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

RACE THE WAVES • BEACH RACING, IN VARIOUS FORMS, HAS LONG BEEN A THING IN THE UK, AT MABLETHORPE, WESTON, AND PENDINE SANDS, BUT THE FIRST ONE I WENT TO WAS AT SAUNTON SANDS, IN DEVON.

SEAHORSE • IF YOU SAW ISSUE 482 OF THIS ESTEEMED MAGAZINE LAST YEAR YOU’LL’VE SEEN, ON THE COVER, THE QUITE, QUITE STUNNING ASYMMETRICAL SPORTSTER, THE GREAT DIVIDE, BUILT BY JUSSI ‘LUNKKA’ LUNDELIN, THE PRESIDENT OF ALIENS MC HELSINKI, THE FINNISH CLUB KNOWN FOR BEING TALENTED CHOPPER BUILDERS.

MODDEY DHOO TT BIKE SHOW • BEING AN ISLE OF MAN RESIDENT, AND USED TO ITS WAYS, CAN HAVE ITS ADVANTAGES – KNOWING MY WAY ACROSS THE MOUNTAIN, IN EVEN THE FOG THAT OFTEN FORMS, ALLOWED ME TO PASS THREE VISITORS ON SPORTSBIKES ON MY TRUSTY 500 BULLET ON MY WAY ACROSS TO PEEL AND THE MODDEY DHOO’S TT CUSTOM SHOW.

OUTCAST TRIKE* • SOMETIMES HAVING A LIKE, OR A DISLIKE, FOR A PARTICULAR THING CAN BRING YOU A WHOLE HEAP OF, IF NOT ACTUAL TROUBLE, WORK THAT, IF YOU’D’VE JUST KEPT YOUR MOUTH SHUT ABOUT, YOU WOULDN’T’VE HAD TO DO…

EAST COAST HARLEY CLUB CUSTOM SHOW • I’M NOT SAYING THAT GETTING ANYWHERE IN THE EASTERNMOST COUNTIES OF THIS GREEN (WELL, BROWN ACTUALLY) AND PLEASANT LAND IS A SLOW AND CONVOLUTED PROCESS, BUT TO GET FROM THE BSH EDITORIAL HOVEL TO THE GEORGE & DRAGON IN THURTON, IT’S SIGNIFICANTLY EASIER AND FASTER TO, RATHER THAN GO STRAIGHT ACROSS AS ONE’S INTUITION MIGHT SUGGEST, GO UP, ALONG, AND DOWN – SOMETHING THAT, IN MY AGE-ADDLED MIND, VERY DEFINITELY MAKES YOU GO “WOT?”

NEVER TRUST A HIPPIE • WHEN WE THINK OF CHOPPERS FROM THE 1970s, MOST’D GET AN INSTANT MENTAL IMAGE OF A BIKE WITH A HARLEY SHOVELHEAD OR IRONHEAD ENGINE, WOULDN’T THEY? PERHAPS ONE WITH A TRIUMPH OR BSA MOTOR, AS A LOT OF FOLK, ESPECIALLY ON THESE SHORES, WEREN’T ALWAYS WELL OFF ENOUGH TO AFFORD TO BUY STATESIDE IRON. THEY WEREN’T THE ONLY ENGINES USED THOUGH…

PISSED & CONFUSED MCC’S SUMMER RALLY • IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME, A LONG, LONG TIME, SINCE I’VE BEEN TO A PISSED & CONFUSED RALLY. IT MAY ACTUALLY’VE BEEN LAST CENTURY (ISN’T IT BRILLIANT TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT?), BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY AT THE SITE IN STEEPLE THAT FELT SO FAR EAST (ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT I LIVE IN THE EAST) I WAS HALF EXPECTING TO SEE MANDARINS AND RICKSHAWS, RICE PADDIES AND WATER BUFFALO.

‘MAX TO THE MAX • SPEAKING AS A FORMER V-MAX OWNER* MYSELF, I MUST ADMIT I DO HAVE A SOFT SPOT FOR YAMAHA’S LEGENDARY MUSCLE CRUISER SO, WHEN I WAS TOLD BY DANIEL AT KUSTOM CHOPPERS LTD THAT HE WAS JUST FINISHING OFF A CHOPPED ONE, I, AND THEREFORE BY EXTENSION, THE MAGAZINE WAS INTERESTED.

SCOUSE STUNNA!* • DON’T WORRY, YOU HAVEN’T PICKED UP A DAILY REDTOP WITH STORIES OF VAPID CELEBRITIES AND PICTURES OF YOUNG LADIES FOR WHOM PUTTING ON A SWIMSUIT THE CORRECT WAY ROUND IS MAJOR UNDERTAKING. NO, THIS IS STILL BACK STREET HEROES, BUT THIS BIKE IS FROM MERSEYSIDE AND IS, AS YOU CAN SEE, A BIT OF A STUNNA… SORRY, SORRY, STUNNER.

BACK STREET HEROES

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT THAT LASTS ALL YEAR!

PHOENIX • TO US ON THIS ‘ERE SIDE OF THE POND, THE TERM ‘BAGGER’ DENOTES AN AMERICAN V-TWIN WITH A FRONT WHEEL SO TALL AND SKINNY IT’D GIVE EKATERINA LISINA* A RUN FOR HER MONEY, A BATWING FAIRING, AND GROUND-SCRAPING SWOOPING REAR BOXES, AND THEY’RE OFTEN DECORATED WITH AMAZINGLY INTRICATE PAINTWORK AND/OR ENORMOUS STEREO SYSTEMS. NOT EVERYONE FROM AROUND THE WORLD THINKS LIKE THIS THOUGH…

TANK ART

ROYAL ENFIELD FT450 FLAT-TRACKER • A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ROADTEST THIS ISSUE COS WHILE THE BIKE YOU SEE HERE IS FOR SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, IT’S NOT AVAILABLE IN QUITE THIS STYLE.

Mr Bridges’ Motorcycle Diaries • I’M A LITTLE UNSURE ABOUT WHERE TO START THIS MONTH, SO I...