Innehållsförteckning för September 2025 från Back Street Heroes

Max, you see, is deaf (which kinda explains the show’s name), but he’s never let his deafness hold him back, and at one time had one of the loudest chops I knew of (it sounded okay to him) and, because of it, he decided to put on a bike show to raise funds for a charity close to his heart. He’s an active member of the West Harley Riders Club, who came out in force to support, but this’s very much his show, and he should be rightly proud of what he’s achieved. Entry is free, but there’re buckets for donations and a raffle to raise funds, and the day did really well. Arriving early, I found traders struggling setting up stalls against the wind, while Max ran around with…

The Future Bike, The Changeling, Budgie’s Gaspode, Hank’s Scumbag, the late Rob Bowyer’s Illogical Progression, Monster Munch, John Mansfield’s Mould Wing, Shaun ‘Dr Death’ Gemmell’s square section CBR 600, Lil’ Mark’s Auntie Social, Dillon’s Beartrap (the one with the seat made of the three prong garden fork),Stu’s Agitator, the BSH Rat-Rod, and others are all discussed and nodded upon sagely (usually at about four pints in). I know, I know, I’ve always been odd, have you only just realised that? There’s one other legendary rat from days gone by whose name doesn’t appear on that list: Phil Woods’ Eraserhead, as featured in AWoL magazine back in its first year of publication (Vol 1, no 7 to be precise). It was based around an old GS1000 (Suzuki) motor, bored to 1100…

A few years back, though, I started to hear of a new kind of armour, known as Ghost cos it’s so thin you can barely feel it when it’s fitted, that was designed to be soft and malleable and comfortable when you’re wearing it but, in the event of an impact, instantly stiffens to protect your knee/elbow/hip/shoulder/back/chest, etc. A while later something I got, can’t remember exactly what, came with this Ghost armour, made by a UK company called D3O (D-3-capital O, not zero), and they (whoever ‘they’ were) were right – it was so light that you could barely tell you were wearing it. Thankfully, I haven’t had occasion to test its… er, go-hardness (stop sniggering, y’filthy-minded buggers) cos I haven’t had an off in ages, but when the clothing…

As reported last issue, Clive ‘Hip’ Ransome from So Low Choppers passed away in May, and his funeral was held at the beginning of July at Bury St Edmunds Crematorium. There was a massive ride in from just outside his native Stowmarket along the A14 by hundreds of bikes (estimates are at 500-plus), following him on his last journey. Upon arrival, the closely-packed convoy took nearly ten minutes to pass, and Bury Crematorium was completely taken over by his friends (some who’d come serious distances to pay their respects) and family. Good to see the old boy got a good send-off – Clive Ransome RIP.…

Bolton Castle, located on a lovely route around North Yorkshire, just five minutes from Leyburn, is one of the country’s best preserved medieval castles, and has a renowned tearoom, surrounded by gardens and views across Wensleydale, that welcomes anyone who has arrived on two wheels. The tearoom serves fresh homemade cakes and dishes every day from 10am to 4pm, with their famous handmade pasties a real favourite. Entry (to the tearoom) is free and perfect for a pit-stop to replenish energy levels and try the delicious menu before heading off on the open road. Motorcyclists’re asked to park in the main car park, but’re not required to buy entry tickets to the castle if just using the tearoom. For more info’ go to www.boltoncastle.co.uk or ring 01969 623 981.…

We’ve all had them, but the memories of some seem to stand the test of time much better than others. Perhaps those we remember best’re the ones we came through not by skill or judgement, but seemingly by luck, fate, and good fortune? I don’t know, but there’re some you simply never forget. I was nineteen, rode a Z1R and had a pretty girlfriend who worked at the same Kawasaki dealership as me. If memory serves, and I think it does, then it was April-time, but I do know it’d just stopped raining. It would’ve been a few minutes past six, and the two of us stood outside preparing to leave for the day. While she got ready, I warmed my bike up but, even over the noise of an…

