More from the Family Photo Albums.
My parents and some of their friends were into bikes all their lives, Vincents in particular.
I'm now sorting old photo albums so if anyone has any history about any of the bikes or knows where they are now I'd love to hear from them.
Most photos will have been taken around Tyneside as that has always been the family home.
Alan Robson / Robinson "Speedy" was a very close friend of the family.
He was based around the Gateshead (Tyneside) area rode Norvins & Tritons for many years (1950s until 1985 ?)
Same owner in all the photos but is it the same bike ?
1966? Gateshead area
1971? The same frame with a different motor ?
1975? The same Norvin - or a replacement ?
MGF942 DVLA has no record https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/vehicle_enquiry/
Background :
I'm not sure of the full history of his bikes so the photos could be the same bike Alan owned over a 20+ year period or it could be he used several different frames over the years.
His junk pile in 1975 included a Norton wideline frame with a top rail cut out for clearance around a Vincent twin motor, this could have been from his bike or could have been a scrap frame he picked up as a spare.
His bikes evolved as they do, at one point he did mention he had just had a Triumph conical hub laced onto a WM3 rim and was looking forward to fitting that.
The bike shared a wooden garage with the family car and within sight of the family home but on the other side of an access road.
It wasn't unusual for the bike & owner to go out and the owner to come home leaving the bike at a friends house.
The rest of the family were used to the bike not being in the garage for several days at a time.
1970? The bike went missing and it took a few days for the family to notice, Police and everyone else were notified and asked to look out for it, questions were asked everywhere...
The motor was eventually recovered from Scandinavia !
Normal Norvin life resumed soon after.
The bike ran for many years with no kickstart, not a big problem as the owner lived at the top of a good sized hill and used to bump-start it.
Our family lived near the end of a cul-de-sac and had a slope from our house down to the end of the road.
There was a footpath from there rising up over the local playing field - after a few hundred yards the footpath rejoined the road.
Alan came to our house - stayed a while - bump started the bike down the hill when he left and continued along the footpath across the playing fields rather than turn around and leave by the road.
The sound of a big Vincent powering up an open space made a big impression on me as a youngster !
More to follow
My parents and some of their friends were into bikes all their lives, Vincents in particular.
I'm now sorting old photo albums so if anyone has any history about any of the bikes or knows where they are now I'd love to hear from them.
Most photos will have been taken around Tyneside as that has always been the family home.
Alan Robson / Robinson "Speedy" was a very close friend of the family.
He was based around the Gateshead (Tyneside) area rode Norvins & Tritons for many years (1950s until 1985 ?)
Same owner in all the photos but is it the same bike ?
1966? Gateshead area
1971? The same frame with a different motor ?
1975? The same Norvin - or a replacement ?
MGF942 DVLA has no record https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/vehicle_enquiry/
Background :
I'm not sure of the full history of his bikes so the photos could be the same bike Alan owned over a 20+ year period or it could be he used several different frames over the years.
His junk pile in 1975 included a Norton wideline frame with a top rail cut out for clearance around a Vincent twin motor, this could have been from his bike or could have been a scrap frame he picked up as a spare.
His bikes evolved as they do, at one point he did mention he had just had a Triumph conical hub laced onto a WM3 rim and was looking forward to fitting that.
The bike shared a wooden garage with the family car and within sight of the family home but on the other side of an access road.
It wasn't unusual for the bike & owner to go out and the owner to come home leaving the bike at a friends house.
The rest of the family were used to the bike not being in the garage for several days at a time.
1970? The bike went missing and it took a few days for the family to notice, Police and everyone else were notified and asked to look out for it, questions were asked everywhere...
The motor was eventually recovered from Scandinavia !
Normal Norvin life resumed soon after.
The bike ran for many years with no kickstart, not a big problem as the owner lived at the top of a good sized hill and used to bump-start it.
Our family lived near the end of a cul-de-sac and had a slope from our house down to the end of the road.
There was a footpath from there rising up over the local playing field - after a few hundred yards the footpath rejoined the road.
Alan came to our house - stayed a while - bump started the bike down the hill when he left and continued along the footpath across the playing fields rather than turn around and leave by the road.
The sound of a big Vincent powering up an open space made a big impression on me as a youngster !
More to follow
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