Duchess by Side Rock
Side Rock Cycles was founded by Pete Hodson who’s been in the motorcycle and automotive trade since the mid ’70s. With a road racing background to a national level and various club championships to his name, plus years of competition enduro and trials experience, Pete knows how a bike should work. This experience reflects in the design and builds of the bikes. Motorcycles to him aren’t just a passion, they’re a way of life!
Side Rock is based in Bournemouth and specializes in building custom cafe racers, street scramblers, ‘Brat Style’ bobbers and any other style of motorcycle a customer may fancy.
Although a majority of the builds are BMW ‘Airhead’ based – hence the ‘Side Rock’ name, many other makes and models are used as a basis for Pete’s clients custom builds.
Apart from complete builds, smaller projects and modifying customers own bikes as well as servicing are also undertaken and Side Rock also supply custom cafe racer and scrambler parts to customers if they want to modify their own bikes.
Dutchess is one of Pete’s recent creations and is based on a 1978 BMW R80, though the client’s inspiration was the late ’60’s BMW R69S – a single seater, which had a colour coded frame to match the rest of the bodywork. Finished in ‘Dover’ white, which is a creamy, off-white, it was exactly what he wanted SRC to mimic but in a more modern, high-tech package.
Once the rest of the spec had been finalised, the tear down began and very quickly a large box of unwanted parts which were not going to used accumulated. With the bike stripped the frame was de-tabbed of unwanted brackets and new mounts fabricated on the swinging arm to take the tyre hugging rear mudguard. When done, off to the paintshop they went along with the rest of the bodywork. The motor and transmission came apart for a refresh, upgrades and a colour change. As this ‘bobber’ didn’t require a traditional sub-frame, new top shock mounts were fabricated and much longer, custom-made, fully-adjustable YSS shocks were ordered to create the ‘laid down’ look.
A gorgeous new single seat, beautifully covered in ‘New Delhi’ brown leather was created by our go-to upholsterer Glenn Moger and fitted snuggly onto the minimal mount which also houses the tiny new three in one (stop, tail and indicators) Motogadget Tens 3 combi lights.
A full suite of Motogadget’s finest electrickery was mated up to a new bespoke wiring loom along with a small but powerful Antigavity Lithium Iron battery housed in one of SRC’s under transmission stainless battery boxes. Just behind the new Renthal 28mm ‘fat bars’ is the start button, housed into the stainless top yoke nut.
Having come with the desirable spokes wheels, they were refurbished with satin black rims, stainless spokes and Avon’s really good Roadrider tyres. The fully rebuilt brakes were also upgraded with EBC floating discs and black stainless hoses.
For a bit more performance, a full satin stainless freer flowing exhaust system was crafted and the overhauled carbs dialled-in to suit.
It sounds as good as it looks, rides great and as Jonathon, the owner, lives in London it’s also exempt of ULEZ charges, Road tax and Mot as it’s over 40 years old.
Happy days!
Words and pictures courtesy of Side Rock Cycles
siderockcycles.com