Hi all. I live in Dublin. My name is John - not Paddy, Seamus or Mick ! I'm a proud member of the NORMAN CLUB, based in Ashford in Kent. My late brother who was seven years my senior, was into nothing but Villiers and was something of a master in repairing, riding and racing them. He used to have a 1952 James 8e 197cc plunger to which he had fitted a 4 speed Talismsn gearbox. He had also skimmed down the head and barrel to give it that little bit of extra compression. Some years later, I managed to get him a beautiful DOT frame with leading link forks. He duly installed the Villiers 197cc into the DOT. But, back to the James for a bit. When I was 9 and he was 16, he taught me to ride. From watching him ( side eyed ) I already had a good idea how to handle it. He passed away 5 years ago and up to 78 years old, he was still a maniac on bikes. But he NEVER strayed from Villiers. I'm now 76 and thanks to my big brother, I still have a "55 150cc Norman (road use ) and a 1953 DOT 197cc 8e ( Trials ). Well, that's my little lot. Thanks so much to anyone who has read this. John. L
Somebody my age: so what do you do in your free time? Me: ride and restore antique motorcycles same guy: you know my brother died on a motorcycle, I wont touch those things! Vs Old timer: man back when I was a kid we were trying to jump cushman scooters over the swimming pool like evil knieval! Me: did it work? Old timer: No...my dad thought it was hillarious, helped lift the bike out, then drank beer and napped as I hand scrubbed the entire pool for 11 hours
oh look at these harmless organised respectable motercyclists.I have been intrested in mods v rocker history of the time interestingly starts off with the negative tone utilsed in the media after clacton for both these groups then the oh look there like the clubs were used to in the uk nothing to see here safetly corralled .Trying to have it both ways!
I know the mods became skinheads, got into northern soul or became hippies when they realised the limits of speed. What became of the rockers? I heard they either joined 1% clubs, got into the teddy boy revival, got into the leather subculture or became hippies. Am I right?
Great to see and remember mr Andrew’s voice, he also commented on boxing matches, we had a red hunter 350 single on the farm to play on ! when we could ‘ find ‘ some petrol for it
I had two 1972 Zundapp Rickmans. Excellent handling but not very reliable plus they were cursed with that lousy Zundapp transmission. Parts were difficult to find. Cylinder bore was chrome plated so if it got gouged you had to buy an entire new cylinder. I'm sure the bikes are collectible now. That nickel plated frame was a work of art.
This was my childhood every weekend in the 60s. My dad was a scrambler. Remember one race waiting for him to appear and he didn't he had come off and broken his leg
Went to scramble events almost every summer weekend as a kid following my stepfathers racing, along with all of his friends he collected as a motorcycle dealer. Sadly, someone killed him while riding his bike many years later. This was a sport not many knew about. Events held on homemade tracks on farm land out of range from the noise and smoke. Sisters and I dusted over 700 trophies every week in our basement.
Bring back the Norton' Dominator .. the Triumph Bonneville and the famous BSA. Gold Star ... me the caf'e racer 1962---1967 in 1968 I Emigrated to Sydney Australia ...left everything behind...Then in 2006 .couldn't resist I had a Ducati. 750 Super Sport , last of. the 750 ..to old now for a bike like that so sold it .....in 2024 I will be 80...the Glory days of the British Motor Bike ...
Great video. Oh boy, we REALLY knew how to enjoy ourselves "back then". 59 Club and The Ace Cafe. Work hard all week, then ... whoopy, get the bikes out for the weekend.
I was young, I was fresh faced, I rode my A10 hard and fast, in the blink of an eye it disappeared...............live your young lives fast and furious my friends and worry about the consequences later!
I was young, I was fresh faced, I rode hard and fast, in the blink of an eye it disappeared...............live your young lives fast and furious my friends and worry about the consequences later!
That was amazing! Did the Mods do any of that? They just fought and swore, but the Tons Ups did amazing things. Even today in Sheffield, England the Hell's Angels run a Teddy Bear Convoy for dying children in hospices there y:-) love to them all 🏆🥇🏁❤️
Yes 6 of us joined in 1966 and met Farther Shergold a real hero to a lot of young people . Great days on a bike . Hi to all who went to Christchurch youth club , Joye,s caf , The Minne diner and the Friar Tuck .👍👌
That old audio makes those two strokes sound like 4s. Those first post war decades were pretty good. And to this day, I have to find sand pit owners who close their eyes, and ears, to my riding. Until they become Amazon warehouses.
My old man was a greasy ton up boy in the old days with his Bonneville giving it large saying he was toning up all the time, fast forward and his grandson now flys around on a derestricted Hayabusa clocking 200 mph top whack. The 87 year old rocker went out on the Hayabusa and said it was too lively and pokey and mentioned if he had this in his time back then, he’d be dead showing off but would have pulled all the birds and more lol