I decided to travel over slightly earlier from the Bikersmag Penthouse Midden as it’d mean avoiding the plague of Bank Holiday speed traps and campervans that greatly reduce the pleasure of riding on the UK’s highways and byways. After picking up my camping gear from Wales, I decided to take the scenic route via Cheshire and the Cat & Fiddle, followed by lunch in Matlock Bath, and then onwards in a north-easterly direction via the A1M and A614 to arrive at Driffield Showground with ample time to set up camp and check that my Box Brownie had sufficient memory cards and batteries to last the weekend. Friday lunchtime saw riders drifting into the site from far and wide, quite a few having travelled more than 175 miles to attend. The…

This happened to Dale from Hellstown Choppers way, way down there in Cornwall back in about 2017. He’d sold his most recent chop (and begun to regret it almost immediately), and’d just closed down his then workshop, semi-retiring from bike building. Then, one day, a guy he’d built a frame for some ten years before contacted him to see if he wanted to buy it back as it’d sat gathering dust in his garage for years. Dale went over to see it, and worked out he could do something with it, so a deal was done, and went home with the rolling chassis. “It felt great to have one of my Hellstown Chopper frames back home,” he says. Around this time, too, quite by chance he managed to reconnect with…

The organisers faced more than their fair share of obstacles with three venue changes during the planning, the last of which pulled out just a week beforehand! Thankfully, the Yew Tree Inn at Chalvington, a small parish six miles from Hailsham, came to the rescue, and it proved to be perfect. The site’s also home to the village cricket green so had plenty of parking in addition to ample field space, and both campers and show area were able to keep well clear of the pitch, with the pub at the front and a large marquee behind. The pub provided food and drinks for normal opening hours, reverting to bring-your-own after closing time, with use of the marquee for the afternoon and evening. There were half-a-dozen stalls selling gifts, sweet…

*The Crighton CR700W is the only exception to that, but as there’re only going to be 25 of those made, and prices start at £145,000, we won’t worry too much about them, will we? Norton introduced a rotary engine developed, it has to be said, from a design by BSA back in 1972, to a new purpose-built bike called the Interpol2 (sold only to the Police and Armed Forces) in 1984, which was followed by the civilian Classic in 1987 and, the following year, a fully-faired, liquid-cooled touring version, the Commander, which was sold as a single seater to the Police, and as a dual-seater to the public. It lasted until 1992, and only 253 were ever made, according to Wikipedia. The more famous RCW588 race bike, as ridden by…

Earlier this year, 92-year-old Jean Scott from Somerset rode Route 66, from Chicago to LA, with Orange & Black Motorcycle Tours as pillion with their Route 66 expert Gary ‘Bear’ Fleshman on his Harley Road Glide, helping to raise money for the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance while doing so. She explored historic landmarks and sights including the Blue Whale of Catoosa, the Route 66 Museum, and the Grand Canyon, covering 2,700 miles in 13 days of riding, crossing eight states and battling all weathers. She says of her trip: “The whole trip was full of highlights; I think my favourite places were Kansas and Oklahoma, and the Grand Canyon – that was breathtaking.” You can see videos of her trip on YouTube by searching ‘Jean Scott Route 66’, and…

SHOEI J.O2 HELMET The new Shoei J.O2 helmet is aimed at the café racer, urban, crowd as it’s a classically styled open-face helmet, which meets ECE 22.06 safety standards, but is more than suitable for anyone who wants a top-class open-face. It has three rivets (metal pins) above the rider’s eyeline that make for better attachment of a peakak or bubble visor, and comes with a retractable visor which can be tucked away for a classic open-facee look, or if you want to wear goggles, with six lens options including clear, dark tint, HD yellow, Spectra Gold, Spectra Silver, and a photochromatic option. It has a multi-density EPS liner for safety and a traditional double D-ring strap, and a fully removable and washableable interior made from premium polyurethane foam and…

