The Road to Galashiels.

[karhu21]

Excellent post John.

Brings back a few memories of London in the 70s and 80s.
The jacket is still around but what about the old Matchless?

A happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.

 

[JLStorm]

What a great read. Thanks!

 

[rocketeer]

Excellent post John.

Brings back a few memories of London in the 70s and 80s.
The jacket is still around but what about the old Matchless?

A happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.

Ah yes the Matchless I bought it in 1976 age 17, a 650cc bike I fitted with a sidecar as I was a learner.

Some friends, Simon and Carol posing with my bike(1981)

After many adventures on 'L' plates I passed my test in the morning of a spring day in 1982. By the afternoon I was roaring around London on the same bike as a solo motorcycle. decided to take up the 'Rocker' look in the early 80s, Mods had come on as a revival and scoots were everywhere. I had an Everoak Racemaster crash hat and a black leather jacket, skinny Levi's with turn ups and my bike looked a bit 'Rocker'd', I thought, super cool, with its Goldie pipes, CSR race seat and chrome front mudguard from Bonneville. My own personalisation was some fringing on the seat in red.

This bike lasted me through the 1980s with a blow up on the first Rocker run to Brighton back in 86 to be sold around 1988 only because I was relatively homeless and had nowhere to store it in a non running state.
That was the last I saw of it till walking down Rayleigh High Street in 2011. I instantly recognised it though it had been partially restored. Most of the parts I had bought for it were still present but the old Goldstar pipes had gone, so had the seat fringing, the pipes being replaced by the ultra boring Matchless megaphones. A quick chat with the owner, yes he bought it soon after I sold it and then the bike I had not seen since 1988 was gone.
I thought, "Yes it's my bike, but it's heart and soul were no longer there". I had thrashed it, crashed it, rebuilt the engine and wound it up till the needle bounced off the speedo at an optimistic 120MPH. Looking at the owner now, I doubt it went much faster than 50.
Looking through my stuff, I found the old green logbook with my name in it. I considered sending it to the owner but when I emailed him he never got back to me.
Great memories and I wished I had never had to sell it.
John

 

[karhu21]

A real beauty without a doubt. (The bike looks OK too!!)

A lot of old British bikes here in Finland. BSA, Norton, Triumph, Matchless AJS and so on also, Harleys and a Russian marque ,URAL (quite similar to an old BMW).
Only in the summer months though.
Cheers!

 

[momos]

Wonderful story!

Many thanks for writing and sharing it.

 

[dan_t]

This is a fantastic read, thank you very much for taking the time to write it.
What was Ken's reaction when you arrived with the old jacket?

 

[Seb Lucas]

Fair question, but this thread is two years old.

 

[dan_t]

Ha! I only noticed the Dec 27th date, not the year Seb.

 

[Seb Lucas]

 

[rocketeer]

This is a fantastic read, thank you very much for taking the time to write it.
What was Ken's reaction when you arrived with the old jacket?

Thats another story almost.
A few years earlier, probably about 10, wearing the old Battersea Contract A2, I visited Aero to order a Barnstormer and was introduced to Will Lauder. On this visit we chatted a great deal about the old Battersea days with Ken trying to get me to exchange the jacket or sell to him, but as I did not wish to get rid of it I did promise he would get first refusal. Basically I ordered the jacket had a chat and went home.
Then a few more years down the line I had heard that Will wanted to buy this item as I still owned it and seemed very interested when I ordered a Highwayman by phone but told him "sorry it's not for sale"
Well I received my Highwayman and all is well with it, a couple of years went by and the great Aero V Will thing hit the headlines(See Sloan's Aero Trial posts), though I am pretty sure my Highwayman whinny's rather than moo's.
Next we fast forward again to 2011 and I wanted Aero's Teamster jacket. Ken was delighted I still had the old Battersea jacket, even more when I said could we do a deal on something that fit a little better.
Big smiles all round, I got a jacket early in 2012 with a non standard lining The old jacket now hangs in Kens showroom still nice and original how I wore it for all those years.
I am probably happier to see it back with Aero where anyone who want's a look can do so than secreted away in some collectors wardrobe. Whats more I doubt it would have reached a decent price on the dreaded 'Bay' as there is nothing to prove its provenance other than mine and Ken Calders word for it.

Fair question, but this thread is two years old.

And I remember that jacket and just about everything I did with it like it was yesterday
Well it was sort of my first jacket, Type A2 that is, as no one was really making repos in the UK till Raiders of the Lost Ark and Top Gun came along, then what did we get? Avirex
Cheers, J.

 

[Sloan1874]

Sometimes these threads are even better when they're revived. It's like they've had a chance to marinate. I still remember our first email exchanges when I was writing my feature on Aero, John, and you very kindly led me through the ins and outs of A-2s and Highwaymans, saving me from myself, and giving me a few pointers of what I should be looking at. In short, I blame you in part for my ailing bank balance and lack of wardrobe space.

 

[rocketeer]

Sometimes these threads are even better when they're revived. It's like they've had a chance to marinate. I still remember our first email exchanges when I was writing my feature on Aero, John, and you very kindly led me through the ins and outs of A-2s and Highwaymans, saving me from myself, and giving me a few pointers of what I should be looking at. In short, I blame you in part for my ailing bank balance and lack of wardrobe space.

With your Irvin's and ANJ4s, whats next on the list a B6? Is that why all those sheep on the Scottish hillsides keep looking over their shoulders

 

[Otter]

With your Irvin's and ANJ4s, whats next on the list a B6? Is that why all those sheep on the Scottish hillsides keep looking over their shoulders

No that is an entirely unrelated matter !

 

[Sloan1874]

I think I'm good for sheepskins for the time being - between the Irvin and the ANJ, I'm covered for all temps from 6c below. I feel I'm good for the moment, tho I have been leafing through John Chapman's A-2s of late. I do dig his Dubow...

 

[IXL]

I think I'm good for sheepskins for the time being -........... I feel I'm good for the moment.....

Famous last words.....

 

[Sloan1874]

A two year wait would give me a chance to save and enjoy the ones I have at the mo'!

 

[John Lever]

We used to pass that shop back in the 1980's when we lived in Brixton. The day we decided to get off the bus and take a closer look the shop had closed down.