Sunday, December 6, 2015
How about some insanity with Mad Jack & the Hatters. love this Video.
Now back home and this was shot in Camden which is my old stomping ground and here is:
New Rockabilly trio The Piccadilly Bullfrogs – Cut throat Joe!
Let’s not forget Mystery Gang and Voodo Doll!
Well, this time I want to feature a bit about the girls this time and some of the cool clubs that are around the world etc, my girlfriend rides and in my club I have Girls and love it when we see Girls on motorcycles and hats off to Whole clubs with them in.
This Club is up on the East Coast of the States and a cool looking club too, enough of me, here is their Club.
Welcome the MISS-FIRES!
Even if you’ve never been on a motorcycle, there’s something about spending time with The Miss-Fires that convinces you to leave all of your concerns about riding behind and just throw on a helmet. With this (predominantly) Brooklyn-based, all-female riding group, bullshit always takes a backseat to riding.
In October 2013, the idea of The Miss-Fires was born, naturally, via text message. 34-year-old Corinna Mantlo reached out to fellow female riders to take a dinner ride. As more rides occurred, the group continued to grow by word of mouth. One evening, a lengthy Post-It-note list of options eventually led to the club’s official name.
“The name ‘The Miss-Fires’ stuck with [everyone], because it doesn’t take itself too seriously,” Mantlo says, citing that in motorcycle terminology, a ‘misfire’ technically means you’ve messed up, that your bike isn’t going to start because of a fizzle of the spark. “A lot of the other women’s clubs around the country are ‘The Hottie Babes’ or ‘The Super-Awesome Sexy Girls.’ And, that’s not us.” Instead, they selected a name that keeps the riding club both humble and determined.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARC MCANDREWS.
“In real life, I don’t wear pants, and I don’t look good in pants,” says Kat Thomsen, digital managing editor at Glamour magazine. “I wear a lot of ’50s vintage dresses, crinolines, and heels. A lot of The Miss-Fires don’t know that side of me, whereas my colleagues know a different side. I own more jeans [now] than I did before, but I only really wear them on the motorcycle.” Romagnoli, too, admits her personal look has become more influenced by riding. “What I wear in the summer is dictated by my riding,” she explains. “I have to wear long pants and boots. Also, now I only wear high-waisted jeans because I’m sitting down all the time.”
The Miss-Fires’ passionate vibe is contagious. “It takes a certain kind of girl to want to ride,” Lucas says. “It’s hard to explain, but everyone is kind of a badass at heart. Everyone is so caring and supportive of each other. It’s just a big family. It’s pretty great.”
Q. How did you decide on the name?
A. Everything we’re about is having fun, encouraging each other and never taking things too seriously. A misfire is a product of having an ignition system problem, bad timing, which results in your bike or car not starting well. The Miss-Fires is a twist on the idea that we’re all constantly learning, making mistakes and becoming better, stronger riders, wrenchers and people, while having fun doing it.
So great to see a Club grow and of course have fun at the same too.
Plenty of Brit Tin to be seen in and around Brooklyn and the Miss fires are no exception, hearing them Thundering around must turn many heads.
Just some random shots I saw on Google from this awesome club.
Doing up her lid and ready to Rock in NYC.
I hope to feature other great female Motorcycle clubs so stay tuned….
Well, I have been lucky for many many years bit I think I am going to start to look for a little extra protection in regards to riding gear, so many years, 4 decades, I have ridden bikes, I have had my share of spills and deals but this lady was lucky and even at only 50 MPH and with all her gear on, she still sustained road rash.
I have followed the Motolady for quite some time and she is a great rider and sometimes there is no reasoning for a low or high side, it can happen on any road lane or pathway.
Below is her blog and if you get time, take a moment to soak some of this in, it woke me up today and I feel for her but- if it was not for her protective gear, this would of been so much worse, Motorcycles can be repaired, we take a lot longer to heal for sure.
