Motorcycle Dealers - Gone But Not Forgotten

Ah Devimead. They were great for BSA A65 stuff in the 70s and they started the end crank bearing conversion I think. Went there many times, sometimes by bus and shanks's while sorting my gearbox out.

Bob Joyners on Wolverhampton rd , Birmingham, again they were very useful for my BSA stuff.

 

Not surprised. First thing they did after opening was have a bike nicked straight off the front.

 

In Bath in the 60’s and 70’s we had Barton Motors. They even sold Bond Bugs. Closest dealer now is Fowler’s in Bristol. Huge place now but used to be in City Road, St Paul’s. not such a nice area to park a bike.

 

Shame they’re going, that leaves no Triumph presence in Oxfordshire, nearest for me is Swindon so I’ll get Premier Bikes (KTM) to service and MOT my ST.

They were there for years.

 

Devimead in Tamworth is still there but now a Honda dealer called Sutton Motorcycles which will be a new Triumph franchise later in the year, they’re selling Triumphs out the back and all a bit hush hush at the moment......

 

The one dealer I fondly remember is Vin Ducketts in Cleveleys, Blackpool.
Vin tried to sell me a brand new RC30 in I think 1989 when I hadn’t yet passed my test (even though I was racing, and riding an NC30 on the road ) It was a proper old school dealers and a goldmine of exotic and unusual bikes, with a workshop full of race bikes as well as road bikes. Spent hours there just ogling and drinking tea.
I do wish I’d taken him up on the RC30 deal though

 

Carnells in Doncaster. Bought my Suzuki GS550 EN from them back in 1981.

Crikey such a long time ago now

 

Vin was pretty handy at road racing

 

Jack Gow, Dundee

I seem to remember the shop closed in the eighties or early nineties after the owners death at IOM. A true enthusiast who always strove to give his regular customers a good deal.
Bought one of his Battle of the Twins Le-Mans bikes, a Benneli 6 (that was forever breaking cam chains) BMWs and many more.

 

Trevor Goodall - Suzuki Solus dealer in Didcot. Old school family owned small business I bought my SV650 from in 2000. When Suzuki started to cull it's smaller dealers in the late naughties it closed. Such a shame as they were a friendly bunch. Tried to sell me a TL1000 when I was in for my 500 mile initial service, even though I'd only had the SV less than a month. Nice try!

 

With Premier moving to Boars Hill there are no Motorcycle dealers left in Didcot.

 

My little brother worked for Jack Gow, and I remember him phoning to say his boss had been killed at IoM (19th Aug 1996).

 

What!? Nooooooooooooooooo... :-(

 

Powersport, Bradford,
Motorcycle world, Bradford.
Brook Listers, Bradford.
Kawasaki centre Bradford.
Honda centre, Bradford.
JK Hirst Bradford.
Steve Rhodes motorcycles Bradford.
Geoff Westersbys Bradford.

Talk about a sinking city!!

 

Copes . Hagley rd Birmingham

 

Oh god yes I remember visiting Steve Rhodes and Motorcycle world back in the 80’s

 

I remember Powersport and Steve Rhodes shop, weren't that tied in with Hells Angels or something?

Kawasaki Centre at Huddersfield was where I got my Kwack spares from. They had a fantastic stock and can't recall catching them out.

 

Woosters behind Tetleys in Leeds with the Dad, then up onto A64 once he'd retired. Shut shop 2018.
Twist grip and spanners near M621.
Carl Wards near bus station.
Wyldes near Harehills.

 

Clay Cross Kawasaki.
Spares department was open Sunday's back in 1994 which was good as desperately needed some clutch springs, plates, gaskets etc. the weekend before the TT ferry the following Friday. I nipped down, laid all the parts on the counter and measured against new stock.

Great service, twenty five years on where can you buy genuine spares on a Sunday now?