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Motorcycle Shops

In about 1970 I bought a set of exhausts from a shop at the junction where the steam hammer island in Aston is, (Aston Rd North/Corporation St?) It was on the right hand side and that was also called The Red House. What was the shop on Potters Hill in Aston?
 
Do C & D Autos formerly of Warwick Rd, Acocks Green still have their collection of BSA Bantams?. Len.
 
I have already asked this, but as this new thread as been started thought i would ask again, can any one remember charlie bower from wheeler street, he had a motor bike shop and my dad told me he was a dare devil rider and broke his neck or back cant remember what dad said now, but said the show must go on and went on to finish his stint, he was a litle fat man with big rosy cheeks, and always smiling.
 
brummie nick said:
Does anyone remember Colmore Depot in Hill St?, I think Percy Taite had a shop in Hay mills for a while.

Nick
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Bought my first bike from Colmore Depot, in Hill street, a Francis Barnett 125 cc, £48 10s. wouldnt pull your hat off, that was 1953.
 
Lencops,My one brother never married because he spent all his money on M/cycles. When he died about ten years ago I sold his Kawasaki 1300 and a few other bikes. I gave all his books to C&D Autos. They sold them and donated the money to a charity. I used C&D, for my spares when I had BSA Gold Stars but I used V.Onslow for my Triumph spares. I have not been past for a couple of years but last time I looked, C&Ds room was full of all models of the BSA range.
 
bilsat said:
In about 1970 I bought a set of exhausts from a shop at the junction where the steam hammer island in Aston is, (Aston Rd North/Corporation St?) It was on the right hand side and that was also called The Red House. What was the shop on Potters Hill in Aston?
Click to expand...

The Rocker Box?

Ian
 
maybe a bit modern for some but there was a dealers at the Fox & Goose, Superbikes on Bristol Road by the ford dealers, one in Stirchley by the bowling alley, solihull by the ice ring, not sure of the names but sure someone will.
 
hi ya postie that is the money shot for me,
spent many a happy time in coles, if i could,nt get it round the corner at the red house.
if not either of them it was vale or c&d autos. happy days regards dereklcg.
 
Whe was the Birmingham Speedway rider who had a Motor Cycle shop on the Birchfields road, was it Harry Bastable ??? I used that shop guite often as i worked on the Birchfields road just below chain walk anyone Know Bobby b
 
Bought my firsy Motor Cycle from Aston Auto Cycles aston rd north, it was a lovely 197cc Francis Barnet Ton 449 still remember the no after all thease s years in 1956.
 
hi sticher i had a few old bikes way back when my dad and stepbrother worked at the Triumph meriden,
sent you a link worth looking at regards Derek.
helmethairblog.com/entries/1957-triumph-factory-tour
 
I bought my 1st Scooter in 1959 from Chambers in Sutton.
It was a BSA Sunbeam 250cc 4 stroke like the one shown below, only mine was light blue.

Had some adventures with it - 75mph on the Chester Rd north.
A cow chewed most of it's seat off while I was flying a model aeroplane in Sutton Park, and the scooter was shortened by about 12 inches when I pulled up behind a car on Sutton Parade, and a car ran into the back of me.
I notice my licence says I'm still qualified to ride a motorbike ! Some hopes...:biggrin:

BSA_Sunbeam_Scooter.jpg
 
Old Mohawk in my earlier days of biking I had a friend who had one of those his name was Brian Draper used to take the mickey out of him as it wasnt a proper bike but he stayed with us most of the time LOL:)nice to see again cheers:)
 
Hi there, i went to all these shops
C&D Autos
Vale Onslows
Kings (ward end)
Stirchley M/Cs
Sheldon M/Cs(by Wagon & Horses)
Emis
Percy Taites
Mike Hailwoods
Grays

I once approached the late great Mike Hailwood if I could take some photos inside his shop, he told me to come down on Wednesday afternoon and he would open the shop just for me!. I went down and he was waiting for me, took me around and gave me half an hour to picture any and everything and shook my hand when I left, what a gracious and gentleman he was.
 

Bought my first and only bike, as far as I can pin point it, was on a corner of Birchfield Rd and I believe Trinity Rd around 1962, was a James 197cc Captain ?, there is one, same colour in the Coventry Transport Museum :) Dave
 
Got my first ( and only ) motorcycle for my 16th birthday in September 1969 from C J C Arnold on the Aldridge Road exactly opposite Perry Barr Park ( adjacent to the junction with Church Lane ) It was a Honda CB250 and went like a rocket, performance was on a par with the 650cc British bikes of the time. As soon as I was old enough, I went on to four wheels although I really did enjoy my brief spell as a 'biker' - happy days !!
 
Hi,All you Bikers or X bikers..How many old uns out there still riding and enjoying it,
I am for one,Never been without one and I,me 66 Not bad I think
 
Hi
got first bike,about 1971 from grays coventry rd,250 bsa,a nail.
second, motor sales, aston triumph 650,a bit better
third hailwood&gould 850 norton,brilliant.
after this i usually bought private now riding a suzuki 1200 which does every thing and more i could want.
alan
 
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How about Rickards on Station Rd, Erdington. My Dad and I used them often and found them very helpful. If they could come up with a solution that would save the customer money they wouldn't hesitate to suggest it even if it meant they lost out! Not many places offering customer service like that nowadays!
 
Anybody else remember the old chap with the dusty old shop at the top of Cape Hill ? Globe Motorcycles I think. I'm talking late 60s, but the shop looked like it had been there for years, if you wanted something strange, or needed to 'improvise' he always had an idea, and then sold the stuff really cheap. He mustve had loads of loose piston rings, bearings etc out the back, he just used to disappear for a bit then come back with something to fit.