After about five and a half years of riding, I finally had a spill on the street. But it was a little bit more than a spill- it was a 50-55mph crash. Now, the Monster and I are both relatively okay- flesh wounds mostly. I’m bruised all over and have a bout of road rash on my right hip. The Monster has damage down the right side.
Yesterday at about 11am I left Costa Mesa base camp heading toward LA on the 55 North freeway. I exited right at the 73N/405N freeway onramp interchange, which is a really long two lane sweeping left turn. At about 50 mph, I hit what I thought was a little bump in the roadway and got a speed wobble, which almost immediately turned into a violent tank slapper and I hit the pavement. I didn’t highside- I had a very violent lowside (sort of) where the bike hit the ground rather hard (and with the quickness).
We then slid some 75 or so feet to a stop after sliding into the median (in what seemed like slow-mo) and bouncing off. The bike and I ground against the road for a moment together when I lost sight of it, rolling sideways as I skid feet first and then rotated around to point across the lanes. When I finally came to a stop, I immediately got up and started waving my arms so that any oncoming traffic wouldn’t run us over. Luckily for me there were no cars behind me for a half mile or so. Two trucks were the first to pull up and stop in either lane, turning on their hazards and sort of motioning for me to move my crap out of the way.
I pleaded with them via hand signals to please help me pick it up, as I’d already tried and the awkward angle and oil everywhere was making it tough. Not to mention my body was a bit beat up. When we tried to roll the bike after it was vertical, something seemed seized. Pulling in the clutch did nothing, shifting it into neutral seemed to have no effect. So, we dragged it downhill to the inside smaller shoulder, and the front wheel wouldn’t move. I thanked them and they all drove away.
I then called my roommate Will, asking if he could pick me up and bring some gauze for the road rash I noticed on my hip. It wasn’t bleeding profusely but definitely was not pleasant looking. And then I began to wait… traffic flying by. A motorcyclist in sprinter van arrived, parked on the opposite shoulder and asked if he could help transport my bike. When I told him I had someone on the way, he offered to put his hazards on for safety, and asked if I’d prefer to wait in van. Why, of course I would prefer that! Thankful, I waited a moment and safely crossed traffic to wait in an air conditioned space.
After a few minutes getting to know Joel, a street rider gone dirt, a tow truck stopped to help. He called CHP, who stopped traffic while Joel and he ran over to move the bike to the safer side of the road. The tow truck driver went through the usual suspects to see what was seized or lodged, and pulled out a big piece of metal from between the front wheel’s mags, brake calipers, and forks. From inside the van I was craning around trying to see what on earth it was- turns out it was a piece of a spare tire mounting bracket. It’s really hard to tell if I picked it up after going down, or if it lodged into the wheel and caused the crash. I have felt and ridden out speed wobbles on the Monster before, as many Southern California freeways and roads have massive potholes and bumps all over the place. So it’s hard for me to believe that I would crash so immediately and so hard from a little bump in the road when I wasn’t even pushing the bike. But I can’t say for sure what happened, I didn’t have a GoPro on, and I can’t press replay on my mind!
So, Will, the roommate, arrived just after the bike got moved and loaded it up into his truck. I moved to the back seat of his Tacoma and put some gauze over my road rash, drank some water and chilled out til we got home. At that point the inspections of injuries, head, and rash began, followed by cleaning.
Now, about the state of my dear, sweet Monster.
While yes, I was most immediately concerned with how screwed up my bike was, I had glanced at it and hadn’t seen a whole load of damage on my tank or body work at first glance so I was somewhat scared to really look. Upon further inspection, there’s a lot of small damage, and some major stuff that definitely needs fixing. But my SpeedyMoto frame sliders absolutely saved my tank, bodywork, and my swingarm! It was practically a miracle!
At this point it appears I need the following:
There’s also various damage:
All in all, I feel incredibly thankful. Wearing full gear definitely saved my life. I came down hard on my helmet, scraped up every side of all of my gear, blew out a seam on my boots, rubbed through to the armor on my jacket, scraped through the knees of the riding jeans to the armor… the list goes on.
