Issue 28 is here!

With Aussie Tim Kill's '44 Harley big twin flattie on the cover, issue 28 features great bikes – a flathead, three Knucks, a Shovel, an Indian Chief, a Triumph and a Honda CB750 – and events from around the world. Japan, USA, UK, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden... we visit 'em all in this issue.

Look forward to:

Stuff to spend your hard-earned on
Dr Sprocket's column: My friend Richard
Tim Kill’s U, all the way from Cockatoo!
Swedish class, Peter’s ‘46 Knucklehead
Redface Redskin: Dave’s 1940 Chief
Tetsu’s ‘44 Knuck, designed in Tokyo
The Castle Run, Denmark: beer & bikes
Knuck with a twist, Al Braff’s ‘47 EL
The Joy of Choppers: Chuckie’s Shovel
Hip Honda from Finland, Teemu’s CB750
Paul Whitehurst does it again: ‘52 T-bird
Bottrop 2012: what did you miss?

Get yours HERE.

Hayridin'

All my very favourite people were at the Hot Rod Hayride this year.


Had a very enjoyable time.

Steve won the GKM trophy for his Sporty, built in five hours.

Gone... like a cool breeze

Blimey, I hope I remembered everything.

Mags, tees, plastic chairs, Stella... er... motorcycle.

What more do you need?

See you tomorrow at the Hayride.

Hot Rod Hayride News... Listen up

GKM will yet again be a sponsor and have a stall at this great event, so come and say hello.

Even better, we will be having a back issue sale... so if you've never bought the mag, now is an unrepeatable chance to try a copy at well under online prices! (This offer will not appear anywhere else).

Here's the deal:

Back issues will be £4 each
Buy 5-9 mags and they will be £3 each
Buy 10-20 and they will be £2.50 each
Buy over 20 and get 'em each for two quid!

So come by and save, save, save!

I'll also be presenting a vintage 1950s bike trophy and a GKM subscription to my pick of the bikes at the show.

So don't miss it... or us!

HOT ROD HAYRIDE INFO HERE.

The results

It was good meeting Garry Stuart yesterday (see below). Anyone who has ridden custom bikes in the UK over the past couple of decades will have looked at his photos in bike mags or bought one of his books.

He has photographed some iconic spreads, many of which I have kept for years in a manila cuttings folder. The shots of Flathead Phil were his, and much of the content in the Big Red Machine magazines from the early nineties.

He also has some great stories about shoots in years past, a couple of which I hope to relate to you in GKM.

Anyway, if you want to see a bit more of what went on yesterday, check his Tumblr page HERE.

(Look closely at my face in that photo; I look just like James Galway. I kept blinking because of the dust on the farm track. At least it wasn't mud.)

Went shooting today

Only I was the one shifting vehicles and not having to worry about light levels for a change.

Nice to meet you Garry.

Leaving Copenhagen

James (left) and Emil, two of Copenhagen's Killer Bobbers crew, leave the city for Krenkerup Castle and the inaugural Castle Run.

That weekend in May was such good fun – one of the highlights of this year so far – I can't wait for the next one.

We have a little write-up on the event in issue 28, which will be released in just over a week's time.

Location, location

Garry Stuart is shooting the Old Gold Dodge and the Pan for Classic American magazine on Monday, so as the sun was shining I spent the morning hunting down a few possible locations on the bike.

The more rural you go, the better the roads get... and the less teeth the locals have. Ended up on a deserted airfield covered in abandoned turkey sheds and a couple of portacabins, apparently occupied... ever seen Wolf Creek?

Exactly a year ago

I was shooting 6.9%er Steve's Triumph in Swindon.

Looking back through the photos, he is cracking jokes, looning about and laughing in most of them. Trying to find one of him doing a 'biker' face for the mag was hard; and that's why I like him so much.

(Remember what we were talking about I took this one?)

He doesn't let the grass grow under his feet and in 12 months has chopped that Sporty, got rid of that Triumph, changed hot rods, gone from Stocker to Widow and is planning to launch a boy band.

See you next week mate.

Lunchbreak

The theme tune still gets me excited

Matt Barker's Shovel

Tight!

More of this great bike soon in GKM.

Shot for us by the inimitable Mark Kawakami.

UK's best Ironhead for sale

Well, it is.

Zip is selling his Sporty. It's featured in the current issue of GKM (the photos above show it when it had the mini-apes in 2010) and there are more details about the bike and how to reach the owner HERE.

This bike is perfect mechanically and cosmetically.

Hawkeye Hillbillys

Lid, vest, sunglasses, boots, leathers, bike, result.

Everything about this bloke is cool. On Any Sunday, of course.

Blog photo op-slop

Huh huh, yeah, so like... Bacon! Hog! British... American. Huh huh... Oh I must stop and take a photo next time I'm passing. It will look so witty.

But will I smile cleverly to myself when my generator gasket decides to blow as I pull to a stop? As it spurts like a pierced artery? Huh huh... oh.

Panel play

My boy loves it. Unfortunately I'll have to break it to him that the '58 will soon be going onto the sacrificial pyre know as Ebay...

10 reasons to book your tickets for the Trip Out

1. Europe's best hot rods and choppers
2. In England
3. DicE Party Friday night... yes!
4. Chance to win a custom bike built by Boneshaker Choppers
5. Kick-ass bands, including Magnum 500 (reformed for this show) and The Black Tibetans
6. Bike show with great prizes sponsored by GKM
7. 60s-style trophy girls!
8. Trade stands with stuff you actually wanna buy
9. Pete Stansfield's birthday!
10. I'm DJing!

Get involved! If you have a traditionally-styled, show-worthy chopper or bobber you want in the show tent, email me at theboss@greasykulture.com ... it will be free entry for you, with great prizes to win.

If you want to be a Trophy Girl, want tickets or want to trade at the show, please contact Choppergod Productions HERE.

It's gonna go off...

VL springer for sale in UK

TC, aka Mr Tinselcat, is selling a nice VL fork, very original with the original stem. He is also selling a VL frame. The springer is here in England, the frame still in the States.

These never come up for sale here. But I didn't need to tell you that. Tin of Quality Street can be negotiated as part of the sale, but all the soft purple ones have been eaten.

Contact him for more details at TC@customxs650.com

Bernie Rhodes knows... don't argue!

Avon calling

And what my Speedmaster MkII was calling out, loud and clear, was 'I'm knackered'.

I'd put a new tube in it and it still wasn't holding air... and no wonder really. The bead was rotten and it wasn't until today that I realised tyres have date codes! As you can see, my tyre – which I've been running on the Pan for 18 months – was made in 1969. I bought it fitted to my super-skinny Jones rim off the 'Bay and it seemed sound so I used it.

Until now. I took it to the pros this time, and the bloke who removed it asked incredulously "you weren't using this on public roads were you?".

Hey, some people just don't get it.

A new one's on order. I also didn't know until today that all Avons are still made in England.

They last well!