It's not ringing bells but then West Pier sold Morinis in Edinburgh. I was almost tempted into trading the Ducati for a Morini 350 Sport.
San Jose ,The Ultimate Force
- Thread starter k1300sporscheeater
- Start date
It's not ringing bells but then West Pier sold Morinis in Edinburgh. I was almost tempted into trading the Ducati for a Morini 350 Sport.
ghiribizzo
Registered user
The things you find... http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/robin-anthony-worrall/6/41a/276
k1300sporscheeater
Registered user
I went to a BMW Bike open evening in a hotel in Glasgow once,it must have been 80 or 81,i dont remember anything other than the sales guy saying that if customers wanted stainless washers below the domed nuts on the front mudguard of the old R series,then BMW would have to raise the purchase price,nothings changed then.
ghiribizzo
Registered user
Don Rutherford, ex Scotbike is still running West Coast Harley in Glasgow.
ahh those mods in the old days did so much more... modern bikes are dull by comparison, who need s 195 hp and 190mph of unuseability!
just scroll up and down a couple of times. It's a slow page.
I bought a new BMW from them in 1980. Still got it, along with the original sales reciept of £2049 , including crashbars .
They also sold laverdas.
They had a new Jota in the showroom for £2299
Gus Khun changed hands (and name) a few times and now a supermarket sits on the site of the old shop.
I bought my first BMW (a 1979 R100RT) from them in 1983, secondhand, for about £1600...
Which is what a virtually identical bike cost me last year, weird, huh!
KAYCEE
Registered user
I worked at Better Bikes from 1976 - 1981. 
I remember that the R100CS originally came out with spoked wheels, but there was a major recall when spokes started breaking and the wheels were replaced with cast items.
One owner was that pissed off that he advertised his bike for sale in the local rag, the Evening News, stating that the bike had had "only 15 major faults since new"
When I started they had just ditched the Harley franchise and got the Kawasaki one. Shortly after they took on the BMW dealership, then Yamaha.
The two owners, Chris Martin and Robin Worral, had started the business by bringing over 300 Velosolex bikes from France (friction drive engines over the front wheel) to sell to students at Edinburgh uni. I remember Chris telling me that it took a couple of weeks before someone crossed over the door step
The business grew quite quickly after the Kawasaki dealership deal. A shop was opened in Kirkcaldy and another one in Glasgow. The Yamaha dealership meant that another shop was opened in Edinburgh.
Chris Martin left the business after a family bereavement, leaving Robin in charge. I think that was the begining of the end of the business. I never thought that Robin was really into bikes, he was more of a business man, and just saw bikes a way of making money.
I remember they also had franchises for Moto Morini, Moto Guzzi and Ducati. (and Vespa).
Good times.
PS Does anyone remember "World of Wheels", which opened for a short time near the Kings Theatre. I seem to remember that some popstar had a piece of that business.
I remember that the R100CS originally came out with spoked wheels, but there was a major recall when spokes started breaking and the wheels were replaced with cast items. One owner was that pissed off that he advertised his bike for sale in the local rag, the Evening News, stating that the bike had had "only 15 major faults since new"
When I started they had just ditched the Harley franchise and got the Kawasaki one. Shortly after they took on the BMW dealership, then Yamaha.
The two owners, Chris Martin and Robin Worral, had started the business by bringing over 300 Velosolex bikes from France (friction drive engines over the front wheel) to sell to students at Edinburgh uni. I remember Chris telling me that it took a couple of weeks before someone crossed over the door step
The business grew quite quickly after the Kawasaki dealership deal. A shop was opened in Kirkcaldy and another one in Glasgow. The Yamaha dealership meant that another shop was opened in Edinburgh.
Chris Martin left the business after a family bereavement, leaving Robin in charge. I think that was the begining of the end of the business. I never thought that Robin was really into bikes, he was more of a business man, and just saw bikes a way of making money.
I remember they also had franchises for Moto Morini, Moto Guzzi and Ducati. (and Vespa).
Good times.
PS Does anyone remember "World of Wheels", which opened for a short time near the Kings Theatre. I seem to remember that some popstar had a piece of that business.
Ian Gillan of Deep Purple - that's why the place was painted purple. I remember the British bikes with drip trays under the sumps - unheard of at the time. I lived above it and just to the right a bit in Lochrin Buildings.
Oh and you missed out Robin Worral's more fishy business dealings....
Who was the blonde guy with the specs who worked behind the counter in Better Bikes when you were there? My neighbour, at the time, Ewan, bought his green Z650 - ??? 777T if I remember correctly. Rare for its time in that it was fitted with twin discs on the front.
