Mickey Oates Motorcycles

[Schtum]

Ernie Page Motorcycles in Polwarth Edinburgh. Bought my first new bike from them in 1985. A Yamaha RXS100, 2 stroke. If you had been running round town a lot it meant you laid smoke like a destroyer when you gave it the beans on what was still the new Edinburgh Bypass.

Alvin's in Leith Walk. Motorbike breakers and latterly also sold bikes. Yamaha, Buell, etc

Ernie Page was a good guy. I had a deposit down with him on a T140V in 1975 when I had the head-on collision at Haymarket on my Ducati single. It took months for Carrick Motors to get the parts from Italy to repair it. Ernie gave me my deposit back.

Alvins... Al and Vince. Al was at Moray House College doing his Technical Teacher training course, alongside a friend of mine when I was there doing my Social Work course, 1980 onwards. That progressed to become Alvin's MotoCal when Calum Murray, now of Saltire Motorcycles bought into the business and it moved to Seafield.

 

[Schtum]

Aye! Right! Dream on auld yin!

The young lady in question didn't quite meet my high standards of pulchritude back in the day, so it was more a nightmare than a dream, Peter.

Besides which, she wasn't alone in her desires. Lots of young women threw themselves at my feet when I rode up on this.

'75 Norton Commando Mk3, bought 2 years old and slightly used from Better Bikes in the Pleasance. Griffin Clubman from John Brown Wheels on
Dalry Road; Belstaff leather jacket and jeans from Eddie Tasker in Broughton Place; Daytona boots from the aforementioned West Pier Motorcycles.
Reusch gloves borrowed from my CB250 K4 riding friend, Marty Sinclair frae Shetland.

Pic by a photography student from Shetland as part of his Diploma Show at Napier College. Shot in the original Haddon's Court of Nicholson St where
Edinburgh Voluntary Transport was based at the time.

 

[Northern jock]

I remember buying my Griffin Clubman helmet in 1978, added at least 10% to my top speed, even when parked.

 

[notagser]

Griffin Clubman seems to have been quite popular. Got mine (white, without visor vents) in 1975, along with a dark blue Lewis Leathers Jacket and Belstaff waterproofs!
Had forgotten it was John Brown Wheels in Dalry Road that preceded Infinity.

 

[Schtum]

Griffin Clubman seems to have been quite popular. Got mine (white, without visor vents) in 1975,

The 2.5mm vented, bulletproof and fireproof visor and the fitting kit for it were sold separately. It was fiendishly expensive at the time. c. £30 if I remember correctly. It was also before scratch-proof visor coatings were mandatory. I used tear off most of the time in an attempt to preserve the surface.

I replaced that white one with a black Clubman HP. I had it fitted to my head at the 'factory' in Halesowen on the way back from honeymoon in Paris in '78.
The 'factory' was a small Victorian washhouse in the cobbled yard of an old factory. There were two women who assembled helmets, a foreman, a work table and piles of shells and liners and not much else.

 

[JJH]

Shop in Dublin had 100s of red griffin helmets. Smell of plastic. JJH

 

[Posh Pete]

The young lady in question didn't quite meet my high standards of pulchritude back in the day, so it was more a nightmare than a dream, Peter.

Besides which, she wasn't alone in her desires. Lots of young women threw themselves at my feet when I rode up on this.

'75 Norton Commando Mk3, bought 2 years old and slightly used from Better Bikes in the Pleasance. Griffin Clubman from John Brown Wheels on
Dalry Road; Belstaff leather jacket and jeans from Eddie Tasker in Broughton Place; Daytona boots from the aforementioned West Pier Motorcycles.
Reusch gloves borrowed from my CB250 K4 riding friend, Marty Sinclair frae Shetland.

Pic by a photography student from Shetland as part of his Diploma Show at Napier College. Shot in the original Haddon's Court of Nicholson St where
Edinburgh Voluntary Transport was based at the time.

View attachment 302228

You've posted that pic before Mike. Lotta torque about Norton!

Me, I bought an AGV to go with my R60/6. Italian style, dontcha know!

Speaking of airheads no one so far has mentioned World of Wheels in Gilmour Place where I bought my R60/6 or its successor in the Pleasance where I bought my R80/7.

 

[Schtum]

Speaking of airheads no one so far has mentioned World of Wheels in Gilmour Place where I bought my R60/6 or its successor in the Pleasance where I bought my R80/7.

