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First Motorbike

albion

Hya all :rolleyes:

First hand info.
run downstairs to ask hubbie.

Hubbie lived at 37 upperhighgate street.
In the entry next to his back garden was Millars. his house and then the girls school plus entrance then continuation of houses down the street.

The Albion was demolished many years later.
The opposite corner got bombed.
He said that as he was young it was called a
landmine ??? it cleared the whole area on the opposite side all arond the cromwell passage area to the corner.
He said some of it may have got damaged but not that much, it continued production for many years.
His family lived at no. 17 upperhighagate street before he was born (1936)

Family names Smith, wilcox, Farmer, Bradnock, ingram, bates,
 
My uncles motor bike and side car.

:cool: This is a photo of my momand myself posing on my uncles bike I used to like riding in the side car but it used to scare me. TTFN. Jean. :cool:
 
Heres a pic of one like mine, although I had leg guards on mine.
 
My first bike

I was 14, my cousin worked at the James M/C works in Greet. He called round one day and said he knew of a BSA Bantam 125 for sale, cost three old pounds. We went round to the seller and when I asked to see the bike he took me into a shed where three large coal sacks lay. One contained the frame, one the engine and the third all the other bits and pieces, the wheels were just lying around on the floor. My cousin said buy it as he would help me rebuild it, to cut the story short, we finally got the bike rebuilt and I spent many happy hours riding around the old bombsites that were numerous in Birmingham at that time.
One of my favourite moments was when I bought a new back tyre. There was only one place to go and that was Vale Onslow, I believe the shop is still trading. At the time I helped dad cleaning coaches at Smiths coaches, one of the perks was tips from the drivers for cleaning the coaches. The tips were all small denomination coins pennies, sixpences, threepenny bits etc. and they were all kept in a large sock. On the day I bought the tyre I took the sock along and when the price of nineteen shillings and threepence was announced out came the sock, to the assistants suprise, and I proceeded to count out the money for the tyre. Imagine a tyre costing that today.
 
re first bike

Kcirmast.great bike until the kick start splines stripped.and you had to run and jump on.my first bike was a bsa dandy,vale onslo was a good shop,the only prob was the waiting to get served. pete
 
Motorbike fan

Your recollections are very inspiring. I was a motorbike instructor in the the early 1990's for some years...

Previously was a security man at the Villiers motorcycle works in wolverhampton (then turned over to "anything goes" production). but then felt during my duties the respect for the place, its place in history:)
 
re motorbikes

hello.richie.i loved motor bikes,from my first dandy.i got a bsa sunbeam
250cc scooter.when some one pinched my dandy it was very fast,for such
little wheels.:D
 
re first bike

Hi Pete, as far as I can recall once the bantam was built it went on forever, it died when an ex mate drove it under a footbridge that crossed a ford by Earlswood lakes, there was a defined path that led through the river on to the bank again but this one time he veered of the path and the poor bantam sunk up to its saddle in thick black mud never to be seen again.
 
When my Dad bought a new bike, a BSA 250 C15 he left his old BSA Bantam 125 in the shed, that, I rebuilt and on my 16th birthday obtained my provisional licence. I learned to ride on that bike then, on passing my test I bought myself a second hand BSA 250 C12, great old bike, Happy days.
 
th_CAPCEHH7-2.jpg
This is a photo of my 1955 Ariel Huntmaster 650
 
My first m/cycle was an ex wd 350 areial. I traded that in at V.Onslow for a brand new Gilera. Then I had a string of Triumphs i/e speed twin thunderbird and bonneville. A BSA works rider lived by us. He must be dead now so I will name him. He was Bill Nicholson. He was also a BSA test rider and he came home on new bikes all the time. It was him going past our house that got me hooked on the sound of The Gold Star. I had a 350 then a 500. When I got married I gave them up and got a car. In the late 50s early 60s a group of us would frequent the Milk Bar in Shaftsmoor Lane. There was a variety of bikes including a Vincent. I forget the model but only the bottom half of the wheels, the top of the seat and the ends of the handlebars were visible. The lad who owned it was called Pete and he lived on the left hand side of the Coventry Rd travelling out of city in Hay Mills. There was of course Alex's pie bar on a bit of waste ground at the back of The Crown Hill St. but Most of those who used it were more music buffs than bikers. Although when I started working on doors I also started using Alex's. the Would you believe me when I tell you we went to the Busy Bee transport cafe at Watford for a sunday morning breakfast on more than one occasion. The M1 was new and had no speed limit. When I was a lorry driver I would pass the Busy Bee as I left London for home and always thought how balmy we all were going that far for a breakfast.
 
Brummie Nick, If that is not the model it was very similar. The bloke who owned was older than me, his name was Pete skelley. He kept it in immaculare condition as did most of us..
 
