Frantic Motor
Back Street Heroes|November 2019
IN AN IDEAL WORLD MY BIKE’D LOOK LIKE A POST-APOCALYPTIC, HILLCLIMBING SPEEDWAY BIKE, BUT HOW DO I GET CLOSE TO A COMBINATION OF THOSE ARMED WITH ALMOST NO MONEY, PARTS OR EQUIPMENT AND (AS IT’S MY FIRST BIKE) A SHONKY CHINESE 125?
April Averill
Frantic Motor

IT was originally a CG125 cruiser clone, but I loved that it said ‘Diablo’ on the engine (and was only £250). The basic stance of the bike was great, but I disliked all the plastic gubbins, and the giant tank, so all that went in the bin. Once stripped, it actually looked like a bike and, with the rear shocks laid over so much, it already looked a bit off-roadish. The back end needed a seat and a mudguard though so I raided a friend’s garage to see if I could find anything I liked, and found the old rusty frame and springs from a Bantam saddle, and an old Suzuki GS550 back mudguard that had potential.

With the help of said friend, we got rid of most of the rear sub-frame, and then cut, bent and re-welded what remained to narrow it in to suit the seat and mudguard until it all flowed together nicely, and terminated with shotgun cartridge caps in the end of the tubes. The original shocks were far too soft so I upgraded them with NOS chrome GS550 ones donated, under duress, by the same friend. I covered the seat in buffalo hide, and stained and dyed it until it had a good, battered, vintage look that I liked.

Esta historia es de la edición November 2019 de Back Street Heroes.

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Esta historia es de la edición November 2019 de Back Street Heroes.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE BACK STREET HEROESVer todo
THE SLED
Back Street Heroes

THE SLED

I’M A SEMI-PRO SHED BUILDER, WHO BUILDS UNDER THE NAME DIRTY DICK’S… I SAY ‘SEMIPRO’ BECAUSE I’VE ONLY, AT THE TIME OF WRITING, SOLD TWO BIKES (AND, USUALLY, I GET PAID IN BEER FOR ANY OTHER WORK I DO).

time-read
2 minutos  |
May 2021
THE CHIEF
Back Street Heroes

THE CHIEF

I BOUGHT MY ENFIELD, A 2001 350 BULLET, IN SHROPSHIRE IN JUNE 2019, WITH JUST 11,000 MILES ON THE CLOCK. IT WAS IN TRIALS TRIM, BUT I ALREADY HAD IN MY HEAD WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH IT – MAKE IT INTO A ‘50S-STYLE CUSTOM, BASED LOOSELY AROUND AN INDIAN SCOUT THAT I’D SEEN PICTURES OF.

time-read
2 minutos  |
May 2021
MADE O'GUBBINS
Back Street Heroes

MADE O'GUBBINS

OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO, MANY OF US’VE HAD TO FOREGO THE JOY OF SEARCHING FOR PARTS AT AUTO-JUMBLES, SHOWS AND BREAKER’S YARDS, RELYING ON EITHER THE HIT-AND-MISS OF INTERNET AUCTION SITES, OR TURNING TO OUR OWN STOCK OF PARTS, WHEN LOOKING AT BUILDING OR MODIFYING A BIKE.

time-read
2 minutos  |
May 2021
BUDGET BOBBER
Back Street Heroes

BUDGET BOBBER

PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY CUSTOM BIKES’RE EXPENSIVE, THAT ONLY THE RICH CAN HAVE ‘EM, BUT IF YOU REALLY WANT ONE THERE’S ALWAYS A WAY…

time-read
2 minutos  |
May 2021
LEAF IT OUT
Back Street Heroes

LEAF IT OUT

THE SUZUKI LS650 IS PERHAPS BEST KNOWN FOR HAVING ONE OF THE LEAST SUITED AND MOST RANDOM MODEL NAMES IN MOTORCYCLING HISTORY – THE SAVAGE.

time-read
2 minutos  |
May 2021
SIZE O
Back Street Heroes

SIZE O

I DECIDED I NEEDED A BIKE FOR MYSELF AS A KEEPER (RATHER THAN THE USUAL BUILD IT, SELL IT, FUND THE NEXT ONE), BUT TIME AND FUNDS WERE GOING TO GET TIGHT. I WANTED A ‘60S/’70S-STYLE HARDTAIL WITH A DECENT-SIZED MOTOR, SINGLE OR TWIN, AND SOMETHING I DIDN’T HAVE TO DO ANY FRAME MODIFICATIONS TO.

time-read
3 minutos  |
May 2021
LITTLE VICTORIES
Back Street Heroes

LITTLE VICTORIES

SOME FOLK SAY WORK’S A NECESSARY EVIL, OTHERS MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR SITUATION. A GOOD FRIEND ONCE SAID TO ME THAT IT’S THE LITTLE VICTORIES THAT COUNT WHEN AT WORK, USING THEIR MACHINERY TO MAKE BIKE PARTS, BLAGGING FREE STATIONARY, OR JUST HAVING A POO ON THEIR TIME…

time-read
4 minutos  |
May 2021
BACK TO THE EIGHTIES!
Back Street Heroes

BACK TO THE EIGHTIES!

AFTER THE STYLISTIC EXCESSES OF THE 1970S, THE 1980S SAW A KIND OF DIRECTION CHANGE IN CUSTOM BIKE BUILDING – ONE WHICH RESULTED IN NO SMALL PART FROM THE ABUNDANCE OF FAST, RELIABLE FOUR-CYLINDER MOTORCYCLES FROM THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN.

time-read
2 minutos  |
May 2021
APPLE
Back Street Heroes

APPLE

MY GOAL WAS TO CREATE A CAFÉ RACER WITH STYLING FROM THE FIFTIES – ROUND CURVES THAT’D MAKE IT POP.

time-read
2 minutos  |
May 2021
3 DIRT DIGGERS
Back Street Heroes

3 DIRT DIGGERS

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS DIRT DIGGERS, HELD AT THE EDDIE WRIGHT SPEEDWAY STADIUM IN SCUNTHORPE, HAS BECOME THE NUMBER ONE, ALL-COMERS-WELCOME BIKE RACE IN THE UK.

time-read
2 minutos  |
May 2021