Motorcycle shops in 70's Sheffield

[blue11265]

I rememember drooling over a brand new Suzuki x7 in Richardsons on Crookes. If i my memory is correct i'm sure it was £795. This would have been around 1981/2

[carsupplier]

Nimrod,

Was Wilf Green on London Road at some time?

I had a Francis Barnett Light Cruiser once and there was a brass dealer disc attached to the rear mudguard and I know it was supplied by someone on London Rd but can't remember the dealer name.

 

blue11265,

Yeah the X7 was lovely, when I was 16 and still had my Suzuki AP 50, my mate had a brand new X7 and let me have a ride on it (on a private road coz of my age...honest!) and it was out of this world when compared with my beast of a 50cc, it was finished in red with black pinstriping.

Saw one at an auction recently, it was surrounded by blokes all roughly the same age, all looking as though they were back in their youth as you say drooling over that bike.

The time you say 1981/1982 was at the time just before the 125cc restriction came in.

Another lad I knew could only get an offer of £40 maximum from any bike shop when he tried selling his X7 after the 125 law was introduced.

 

 

To all the others who have posted, What bikes have you had?

British, Japanese, European, mopeds, scooters, combinations, it would be good to know what you had.

[blue11265]

Also remember the Suzuki ER range 50/125/185 ??/205.

 

Colours were Red yellow or blue and possibly white but not sure. They were the dogs nads as well.

 

looking on Ebay recently, you can still get the odd x7 RD250/400 vrooooom... but would have to travel to purchase unless you dropped lucky.

 

The good old days

[mickr]

Didn't Charlie Freeman used to race combinations in the 60's? I seem to remember his side car partner was a younger guy called Billy something - used to work for Charlie. I believe he was killed in an accident during a race?? I knew Billy because he put on a workshop on engines in Staveley around 1963/4 that I went to. Anyone know him??

[mickr]

My dementia just relaxed for a second - the guys name was Billy Nelson. Anyone know him??

[Wadsleyite]

My first bike was an LE Velocette (please don't laugh). It was a 1952 model, and lasted me 4,000 miles in 1967-8 before the big end went (I got home on one cylinder, though). Then a BSA 175 cc D14 Bantam (new in March 1969 - YWA 32G) and a BSA 250 cc Starfire (August 1970 - FWJ 18J). The Starfire as quite fast but without much bottom-end torque. I had a bigger rear sprocket made - that reduced the top speed to about 80 but the acceleration was good. Memories...

[mickr]

My ex and i used to do a tour every saturday of the bike shops used to love it and on sundays we used to go to matlock and visit charlie freemans at eckington.

Hi Rosie when you went Matlock on sunday did you go to Dave Tyes motorcycle store at Cromford - just through Matlock Bath??

[rosie]

No dont think we did go there to be honest the name dont sound familluar to me ,we mainly went for the run to matlock and the hot donuts lol.

[Tradescanthia]

Nimrod,

Was Wilf Green on London Road at some time?

I had a Francis Barnett Light Cruiser once and there was a brass dealer disc attached to the rear mudguard and I know it was supplied by someone on London Rd but can't remember the dealer name.

 

blue11265,

Yeah the X7 was lovely, when I was 16 and still had my Suzuki AP 50, my mate had a brand new X7 and let me have a ride on it (on a private road coz of my age...honest!) and it was out of this world when compared with my beast of a 50cc, it was finished in red with black pinstriping.

Saw one at an auction recently, it was surrounded by blokes all roughly the same age, all looking as though they were back in their youth as you say drooling over that bike.

The time you say 1981/1982 was at the time just before the 125cc restriction came in.

Another lad I knew could only get an offer of £40 maximum from any bike shop when he tried selling his X7 after the 125 law was introduced.

 

 

To all the others who have posted, What bikes have you had?

British, Japanese, European, mopeds, scooters, combinations, it would be good to know what you had.

 

The only dealers I remember on London Rd were Dan Bradbury and Ropers, as far as I remember Wilf Green was only on Abbeydale Rd.

[Tradescanthia]

I remember Frank and Arthur Smith dealing in bikes on Spital Hill just up from the Wicker. Also Alf Parker had a shop in that vicinity. Alf used to dabble in Speedway and grasstrack racing. I used to buy Triumph spares from Wraggs on Gibraltar St, anybody remember them?

 

Anybody remember Bill Kenyon on Division St? That was where you went for rebores, new pistons, valves etc.

 

Grays motorcycle shop on Bridge St used to display John Coopers Manx Nortons at the end of the racing season, they used to sponsor him. The Manx was the ultimate dream in those days and we used to drool over them. On the wages we were getting as apprentices going racing was just a pipe dream.

 

A Sheffield lad who turned out to be a very capable sidecar racer in the late 60's and 70's was Barry Dungworth from Wadsley. He raced in GPs with a works BMW engine. He finished 6th in the World Championships one year.

Anyone know if he is still around?