# The Bikes I Rode



## prof20 (Jan 11, 2007)

After posting for all you aging Mods its the 'Greebo's ' turn.

For all you aging Rockers who remember rumbles at Brighton and other seaside towns, here are the bikes I rode. (Not the actual ones but quite a few of them). I was a Beezer man and can name most of the bikes there.

Wish I had them now, even though they kept most of the oil on the outside of the engine. Worth a bomb!

What did you all ride and what can you name?






Roger


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

Although I had a few scooters to start with where I used to live at Eltham in SE London was a motorcycle shop belonging to Paul Dunstall who used to race bikes, his shop was a racers or cafe racers dream, as far as I can remember he never sold bikes only parts mind you it was 45 years ago

joe


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## smiler (May 23, 2005)

*The Bikes i Rode*

Brilliant film was a rocker late 50s, rode a triumph tiger 100c, about
1959 bought a 500cc Gold star rode that for 3 years then sold it for £80. wish i kept it I still dream of getting another Goldie, but they are now silly money, £10,000 plus.


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

I had a couple of uncles who worked at the AJS Matchless factory at woolwich London 

First motorcycle was matchless 500 single the last one in the 70ss was a cafe raced BSA Super Rocket then about 6 years I bought a Honda Pan European fantastic bike sold it 3 years later to stop me from killing myself

joe


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## Chausson (Oct 17, 2006)

I had a couple of bantams then a vespa scooter, 350 matchless, triumph 650 but a miss mash of a few bikes like gearbox off the bonny, barrels off the 500 and so on, next it was a speed twin, lastly aerial square four monster machine.


Ron


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

I was there at Brighton . . . in my blue Italian slim lapel,twin vent 3 ply mohair suit- alas not on my bike but in a mini . . . boy did we have some fun that day :wink:


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

First Bike 1974
Honda CB125, 4 stroke, Single, 
Suzuki GT 550, 2 stroke, Triple, 
Bultaco 250 Pursang, 2 stroke, single, 
Yamaha TY 175, Trials, 2 stroke, single 
Yamaha TY 125, Trials, 2 stroke, single
Fantic 250, Trials, 2 stroke
Suzuki GS400, 4stroke,Twin,
Honda ATC 110, 4 stroke, Trike, single, 
Honda ATC 200X, 4 stroke, Trike, single, 
Honda ATC 250R, 2 stroke, Trike, single,
Honda ATV TRX 250R, 2 stroke, Quad, single,
Suzuki TS250, 2 stroke,single 
Kawasaki 350 Mojave, Quad, 4*4, 4 stroke, single,
Honda PC50, chicken chaser, 4 stroke, single, 
Yamaha 350 Big Bear, Quad, 4 stroke, single,
Yamaha CW50, Billy Wizz , 2 stroke, single
Yamaha 200cc Blaster, Quad, 2 stroke 
Yamaha FZR 1000 exup, 4 stroke, 4 cylinder,
Yamaha 750 Super Tenere, 4 stroke, twin,
Honda CRM 250 MK2, 2 stroke, single,
Yamaha 750 Super Tenere, Supermotard, 4 stroke, twin,
Suzuki DRZ 400e, 4 stroke, Enduro, single, Then converted to Supermotard
Aprilia SR 125, Scooter, 2 stroke, single,
Yamaha, TDM 850, 4 stroke, twin,

Today
Gilera SKP50, Scooter, 2 stroke, single,
Gilera VXR200, Scooter, 4 stroke

Alan H


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

joedenise said:


> Although I had a few scooters to start with where I used to live at Eltham in SE London was a motorcycle shop belonging to Paul Dunstall who used to race bikes, his shop was a racers or cafe racers dream, as far as I can remember he never sold bikes only parts mind you it was 45 years ago
> 
> joe


I went to school in Eltham.

Didn't have a bike though but did go out with someone from Mottingham who had a Laverda. We both came off it at the lights down past The Yorkshire Grey. He was a silly ...... :roll:

Chris


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## camallison (Jul 15, 2009)

I had a BSA Gold Flash 650 twin for many years. Wish I had held on to it now. It was a beauty and, once I had changed the rocker box cover, oil consumption dropped dramatically. Stripped and rebuilt the engine and gearbox (separate, pre-unit) twice to "improve" it.

Anyone else had one of these beasts?

Colin


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

I turned down two bikes in my youth a Mk2 Squarial - didn't want it for £35 because it had a chair fitted. 

I was then offered a bike for £100 that I just couldn't afford to buy AND insure - a Black Shadow.

I ended up buying a 3T de-Luxe that was 4 years older than me for £7-10-0 and still have it (in need of a full rebuild).