I was in San Jose BMW the other day - its on west san carlos st, Santa Clara/San Jose.
getting into Scooters nowadays but still have some nice stuff and good knowledge.
Bit of a rough part of town, sex shop over the road - couple of old ladies in pink lipstick serving.
Loads of crap 2nd hand car dealers etc
getting into Scooters nowadays but still have some nice stuff and good knowledge.
Bit of a rough part of town, sex shop over the road - couple of old ladies in pink lipstick serving.
Loads of crap 2nd hand car dealers etc
KAYCEE
Registered user
If the guy worked in the parts deptartment, I think you might be thinking about Stuart Mather. He used to race a TZ yamaha at East Fortune.
There was also a guy called John Armstrong. Just before he started at BB he had got them to supply him with one ofthe first XS750's in the country. This was before BB got the Yamaha franchise, and I think that it upset Ernie Page.
A chap called Bill Watson was the service manager. I bumped into him a couple of years back at Motorrad Central, where he was in buying bits for an RT which had been salvaged from the container ship that ran aground on the south coast.
--- 777T rings a bell.
Kaycee
freeloader
Registered user
Also kept spares for AJS singles, much to my relief.
Does anyone else remember a bike shop somewhere around Broughton Place? It was there when I lived in Edinburgh from 1972 to 78, or at least for part of that time. Wasn't much good for parts as far as I can recall, but it was just round the corner from the first place I stayed in Edinburgh so I probably bought a few odds and ends there.
This thread just shows how gullible punters are and what complete wankers that own bike shops are.
Eddie Tasker. He sold accessories - he always said that he sold more tyres and chains when it was raining. I liked Eddie - I got on really well with him. I bought my first Belstaff leather jacket and jeans from him. He didn't have anywhere to try stuff on so I had to climb a ladder up to the rickety loft of his shop and struggle into the jeans while squatting amongst a selection of cardboard boxes and tyres.
There was often a really nice Sunbeam S7 painted pale green and fitted with a screen, parked just along the road from the shop in Broughton Place.
Johnnymac
Registered user
san jose/ultimate source
I remember Ultimate Source. Still got a few catalogues in the loft. I remember they were extremely expensive, and the only thing I bought were anti-bottoming springs for the front forks and the excellent black painted fork brace. I used to drool over the super-trick cafe racers they did though, at least in the US catalogue. I wonder if all the fancy frame bracing etc were any good, I know they cost a bomb!l
Incidentally, my first BMW, a 78 R80/7 was bought new from Better bikes. I bought it in 1982, and sold it in 1987 to Fritz, also on here, and he of the South America trip.
It had a huge Avon Arrow fairing on with built-in spotlights. Eventually I fitted an s cockpit. I've still go a near-mint Harro Elephant Boy tankbag in the loft that I used on it! Funny how back then the mark of the motorcyclist was just how loaded you got the bike when touring. Went to Corsica on it in 82.
I always wanted to do the Stella on it, funny how you need knobblies for that these days...... How on earth did we manage before "Adventure" bikes, ally panniers, and goretex.......
Did see one English guy on a red 79-ish 100/7 up the stella in 2011.
I was on my F800GS.
Ahem...wearing a goretex jacket.....
No knobblies though.
I remember Ultimate Source. Still got a few catalogues in the loft. I remember they were extremely expensive, and the only thing I bought were anti-bottoming springs for the front forks and the excellent black painted fork brace. I used to drool over the super-trick cafe racers they did though, at least in the US catalogue. I wonder if all the fancy frame bracing etc were any good, I know they cost a bomb!l
Incidentally, my first BMW, a 78 R80/7 was bought new from Better bikes. I bought it in 1982, and sold it in 1987 to Fritz, also on here, and he of the South America trip.
It had a huge Avon Arrow fairing on with built-in spotlights. Eventually I fitted an s cockpit. I've still go a near-mint Harro Elephant Boy tankbag in the loft that I used on it! Funny how back then the mark of the motorcyclist was just how loaded you got the bike when touring. Went to Corsica on it in 82.
I always wanted to do the Stella on it, funny how you need knobblies for that these days...... How on earth did we manage before "Adventure" bikes, ally panniers, and goretex.......
Did see one English guy on a red 79-ish 100/7 up the stella in 2011.
I was on my F800GS.
Ahem...wearing a goretex jacket.....
No knobblies though.
I feel so much younger now after reading this thread
Similar threads