The reason I ended up with road rash on my hip is because of improper fitment. I lost about ten pounds recently, and my riding jeans were sitting below my hips. Usually they sit closer to my waist, but even with my belt on the last hole, they were somewhat baggy. So when I was sliding feet first, my jacket pulled up a bit, my pants too low, it contacted the asphalt.
Seriously, I stand by all of what I had on 100%.
Every single side of my jacket got rashed up badly, my jeans took the beating like a champ, too. Make sure you click on the thumbnails so you can see the detail shots.
The inside of my Elsinore boots got blown out on one side and rashed up a little everywhere else, but kept my feet and ankles safe!
My full face helmet took a major beating- it has scratches all over it and across the face shield. Again so thankful to have been geared up and wearing a full face helmet. I can’t ride in anything less, never have been able to.
The Barrage backpack I was wearing from the Chrome Industries Motor collection helped me out too, no doubt. It also took a lot of the slide, and held up amazingly well. Some broken seams of course, but no holes, and it stayed on me through the whole ordeal. You can see on my jacket where the backpack gave me extra protection against the road. And yes, the Icon 1000 Akorp jacket has a back protector.
At this point, after a full day of resting and tending to the road rash, my bruises are pretty nasty but it’s healing pretty well. Don’t look at these if you’re grossed out by… blood n stuff. You can see lots of road grime hanging out in it. Gross.
The big red spot on my hip is actually a pretty deep hole- pretty gross. Definitely the most painful part. It’s super gross to see your tattoo imprinted on the bandages when you remove them like silly putty on newspaper. 
Someone asked me how I’m feeling mentally after crashing my motorcycle, and about getting back on a bike. Well, honestly, I can’t wait! It was definitely a scary experience- one that I hope to never deal with again. But the reality is that sometimes doing the things you love comes with unpleasant consequences. We all know riding motorcycles is dangerous. I feel absolutely happy to have landed metaphorically and physically where I did, as everything could have gone so much worse. I consider myself a good rider- I am confident in my skill level however I always want to get better, improve techniques, and learn more. So, I’ll be working harder on improving my technique via more training, trackdays, and miles. I also plan on improving my gear situation (proper fitment and attaching my pants and jacket together so this can’t happen again). I am excited to hop back on the proverbial horse.
I’ll keep you guys in the loop of fixes (and hopefully upgrades?) to the Monster. I definitely want to put a steering stabilizer on there. It’s going to be a process… again.
– See more at: http://themotolady.com/crashing-my-motorcycle/#sthash.WgtQ2RGe.dpuf
A little wake up call for me but more so for me to make sure my girlfriend Jennifer adheres to this, she has some good protective clothing now and I feel good about that but I am a leather jacket and jean guy but some rides you just have to make sure you are as safe as you can be in wearing protective apparel.
I sure hope that she makes a fast recovery and I am going to be looking into some better gear as we start this riding season again with many shows and events to attend.
Visit to see this summer exhibit here at the AACA Museum!
Mods and Rockers were two conflicting British youth subcultures of the 1960s.
This exhibit examines the “Mods & Rockers” era in the UK.
The Rocker subculture was centered on motorcycling, and their appearance reflected that. They generally wore protective clothing such as black leather jackets and motorcycle boots (although they sometimes wore “brothel creeper” shoes). The common Rocker hairstyle was a pompadour, while their music genre of choice was 1950s rock and roll, played by artists like Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, and Bo Diddley.
The Mod subculture was centered on fashion and music, and many mods rode scooters. Mods wore suits and other clean-cut outfits, and preferred 1960s music genres such as soul, rhythm and blues, ska beat music and British blues-rooted bands like The Who, The Yardbirds, and The Small Faces.
The exhibit will feature approximately 12 period motorcycles and 12 period scooters, along with material culture, photographs, and interpretive posters.
Not your average motorcycle / café bike exhibit…
Guest Curators:
Rob Kain
Janet Mulligan Bowen
Dave Russell
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AACA Museum
161 Museum Drive
Hershey, PA 17033
Phone: 717.566.7100
Fax: 717.566.7300
