Back Street Heroes March 2023

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), I don’t know if you know, is described by people with letters after their names* as a mood disorder subset in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year exhibit depressive symptoms in the wintertime, and common symptoms include sleeping too much (I wish), having little to no energy (that’s all-year round for me), and overeating (yep, guilty, but that’s nowt to do wi’ depression, trust me). Us bikers, as hardy outdoor types, do, I think, suffer from this a little as we’re used to being out-out a lot more than ‘normal’ folk but, as the months of winter, particularly January and February, tighten their grip, it’s not yer normal SAD we suffer from – no, we’re unconventional types, us, and just…

SPEC: 1942 H-D WLA 45 (750cc) side-valve engine (one-off manifold, Wassell carb/bell-mouth, 12v conversion, one-off exhausts)/three-speed gearbox (converted to foot-change), one-off rigid frame, unknown (Suzuki?) wheels/brakes/forks, one-off slab yokes, aftermarket ‘bars, H-D master-cylinder, cloth-tape grips, Sportster tank, one-off fuel cap, one-off seat, aftermarket rear mudguard (modified), old H-D horseshoe oil tank/battery holder, one-off ‘plate holder, one-off loom by Pacoima M/Cs, replica Bates headlamp, replica Sparto tail light FINISH: Tank by Steve Studd, frame paint/powder-coat by previous owner ENGINEERING: Bike built by Phil Piper of Choppershack, frame by Rick James, engine rebuilt by Pacoima M/Cs, carb/foot-change/clutch & gearbox rebuild by Heron Cycles (formerly So Low Choppers), one-off alloy fuel cap by Tony the Engraver THANKS TO: “Caz for selling it to me; Phil for building it/advice; Ian at Hyper Trikes; Shaun…

Darren, the show organiser, and Stuart’d been mates for years when Stuart had a severe accident that left him paralysed and wheelchair-bound. Darren did a couple of music nights to help him, with the help of mates in bands, but free bands’re in short supply so he thought he’d try something bigger. The first Stone Circle bike show was held in 2018 (and featured in BSH), with help from a host of folk, at the Social Club in Avebury (Wilts), and about 800 people turned up and raised a shade over £3,000 to help Stuart’s future needs. There was another in 2019, then Covid happened. In 2022, another show was planned, but there were problems holding the show at the same venue, but the Supermarine Sports Club in Swindon…

Both’ve already proved themselves in organising events for motorcyclists; the annual TVV Egg Run at Easter (and their other charity work), and the weekly bike night at Pinewood, so it seemed logical that the café’d be a great venue for a custom bike show. The Pinewood, just off the excellently named Nine Mile Ride Road, was, many moons ago, a hospital where tuberculosis sufferers went to rehabilitate as it was believed the pine forest was good for the lungs. While the hospital no longer stands, there’s a large car park around the various buildings, some which were old Nissen huts for hospital staff, used for the Scouts, a gym, a miniature railway, the parish council, etc. (the one that made me smile was the one used just for tug-of-war… the…

That meant that attendance was down, of course, but the hard-core were still there, and still partied like it was blissfully sunny and warm. In fact, probably ‘cos it was wet and you couldn’t really stand outside, they partied a little harder than normal, and I saw the first vom’er losing the contents of their tum at about 9.30pm on the Friday night… early night for them then! Those who did manage to hold down their evening’s liquid intake were treated to an enthusiastic set by Backstreet Noise, an insanely catchy party band who had the dance-floor of the Ogri MCC’s clubhouse packed with gyrating bodies, doing pop-punk and rock covers of songs you’d’ve never thought could be covered like that. When they finally came off, after a number of…

The bike was already designed and built in my head before I even gathered any parts, as is always the case with any build I undertake. I I’m too independent, have weird ideas. and tend to be a little stubborn. The engine in this one is, or was, a bog standard 600cc BSA M20 unit from 1953, held in an M20 frame from ten years earlier, as used by many an army recruit in World War Two (the M20 was made from 1937 to 1955). I stripped it, and replaced the main bearings, which wear out, but didn’t touch the big end as these’re made from Kryptonite, courtesy of Superman, and never need replacing. The top end, though, needed some work, so a big-bore air-cooled VW Beetle piston was obtained…