Attention, Race Fans!

Especially those who favour motorsport that's carried out over 440 yards of tarmac or concrete...
This weekend sees two drag racing championships pass their mud way point. The Straightliners series returns to Elvington on Sunday for Round 4, with the ultra-competitive 9.10 bracket class being the most varied and exciting class, even though it's not as fast as Top Bike (or Comp if the quick boys turn up).
Meanwhile, today is a Peak Performance test day at Santa Pod, followed by the ACU Summernationals meeting tomorrow and Sunday. With the meeting being over just two days (normally ACU drag meetings have qualifying on a Friday, or run through to a Bank Holiday Monday), qualifying is going to be intense, and the forecast suggests that the exciting Superstreet class will be the one to watch! Each qualifying run will really count, and with rain today the likehood of an intense one-shot qualifier is high...
More details on the Elvington Straightliners round at www.straightliners.co.uk and further info on the Santa Pod Summernationals at www.eurodragster.com or www.200mph.net

Beem' Me Up

Yeah, yeah, so it's been a while since the last blog post, so sue us! Deadline hassles, the TT and illness have combined to make us too frickin' lazy to bother, but as the next issue of the mag is just about complete and ready to roll off the printers, we're getting the opportunity to collate our thoughts and plan the next trip to the pub...
While the official BMW race team over on the Isle of Man didn't achieve much in the way of race success, here's an example of the new S1000RR that has opened a few eyes!

While the engineremains internally standard,with the addition of a full titanium exhaust and a Power Commander V, an astounding 203bhp makes its way through to the back wheel, and with the suspension lowered front and rear, a pair of BST carbon fibre wheels bolted in along with a 9" stretched swinging arm and a few subtle clutch modifications, this bike ran a very impressive 8.497 second quarter mile, topping out at 158mph after hitting the rev limiter before the 1340 foot mark. And that's with a 1.394 sixty foot time! Impressive huh? Looks like it could be the ideal RWYB tool!

SF197

Apologies for the minor hiatus in online reportage, due (this time) to Will being struck down by a psychotic, throat-strangling, intergalactic virus and MDM having a holiday throwing himself off mountains aboard two-wheelers without an engine.
A brief gap before the annual Guiness-binge that is the TT allows us to inform you that Streetfighters #197 is now in the shops, full of all the usual shininess, innovative builds, race reports and irreverent editorial that you've come to know and love (hopefully).

More Swollen Glands

Inveterate bike builder and all-round loon, Roland Sands, has revamped his website and got himself a regular blog too!
While he has been known to build the occasional hard-tailed choppery type thing, it's the performance-orientated, cafe racer and flat-tracker influenced bikes that he creates that really float our boat, like this beauty, christened the 'BuHell'.

More info and updates on Roland's site here including this sweet little KTM cafe racer.

Damp Fizzing

Those blokes 'of a certain age' will have a soft spot for Yamaha's 50cc FS1E - the bike that, for many, was their introduction to motorcycles. More than just a moped, the Fizzie had gears and, in the right hands, could be tuned to hit 60mph, so those that had, or lusted after, a Fizzie when they were a spotty teenage oik will like these pics.
And before you all start whining about how a Seventies two squeak shouldn't be on the Streetfighters blog, take a closer look at the pics...


... and in particular have a look at the engine...


Remember that the original FS1E was air-cooled, and then marvel at the work that's been put into this little wonder. It's far more modified than m,any of the Bandit or GSX-R 'streetfighters' that we see on the roads...
This bike was spotted at the last Straightliners round at Elvington, and is a timely reminder that next Sunday, the 23rd May, sees the next round of the championship return to Elvington airfield near York, with all eleven classes taking part. More info here or here

Tyne Tunnel Troubles

This next Saturday, May 22nd, the South East Northumberland wing of the Motorcycle Action Group are holding a demonstration against tolls being charged to motorcyclists who wish to travel through the tunnel under the river Tyne, a move which directly contradicts the congestion-busting abilities of motorcycles and means that we have to pay to hear the wonderful noise that a free-flowing pipe makes in a tunnel...
The demo begins at the Washington Wetland centre, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 8LE at 11an sharp. more details can be found here or by emailing tynetunnelprotest@southeastnorthumberlandmag.co.uk

