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BSA Testers.

As in Mick Casey from Lea Village? He's around my age,60 next birthday, if he's the chap I'm thinking of.
I may be wrong but I've an idea that he also passengered for our ex- business landlord, Peter Williams, probably on the Hillman Imp engined outfit.
I can't claim to know Mick well but he and I used to frequent Alex's over the same period, when it was over the road from the Albany Hotel.

Ian

PS I've just googled Mick Casey and discovered that he passengered the then British Sidecar Champion Peter Brown at the Isle of Man TT races on more than one occasion, they came second in 1970 on a BSA engined outfit, Peter having worked at BSA.
 
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The very same person,and i also used to go to alex,s opp the Albany and when it moved,it was,nt the same,as it happens if you have,nt noticed it there,s a thread called the double zero,and lot,s of memories from our rocker days.
i was in brum last night met up with a mate from 30 odd years ago,
he was,nt a biker but grt night.
mick had a road rocket a10 of coarse what bikes what days and nights we had. regards Derek
 
Derek, I've just found a reference, in the Lea Hall thread, to a photograph of a racing sidecar that you posted. I've tried many differing attempts on the search facility to no avail. Could you tell me where I can find it, Please?

Ian
 
welder said:
Derek, I've just found a reference, in the Lea Hall thread, to a photograph of a racing sidecar that you posted. I've tried many differing attempts on the search facility to no avail. Could you tell me where I can find it, Please?

Ian
Click to expand...
hi welder just Google classic racing motorcycle club,
or something in that area i pickup on things then have a clear out from time to time another real classic.co.uk i was on a site that i put my old photos on but my computer crashed and lost a lot of stuff it,s easy to find.
mick and myself went to lea village school we had a ball. regards Derek
 
Derek, next question! Do you remember the Narra Arra? The stripped down and tuned up Ariel Arrow used to frequent Alex's. I'll never forget the fantastic racket from it's expansion chamber exhausts! I believe it's owner lived in or near Sheldon.

Ian
 
Hi, in response to query about Chris Vincent, he was of course a very well-known racer in the '60,s. He was quite a hero, as has already been noted, noted for his battles against the BMW boys. A lad I know, Keith Scott, from Ellesmere Port, also passengered for Chris. I believe chris later owned or ran a motorcycle shop in the Leicester area, although wheter he is still there I don't know , Mal.
 
mallyb2 said:
Hi, in response to query about Chris Vincent, he was of course a very well-known racer in the '60,s. He was quite a hero, as has already been noted, noted for his battles against the BMW boys. A lad I know, Keith Scott, from Ellesmere Port, also passengered for Chris. I believe chris later owned or ran a motorcycle shop in the Leicester area, although wheter he is still there I don't know , Mal.
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Mal, hi. Chris sold the bike shop in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire, some years ago, was it coincidence that the shop was almost within sight of Mallory Park? Chris still lives in Earl Shilton.
Chris was a very successful solo racer too. British 50cc Championship winner, amongst other titles. I'll phone him soon for more info....I remember him beating Bill Ivy in a race at Mallory, possibly both on AJS 350cc 7R's.

Ian
 
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I do as it goes how he used to get away with that noise, i don,t know,but that wonderful smell of Castrol R he used to leave in his wake.
Did you find anything of interest on classic sidecars? there,s more out there than you think, i met a guy on Severn valley railway on Sunday, and i wished i,d have got his name he was from Wolverhampton he knew Percy Tate,did a lot of production stuff seamed a clever bloke. regards Derek
 
Hi Ian, it is interesting in the chatting about Chris Vincent that nobody has mentioned that he was, I believe, one of the pioneers of the 'kneeler' type sidecar, whereby the rider virtually lay along the machine. The idea of course, was to reduce wind resistance, and also to lower the centre of gravity of the outfit to improve the cornering. This was one of the few ways he could overcome the power deficiancey of his road-based engine compared to the works BMW's. This lead to some spectacular racing, heady stuff indeed.He did later race a four-cylinder machine with I seem to recall a URS (I think it was) engine built by his one-time rival Helmut Fath , Mal.
 
Mal, I didn't know that he was a forerunner in kneelers, every day's a schoolday:rolleyes:

Chris bought back his URS outfit, in a dreadful state, some years ago. I built an enclosed aluminium trailer for it and helped with repairs and restoration of many aluminium components. My brother spun him some carb bellmouths in aluminium to replace the fibreglass monstrosities it came with.
The outfit is now pretty well as it was when Chris raced it and sounds rather nice!

