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I created the site after my daughter bought me the web site address as a present, and designed the front page for me. I wanted to create an online diary as a record of the bikes that I build. Although the builds are normally quite complex, I rarely make drawings, preferring to measure and make parts ‘on the job’. I can obviously only do the diary for the current bike onwards, and I’m updating that blog from April when I started it to now (late October 2008). At least this way I should be able to record more of the logic and thoughts at the time as to why I go in various directions during the build. As time permits, I intend to produce outline blogs for earlier bike builds, though probably not to the detail of the current one.
The remainder of this blog is a ‘potted’ history of my background interest in motorcycles, and where it has led me to date.
Mum & Dad on Velocette
I never knew that my Dad had a motorbike. He just never really seemed the type, but I found this picture of him and my Mum on a Velocette. I believe it was taken sometime during the war period judging by the cover on the headlight. I also believe it is in the vicinity of the street where I was born and lived for the first couple of years.
My brother was 7 years older than me, and I can remember him coming home one day when I was 9 or 10, in trouble for buying a bike. Can’t remember what he had, but remember he also bought an ex-air force flying suit with heater coils in it that he rigged to connect to the bike’s battery.
My interest and enjoyment of motorcycles started when I was about 9 or 10 years old. At that time, John Surtees was world champion and he was the ’super hero’ of the era. We had no television, so the only way I heard of him was through newspaper pictures, reports, and through reading the MCN at the newsagents after I finished my paper round. In those days, the MCN did ‘proper’ race reports where the reporter described the actions of all of the riders lap by lap. I seem to remember most of it seemed to be filled with trials and scrambling reports.
In 1962, we had a TV and I remember watching Arthur Lampkin and Jeff Smith in the wide coverage they then gave on scrambling events on the Saturday sport program.
I realized recently that I have only ever had one new car and two new motorcycles in my life. Every other vehicle has been second hand and many have been bought with a lot needing doing to them. So, I guess that through both necessity and choice, I have always enjoyed doing something with the vehicles I have owned. I also realized that I don’t actually ever want another new vehicle. If I won the lottery, I’d like a small unit fitted out with good machine tools. I’d still buy all my bikes and bits from ebay and jumbles, and continue to enjoy doing my own thing with them.
Royal Enfield 250 Crusader Sports
My first ‘proper’ bike was this 1961 Royal Enfield Crusader Sports. Didn’t need a full license for a 250 then, and could have a provisional license for as long as you wanted. Didn’t need a helmet either which was a good job as I couldn’t afford the bike and a helmet! This was my transport for work and back. Only problem was a lack of funds for petrol. I remember running out of fuel regularly and leaving the bike in some garden of a house I was passing until I could afford fuel after payday.
Mk1 Austin Healey Sprite - Frogeye
My first car was this 1959 Mk1 Sprite that I bought from a guy I was on a course with at the time. He lived in Bristol and coming over the Severn bridge, the bonnet had come undone and being one piece and hinged at the bulkhead, it swung back, causing a lot of damage to the bonnet, and he couldn’t see where he was going. I was 20, just married and paid £25 for it. As I didn’t have a car license, I spent 6 months doing it up (new bonnet, overhauled engine, re-spray and inside rebuilt).