Ohh yes I did, Peter... Post #13. I don't think World of Wheels was ever in the Pleasance. Better bikes was there when they were a BMW dealership and before they moved to Nicholson Square where they sold Yamahas. That would be 1980. I remember going in to look at a Yamaha XS 850 when I was thinking about buying one to commute from SQ into Moray House every day. Instead, I bought an MZ Supa 5 from Two Wheels when they were an MZ dealer down at the bottom of Dalkeith Road, before moving to Peffermill Road and becoming Honda and for a while BMW dealers.

 

[Posh Pete]

Ohh yes I did, Peter... Post #13. I don't think World of Wheels was ever in the Pleasance. Better bikes was there when they were a BMW dealership and before they moved to Nicholson Square where they sold Yamahas. That would be 1980. I remember going in to look at a Yamaha XS 850 when I was thinking about buying one to commute from SQ into Moray House every day. Instead, I bought an MZ Supa 5 from Two Wheels when they were an MZ dealer down at the bottom of Dalkeith Road, before moving to Peffermill Road and becoming Honda and for a while BMW dealers.

Missed that post Mike. Mea culpa. WoW was in Gilmour Place. There's a dental wossname manufacturer there now.. Better Bikes in the Pleasance. Yes. But I don't recall them being in Nicolson Square. I recall doing work on an MZ for a pal and getting spares from Two Wheels. I was there today at the very flash new place, trying out a V
Strom from Davie who's been in with the bricks there.

Ernie Page btw moved to California I believe? Sensible man!

 

[jgp]

Bought my first bike ,an MZ 250 from Ernie Page in 1974. No clue how to ride a bike and followed my dad home to Paisley without using motorways. Completely terrifying but you don’t care when you’re 17. It was the only time I ever saw mechanics grinding valves on an engine. Don’t think Technicians do that type of thing.

 

[Schtum]

Who else was there in Edinburgh? A3P Motorcycles, through the pend and in the yard behind Two Wheels on Dalkeith Rd.

Already mentioned, Carrick Motors were very nearby when they were in lock ups in Prestonfield Bank. I believe the name came from the fact that Russ Manson originally started out somewhere in Carrick Knowe before I knew them.

St John Wood aka "Spud" had his accessory shop and breakers on the corner of Lower Granton Rd and Trinity Road. I bought some very nice gaitered Magura brake and clutch levers from him when I was weatherproofing my MZ. Nice guy, Spud... There was and still is, I think (?) a bike breakers along West Harbour Road, just before you get to the Lighthouse.

I got to know Calum Murray when he was running MotoCal on Ferry Road. The only bike dealer I know who practises the Alexander Method, is a member of The Bright Path Ishayas and used to make an annual trip to Spain to work with monks. Then he went on as already mentioned to run Alvin's MotoCal in a couple of locations before Saltire Suzuki off Dundee Terrace and now Saltire Motorcycles in Stenhouse Mill Wynd.

For a while, there was Edinburgh Kawasaki on Slateford Road. I see they're now at Cultins Road. I thought they'd closed down.

Who have I missed...? The very old shop on the left going down Leith Walk? The 3 wheeler / scooter shop on the right going down Dundas St. ?

Goodness me, I missed out Edinburgh Harley Davidson who used to be opposite King's Buildings on Esslemont Road. My blind spot must be showing... It appears they're still going and have moved to Cultins Road.

 

[notagser]

The very old shop on the left going down Leith walk might have been Pilrig Motors. Recently closed, with some of the antique contents appearing on marketplace. I think they had a Norton of some sort mounted on the wall behind the counter. There was also Ian Murray at Bilston Glen, who was handy with matches. He had an interesting collection of classic bikes On the upper area. Don’t know if they were moved before the fire.

 

[Scotsrick]

Alex Campbell, on the corner down at Portobello.

I bought an RD 400 and ove of the very first XJ 650’s off him.

 

[Schtum]

Alex Campbell, on the corner down at Portobello.

I bought an RD 400 and ove of the very first XJ 650’s off him.

Aye, of course, well remembered. Alex is a Facebook friend of a friend. Last I saw he'd become a Postie after closing down the shop and he's now retired.

 

[jaca2865]

Think I last used them in the late 70’s when I had to get a new rim on my Bonneville, to pass an MOT. They were in York Street in Glasgow City Centre at the time. (Still got the rim, and the Bonneville!)

That then got me thinking about other bike shops which I occasionally frequented around the same time., and which have gone, or changed radically since then.

