Back Street Heroes

Back Street Heroes is the UK’s biggest-selling and best custom bike magazine. We cover all styles of custom bikes and the custom biker lifestyle.

Editorial • WE DID IT – 500 ISSUES! 5-BLOODY-HUNDRED! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? I BET WHEN THE LATE MR MYATT AND THE, ER, CURRENT MR MCFARLANE STARTED THIS ‘ERE MAGAZINE SOME 42 YEARS AGO BACK IN 1983, THEY COULDN’T EVEN CONCEIVE OF SUCH A THING!

FAT SKELETON GEAR COMP!

STEAMPUNK MOBILITY SCOOTER • I WILL APOLOGISE PROFUSELY FOR STARTING THIS CELEBRATION OF GREAT BRITISH ECCENTRICITY ON A SLIGHTLY DEPRESSING NOTE BUT, AS THE BIKER, PARTICULARLY THE BIKE-BUILDING SIDE OF IT, COMMUNITY GETS OLDER AND MORE AND MORE OF US SLIP OFF THIS MORTAL COIL, THE COUNTRY, NAY THE WORLD, WILL BE THE SADDER FOR IT.

Jenny Dun GOOD • YEAH, I KNOW THAT, TECHNICALLY, THE TITLE OF THIS ARTICLE SHOULD BE ‘GENNY DUN GOOD’, BUT PEOPLE CALLED GENERATOR SHOVELS ‘JENNYS’, WITH A J, NOT ‘GENNYS’ WITH A G, DON’T THEY, SO…

IN THS CITY, IN THE RAIN • IT WAS RAINING, BUT THEN IT ALWAYS RAINS IN THE CITY, AND WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

101 RUN • I’M GUESSING THAT IF YOU’VE BEEN READING BSH FOR ANY TIME NOW, YOU’LL KNOW WHAT THE 101 RUN IS? LET’S PRETEND WE’RE ALL NEWBIES TO IT THOUGH, SHALL WE, AND I’LL EXPLAIN…

EIGHTIES' ONDA • TAKING ON SOMEONE’S UNFINISHED PROJECT, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT’S SOMEWHAT OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE, CAN BE A BIT OF A DAUNTING PROSPECT, AS KEITH, THE OWNER OF THIS ‘ERE ‘ONDA CHOP, CAN READILY TESTIFY.

THE ROCK & BLUES • FOR ME, THE ROCK & BLUES IS PROBABLY THE BEST VALUE EVENT OF THE YEAR–A FANTASTIC WEEKEND OF BIKES, MUSIC, WEATHER AND COMPANY; ALL WERE BRILLIANT.

LIFE-LONG LOVE • CARL GARRETT BOUGHT THE BIKE THAT WAS TO BECOME THE CHOP YOU SEE HERE NEW BACK IN 1984 WHEN HE WAS JUST 18 YEARS OLD, WHICH MEANS THAT, AS THE MERIDEN FACTORY CLOSED IN 1983, IT WAS ONE OF THE VERY LAST OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE.

CEPHALOPOD SURVIVOR • “GOD KNOWS WHY, BUT I SEEM TO HAVE ACCRUED AN ECLECTIC MIX OF BIKES OVER RECENT YEARS, INCLUDING A MONSTER TWO-LITRE AMERICAN PRO-STREET CUSTOM, A RUST-PATINATED 50cc NSU QUICKLY MOPED CALLED BILLY WHIZZ, A COUPLE OF OLD HARLEYS, AND MY BELOVED XS650 RAT-ROD ‘THE SPUD’ (AS FEATURED IN BSH). THEY’RE ALL RIDEABLE, TOO.”

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS… • IT’S BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE DESTINY CYCLES, VIC AND LIN, HAVE BUILT A TRIKE – THE LAST WAS, I THINK, THE RATHER STUNNING HIGH ROLLER BACK IN 2009. THIS ONE, THOUGH, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS VERY DIFFERENT…

BACK STREET HEROES

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT THAT LASTS ALL YEAR!

TOMINTOUL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING • I DON’T KNOW IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO THE VILLAGE OF TOMINTOUL IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS? IT’S ACTUALLY THE HIGHEST VILLAGE IN THE COUNTRY, AND IS LOCATED ON THE NORTH EDGE OF CAIRNGORMS NATIONAL PARK, AND HAS SOME OF THE BEST BIKING ROADS IN SCOTLAND WITH SPECTACULAR SCENERY IN ANY DIRECTION.

BLACK [N' WHITE] BEAUTY • DOING THE RESEARCH FOR THE ARTICLES IN THIS ‘ERE MAGAZINE CAN, AND OFTEN DOES, LEAD YOU DOWN RABBIT HOLES (FIGURATIVELY, NOT LITERALLY – NO RABBIT EVER DUG AN ‘OLE BIG ENOUGH TO GET MY FAT ARSE DOWN IT) THAT TAKE YOU FAR, FAR AWAY FROM WHERE YOU STARTED, AND DOING SOME INNOCENT GOOGLING FOR THINGS RELATED TO STEVE TODD’S GLORIOUS SIDECAR-EQUIPPED H-D 45 IS VERY MUCH A CASE IN POINT.

BANDITS ‘CROSS THE BORDER • A COUPLE OF YEARS BACK, MESELF AND THE GOOD LADY WORKED OUT A PLAN TO HAVE A FEW DAYS IN WALES RIDING FAMOUS ROADS LIKE THE ELAN VALLEY AND THE B4574 DEVIL’S BRIDGE ROAD, ABOARD A COUPLE OF PRESS TEST BIKES – A PLAN THAT DIDN’T GO QUITE AS PLANNED DUE TO ONE OF THEM DECIDING IT DIDN’T WANT TO MAKE THE TRIP, REQUIRING HER TO GO ON HER RUST-PAINT HORNET, BUT IT WAS FUN ANYWAY.

RAT & SURVIVAL • SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS IN LIFE – DECISIONS THAT’RE A LITTLE SCARY, THAT KEEP...