David Bowen: First Black Shadow

davidd

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More from David Bowen:


David Guy on right facing my Father Tom. In front of him is Jeff Wiseman. They are building the first production B Shadow that Somer owns. The guy with bald head Eddy Cox long time employee, pre-war as well, checked bikes on the line to send for a road test. The guy with the hat is George Baker. He did the only real fitting job in that department. He filed and polished mag cowls to fit engines. He was the uncle or my younger brother's (Mike) Wife. The other guy I can not remember.


David, if I have this correct, Left to right:
George Baker, Unkown, Eddy Cox, Jeff Wiseman, Tom Bowen, David Guy, Ignoring the guy way in the back.

David D.
 

Marcus Bowden

VOC Hon. Overseas Representative
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THE SOCIAL SECRETARY THAT ALWAYS HAD A SUNNY ANNUAL RALLY, MY DAUGHTER CAMITA LIVE WITH DICKIE & PAT WHILST SHE WAS AT COLLEGE IN ST AUSTELL GREAT FUN TO BE WITH.ORGANISED PCV & HRD GET TOGETHER AT THE 1969 ANNUAL DINNER WHERE I WAS INTRODUCED TO PCV BY PAT WILSON,VERY MEMORABLE OCCASION.
bananaman
 

aldeburgh

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Non-VOC Member
These factory pictures are fantastic:) ,Army berets , bib and brace boiler suits no Hi-vis elf & safety. I had forgotten about all the old ammo boxes we were still using for 101 jobs in our Suffolk engineering workshop in the early eighties , I reckon the blokes at Stevenage could still smell the cordite in the ones they had!
 
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vibrac

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THE SOCIAL SECRETARY THAT ALWAYS HAD A SUNNY ANNUAL RALLY, MY DAUGHTER CAMITA LIVE WITH DICKIE & PAT WHILST SHE WAS AT COLLEGE IN ST AUSTELL GREAT FUN TO BE WITH.ORGANISED PCV & HRD GET TOGETHER AT THE 1969 ANNUAL DINNER WHERE I WAS INTRODUCED TO PCV BY PAT WILSON,VERY MEMORABLE OCCASION.
bananaman

Yes I forgot that Dickie the man the sun always shined for
 
A

alan wright

Guest
Bonjour, a simple question from an old Bedfordshire village lad. If Somer owns the first production B Shadow where does Bob Culvers JRO 102 come into the scenario?
Merry Christmas and a safe and happy 2014 from the sunny Charente,
Best regards, Alan Wright
 

vibrac

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I though Culvers was the prototype Shadow with the saucepan speedo....

don't think we are into another who has the Rollie free Vincent or Monterey bike saga are we?
 

TouringGodet

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More than just the prototype Shadow had the saucepan speedo. I have read that as many as the first dozen or so had them. There are pictures of the John Edgar bike with a saucepan speedo.
 

davidd

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Bonjour, a simple question from an old Bedfordshire village lad. If Somer owns the first production B Shadow where does Bob Culvers JRO 102 come into the scenario?
Merry Christmas and a safe and happy 2014 from the sunny Charente,
Best regards, Alan Wright

I think the answer is "terminology." JRO 102 was 138 digits earlier than Somer's Shadow. I assume that JRO 102 was built as a demonstrator for the press and was not immediately for sale. Something similar could apply to the Flashes. There was the Prototype, the Eppynt racer and at least one show model. So, the first production bike was not the first, second or third, etc. Just a guess, though.

David
 

Simon Dinsdale

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Does it really matter. Just pull the cover of the bike, take it out the garage and give it a good thrashing as it was intended for. Of course that's not the Basil Fawlty type of thrashing.

Merry Christmas
Simon.
 
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