Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more. Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
Ben Branch -
The Revolver by Carpy
Having started life as a 1976 Honda CB750 the bike had fallen on bad times and ended up sitting outdoors for over 20 years, 5 of which were in Carpy’s backyard. After receiving a commision for a new café racer build from an anonymous lady-racer in Australia he dragged it onto the back of his truck…
Serpico Aviators by Smith Optics
The Serpico range by Smith Optics falls into the retro aviator catagory, not a bad thing nowadays as many new sunglass-styles leave you looking like a surprised, futuristic bumblebee. Smith uses carbonic lenses (it’s a hard polycarbonite, not glass) to avoid the risk of getting broken glass thrust into your delicate eyeballs should you perform an accidental dismount off of whatever it is you were riding.
Gas Gas Tee by Metro Racing
Gas Gas bikes are said to be the best trials motorcycles in the world, the small Spanish manufacturer named themselves “Gas Gas” because in…
The Italian Job Car Chase Scene – 1969
Celluloid doesn’t get much better than this, The Italian Job is essential viewing for any self-respecting red blooded male. Featuring Michael Caine and Noel Coward the 1969 comic caper centres around a gold heist in Turin, Italy.
Monkee #25 by The Wrenchmonkees
This bike is, without question, my personal favourite build yet from The Wrenchmonkees. Based on a Norton Commando the minimalist, industrial style appeals to me. Probably because it looks exactly like a stripped down racer you’d have seen parked en masse outside the 59 Club in the 1960s.
Maddox Pulse Jet Bicycle Kits
Imagine if, for less than $1,000 USD you could build a jet engine in your garage, strap it to the vehicle of your choice, and blast off into the sunset. If this sounds like something suitably crazy for you I have good news. A man they call “Maddox” has your back. For $1,015 he’ll send you a kit that you can build with basic tools in your shed or garage.
Porsche 917s Awaiting Delivery
This long line of Porsche 917s was taken in 1969, the cars are all awaiting delivery to their respective race teams. The 917 went on to win Le Mans in 1970 and 1971, it was also the car that co-starred in Steve McQueen’s now infamous 1971 film “Le Mans”.
eBay Find: Model A Rat Rod
Rat Rods are one of those things that I love in spite of myself. I’d be embarrassed to drive one around town but I’d love to race them on dirt roads, up windswept beaches or across the Bonneville salt flats.
Goat Skin Gloves by Filson
Originally designed for the men who were trekking into the Klondike in search of gold, these goat skin gloves with a wool liner can…
Major Robert White’s X-15 Space Flight
The X-15 Space Plane had a top speed of Mach 6.72 (4,520 mph, 7,274 km/h) a service ceiling of 67 mi (108 km, 354,330 ft) and a blistering climb rate of 60,000 ft/min (18,288 m/min), the space planes were fuelled with liquid oxygen propellant and hydrogen peroxide.
Gravel Crew Honda CB400SS
The Honda CB400ss is a reliable and highly capable thumper that produces 29hp and 23ft-lbs of torque, the original bike weighs in at just 139kgs (306lbs) and by the looks of it, this reworked version is even lighter still.
Ayrton Senna Arrives – The 1984 Mercedes Nürburgring Race
The 1984 Mercedes Saloon Car race at the Nürburgring was meant to be a casual affair, quite who thought it actually would be a casual affair is unclear. It seems naive to think that a race track stacked with some of the greatest Formula 1 drivers of all time, all in identical cars, would be anything other than a four-wheeled version of a bare knuckle fist fight.