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

THE HOOK UP • THE HOOK UP, OR THE HOOK UP CHOPPER SHOW TO GIVE IT ITS FULL NAME, OVER/DOWN/UP (DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE IN THIS SCEPTRED ISLE) IN WALES HAS FIRMLY ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS ONE OF MY FAVOURITE EVENTS ON THE CALENDAR, AND THIS YEAR’S BASH (WELL, 2025’s COS THIS’S NOW 2026, ISN’T IT?) DIDN’T CHANGE THAT.

AS PEACHY AS CAN BE • GRAHAM BILLINGTON, THE OWNER AND BUILDER OF THIS EXQUISITE SHOVEL, HAD A PLAN TO BUILD A CHOPPER FROM EVERY MAJOR MODEL IN THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON RANGE (WELL, NOT EVERY, JUST THE ONES THAT HE RATES). HE’D RECENTLY FINISHED BUILDING NOT ONE, BUT TWO, SPORTSTER CHOPS, AND WAS PLANNING AN IRONHEAD NEXT WHEN HE SPOTTED A SHOVEL FOR SALE.

REJECTS BROTHERHOOD’S 182 SHOW • SO, WITH THE BEST INTENTIONS FOR PLANNING DAYS OUT, I USED T’INTERNET TO LOOK FOR THINGS AROUND THAT MAY INTEREST AND, THUS, ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF AUGUST, LOOKED AT MY OPTIONS, AND DECIDED AGAINST ONE IN HAMPSHIRE BECAUSE OF THE MAJOR ROADWORKS.

NEW YEAR SALE • Discover your new favourite magazine in 2026! We have something for everyone!

ARFUR IT’S ARFUR THIS, ARFUR THAT… • THE DEDICATION REQUIRED TO BUILD SOMETHING, AND BY THIS I MEAN A CUSTOM BIKE, A LITTLE OUT OF THE ORDINARY, IS SOMETHING THAT NOT EVERYONE HAS. IT’S SO MUCH EASIER, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BUILD A HARLEY AS YOU CAN, IF YOU SO DESIRE, BUY JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING, AND I MEAN EVERYTHING, YOU’LL NEED FROM SUPPLIERS LIKE ZODIAC AND MOTORCYCLE STOREHOUSE OFF THE SHELF, AND IT’S A SIMILAR, IF NOT QUITE AS STRAIGHTFORWARD, PROCESS TO DO THE SAME WITH A TRIUMPH CHOP OR A SUZUKI OIL-BOILER. IF YOU WANT TO BUILD, SAY, A 125 CHOP THOUGH…

STORMIN' THE CASTLE • I’VE GOT LOADS AND LOADS OF AMAZING THINGS TO TELL YOU ABOUT LAST SUMMER’S STORMIN’, BUT I’M GOING TO START THIS YEAR IN A SIMILAR VEIN TO 2024 WITH SOME NUMBERS.

50 YEARS IN THE MAKING…

WALDEN BIKERS' ANNIVERSARY PARTY • DUE TO THE WEATHER LAST YEAR I MISSED THE WALDEN BIKERS’ 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY. NEWPORT (THE ONE IN ESSEX, NOT THE ONE IN WALES) IS ABOUT 35 MILES FROM THE BSH EDITORIAL HOVEL AND, WHILE THE WEATHER WAS FINE THERE, IT WERE WIDDLING DOWN ‘ERE.

UN RAT FRANCAIS • THE STAR OF THIS YEAR’S* RAT & SURVIVAL BIKE & TRIKE SHOW, TO GIVE IT ITS FULL TITLE, WAS, APART FROM PERHAPS PHYPS’ TERRIFYING SIDECAR OUTFIT, THIS BIKE – NICOLAS FROM FRANCE’S 600 HORNET.

SPAT OUT OF HULL • THE 13-15 SEPTEMBER HERALDED ANOTHER SPAT OUT OF HULL RALLY, ORGANISED BY EAST YORKSHIRE MAG AS A THANK YOU TO ALL THE MARSHALS WHO HELP OUT AT YORKSHIRE MAG EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

HATED? • “LIKE MOST OF THE STORIES OF THE BIKES I’VE COME UP WITH,” SAYS CHRIS, “THIS ONE STARTS WITH A FEW BEERS.” IT’S AMAZING THE CREATIVITY ALCOHOL ENGENDERS, ISN’T IT?

BACK STREET HEROES

NEW YEAR SALE

LAST & FIRST & ALWAYS • THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT CHOPS WITH CLASSICAL BLACK N’ FLAMES PAINTWORK, ISN’T THERE? I MEAN, INTRICATE PAINT SCHEMES AND MURALS, WHETHER OF LADIES WITH POORLY FASTENED CLOTHING OR NOT, ARE GOOD, TOO, BUT THAT CLASSIC BLACK N’ FLAMES LOOK IS JUST SO, SO RIGHT.

TANK ART • ART IS, AS ALL ARTIST TYPES’LL SAY, SUBJECTIVE – BASED ON, OR INFLUENCED BY, PERSONAL FEELINGS, TASTES OR OPINIONS, AND OVER THE NEXT FEW ISSUES WE’LL DEMONSTRATE THAT. HERE’RE A FEW MORE TANKS AND MUDDIES SPOTTED OVER THE LAST SUMMER.

A(NOTHER) YEAR OF CUSTOM BIKING… • LAST ISSUE I LEFT YOU WITH A BIT OF A CLIFFHANGER: THE PICTURE OF A VERY POORLY-LOOKING BANDIT, AND A VERY BIG OIL SPILL – THE SAME ONE YOU SEE HERE.

BMW R18 B • IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME, WASN’T IT, BEFORE BMW, HAVING LAUNCHED THEIR OWN VERSION OF THE CRUISER MOTORCYCLE, THE R 18, BACK IN...