Thought you might like to see these

View attachment 16055 View attachment 16056

The first time i went solo was on a "Franny", i was about 13yrs old but my older brother had a Vincent 1000 and used to frighten the life out of me going through the lanes in Tamworth

bren
 
Last edited:
Hi Bren you said ''Fanny'' do you mean ''Franny''as in Francis Barrnet:)Mossy
 
OOPS, thanks Mossy, more haste less speed, too young for the other, spelling corrected :D

bren
 
Bren, They are great looking machines, I know todays bikes are all high tec but it is so dangerous these days. At least we could use our machines and have great fun with them.
 
There was classic car and bike rally in Burnham on Sea where I live last month, and this bike was there, B.S.A. Goldstar, 1961, one owner and its only done 205 mile, genuine. the old chap who owns it lives locally, has 24 old bikes which he takes to shows on a trailer usually, but he actually rode this one to this rally. the only things he has had on it are two new tyres, as the old ones had perished with age.
 
John70, my first m/bike was an ariel 3.50 ex wd. I had a couple of Goldies, 3.50 and 500. They were a dream. I had several Triumphs and a Gilera 4 pot. I loved my biking days but I really do feel that you have to think for everyone around you on the road nowadays. Thats my excuse for not riding them anymore. The real reason is because I can not go slow. In the car I can drive all day at a leisurly pace, if I get on a bike I NEED to go fast.
 
Re: re first bike

U Can See One @ Cosford Aif Museum.
Rupertbri.
''A CORGY THAT IS .''
 
my first bike was a triumph tiger cub £10 and i was sixteen. I then had another cub,matchless 650+sidecar,royal enfield crusader, triumph thunderbird,panther 650, ariel vb+car,bsa b31,bsa shooting star,bsa rocket 3 and finished off with a honda goldwing 1000. I haven't rode a bike for over 25yrs, and i must admit i was very lucky at times so i decided not to tempt the devil when i married. However they were the some of the happiest years i remember, and i could tell some funny stories. ;)
 
My husbands first and only motorbike was a triumph tiger cub. He bombed down Witton road on it with his mom watching and she chained it to the nearest lampost.:cry::cry::cry: Oh dear. Jean.
 
Louis Dalby said:
Just add JOL 86 to the list, taken June 1948 in Hollywood South Birmingham.
Click to expand...

Must have been one of the very first Bantams that Louis, my first bike was a Franny Barnett 125 in 1953, I lived close to Hollywood then, Highters Heath Lane.
 
john70 said:
Must have been one of the very first Bantams that Louis, my first bike was a Franny Barnett 125 in 1953, I lived close to Hollywood then, Highters Heath Lane.
Click to expand...

Yes I was 16 in Dec 1947 and I had my bike in Jan 48. they where export only at the time but my father was working in the gun shop at the BSA so was able to get one for me. I joined the firm the following Oct. I lived in Arundel Road during the war, we had a little school next to the Church later we all went to Silver Street. The picture was taken at an old school mates who lived just past Dark Lane on the Alcester Road.
 
Stitcher said:
My first m/cycle was an ex wd 350 areial. I traded that in at V.Onslow for a brand new Gilera. Then I had a string of Triumphs i/e speed twin thunderbird and bonneville. A BSA works rider lived by us. He must be dead now so I will name him. He was Bill Nicholson. He was also a BSA test rider and he came home on new bikes all the time. It was him going past our house that got me hooked on the sound of The Gold Star. I had a 350 then a 500. When I got married I gave them up and got a car. In the late 50s early 60s a group of us would frequent the Milk Bar in Shaftsmoor Lane. There was a variety of bikes including a Vincent. I forget the model but only the bottom half of the wheels, the top of the seat and the ends of the handlebars were visible. The lad who owned it was called Pete and he lived on the left hand side of the Coventry Rd travelling out of city in Hay Mills. There was of course Alex's pie bar on a bit of waste ground at the back of The Crown Hill St. but Most of those who used it were more music buffs than bikers. Hi Although when I started working on doors I also started using Alex's. the Would you believe me when I tell you we went to the Busy Bee transport cafe at Watford for a sunday morning breakfast on more than one occasion. The M1 was new and had no speed limit. When I was a lorry driver I would pass the Busy Bee as I left London for home and always thought how balmy we all were going that far for a breakfast.
Click to expand...
Hi there Stitcher I read your contribution with great interest . As a road tester at Bsa I would like tio say that there were at one time 16 of us working on test. The man who tested the Gold Stars lived aoy Knowle way as far as I remember Name was George Statham . The man you name Bill Nicholson was a Trials Rider and a very good one too. He was an Irishman . He would ride up the stairs in the main factory and back down with no problems at all. . I am sure Bill Nicholson never worked on the test..
I recall he had a Wolsely Wasp sprts car with a locked up rear diff and he would plant the foot and spin the wheels at every corner he came to.
I hope I do not offend you by refuting your story but with the passage of time some things become unclear Cheers to all who read this Joe Brown Australia
 
Post #43 is interesting in that the bike behind is a Norton 1000 and seems to be a Vincent 1000 Vtwin in a Norton featherbed frame. I think I have read about this combination but this is the first picture I have seen.
 
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