Motor bike madness.

[AlanTH]

Great story Beachbum. Far more involvement in bikes than I ever had and a good read. I was only thinking of Barry Sheene recently when someone said something about biking and he ended his days in Q/Land on the opp. side of Oz to me.
I well remember seeing him being interviewed by someone years ago about living in Oz and he said the that 'You can accuse Australians of most things, but being able to drive isn't one of them'.
Oh so true, bike or car they are awful and I haven't changed my mind in the 50 odd years I've been here.
I went to Brands Hatch a few times to watch pedal bike racing and motorbike and cars. Great spot.
AlanTH.

[Beachbum]

My First Bike was a Greeves 250 Trials when I was 14 (Arter Bros), then I got a BSA C15 to do up for my 16th Birthday. Unfortunately the age limit was raised to 17, so I had to have a moped. The friendly town Bobby noticed me riding my Dad's AJS 650 CSR (aged 16).
Just before my 17th Birthday, I got a Suzuki 250 Hustler from Hallets. My Dad was not happy with 'Jap Crap' that I had got, until he rode it home on the Saturday ready for my Sunday Birthday.
This was the start of many Suzuki's. I had the pleasure of meeting Barry Sheene in the Summer of 1976 and showing him my new GT550 Triple. He then showed be his Race bikes (Dover Docks).

Hallets was my first outlet, then progressed to Geoff Darryn's at Sandwich, then Dave Browns at Ashford.

Geoff and Tony Harris (Lord of Lydden+King of Brands) asked me to run in his Bol d'Or Laverda Jota Race Bike as his wrist was damaged, that was 2 weeks of fun.
I had a Harris F1 race tuned Suzuki GSX1100 and was lent a Honda CB1100R to compare, mine was faster.

I still Marshal at Brands Hatch and have seen many changes in my 48 years Trackside.
My current Bike is attached.............

[AlanTH]

  'I've had cars ever since.' I know what you mean JW and although I love the sound and watch things like the Manx TT occasionally, I'll stick with cars as I have done for the last 60 years. Saw a new Triumph Tiger 900 the other day and it looked just so good but as I'm now using crutches for reasons other than bike crashes, like old age, I realise they're never going to be for me again.
Great to think back on every now and again though.
Keep well.
AlanTH.

PS. Maybe I'll be chucking the crutches away when the medics have had a go at my back in a couple of months time. Fingers crossed.

[John Walker]

Hi Alan,
I remember those days well, although my biking was mainly around the Canterbury area.  A regular meeting place was the Black Poodle cafe in Canterbury High Street.  Always full of leather jackets and white neckerchiefs.  The Mods always met in the Cherry Pie cafe just down the road.  Acaris was opposite and that was neutral ground for Rockers and Mods.  I don't recall there ever being any real trouble.  I was with a group of four bikers.  One had a Norton, another had an AJS twin. My other mate and I had Royal Enfield Continentals.  They were on 250cc but we had no trouble keeping up with the others.  On a Saturday, we would head to the bowling alley in Whitstable as it was open all night in those days.  We never played bowls but just sat with cokes, chatting for hours.  we also, went to Macaris Coffee Bar on the seafront in Herne Bay where many bikers met up.  Again just drinking coke or coffees and chatting about girls, music, girls, bikes, girls, oh and girls!  .......
As a biker, I was totally mad and stupid at times.  I came off mine three times in as many weeks.  I came off unscathed each time but my bike was damaged.  One Saturday I was going to a local dance with a new girlfriend.  I wore my Italian suit and shoes and a shortie camel coat.  My hair careful in place Billy Fury style.  I was catching the bus into town.  My mate came along on his bike and asked if I wanted a lift.  I told him I was catching the bus and he said that I'd missed as he had just passed it.  I asked him not to ride too fast as it would mess my hair up (vain)  .  He started off slow but when we got up to the main road he opened the throttle and went off like a bat out of hell.  It was thick fog and we went straight into the side of a car that was turning right. Probably near 70mph.   I went the distance between two lamposts!  We both were rushed to hospital.  Both had smashed left legs and numerous other injuries.  I was on crutches for months and off work for nearly a year.  That was the end of my biking days.  I've had cars ever since.

Despite the accident, they were great times and I'm so glad I was part of it.

[AlanTH]

Anyone else remember the mad runs we used to have from the coffee stall near Chatham Station way back when the 650s from Triumph, BSA, Norton, AJS etc. ruled the roads? I just read a post elsewhere where a bloke mentioned them and it brought back memories of that beautiful sound of the bikes going up the Maidstone Rd and up past the cemetery on their way to Johnson's Cafe on the A20.
I didn't own a bike as I was a measly paid apprentice but had many a ride on the back and loved it. Luckily the only time I came off was on relatively slow places like coming back from pubs in country lanes..... one near Sittingbourne which name escapes me at the mo. Crash through a hedge we went and fell off laughing. 
Remember the cops trying to stop the large number of bikes up by the cemetery and many swerving around them onto the path and away at full throttle onwards. Remember the deaths at the roundabout near Wrotham from memory? There was 1 or 2 there and on 'murder mile' where bikes ignored the lights and just roared through.
All this over 60 years ago now but that exhaust noise is what still remains with me and when I hear a bike of the old style going fast, I love it. Bugger those things that sound like sewing machines even if they are faster. 
AlanTH.