Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2024 i Back Street Heroes

I know now there’re other specific Harley boot sales, but this certainly must be the longest running in the UK. With Beaky being a stalwart of the National Chopper Club, it also brings out many members of that fine organisation, often on new builds, and many others. One of the nicest was a lovely Knucklehead which looked very useable. With the spring flowers out, lifting spirits after the greyest and wettest ever winter, and the promise of a great day ahead, I headed to Dorking far too early. This getting up silly early was probably a warning sign for how the morning was to go for me – as always it took ages to reach the sale as I kept bumping into people I’d not seen in some time, but…

I’ve known Lenny, one of the two main men there (the other is Peter who, I’m sorry to say, I don’t know), for more years than either of us care to remember. I can remember him on L-plates, both on motorcycles and in the bike scene, at events around East Anglia, and I can remember the huge grin on his face when, one damp day in a field somewhere, I let him ride The Future Bike before he’d passed his test. I’d heard he, and Peter, had set up a bike shop, and Pam and I’d happened upon it a year or two back, and it was a cool place so, when I heard they were doing their first bike show/open day, it was a no-brainer as to whether to…

For the first time we’re holding a round of the Custom Champs in conjunction with the Stratford Autojumble, meaning that, for the price of your ticket, you will not only be able to enter the BSH custom show, but also look round the Autojumble and all its stalls – how good is that? Normal entry tickets to the Autojumble cost £7 in advance or £10 on the day, but we’ve negotiated a special deal for BSH readers – entry to both the BSH show and the Autojumble for just £5! To prebook a ticket go to www.stratfordautojumble.co.uk and follow the prompts and, at the Basket section, use promo code BSHSTR. If you’re going to pay on the gate, quote promo code BSHJune01 to the people on the gate, and they’ll…

Then one day I snapped. A lad who’d been in the year above me at school, Robbo, saw me coming in. I was only halfway through the door of the Black Raven café and he said, loud as you like: “Ah, I see vee haf Nazi Nigel. Haf you seen Herr Hitler recently?” and I punched him. I’d never hit anyone before, and I haven’t since. I’m sorry that I did. He looked so startled and upset that I thought I’d cry. He put his hand over his nose, and there was blood coming out between his fingers. He ran past me, out of the café, and I heard his Arrow start up and go. No one said anything. It was if it hadn’t happened. I had a coffee, but…

The National Motorcycle Museum’s just announced its Summer Raffle, and the first prize is a fully-restored 1962 BSA Rocket Gold Star 650. Tickets cost £2 each, and’ll be distributed during May/June via subscription copies of BSH and other magazines or can be purchased on-line by visiting www.thenmm.co.uk Second prize is a Sealey Tools voucher for £1,500, and third is a Sealey Tools ‘Patriot’ roll-cab tool cabinet worth £719.95 (winner’s choice of one of five flag designs including Union Jack, George Cross, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The draw for the winter raffle will take place on Sunday, 27 October at our National Motorcycle Museum LIVE event. Good luck!…

Probably the coolest new helmet brand, British company Ruroc have made a name for themselves with their Atlas range of helmets – almost everywhere you go these days lots and lots of people’re wearing ‘em, from food delivery riders to superbike fast kids. Their new helmet, the Eox, is the next step up from the acclaimed Atlas 4.0 (which I’ve been wearing for a couple of years now – great lid!), and comes in three shell sizes (Small, Medium, and Large), with slimmer or wider cheek padding options to give you a vast range of options. The shells, tested in the Silverstone wind tunnel, meet the latest stringent ECE 22.06 European and DOT certifications, and’re made of a quad-matrix carbon composite of T300 carbon fibre, reinforced with Kevlar, nylon and…

This traditional-looking wooden tool chest, for old-skool garages, is designed for your most precious and delicate tools, and has eight felt-lined drawers; stylish stained pine construction; antique brass-finish steel hinges and reinforced corners; convenient carry handles for easy portability; a felt-lined top compartment with mirror; and a fold-down front door to use as a work table for delicate jobs. The Clarke CMW-8B 8 Drawer Wooden Tool Chest costs £107.98 inc. VAT, and you can get one from any branch of Machine Mart or www.machinemart.co.uk…

This stylish leather jacket celebrates Oxford Products’ 50th birthday, and has a timeless classic design. Crafted from premium bovine leather, it’s both tough and supple, and it’s securely stitched for extra strength, while the subtle sleeve stripes add a touch of sporty elegance to its retro-classic style. There’re CE protectors in the elbows and shoulders; a cotton lining that naturally wicks sweat from the body; wind-blocking plackets behind the cuffs and front zipper; a press-stud collar with rolled soft leather edging; five pockets (four outer, one inner); and a concealed YKK front zip to ensure no tank scratching. Available in black or brown, and in sizes S to 3XL, it costs £279.99 from anyhere that stock the Oxford Products range or www.oxfordproducts.com…

