Motorcycle shops in 70's Sheffield

[sheffborn&b 10]

Bought my second bike from :TOMS on copper street: 4 £200 BSA Star Fire,1973.

Edited February 17, 2011 by sheffborn&b

[Darnex 11]

My Dad was friends with Mr. Beevers ( the respectful term I used as a teeny)

and used to go and watch him at the TT's etc. I had the impression they had some kind of wartime army association ? sadly my own Dad is no longer here to ask him.

 

I bought my first skid lid from his shop at Pagehall , A white " Stadium " with seperate clip on / flip down visor , I resprayed it Vauxhall saphire blue metallic , probably rendering it useless , it did get tested a few times though and didn't split , luckily.

 

I have pic's somewhere of me wearing it , sat astride my Honda CB72 - circa @1971.

 

Used to have my bikes M.O.T'd at his shop too , He used to repair any faults F.O.C as return favour to my Dad , and only charge me for any materials used .

 

He used to help all the ( skint ) teenies , and to my knowledge never ripped anyone off .

 

Lovely Chap. Nice to hear he is now at peace on the Island He loved best .God Bless Him

[Darnex 11]

In the early 1970s there was also Bradbury's on London Road, and Grays (Bridge Street, then West Street - sold a lot of secondhand bikes).

I still have the receipt for my Dad's Bike after he recovered ( sort of ) from his War wounds. purchased from Dan Bradbury's March 1st 1947.

 

" Dan Bradbury - Motor Engineer 224 - 230 London rd. Sheffield 2. Tel. 50609

 

Norton 16H Army. £89 -10s - 5d including taxes . " signed across a King George 2d stamp.

 

No registration number quoted , but I will find photos to confrm. It's probable he had to get it registered himself , being an ex army machine ?

[Darnex 11]

Can anyone remember the motorcycle shops around Sheffield in the mid to late seventies?

I can remember Cooks on West Street but I am trying to remember who had it before them.

Bought my CB 750 F2 Super Sport - new. from D.C Cook on London Rd appx. 1978 on an " S " plate.

 

This was the last incarnation of the single - cam four , with a different cyld head with larger valves and valve angles and a hotter cam, pumper carbs. I think the K7 ran along side it , but with the old cyld head .

 

It used to devour valve guides/seals/camchains due to the more stressful valve setup.

Good bike though , only the GS 750 with stay with it at the time .

 

" Cookies " ripped me off with the finance , which cost me dear. But had a great Mechanic who carried out warranty stuff instantly.

 

The shop wasn't there long . it may have become David Hinchcliffes ? don't know what now .

 

I remember test riding bikes from Cook's other outlets at Wath on Dearne , Guzzi Lemans Mk1, Goldwing Mk1 . The Guzzi crippled me within 5 miles riding , the Wing nearly squashed me ! Happy days.

[Darnex 11]

Many thanks to all of you who have replied regarding the bike shops in Sheffield, it has brought some good memories back to me.

I take it that a lot of you will have visited these places when you where younger and will remember doing the rounds looking at the bikes and always talking of which one you would have next.

Just a few of my memories of these places follow.

I remember Grays on West Street that became Cooks, I went in to Cooks one day and was admiring a Yamaha RD400, the salesman came up and tried to sell it to me, but as I told him, I've only got a provisional licence to ride up to a 250, the salesman said that wasn't a problem, they would just put a pair of side panels on it from a 250 and no one would know the difference! Now was that a D C Cook salesman or what?

Samurai motorcycles was at the bottom of Ecclesall Road, I think that they were bike breakers.

Wilf Green at Halfway was where I took an Enfield India Bullet out for a test ride, lovely looking and sounding bike apart from the gearchange being on the opposite side to what I was used to, It sort of went pear shaped when I got to a junction and mixed the brake up with the gear pedal and nearly bent their demonstrator.

Charlie Freeman at Eckington was a great bloke, when my girl friend lived out that way and I was on my way home at night I would often stop to have a look in his window and on a few occasions Charlie came down from the flat and let me go and have a look round the shop even though he was closed.

Richardsons also had a shop in the old Co-Op building in Crookes, I did a short time working there.

Bentleys on Abbeydale Rd was where I bought my first sports moped from, a Suzuki AP50, They had two shops, one on each side of the road.

Bobs on the junction of London Rd/Abbeydale Rd, wasn't that the one with an old Tiger Cub outside with a sign on it saying 'Not For Sale'?, If it is then I remember a lovely lady who was very patriotic who worked there, she had a thing about people who had Japanese bikes and would tell them exactly what she thought about them.

Syd Smiths on Attercliffe was a great place as well, you could get nearly anything you wanted, or if not, he could get it for you.

I had forgotten about Martin Beevers until one of you listed him, He was near Attercliffe baths.

Wizzard used to be under the Wicker arches and again always offered great service.