Was great for me, running old wrecks, he helped me out no end of times.
 
Re: re motor bikes

Does anybody remember garetts second hand shop on the strattford road i worked for him we had a push bike motorbike electric shop and sold cars we were up the road from Onslow and broadspeed was over the road.
 
HI Chris,
it was a sunday morning ritual the red house garretts coles vale onslow,
for odds and sods to keep my old Triumph speedtwin on the road,
happy days..regards dereklcg
 
Hubby says RG spares just up from Vale Onslows on Stratford Road.
His first bike was a Suzuki A50 acquired from his dad, which blew up, then a Suzuki X5 from Gasgoines in Coleshill, blew a piston racing a bigger bike!
RG spares then provided a Kawasaki Z250LTD and he has continued from that, only rides, doesn't drive, hence the ride to the wall post earlier.
 
Re: re motor bikes

We have an American friend who knew about Vale Onslow. When he knew we were visiting England, he asked us to get some spares for him. We were amazed - we're brummies and we'd never heard of the place, and this was in the early 80's, way before the internet.
 
Re KINGS of Birmingham. Not to be confused with the 'Kings of Oxford' chain started by Stan Hailwood, (Mike's father). This firm was started by Wilf KING in the 1960's as a Bicycle shop on Bromford Lane at the Beaufort Cinema X- Roads, opposite the Fox & Goose PH and Shopping Centre.. Expanded into Motorcycles in the early 1970's under his Middle son, ROGER. The Oldest son DAVID was a Lawyer whose offices were above the Motorcycle shop. The Bromford Lane shop was expanded into a salesroom, and the Workshop/Spares located in two buildings on the Coleshill Road just around the Corner. Staff mostly came from the BSA which had closed down by then. The boom in 'bike sales bought on by the Japanese 'Superbikes' lead to a renaming of the Shop.
In 1976, A shop called 'The Superbike Centre' opened at Monaco House , Bristol Rd, run by Slater Bros, selling Laverdas and BMWs. This was bought out after 12 months by KINGS. The two shops became the SUPERBIKE CENTRES. By 1979 Motorcycles were at the peak of a boom, and shops were opening everywhere. 8 out of 10 motorcycles sold in B';ham came from Kings. North of the City, COPES & GREYS had it sewn up. Motorsales at Spaghetti were taken over by Mike Hailwood and Rod Gould. DC COOKS from Yorkshire, also moved into the City. There were a host of smaller dealers, some long established, others, selling MZs or CZ' or JAWAS, URALS, COSSACKS & DNEIPRS flouriished for a short while.
KINGS meanwhile had expanded rapidly. Becoming main dealers for all Japanese makes, (except KAWASAKI), and HARLEY DAVIDSON, DUCATI, etc., They expanded into Insurance, buying the entire top floor of the Fox & Goose Shopping Centre at the Beaufort. They also bought 3 large Units in Green Lane Small Heath where they established a 'Storage & New Build Shop', an Accident Repair Unit and a Printers, "Superprint". By 1980 KINGS was THE biggest Dealer in B'ham employting the top mechanics in the Midlands, such as Neil LANDER (Honda Mechanic of the Year), Adrian Van Der Molengraff from SU Carburettor, Ian SMITH, John HOSKINS, Les WHITE, Peter ROTHERHAM, Ray BENNETT, and many others. Salesmen were John and Terry, Stores under Arthur and Terry SMITH, with Chris DUMMIGAN in Spares.Again, there were many others who worked for KINGS, who at one point employed nearly 50 staff. However with the Tory Gov't abolishing Apprentiships, the wealthy 17 - 21 year olds who made up the bulk of Customers died away, and by 1982 KINGS were in dire financial trouble. Several of the Directors fled the Country after some strange goings on involving stock, and the firm ceased trading after firstly Receivers, then Liquidators were called in.
The rump of the business was resurrected for a year by the Former Sales men and Mechanics as 'Peal Meek' but this too failed. Staff left and went to other dealerships that had survived the slump of the early 80's. By 1985 no trace of the Giant that once was KINGS existed other than a few Number Plates with their name along the base.
 
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dwilly said:
maybe a bit modern for some but there was a dealers at the Fox & Goose, Superbikes on Bristol Road by the ford dealers, one in Stirchley by the bowling alley, solihull by the ice ring, not sure of the names but sure someone will.
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See Post on KINGS of B'ham

The one in Stirchley was Birmingham Motorcycles, they struggled on into the 90's but went, although the shop is still there today, just boarded up.
The Ice Rink one, Solihull Motorcycles was started by Terry from KiNGS. Sheldon Motorcycles on the Coventry Rd at the Wheatsheaf was started by Arthur from KINGS
 
I used to get old bits and pieces for my old british bikes from a chap at the Old Mill near Belbrougton. Several floors of dismantled old bikes, but I just cant remember the name. Anyone recall who it was ?
 
Hi Doug 1944, (and others), yes, this was GEORGE YEOMANS. He saw the dearth of supply of spares for British Motorcycles that was arising from the demise of both the MotorCycle Manufacturing and Trade outlets in the UK, and, reasoning correctly that there were an awful lot of 'bikes around that needed to be kept going or rebuilt, started dismantling for spares. From humble beginnings, word spread and his business took off. It still exists, as "Yeomans" but has moved to The Holdings, Wildmoor Lane, Wildmoor, Bromsgrove, Worcs., B 61 0RJ.
It is still an invaluable source of spares and complete bikes for the Classic British Bike enthusiast.
 
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