IN the early 1980s, a work colleague of mine became a Mormon and, literally, went from touching up the typists and spending all afternoon in a wine bar one week to going teetotal, drinking only decaffeinated coffee, and performing his first miracle the next. Rather than empty his evil but expensive wine collection down the drain like one of Elliot Ness’ Untouchables however, he spent the next year trying to flog it to me and the other heathens in our office. He probably figured we’d eventually be damned while he’d laugh down at us from paradise, and he’d get back the couple of grand he reckoned his cellar was worth. A few years back he popped up on TV as a Mormon bishop, fretting over the temptations his young missionaries might…

Back in Essex one night, my friend Michael ‘Croaky’ Crosswaite and I were talking about the Stonehenge Free Festival later that year. I don’t know who suggested it, but it ended up with me deciding to travel back from Oxford to collect Croaky and my camping gear (and his), then travelling to Stonehenge. I hadn’t looked at a map, and certainly hadn’t considered whether the Bantam’d manage the trip – I just decided we’d make it, somehow. The weeks rolled on, filled with lectures, field trips, and essays typed on my portable typewriter (with my handwriting, if I hadn’t used a typewriter, I might’ve prescribed something from the John Radcliffe next door). Eventually the time for our festival trip arrived, so I rode back to Essex, collected my mountain rucksack…

From there we’ll be doing the North Coast 500 route which circumnavigates the Highlands of Scotland, with an overnight stop at Falkirk on the way so we can visit the Falkirk Wheel (fabulous engineering), and the magnificent Kelpies sculptures (fabulous art) – a trip I’ll no doubt report on in a future article. As I sprayed the waterproofs, while doing my best not to breathe any of the noxious mixture into my already beleaguered lungs, I thought about how much preparation’d already gone into this trip. At least five evenings’d gone into cleaning, feeding, and waxing our leather jackets and gloves, and a further evening’d gone into cleaning and waxing our helmets, and charging the wireless intercom system fitted into both of them. Fettling the Midnight Star trike ready for…

AS you may know, the fine people from the branch organise quite a chunk of events over the course of the year. This one was their first for 2024, and it sold out! I’ll tell you about my meanderings at this event, and leave you with the problem at the end… As it was my first ITV (yes, I know, I deserve the naughty corner, or being banished to an island for crimes against the annual rally calendar… oh, yeah, I already am, aren’t I?), I decided to have a good scoot about, check out the music venues, and suss out which toilets had the best chance of a cold seat at the start of each day. Having completed a sighting lap, I’d got a good idea of where I needed…

While the Yard housed the show bikes and catering stalls, the whole of the beer garden area behind the club was given over to inflatables, face painting courtesy of Gemma Rollins, a magic show, and fun activities to occupy the younger family members, and although it’s a one-day event with a party, and not a rally, there’s plenty of space for those who want to camp rather than drive home. An avenue of stalls lined the entrance offering clothing; jewellery; candles; scents and trinkets; cakes and pastries; an auto-jumble stall; and Acula Creations for all your stitching needs. Music kicked off at 2pm with Kirk Wyatt’s Karaoke which kept people entertained both in the clubhouse and out in the yard for the afternoon throughout the public voting, which closed at…

This year, 2024, is the fortieth anniversary of the Rock & Blues, the Rock & Blues Old School Weekender as it’s known these days, and the organisers’d (a) like to invite you to what is going to be their biggest bash in history, and (b) want to try and recreate the heady days of the 1990s when the bike show itself was one of the biggest in the land. To that end, they’d like you to know that, if you register your bike in advance, be it any form of custom (chop, trike, bobber, streetfighter, rat, café racer, etc.), you’ll get two free entry tickets, worth a not insubstantial £80! Register your bike by going to their website at www.therockandblues.com and click on the ‘Custom Show’ icon. There’ll be a…

BSH’s old mates Roadskin, leading innovators in motorcycle apparel, have just launched their new Tyrian Motorcycle Jeans for both men and women – jeans that have high-performance safety combined with the classic look of blue mid-wash denim. They’re made from a sophisticated blend of Cordura denim fabric, and lycra for comfort, and’re certified to CE AA rating; incorporate Level 2 knee and hip armour as standard ensuring riders’re well protected on every journey; have a Cool Mesh Lining that protects against skin shearing (and keeps riders cool, too); and’re designed to be suitable to be turned up for a modern retro look. In addition, the women’s jeans’re tailored specifically for women, and have a higher rear waistband, and a more fitting leg, ensuring comfort and discretion. The Tyrian Motorcycle Jeans…

Star LETTER This month’s Star Letter wins a Weise Stealth Hoodie worth £119.99. A comfortable, heavy-duty cotton fleece with a removable hood. Rated AA for protection, thanks to CE armour and an abrasion-resistant lining. Find out more at www.weiseclothing.com DEAR BSH, Motorcycles saved my life. As a child I loved the idea of motorbikes… my parents not so much, but that never stopped me; from my first ‘ped at 16 ‘til now it’s still my thing. It’s the thing I go to when I need my own space, and the place where I understand what’s going on. I’ve always tried to have a bike of some kind on the go, some better than others – haven’t we all? All my life I rode bikes, but never really thought about…