Supermarket Superstreet

Following on from the previous post, there's a way where you can get to see the unmissable Superstreet class at their potential best at this year's Main Event at Santa Pod effectively for nothing!
By using your Tesco Club Card points (or, more likely, those of your wife / girlfirend / mother / sister / daughter / sheep) you can get tickets for Monday of the Main Event (that's the 31st May).
The novel move – an industry first – means just £9 worth of Club Card vouchers is all it takes for one ticket for the entire day, to watch over 250 of the quickest and most dramatic racing teams in Europe battle head-to-head in stunning machinery that can hit over 300 mph in under 5 seconds!
The Main Event has become well known as a superb family day out, with a real emphasis on all-round entertainment as well as the pinnacle of motorsport action. Kids can also enjoy free paddock access to meet the drivers, stunt show, Monster Trucks, kids’ entertainers, a full sized funfair and even a WW2 battle Of Britain memorial flight. Basically, something for everyone!
For more details on the event, please click Santa Pod or call the team on 01234 782828.
For more details on the Tesco Club Card offer, please click
here

Superstreet blog

Those of you who follow the British drag racing scene may be interested in a new blog being posted on the Eurodragster website by ex-outlaw builder and drag fan extraodinaire Stephen Moon.
It's following the build-up of tensions in the Superstreet Bike class as we approach the Main Event at Santa Pod, the biggest drag race meeting of the year in the UK, and the one meeting at which we're likley to see track conditions that match those at which the astounding 7.1 second quarters have been recorded by equal bikes in the States.
Will the American times be matched? Will a new UK record be set? Get up-to-the-minute gossip here

Heavy Breather

Although Suzuki's range of oil cooled Gixers and Bandits are renowned for building crankcase pressure and thus needing crankcase breathers to be fitted, especially if in tuned form, the later water-cooled GSX-Rs and Hayabusas don't seem to have this problem.

The owner of this Hayabusa doesn't really care whether Busas need additional engine breathers or not, as he knows that breathers look really cool...

The Truth Will Out...

Okay, so the editorially-designed cover that we showed you yesterday was just MDM and Will pissing about with a printout, this is the real cover...

SF196 will be heading out to subscribers tomorrow, and will be on newsagents' shelves on Thursday 6th May.

SF #196 with all-new cover style

Streetfighters issue #196 is looming ever closer, like a particularly fat man approaching the deep end of a swimming pool at speed.

In this edition we bring you pukka fighters from Canada, France, Finland, the USA and a special feature on Aussie specialists Extreme Creations. From closer to home we have a magnificent MV Agusta/GSX-R hybrid splashed across the centrespread with a decidedly soggy Gemma Newman, and also a gorgeous Bandit 600 fighter, a GSX1400 from the project maestros at Just Motorcycles, the lowdown from Straightliners Round 1 and updates from our various project bikes, not to mention tales of glory and disaster with our adopted circuit racers.

Essential reading. Get yourself one bought and surf the chubby jumper’s bow wave all the way to motorcycling happiness…

And here's what happens when the Editorial Team co-operate on the production of the cover... Better, innit?

Bitsa Kaw

Here at Streetfighters, we've got a soft spot for this kind of bike. Built up with a selection of disparate parts, with the sole intention of the end result being a unique, performance-orientated motorcycle that is the epitomy of what the owner wants in two-wheeled transport.

Tres cool...

Trumpet Stunt It

It seems that Britain's only remaining motorcycle manufacturer is starting to gain favour with the mono-wheelers and tyre-destroyers amongst us, as not only is pro stunter Kevin Carmicheal riding Triumphs now (including the behemoth Rocket 3), but also Straightliners stunt champion Paul Hanks has turned to the Hinckley triples!
This pic shows Scot loon Carmicheal at the Scottish motorcycle show last month...

Watch out for Hanksy on his Speed Triple at the next round of the Straightliners Stunt Championship at Elvington on 31st July and 1st August as part of the Wings and Wheels weekend.

Fast Fields

You may remember the two Fields Performance Hayabusas built and raced by father and son team Mike Sr and Mike Jr that we featured back in issue 189. Here's the elder Fields in action on the TV show 'Passtime' as aired on the Speed TV channel... how come we never get telly like that in Blighty?...

And did you notice the stickers courtesy of our US West Coast freelancer?

She Didn't Like Her Football...

... But she loved her 'Uddersfield!
This Sunday, the 25th April, sees Penny Farthing Fairs run the Huddersfield Autojumble at the grade 2-listed, ex-fish market in the Old Market Building in Brook Street, Huddersfield (postcode HD1 1RG for those au fait with modern technology, and right next to Tesco, just off the ring road for those of you who ain't).
With admission at just £2.50, it's an opportunity to get any last minute detailing parts for the new riding season, or with pitches starting from £16, the ideal opportunity to flog all the excess swag you've collected over winter...

How Will You Vote?

