David Hills

indianken

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Mine just dropped into place on my 49 Rap with 21 inch front & 19 rear tyres and was perfect from day one. The annoying thing was having to take it back off to paint it!!!
Lots of people have made their own versions over the years, but not many would make one for anyone. Dave Hills will, and has made hundreds, Pip Billinbgs obviously can't.
Thats why they are known as Dave Hills stands, not because he invented it.
Well done Dave.
By the way, I don't like this using a persons name as the subject. I keep thinking its an obituary

Ray


I gave Dave the photos, blueprints and notes so he could build them when he was over here at a Keystone section event some years ago. He was not doing stands yet.

Just ask him.

"PIP" would send anyone who wanted one the same information. He was in his mid 80's when he passed and had owned Vincents since before WW2. He road his last Irish National Rally on his Vincent and chair when he was 84. And seeing your address, he helped keep England free by flying as a flight engineer on Lancaster bombers all through WW2

And I guess "PIP's" stand is part of a great Vincent owners obituary. He is greatly missed by me.

Ken Smith
 

indianken

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
PIP BILLING at 80 on his outfit.
Pip_on_his_outfit_599_x_740_2.jpg
 

Comet Rider

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Pip Billing

Pip also designed and built his own sidecar:D

He was a member of our local VMCC section and was a great bloke

Neil
 

tonythecat

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Pip Billing

That is one helluva sidecar, I hope it is still around somewhere.

Tony
 
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Hugo Myatt

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
In no way suggesting that Pip did not build his own sidecar however the one illustrated looks very like a Blacknell Bullet. The works supplied a number of outfits so fitted in the early post war years. I believe it was one such outfit that Phil Irving took back to Australia.
 
G

Graham Smith

Guest
Yes, I thought it looked like a Blacknell Bullet.

I'm sure Dave Johnson will be able to tell us.
 

indianken

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Yes, I thought it looked like a Blacknell Bullet.

I'm sure Dave Johnson will be able to tell us.

Nice of you to ask. I hope Dave responds.

That sidecar was completely made by PIP. It was left, along with his Vincent motorcycle to Phillip Tooth, PIPs best mate. If you are not familiar with Phillip, he was the chief editor of both "Classic Bike" and "The Classic Motorcycle" I believe he still has the chair. For more info I would contact him.

It has a vary interesting chassis design. By manipulating one lever next to the passenger seat you could change the chairs spring rate, it's ride height, and the side cars wheel toe in and camber. He needed it when he took me out riding as ballast one day!

There were blue prints for the chair and chassis, I had a short look at them myself during one of my visits with him but I was too stupid to ask him for copy's. I think they may now be forever lost to us.

Ken Smith
 

Vince Farrell

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Dave Hills asked me to post the bit below for him.

I do not usually read the letters that appear on this site but one letter written by Ken Smith has been passed on to me and I feel that I should correct some of the inaccurate statements which Ken has made.
It is quite true to say that I met Ken in 2003 at the home of Philip Tooth-then editor of "Classic Bike" and subsequently he passed on to me drawings of Pip Billings stand. However please be aware that I had been making and selling the present stands for many years prior to this meeting(reference my advertisements in MPH from the 90's) and one glance at the drawings which Ken has included in his letter will show you that this stand("Pip's") is NOT the same as the one which I have been producing for years. After I received the drawings of Pips stand from Ken I did make a prototype as indeed it incorporates some additional features which some may find beneficial but I never sold any of this design .I still have the prototype. My current(forever) stands are very easy to fit and can easily be adapted to just about any post war Vincent. Pip's stand is far more complex with lots of detail refinements,tighter limits and it needs more fitting skills if it is to fit every Vincent. Mass producing Pip's type of stand would not be straightforward as each would need 'adjustable' hole positions, clearances . 'link' shape etc. Sorry Ken but you are wrong in insinuating that I copied Pip's design. Pip was a Friend of mine also going back many years-if the acknowledgements of the 'tread-down' were his I would be the first to say so. He was a nice bloke and a good pal . He and I used to meet at the Munster Club's annual "Irish Rally"in the early 90's and we always told each other that he was the other half of the Vincent entry. There was never more than two Vincents entered. Incidentally Pip was usually not a VOC member -if he ever was ,even though his picture popped up on the cover of MPH showing his lovely home made sidecar which I believe is still owned by Philip Tooth.
Incidentally I never called the current stand "The Dave Hills" stand-that is the name that hundreds of satisfied customers called it long before I met Ken Smith.
 

indianken

Well Known and Active Forum User
Non-VOC Member
Plasticbeer,
Please pass this on to Dave.
Thanks,
Ken Smith

Dave,
I apologize for my incorrect statements. I should have tried to check with you first before posting anything. My only excuse is my great regard for PIP has distorted my memory.
I have a high regard for your workmanship. If you remember, years ago, we also met at the Mid Ohio Vintage races. There I a gave you one of the side stands I made up. (my blatant copy of an aftermarket BMW stand), . I said to you, feel free to make them up if you liked how it worked and if you could show a few penny's of profit on them.

I had hoped you would give it a try, as I have not seen anything more stable and secure on the market for Vincents.

Again, my apology's for any unintended slight I may have inferred.

Yours,
Ken Smith
 
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