Mzokk said:
Remember when the superbike centre was in Victoria Sq (then Castlereagh Rd above Noel Orrs and Abe Alexander) Maurice Bradshaw (Suzuki) was at the bottom of the Ravenhill and Owens Bros had two shops at either end of the Terrace Suzuki (Northern Motorcycles) and the present Honda shop at the other end and did anyone ever go to to Franks in Lisburn!! Let alone GS on Bridge street in the same town. Bike shops were a lot less corporate in them days. Ah well nostalga ain't what it used to be!! 
There used to be a couple of bike shops in York Street, remember, in 69, buying a kickstarter pedal for a Honda 50 from one of them.
Being from the North and West of Belfast, Andrews got most of my business, bought a new Lambretta and traded that for a Suzuki TS125 (lovely bike that took me all over Ireland, to Wales and England - indicated 62mph flat out, flat on the tank).
As I was working for HM in Lower Donegall St, Andrews were handy for a service - the service area had an enormous oil burning stove to heat the place using all the waste oil, the roar from it would deafen you.
Traded a 500/4 to Orr's for a 400/4.
Sold my 400/4 to Franks to get some of the cash for my R75/6, which I brought private after being tipped of by the salesman in the Superbike Centre, in Victoria Square.
Used to get parts from Norman Watt in Carryduff for a Montesa Cota - sold in Andytown to some Army squaddies based in the Torpedo Testing Centre in Antrim.
Last bit of gear I bought was from Module out at Mallusk, near where the BMW Centre has been banished.
Didn't Artie Bell have a place on the Castlereagh Rd?
Did the Celt sell the Telly in the Cellars? remember some snotty kid used to come in to get some heat and get rid of the last of his papers - us, parka zipped up over the school uniform, bags tucked under the seat, studing hard in the Central Library. Was it bad choice or other distraction that made me fu*k up my A-Levels?
Out of the Cellars, onto the NSU 175 Prima, run out to Holywood to drop off the mate and then back up the Crumlin and home - all on a provisional licence.
The glorious bliss of the ignorance of youth.