Ian
 
Hello again Ian,and anybobody following this thread, that sounds like a real labour of love, it must have been fastinating working on such a machine. Any chance of a picture of it, now THAT would be worth looking at. Keep up the good work,you remind me of a late friend of mine, he was always turning up parts for people on his lathe, he used to race a Manx Norton during Chris's era, cheers, Mal.
 
Hi to Welder; I remember Chris when he used to have a garage/workshop in Lea Village next to Braggs the bread shop often when I walked over from my shop to the cafe he would be working on something or another. He was an inspiration to many
riders held in high estime. Remember the old days listening to the TT's on the
radio after the second world war/Duke /Hailwood /Agostini aah!!!!! great days.
 
I worked at golden hillock rd for a while and went out with a BSA bike rider Chris Vincent he was sponsored by BSA and rode in th tt races at the Isle of man ..think thats right isle ? He lived after he got married in Pery Barr anyone else remember him and have any pics..I have heard that he has died.
Jean N
 
Oh I remember him very well used to spend my lunch break with him and also went to Beverley Yorshire in the lotus to get parts for bikes and we were seeing each other for a while had some good fun with chris we remained friends for a long time xx
Jean
How time flies when your having fun
 
Ian do me a favour and give Chris a big hallo from me been a lot of years since we last saw each other nice to know he,s still going strong my e mail is jaybird894@yahoo.com thnx tell him I now live in California xx
 
Thank god seems the info was wrong and hes still going strong ..see how wrong peeps can get it xx
 
Hi welder and anyone following this thread, found a couple old pics of c-v and this one of fritz as was welder we were at Mallory that fateful day.
fond memories. Derek
 
Hi kneeler fans found a pic in my collection not long bought this,
camera and it has macro so i thought i,d take a photo of a photo.
also for mallyb2 the Manx.
regards dereklcg
 
Thanks for the pics, super stuff ! Don't forget the Manx was built here in Birmingham,at Bracebridge Street, Aston, and was ridden by just about every famous rider at some time in their career. Also remember the Mike Hailwood memorial run will be leaving the old Norton factory in Aston a week on Sunday ( 29 March ) at 11.15 a.m. Hopefully there will be the usual good turn out of riders, many on classic British ( i.e. BIRMINGHAM BUILT ) bikes, try and turn up, will be well worthwhile, then pop into the Barton Arms for a quick half ! cheers, Mal.
 
Try this for size mallyb2. vintagebikes.co.uk
if you,ve forgot what they sound like and those you,ve forgot about.
Derek
 
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hey great pic what cam you got ..I,m a bit of a keen photographer more keen than good haha..one more question do you know anything about the cannon ball run my daughter goes on it or has for last 4 years?
Jean
 
another memory.. my dad had an old triumph motor bike with a side car ..loved those sunday outings and our kid had a bsa will have to find out which model
Jean
 
hello Jean,i have a couple of fujifilm the one i,ve just bought is a fujifillm finepix s1000fd i put the photo,s on the floor in the hall and took them i take the memory card out, then and put it in a card reader into usb port saves on battery that way,jobs a good UN.
i had a 1939 triumph with a box on for my first bike and then a Thunderbird the same never passed my test on one but all my mates had all the good stuff from 62 Bonneville,s to rocket and rocket goldstars.happy days,
why don,t you put you,re in the states. do you use skype?
oh both the cams i use are like a SLR but not as expensive as some.
try that vintagebikes.co.uk regards Derek
 
cannon ball run in the USA jean?
it,s on you tube Burt Reynolds claim to fame fantastic if it,s got wheels on i,m there with a camera. have a look on my album. Derek
 
no its the british cannonball run but they go abroad to do it last year was spain and morrocco all britts some of em from the midlands one is ben robinson from burton and lots of others i dont know names of if you go on face book look for donna jones lots of pics and info shes a bike nut but beware she,s a glamour model not that I disaprove but...... I,m her mom if you know what I mean god am I getting addicted to this site and very very homesick boo hoo
Jean xx
 
Hi me again really enjoyed looking at your album got a bit of a shock at your dad outside bywaters shop I workerd there after school and on saurdays haha no bot when your dad was outside !!. Skype npow theres another story cant seem to get to gripd with it . After seeing yor pics even more homesick xx
 
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