Hello! We're back with some posts in which we're going to look at different categories of bikes covered during the 15 years of the mag as a reminder of some great machinery, and to revel in a bit of Sideburn history while we decide what we're doing next. Hope you enjoy these trips down memory lane. If you do, perhaps let us know.
We're starting with Sideburn's featured Trackmasters. If you have a suggestion of anything else you'd like us to look back on, let us know.
For those new to the Sideburn scene, Trackmaster were a specialist frame manufacturer, who built championship-winning racing chassis, and are best remembered for their flat track frames. Founded by Ray Hensley in the late-60s, then taken over by Walt Mahony, various individuals have owned the rights to the Trackmaster name over the years, but it has remained in California for much of the history. Gary Inman, editor
SB54: Newbold's Trackmaster Kawasaki KX500
We start with the most recent Trackmaster we featured, and perhaps the least typical. Regular Sideburn contributor, Travis of Newbold's Motorbike Shop, Colorado, was left this Trackmaster frame when a good friend died, with the instructions he should build it into something special. Travis decided that should be an uncompromising 500cc two-stroke single.
SB49: Trackmaster Yamaha XS650
We spoke to Chuck Palmgren, the man who gave Yamaha their first pro flat track win, which was also their first US National win, and a Japanese manufacturer's first US National win. And he did it with the essential help of a Trackmaster frame.
SB46: Trackmaster BSA A65
If you wonder why people still get excited about Trackmaster all you have to do is look at Jason's beautiful BSA.
SB42: Trackmaster Triumph T120R
We featured the only Trackmaster in Russia back in 2020. It was something of a replica of Jim Odom's bike, which upset the then owner of Jim Odom's bike, but if you have a famous, good looking race bike, it's likely to influence other bikes. The modern titanium silencer wasn't to everyone's taste.
SB36: Trackmaster Ducati 860 GT
We always made the effort to hunt down the oddballs to keep this interesting, and this was a real quirky build. V-twins dominated flat track for a lot of years, but not V-twins like this one. The owner told us the bike did well on the competitive Kansas Fairgrounds race circuit.
SB23: Trackmaster Triumph 650
Gary Nixon Tribute street tracker built by Don 'Donzzilla' Miller (of Metro Racing) built to memorialise Don's good friend, and former national champ, Nixon. If you'e not following @donzzilla_don_miller on instagram, you're missing out.
SB20: Trackmaster Suzuki Titan 500
We came across this beautifully-proportioned two-stroke twin in the Springfield Mile campground when we visited in 2015. The owner, who raced it in 1969 and '70, started it up for us. I wish we had a video of that.
SB14: Trackmaster Benelli 650
Yep, we could really dig up the obscurities. This feature was about US East Coast bike importer Cosmopolitan Motors, and their attempt to get into flat track with a pair of Benelli 650 twins in Trackmaster frames. In a quirk, or coincidence, or just because we wrote about a lot of stuff and made a lot of connections over the years, rider 68S above is Gene Hartline. Friend of the mag, contributor and regular DTRA racer, Gareth Howes now races a ex-Hartline Trackmaster Triumph in the UK and Europe.
SB12: Trackmaster Triumph 750
Is there anything cooler than seeing a bitchin' vintage special just going about its daily business in a busy modern city? This is Bertrand, editor/publisher of the now defunct, French Café Racer magazine (whatever 'it' was 'it' was contagious...) on his former desert racing Trackmaster, modified into a dirt track-style street bike.
SB1: Trackmaster Yamaha XS650
Sideburn and Trackmaster go way back, right back to issue 1 and Alastair McQuaid's Shell Thuet tuned, big-bore XS.
That's it for now. If you liked it, try let us know.
Cheers
Comentários