A Ride Around Ryde On Leyland Leopard JKM165V 

One of these used to bounce about the single-track roads on Islay (Portnaheven to Bowmore) in the late 1970’s.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this, I feel like a kid again. Every time I got on a coach I'd be disappointed if it wasn't a leopard. No other engine sounded as good to me!

The fact that it's a Duple Dominant 2 does it for me. I don't know if the similar, but less attractive, Plaxton Supreme was ever run on Leopard chassis, but the Dominant 2, for me, was always the far more handsome of the two, and the most attractive coach built to that point - even now in fact. Whilst not here (these are the 'clapping' type), even the windscreen wipers had a synchronised side-to-side grace.

Can’t remember if I’ve said this before in previous comments but I do love the smell of old diesel engines, something about it is very nostalgic, it takes me back.

Great sounding and lovely gear changes. 😄👍

Thank you for posting. I smiled when I saw the '70' sticker on the dash, we had several Leopards in the United and Northern General fleets which we used to deploy on limited stop and National Express duties. They needed to be watched on a nice gentle motorway descent. We would of course make the most of the acquired momentum to prepare for the up-hill gradients, at the top of which you would be grinding along at 50! Happy memories though, especially if you got to drive one of the Northern Leopards with a splitter. By the way, the noise from the brakes when reversing was common to nearly all Leylands - the same for most Tigers and Olympians.

Nice, they used to use these on our school runs to the swimming baths back in the mid 80s, (bullock coaches ?) remember them well, thanks for the video.

Sounds lovely. We ran Leopards, and the owner would insist we chamfer the trailing lip of the brake shoes to stop the hideous noise when reversing. It worked too!

What a lovely sounding engine. Love the way she hums and purs. Can’t beat a good old sounding motor. Was she the poor girl with the heavy breathing Gardner diesel? Thank you for sharing,

I loved driving Leopards, reliable and very economical. I prefer them to modern coaches. I drive a VDL nowadays though.

Seeing coaches like this reminds me of school trips back in the 80s, though i used to prefer going on the volvos. You should bring it up to Llandudno transport festival.

I love this bus, I believe she's only one of 3 surviving Duple bodied leopards left in the UK.

The O.680 sounds sweet.

Is the music at the start the TVS Coast to Coast theme?

This ex maidstone and district im certain.am i correct?.