The North Manchester Custom & Classic Bike Show was held in September last year, hosted by the Devil’s Disciples MC Northside, at Ramsbottom Cricket Club, where dark skies were heavy with the threat of rain that, happily, never really turned up. The NMCCBS is a proper down-to-earth club show, with everything you need for a good day of custom bikes on a really well organised site with good facilities. The main site is long and narrow, with a stage at one end with bands blasting out some good rock, metal, and punk covers. There was trike parking next to the stage, with bikes ranging from a reverse CBR1000 trike to the yellow VW beach bastard that took Best Trike, not forgetting the open-cabbed trike-van creation – fantastic lunacy. General bike…

These days, though, most folk think the idea for this style of bike came from AWoL, the sadly long out of print rival magazine set up by ex-BSH staffers after a disagreement with BSH’s then management. The AWoLlies, as they were fondly known, did feature ‘em, there’s no doubt, but by the time of the split the term’d mutated from its original meaning to a generic relating to any form of performance custom bike, mostly Suzuki GSX-Rs with the fairings taken off and lairy paint. There are those who remain true to the original ideal though, and Robbie Robinson, whose name’ll be familiar to many out there, is definitely one of them. He’s built various big-engined bikes in a variety of styles, but he keeps coming back to the performance…

The Cicero File is a new novel by Cameron Herwood, in which DCI Pat Nottage faces an unexpected challenge when she’s assigned to investigate the death of a biker in a road traffic accident. Initially considered a straightforward case of poor judgement, the biker’s involvement with biker gangs raises suspicions of foul play, potentially connected to drugs and violent crime. Driven to seek justice, Pat must navigate a world of secrets and uncover the true motives behind the biker’s tragic end. Will she uncover the truth, even if it means challenging her own beliefs and risking everything she holds dear? It’s available from all good booksellers, real world and online, and costs £8 or so for a real book, and about £3.50 for it on Kindle.…

These new tough PVC tarpaulin Crash Bar Bags’re designed for use on bikes that have engine crash bars, and have a wipe-clean matt black exterior; a seven-litre capacity; rigid rear panels; a convenient carry handle for when off the bike; and roll-tops and compression straps to ensure no water can enter. D-rings allow the bags to be securely attached, or you can strap ‘em to your existing luggage using the additional straps included. Available from anywhere that stocks the Oxford Products range or www.oxfordproducts.com, they cost just £39.99 each.…

The new John Doe Aero Mesh jacket is ideal for hot summer days on the bike with its fully perforated construction – it offers unbeatable ventilation while remaining extremely durable, and is certified to CE AA standards with armoured elbows and shoulders, a back protector, and inner and outer pockets. There’s also an optional Aero Mesh Windblock – a thinner second layer that can be worn inside to stop the wind from chlling you. Available in sizes XS to 3XL, you can get one from any Parts Europe dealer that stocks the John Doe range or direct from www.partseurope.eu…

JUNE 1st June: Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Day at Industry & Supply, Building 14, The Depot, Weedon Bec, Weedon, Northants (NN7 4PS). More info’ from www.industryandsupply.com 1st June: Nortalje Chopper Show at Nortalje, Sweden. More info’ from www.custombikeshow.se 1st June: NCC Vectis & RBL Riders’ Custom & Classic Bike Show at Sandown Airport, Scotchell’s Brook Lane, Sandown, IOW (PO36 0JP). More info’ from Facebook. 1st June: Motorcycle Muster at the Grampian Transport Museum, Montgarrie Rd, Alford, Aberdeenshire (AB33 8AE). More info’ from www.gtm.org.uk 1st June: Blue Angels West Coast MC’s Ride-In Show at Burnside, New Cummock, Ayrshire (KA18 4QL). More info’ from Facebook. 1st June: Lucky 7s MCC’s Custom & Classic Bike Show at the Cherry Tree, Riversdale Ave, Stakeford, Choppington, Northumberland (NE62 5JZ). More info’ from kennp@btinternet.com or Facebook. 1-2nd June:…

A person who expresses an opinion that disagrees with others so that there’ll be an interesting discussion about an issue – teachers often play devil’s advocate to provoke discussion in the classroom. The job began with a visit to the big blue skip that lived behind the local pushbike shop, and was followed by a subsequent trip to the scrapyard. With raw materials sourced, the thinking, cutting, welding, and swearing began and continued until the brief was complete. It transpired the customer in question was an artist, and’d commissioned the build for an exhibition – an exhibition where he could showcase his ideas, flaunt his artistic bent, and no doubt sip wine in the company of other pretentious and largely talentless twats. Soliciting, or even simply accepting, compliments or praise…