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## camallison (Jul 15, 2009)

Stanner said:


> I turned down two bikes in my youth a Mk2 Squarial - didn't want it for £35 because it had a chair fitted.
> 
> I was then offered a bike for £100 that I just couldn't afford to buy AND insure - a Black Shadow.
> 
> I ended up buying a 3T de-Luxe that was 4 years older than me for £7-10-0 and still have it (in need of a full rebuild).


If I lived closer, I would offer to come and help you rebuild that 3T. Itching to rebuild a bike in my spare time when the weather is bad.

Colin


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

My first 'bike was a '55 350 'Jampot' Matchbox - and I never did get the blighter to run!

Then a beautiful little late-'50s Mondial - an Italian jewel (wish I had that one now).

My first new 'bike was a 1965 250 YDS3 Yamaha - a phenomenally well-made 'bike that went like a rocket. I was going to buy a YDS2 but then the Autolube '3' came out. I could blitz my friend's Golden Arrow on it (but he normally caught me in the 'twisties'!) and it would even stay with 500 Triumphs of the time.

There then followed one of the first Honda CB750 Fours (introduced in '69 but I bought mine new in '72), and then a '76 two-stroke 750/3 Suzuki 'Kettle', one of the best and most underrated bikes of all time in my opinion. When the three carburettors were properly in tune it ran like an electric motor and absolutely flew. Its' performance was eventually overshadowed by the 1000+'s that the Japs were then making, but it was quite light, handled tolerably well (for its time) and was real fun to ride (aren't they all?  )

Then a 120 commuter Suzuki; followed by a Sammy Miller Pre-'65 Tiger Cub Trials that I geared up for the road and put on the back of my motorhome - Frenchmen loved it as it was the same 'bike the French Army had used, apparently.

My current BMW R100R has lasted me for over 20 years and I can't see myself getting rid of her. I even towed her behind the m/home to France a couple of times and down to Spain/Portugal one winter.

Now that's Utopia... a motorhome AND a motorcycle. Aaaaah...!


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

...Oh, and the Tiger100 that I "cafe-racered" in my shed, then sold before I got it running. 
And the Bultaco that I built in the same shed with my Dad because (then) he saved on Purchase Tax if the 'bike came crated and semi-built. 
He bought it from Comerfords (Thames Ditton) and trialled it for a few years before he bought his current 1959 Beeza C15T for Pre-'65 Trials. That's still in original factory trim and is another gem. My Dad's 97 now and sadly cannot ride (those C15s need to be kicked to death to get 'em started!) but he still hangs on to that old 'bike. Memories...


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## rugbyken (Jan 16, 2006)

In 66 I inherited my bruv's James 200 cos his brand new Honda 50 was faster?????,
Came of too many times to really enjoy bikes my fault always had more desire for speed than sense , then one of the lads in the village lost his leg in a sideshunt & mum bought me a minivan as long as the bike went only ridden the occasional moped since


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## Gary1944 (Feb 21, 2009)

" Black Shadow", now theres a name to conjour with. A guy at the bottom of our road had one and I always watched it through a haze of green! Never got one myself though. My bikes were much more mundane. Started with a Francis Barnett Falcon. Pretty basic and slow etc, but I loved it. Then a 350cc AJS with a homemade sidecar. Very basic but it worked. Then an ex Police Speed Twin, with sprung hub. How the Police ever managed to chase anyone is beyond me, it went round corners as if the back end had its own steering, and definitely not controlled by me. Absolutely lethal, so after one memorable trip to London in freezing fog when the dynamo separated from the casing and sprayed my right leg with oil, I gave it to my younger brother as long as he came and picked it up!

Apart from a Honda 90 bought to do the 'Knowledge" for a London cab license that's the end of my 2 wheeled life. SWMBO forbade me from ever having another.

Drive safe, Gary.


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## joedenise (Jul 20, 2007)

Chris that wouldn't be Eltham green would it
I went to the Polly

joe


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## ChrisandJohn (Feb 3, 2008)

joedenise said:


> Chris that wouldn't be Eltham green would it
> I went to the Polly
> 
> joe


No, My primary school was St Mary's in Eltham High Street. At age 11 I went to school in Greenwich. Which was three bus rides from where I lived at Avery Hill.

Chris


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## Stanner (Aug 17, 2006)

camallison said:


> Stanner said:
> 
> 
> > I turned down two bikes in my youth a Mk2 Squarial - didn't want it for £35 because it had a chair fitted.
> ...


This is what it should look (and sound) like....






I've just seen what a collection of spares went for last week 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIUMPH-3...3651137?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item2ec500abc1

Another example of what it should look like.


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