“WE’VE BECOME THE PEOPLE WE ARE REBELLING AGAINST.”–GEORGE CHRISTIE Last month I wrote on the motorcycle industry’s abject failure to attract and retain new young motorcyclists. That was the easy column to write, like hitting a barn door with a shovel. As is always the case though, finding a positive solution is a lot harder. Circa 1977, Leeds’ local legend Eddy Wright opened a small bike shop on the main street in Kippax, the village just east of Great Preston where I lived then and still live now. He didn’t keep it all that long before selling it to Geoff Simpson, who had a much larger shop in Castleford, and it was from that shop that I bought my first road bike, a Honda H100A in March 1981. Right from…

No one’d ever built a twin-engined bike using a pre-unit and a unit motor together (Triumph, of course). So, with this in mind, I set about building a frame using the backbone of the T120R frame (the oil tank), using a jig I made specially, ordered some seamless tube to make the frame, and used a mate’s tube-bender to bend it up. The guys at Cheltenham Harley-Davidson very kindly let me have a root through the storeroom at the back of their workshop – what an Aladdin’s cave! It had everything I needed, but all slightly damaged; a Road King petrol tank (dented) and front mudguard (twisted and dented), V-Rod wheels (water damaged), etc., and that meant I only paid scrap price for it all. Next I needed a drag…

Then, for reasons unknown, after keeping it for an unspecified period, they sent it forward in time again, without going with it this time, and it appeared one night on the drive of a gentleman by the name of Brett Robertson in the little market town of Bury St Edmunds. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the back-story of this amazing steampunk motorcycle you see here… or it’s not, as the case may be – it’s the back-story Brett’s created around his Sherlock Holmes (and Dr Watson)-themed bike. Like his bike, its creator’s got a fairly intricate back-story, too. He’s been into bikes and music since he can remember, and went on to be a musician, playing drums, singing, and songwriting. He’s also been a motorcycle courier, and successful photographer, and…

Eee, hasn’t the world changed, eh? When I first started drinking (semi) legally, a beer (Younger’s Tartan bitter if you remember it) cost 79p in the local biker pub, and BSH was, I think, 95p. These days both a beer (well, round my way anyway) and aBSH cost a fiver each, but what would you say if we could do you a special deal, and do you a BSH at just £4.08 instead of £5.40? That’s a saving of (works out on fingers) 24% – nothing to be sniffed at! CHOOSE WHICH BSH SUBSCRIPTION SUITS YOU BEST 1: 12-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION BEST VALUE 12 print issues for £49 Direct Debit 12 print issues for £54 credit/debit card SAVE £15.80 2: SIX-MONTH SUBSCRIPTION 6 print issues for £26 Direct Debit 6 print…

Like the Speed, it’s based on their new 398cc, DOHC, liquid cooled single-cylinder engine, which puts out 40PS (39.5hp) at 8,000rpm and 37.5Nm (27.7lbft) of torque at 6,500rpm, and is virtually identical bar a different twin-exit exhaust end can and a smaller front sprocket (14 tooth instead of 15), but this’s purely to compensate for the Scrambler’s different rear wheel size, and that means that overall gearing, and performance, is pretty much identical. As bikes, though, they’re very different… Y’see, other than the engine, the subframe and the swingarm, virtually everything else (frame, suspension, wheels, brakes, tyres, ‘bars, ‘pegs, seat, and so on) is purpose-designed for the new bike. Yes, the Scrambler uses a similar tubular steel ‘hybrid’ design as its sibling, but there’s a 20mm extension near the steering…

M&P Direct have closed their Cardiff superstore in favour of expanding and updating their longstanding HQ in Swansea to a bigger and better building that’ll house all their motorcycle brands, including Ducati, Royal Enfield, and the bikes under the Moto GB range, their workshops, and outfitters, in addition to the Ecommerce team and warehouse already in Swansea. The new building, which’ll open in February 2026, will be a new multi-brand and multi-activity superstore, in new premises, with cafés, restaurants, and associated retailers. Until then, they’ll continue their business and service their store at: Phoenix Way, Gorseinon, Penllergaer, Swansea (SA4 9HN), telephone 01792 224400, and online as usual.…