So far, I’ve got:

Mickey Oates, York Street, Glasgow

MCS Motorcycles, Abercorn Street, Paisley

Lloyd brothers, Peacock cross? Hamilton

C&J Wilson Broxburn

West Pier Motorcycles, Brandon Terrace, Edinburgh

Two Wheels Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh

Carrick Motors, 8 South College Street, Edinburgh.

Victor Devine, 223 Great Western Road, Glasgow

Ross Motors, 240-260 North Woodside Road, Glasgow.

Willie Pitblado, Dunfermline?

John George Motorcycles, 36 Claythorne street, Glasgow

Fleming Motorcycles, 538 Edgefauld Road, Springburn, Glasgow.

Jay & Jays Motorcycles, 395 London Road, Glasgow.

(Jay & Jays was a very small shop with secondhand parts of dubious heritage...)

Alvin’s has gone

Big place in Dunfermline - can’t recall name

Dunfermline Motorcycles too

Alex Buchanan Spey Street Lane, off leith walk, embra

Add to them Heinz Gericke

 

[jaca2865]

West Pier - good old Eddie Koski and his daughter who used to make eyes at me whenever I went in. I bought a brand new Ducati 250 Mk3 from him in 1975. It was my everyday transport. There was swarf in the oil at the first oil change and it ate its main bearings at 6k miles.

Two Wheels - I bought a new VFR800 from Neil Danskin there in early '99 after my then girlfriend, now wife, told me to "fuck off and buy my own" after using her new Thundercat for about 4 months of winter.

Carrick Motors - In the early Prestonfield days, in '75, they rebuilt the front end of the Ducati after a head on collision with an idiot driver who ran a red light at Haymarket. Then I had Russ gas flow the head on my Mk3 Commando to go with the S3 cam and 10.25:1 Omega pistons in an effort to wake it up a bit. They also did a fair bit of servicing on a Minivan owned by an organisation that I managed in the mid 70's. Closed from the day that HMRC turned up one morning at the shop at Meadowbank and closed them down because Russ hadn't been paying N.I. contributions for the staff.
Donald who was Russ' business partner for several years had left some time previously and was ultimately the only guy in Scotland doing 2CV servicing and repairs, after he'd done a stint doing the vehicles for Circus Archaos. He's still a friend and occasionally turns up in his Hotchkiss, his beautifully restored Citroën Dyane van or recently on a Royal Enfield Interceptor that he won in the National Motorcycle Museum raffle.

As ever, nostalgia ain't what it used to be...

Eds daughter must’ve been smaller than I thought if were looking her in the eye!
Must’ve been about 4’8” I reckon

 

[Boxerboy55]

Ernie Page Motorcycles in Polwarth Edinburgh. Bought my first new bike from them in 1985. A Yamaha RXS100, 2 stroke. If you had been running round town a lot it meant you laid smoke like a destroyer when you gave it the beans on what was still the new Edinburgh Bypass.

Alvin's in Leith Walk. Motorbike breakers and latterly also sold bikes. Yamaha, Buell, etc

I'm chuckling at that. As an Edinburgh student I ran an RD350 for for a few months in 1975/1976 and enjoyed the smoke screen whenever I left town at the weekend heading west on the A8 past the airport

Also frequented the shops mentioned above, especially West Pier where I bought my first helmet (Stadium) and genuine Belstaff jacket.
And a wee Kawasaki dealer down the Pleasance where I bought a top box and he loaned me a drill so I could walk back to my digs with the box and fit it to the Honda of the day.

 

[Schtum]

And a wee Kawasaki dealer down the Pleasance where I bought a top box and he loaned me a drill so I could walk back to my digs with the box and fit it to the Honda of the day.

That would have been Better Bikes.

 

[RSiconic]

Another two long gone :-

Kings of Oxford where my brother was bought a new Moto Ducati 48SL in 1964 when he turned 16.

John George Motorcyles. My brother was mates with one venerable chap named Eric but was known as “Flogger” and another was Ramsey Stobbo. They all hung out together in Glasgow in the very late 60’s and early 70’s. No doubt they were Ned’s

 

[jaca2865]

I'm chuckling at that. As an Edinburgh student I ran an RD350 for for a few months in 1975/1976 and enjoyed the smoke screen whenever I left town at the weekend heading west on the A8 past the airport

Also frequented the shops mentioned above, especially West Pier where I bought my first helmet (Stadium) and genuine Belstaff jacket.
And a wee Kawasaki dealer down the Pleasance where I bought a top box and he loaned me a drill so I could walk back to my digs with the box and fit it to the Honda of the day.

I got my belstaff jackets and boots from west pier too.

Trying to remember where I got our helmets from back then.

Happy days indeed.