There was someone who wasn't a bike dealer as such, but used to buy and sell bikes as a bit of a hobby, He was an oldish gent on Scott Rd between Pitsmoor and the Northern General.

He had bikes for sale and had a yard with loads of used parts in it.

 

Thanks again to you all.

Martin Beevers was to repair/modify my CB750F2 single OHC . engine in @ 1977. After numerous issues with valves , guides etc. He bunged me a std cyld head on from a crashed K7 , straight swop .

 

Much nicer to ride round town , but lost its edge on acceleration so I sold it . big mistake.

[Alien52 10]

charlie is long dead and the shop long gone unfortunately. dont know if anyone else knows more tho.

 

 

There is housing where Charlies used to be and it is called Freeman Court.I remember buying an XJ900 Diversion from Charlie and watching him count out the cash,he got it wrong three times and then said "It'll be reyt lad."

[Darnex 11]

There is housing where Charlies used to be and it is called Freeman Court.I remember buying an XJ900 Diversion from Charlie and watching him count out the cash,he got it wrong three times and then said "It'll be reyt lad."

 

Thats simply wonderful , and a fitting tribute to a wonderful man.

[Darnex 11]

The last time I went into Pollards was a couple of years since and he didn't have as many restored bikes as he used to have.

There was still a number of old engines and petrol tanks on the racks, but I can't remember seeing any frames.

Are you looking for a specific Norton frame?

If you are requiring a frame, I will have a look through my various bike magazines and post some web addresses on here for you.

 

 

I purchased a Dommie 650SS from pollards @ 1974 it had the dunstall pipes, mega's , tank , nose fairing & rearsets etc. for £150.00 ! great bike if you enjoyed loosing the fillings in yer teeth ? and the swinging arm spindle was like a spare pr**k in a shirtsleeve ! my mate's Triton was better , just . ( he had more brass ) , but lost it's " Norton " soundtrack .

 

Had to apply for log book though . nuff said .

Edited September 20, 2011 by Darnex

[Darnex 11]

Another couple of places have just come to mind, not what you would class as bike dealers, more a couple of blokes who sold bikes from their yards or homes.

One was near Hillsboro, close to a tyre fitters and at the end of a terrace road, I think it was near the Leppings lane entrance.

The man was called Tony and he used to sell bikes from the yard at the back of his house.

The other place I thought of was out at Bakewell.

It was on the road (A6) from the roundabout in Bakewell going out to Ashford in set of terrace type buildings.

He had a variety of bikes that never moved out of his shop/front room window.

He had a Royal Enfield with full fairing, BSA Dandy scooter, James Captain I think it was, and several other bikes that must have been there years.

Does anyone remember this shop?

 

The Bakewell man , who's name I forget , was another friend / aqquaintance of my late Dad's , again. probably army in WW2.

He had a R/H/S engine cover in stock for my CB 72 ( the forward acting kickstart bust it after I went sliding past the Essoldo on Sheffield lane Top on spilt diesel from the bus in front ) , all the Honda dealers wanted a king's ransom for one after importation. We used to call there about once a month in the early 70's. but trying to get him to sell a bike was like pulling teeth ,

 

I think he just simply loved bikes and their bits, and since we knew of his wartime experiences , easily and quickly forgave his odd mannerisms.

[Fast Frank 10]

Bob's... D & H M/Cycles Corner of Abbeydale Rd and London Rd... He's my mate these days, trading as F & H behind the old mines rescue station at Wath upon Dearne. Oft seen at Newark and other auto jumbles with his husky dog (Midnight). Bob is quite poorly atm, he's in the Northern General recovering after an op to correct an anurism in his stomach... someone said he's mellowing to Jap bikes... who are you kidding, the only Jap Bob is interested in is J.A.P. (J A Prestwich)

Edited December 16, 2011 by Fast Frank

[ducker 10]

Not Sheffield related but if you like old bikes worth a look.http://www.go-faster.com/ss100

[Pete R 10]

Martin Beevers was to repair/modify my CB750F2 single OHC . engine in @ 1977. After numerous issues with valves , guides etc. He bunged me a std cyld head on from a crashed K7 , straight swop .

 

Much nicer to ride round town , but lost its edge on acceleration so I sold it . big mistake.

 

Hi Darnex,

 

Reading your post reminded me of my experience in 1978 with D C Cook on London Rd, I was lucky, I traded my CB550 Four in against a CB750F2 and ended up getting more than I paid for it!

 

It was a T reg about 10 months old, metallic blue, it had it's foibles like all bikes, but I thought it was a thoroughly decent bike, and like you I now regret getting rid of it.

 

As for Bill Beevers, I found him quite a nice bloke, he always had time for a chat and if he couldn't help you he always knew someone who could.

 

The only bike shop I thought were rip off artists were Grays on West St, always ready to fleece an unsuspecting young lad.