As our editorial witterings have mentioned, the United Kingdom will be facing a general election within a month.
On May 6th, all us grown-ups (who aren't certified or locked up) can vote. Many of the general public rate the voting procedure as 'a waste of time', but we would be in no place to complain about a future political situation if we hadn't placed our 'x' on a peice of paper...
Naturally, we should all be ensuring that we vote for the party with the best two-wheeled credentials, but this interesting little brew time survey may give you a surprise.
You want to know how your believes should affect the way you vote? - have a look here

Catch Tank

While we don't tend to refer to those four-wheeled contraptions much here at Streetfighters, very occasionally we'll see something on a car that is of interest. Invariably it's a turbo or a neat wheel that would fit on a single sided swinging arm, but there's also a few aftermarket goodies for the performance car market that can be shanghai'd for use on a bike.
Take, for example, this catch tank from Car Builder Solutions, neat innit? And dirt cheap at the current half price deal of just £28...
More details from Car Builder Solutions

SF 195 Fighting Talk

While we might already have made mention of the forthcoming General Election on the pages of Streetfighters, an actual date still hasn’t been announced (Note, it hadn't when we first wrote this piece - it has now, it's May 6th) on which the great unwashed (well, those who can be bothered, anyway) can drag themselves down to their local town hall/primary school/public toilet and exercise their hard-won, inalienable right to scrawl a pencilled ‘X’ in a box on a piece of paper. What is clear, however, is that the election must be held by the 3rd of June, though it’s become blindingly obvious that the current Labour government is hell bent on clinging to power until the very last possible moment…

Irrespective of precise timings, all of the political prattle is exceedingly dull, and even the possibility of a ‘hung parliament’ is nowhere near as exciting as it sounds, so we decided that those who have the potential to be in power come June could do with some alternative suggestions as to how they can repay the people who will have put them there – the Great British Public. After a spot of brain-storming (read, forty minutes and twenty quid spent in the pub), we came up with the 2010 Streetfighters Manifesto, which is displayed in the new issue.
Please make your comments!

Streetfighters - New Policy Shift

It's been brought to our attention many times over the years that our particular brand of 'humour' has, on occasion, veered far to close to male chauvinism and sexism.

After a number of official complaints we have now been warned by the Press Complaints Commission that our manner is "outdated, shallow and a relic of a byegone age where women were seen as second-rate citizens...".

Also under fire is our use of topless models, branded "sickening, exploitative and borderline pornographic," by the PCC. And the models themselves apparently are "artificial-looking and not a fair representation of the average female's figure, build or style".

Of course, this is all bollocks to us, but they have us over a barrel. As a result, from the next issue, things will be changing. Our models will now be treated with the respect we'd give our own mothers, and will no longer be seen as beautiful pneumatic babes which we pay to take their clothes off. During topless sessions, MDM will only be able to direct the photographic action by viewing with a mirror, otherwise he'll turn to stone for all eternity. And Stu will not be allowed to attend shoots at all any more in case his "Oops, I slipped" tactic for copping a quick feel causes any offence.

As for me? I vow to treat all our models with maximum respect. I will enquire about their health, education and hobbies in a strictly cordial manner and will never, ever, ever view any of them as a sex object or anything less than an intelligent human being. Even when they're butt naked.

We hope for the understanding and support of our readership at this difficult time.


Respectfully enquiring about the details of Hollie's private health insurance plan, yesterday.

Manchester Show

It's Easter Weekend ahead of us and, with the weather seemingly reverting back to proper spring weather instead of the wintery glitch that hit the north of the country at the start of this week, many of you will be looking for somewhere bike-orientated to go.
While there's British Superbikes at Brands Hatch, and the first round of ACU drag racing at Santa Pod, they will be susceptible to spring showers, and there will be other rounds later in the year... However, the Manchester Motorcycle Show at the G-Mex in (surprise, surprise) Manchester is predominantly indoors so you have cover from any potential precipitation, yet have the opportunity to bask in any spring sunshine while watching the outdoor stuntshow and bike training. And, if you are a BSB fan you'll be able to watch qualifying from Brands Hatch on Sunday and, if you're one of those twisted weirdos with a fascination with balls and men in shorts, the Manchester United v Chelsea game will be aired on the Saturday.

Outside, the Vertical Trix stunt team will be abusing their Kawasaki ZX-6R stunt bikes, and displaying the sort of talents seen in the booming UK stunt scene, and they're also bringing along their wheelie machine - available for all to try!

Also inside will be the Steve Colley trials stunt show, plus all the usual trade, clothing, tool, merchandise and club stands. Naturally, the Streetfighters stand will also be in attendance, with a variety of modified machinery to drool over, including the bike that was given a sneak preview in the new issue (on sale in newsagents today, or at the show!)in the Next Month piece...