Motorcycle shops in 70's Sheffield

[SHarper 11]

Are you looking for a specific Norton frame?

 

In my garage I have a Norvin. It's has a 1000cc V-twin Vincent Rapide engine. The frame I think, is a Manx Norton featherbed (don't quote me on that). The bike was dismantled in 1964 by a friends uncle, and is in a sorry state of repair. The forks, shocks and wheels are foobarred. The numbers on the frame are unreadable, but I do have the number plate... long story short, it's easier for me to buy a rolling chassis and put in my engine than it would be to restore what I've got.

 

The other option is to Streetfighter it, with single sided swinging arm, upside down forks etc, like I used to do in the old days....

[biker 10]

Is Pollards still predominantly a British bike shop ? Do they sell things like Norton frames ?

 

He runs the bike side mainly as a hobby I think.They do bike MOT,s and usually have 10-20 British bikes for sale and a few bits and pieces.Your Vincent bits sound interesting,are they for sale ?

[Lambo245 10]

Armando was a great bloke. His shop workshop was on Hill street when I knew him (1968-70 i think).

 

Hes taking it easy back home in Italy now.

 

http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e348/lambo245/?action=view&current=armamdos.gif

[Intake1952 10]

By heck this thread takes me back abit, Billy Nelson was indeed Charlie Freeman's passenger I think he was in the chair when Charlie came 3rd in the 1959 or 1960 TT he was killed in Belgium I think riding solo.

Pollards mainly are in the buisiness of M.O.Ts for Classic Bikes, George does some buying & selling of show winners.

I remember buying some crankcases from Wilf Green for my i97cc Trails Dot they cost me the princely sum of 7pounds 50.

Barry Dungworth on his first appearence at Cadwell Park turned up with his outfit unpainted, the fairing was highly pollished aluminium and the welding finish had to be seen to be believed.

[paddyO 10]

the lads name was Billie Nelson,a good racing man ,i remember him working for Charlie Freeman,i think he got killed at Olivers mount Scarbrough

[mickr 10]

the lads name was Billie Nelson,a good racing man ,i remember him working for Charlie Freeman,i think he got killed at Olivers mount Scarbrough

 

Don't know where he was killed but he was a great guy. I met him when he taught a night class on motorcycle engines in Staveley, must have been 1964. He was Charlie's mechanic as well as his racing partner.

[carsupplier 10]

Don't know if it was the same Billie Nelson, but did a search and found a Billie Nelson who was killed in a Grand Prix in Opatija in 1974.

[buck 11]

Nimrod,

Re your quote:

A Sheffield lad who turned out to be a very capable sidecar racer in the late 60's and 70's was Barry Dungworth from Wadsley. He raced in GPs with a works BMW engine. He finished 6th in the World Championships one year.

Anyone know if he is still around?

 

I know of a Barry Dungworth who will now be in his seventies, What was his occupation?

 

Also thanks for the name of the dealer you gave, it was Ropers.

I rode racing bicycles with a Barry Dungworth in the fifties. I wonder if this is the same guy. He was born in Abbeydale and had an older brother Roger. He was a very accomplished racing cyclist. We were good triends but lost contact after I emigrated to Canada. He'd be in his seventies now like myself. If anybody knows him I'd like to get in touch with him.

[buck 11]

No, I was a Vincent man, I never actually owned one, I just used to drool when the kid next door went out on his.

 

I used to look at his Black Shadow and then at my (at the time) D175 and think one day, one day. By the time one day came they were fetching £20,000 quid.

 

This promted me to have look at wikipedia and came across this

 

Rollie Free

 

Now that's what you call a guy with balls.

I sometimes spend a happy hour or two at the Shamrock, a biker bar of the better kind. It is 90% Harley, with a few Indians, and a Triumph or two. No Japanese. They still have regard for the great British bikes of yore, and one that will make their mouths water every time it is mentioned..... The Vincent Black Shadow.. I rode one a few times many years ago belonging to a mate. They were a handful at low speed and high torque, but open it up and there was nowt in the world to touch em.

[magicfairy 10]

I know of a Barry Dungworth who will now be in his seventies, What was his occupation?

 

Also thanks for the name of the dealer you gave, it was Ropers.

 

 

Barry was an electrician and lived on Laird Drive. He will be around 70 years old now.

 

That would be my husbands "Uncle Barry" (His mothers brother) Had dinner with him and his wife Molly last night. They are currently touring New Zealand in a campervan.

Still working as an electrician, in Sheffield, attended some local motorcycle racing in New Zealand last week, when upon discovering who he was, he was treated like a VIP.

[Tradescanthia 10]

Glad to hear Barry is OK, it was 17 years ago when I last saw him.

[Arfer Mo 10]

Is anyone old enough to remember J.A. Stacey at the bottom of Ecclesall Road? John Stacey was a keen bike racer in the 1920s, and had a business "Stacey's Motor Garage" which sold motorcycles until the 1940s, but then he sold mainly cars. I have some old photos of Stacey and his pals with pre-1918 Triumphs and Matchlesses. They turned up on eBay, together with a badge that he fitted to every machine, and some paperwork. He lived at Endcliffe (must have been posh) and died aged 82 in 1957.

Hi I once bought a 1928 twin cylinder Raliegh for 1£ 10s in 1947 in working order, a sidecar chassis for 5 shillings, built asidebox with old floor boards, and started on my own in the builing trade, at 22yrs old it ran fine and pulled heavy loads , for 2 months, then the bottom of the crankcase , burst, a small nut did the damage no chance of repair it was left in a ditch , went to get the sidebox but it had gone , even at that age it had telescopic forks, sprung, [i wish I had it now] Arthur