Now in its eighth year and at its third venue, DirtQuake classifies itself as a motorbike festival centred around “Run what you Brung” flat track racing for all-comers. Originally managed on a shoestring by the folk at Sideburn magazine, it’s now run by media company Golden Goose with corporate support from Harley-Davidson, which has sponsored the show for a couple of years. There were other sponsors such as ITV4 (although Sideburn is still there to support the event) and the Dirt Track Association runs the racing. Kings Lynn in Norfolk has been DirtQuake’s spiritual home but now it has moved south to the Arlington Stadium near Eastbourne, home of the Eastbourne Eagles speedway team.
On the Friday the event still held the professional racing which, by all accounts, was ace, but I was there for the madness that is the various amateur classes on the Saturday. Not having been for a couple of years, it was time to find out if the move of ownership and venue has retained that special magic which was always prevalent at the East Anglian site and early events. So, packing my best waterproofs, and putting rocks in my pocket due to the howling gale—it is summer after all—I headed further south, stealthily avoiding all the fallen trees on the way.
My first thoughts were that it is a better venue, with free parking and free seats in the covered Grandstand, while the pits/communal area were accessible to all, which was superb as it was always a shame when the preparation area was closed in Norfolk. This gave us more opportunity to look at the bikes and riders, which is as much what this event is about as the racing. The food stalls were far better than before (even at southern prices ouch), but still with the queues, while it was nice to have some other stalls such as Gasoline Alley Speed Shop with its ever-smiling staff.
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Esta historia es de la edición Issue 253 de 100% Biker.
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There's No Place Like Chrome
When settling down to write a feature for a magazine, it’s necessary to have two things, nay, three things in front of you. A computer is useful, it saves all that messy ink and blotting paper that we used in those long gone school days, a strong hot mug of tea should also be on the desk (goes without saying), and finally, a set of scribbled notes that a couple of months ago resembled a detailed description of a motorcycle, but that by now, are largely illegible…
Spike And Bob's Big Swedish Adventure: Part 5
In 1979 Hasse took Caprice to the Norrtälje show for the first time, but he had changes for the bike in mind and, during the winter, he picked up a jammer frame and a set of 20-inch tubes.
Black Dog Custom Show - The Black Dog, Broadmayne, Dorset
Named after the only pub in the village of Broadmayne near Dorchester, nobody there can quite remember how long the informal get together that is the Black Dog Custom Show has been going
TWEETY
Over the last couple of years, very few if any motorcycles have inspired such bafflement and scratching of heads as Dan Duggan’s Honda CX500
THE DOUBTER
Every project starts somewhere and this one began at the Bike Shed Show at Tobacco Dock in London or, to be more accurate, when my mate Matt Donaldson turned to me and said, “I bet you can’t build a bike good enough for here.” Well, that set me to work!
JBS SPECIAL
Jarno comes from a family with petrol in their blood. His father races classic motorcycles and Jarno was raised on a farm where the barns are full of motorcycles instead of cows! This is his very first project, the Jarno Bastian Special
CUSTOMBIKE Messe Bad Salzuflen, Germany
Sometimes what is missing from a show is more interesting than what’s present. With the German show Custombike celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, the event remains a showcase for European customising in all its diversity— with the additional benefit of a focus on parts that are homologated and approved for Europe
COVERT MISSION
It’s not often that I have to sneak in and photograph a motorcycle without the owner knowing anything about it—something that was made tougher in this case by the said motorcycle being kept at said owner’s house
Carry On Screaming
As is often the case, I first caught sight of Nige Biffin’s cool Honda CB750 at a local show last summer, standing out as it did from the stock stuff and the classics present. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t just the ace paint that grabbed my attention, but the obvious quality of the build throughout. I needed to know more…
Paul's Harley
Ensuring that a custom motorcycle will comfortably chew up the miles is perhaps not always one of the main priorities for every builder, but for anyone in the National Chopper Club, it’s essential. Never more so than when you happen to live in one of the far flung parts of this island which means that you’ve usually got a journey to do before you even start going anywhere, as Paul, NCC National Secretary and member of Chopper Club Kernow, knows all too well. This is the story of his latest chop.
