In The Beginning . .

Well, I was tidying up the lounge in preparation for our visitors on Christmas day (Hey . . That's Now !) when I opened a drawer and saw an old photo album.

You know how it is, you start by having a quick look and before you know it you are surrounded by old photos and memories.

I came across a picture of myself on my first motorised two wheeler - This would be spring 1964, when I was 17.

I had started going to Taunton Technical College to complete my 'A' levels and as we lived in the Isle Valley - about 12 miles to the east - with no public transport, I needed a method of covering around 25 mile per day that didn't involve getting lifts from parents.

My parents decided a scooter would be appropriate and bought me a 1958 Capri 80 - see below.

This had a little Garelli two stroke, three speed power unit, with chain drive.

I passed my test on the thing and then, having started work, bought a 1959 AJS 350 model 16.

My sister inherited the scooter.

Soon I was covering 20,000 miles per year and restoring old bikes - notably a 1952 Ariel Square Four.

Nothing much has changed since then !

Anybody else want to share their embarrassing early memories of bikes ?

Round about the same vintage as you, my parents insisted I started off with a scooter too. A Vespa, vicious little bugger which kept dumping me off probably due to the weird front suspension and on/off brake. They realised that I'd most likely be safer on something with bigger wheels, so I graduated to a series of Nortons, Model 50 (350), an 88 then a 99 before switching allegiance to BSA. Had a Goldie, which I sold for £80 Could probably add a couple of zeros to that today. Then onto Triumphs with a Bonnie T120R.

Here's a pic of me and the 88:

talking of scooters..........

my one and only ride (ok OONYACK) hurl on a scooter was a mates Vespa during 1966.
travelled maybe 80 ok 100 yards (read metres now) took it back (same distance) handed it over and never touched another (scooter that is OONYACK)
Damned damgerous devices.
Stayed with bikes, mainly british iron till my first BMW, an R75/5 which I HATED, had even parted with a mint black Norton 850 MK2a Interstate Commando to get the readies.then back to my beloved Velocettes AND Vincents.

Scooter Experience:

I didn't have too much trouble with the Capri, but it did have 12" wheels which may have helped. Brakes weren't too hot though, my sister landed in a ditch one evening when she ran out of road (we didn't tell the parents) !

You do learn though . . .

My best mate from school lived in Newbury, about 100 miles from my home in Somerset. His father was heavily into historic vehicles - both cars and bikes - and and their house / garage was therefore something of a Mecca. I decided to pay them a visit one weekend, on the Capri.

All went well on the way there and we had a good run around on the bikes including the use of a 'proper' motorbike - an Ambassador 150.

However, on the way home on the Sunday evening (in the dark, at 50mph max of course) I suffered the dreaded 'plug whiskering' that we used to get in those days when using engine oil in the 2-stroke mix. I pulled into the side of the A38 and went to clean the plug - I had all the right tools but couldn't budge it.

The A38 is a lonely place in the dark, there wasn't much traffic in those days.

There were lights further along the road so I pushed the Scoot and found a garage, where I sought help.

The owner took a pragmatic view - he could remove the plug with a long bar, but I would probably lose the plug threads in the process. He would lend me the socket and power bar if I wanted to do it myself.

Not wishing to be permanently stuck with a wrecked motor (and no money) I decided to clean the plug from the inside.

I Removed the rear bodywork, fan housing and cylinder head, cleaned the plug from the inside, then re-assembled it all.

It got me home.

From then on I have used copaslip on plug threads.

For the record, I got the plug out later, with heat, and the threads survived.

Life used to be full of little incidents like that in those days. We were green, money was tight and bikes were simple things that could be worked on at the side of the road. I dread having to change a headlight bulb in my K1200 at the side of the road these days.