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Can you all remember the Mods and Rockers era? I was a rocker, my first bike was a BSA C11G, a 250cc bike, I put drop handle bars on it and thought I was the bees knees. I remember rival rocker groups, like the 'aces' and the 'saints' - based in Clifton. Immitation black leather jacket on with the words 'Elvis is King' emblazed on the back in silver studs, a space type crash helmet, Wow! We would go chasing the mods on their Lambrettas and Vespas, festooned wirth mirrors. A trip to Skeg every weekend in summer or Matlock Bath (the only inland seaside resort I know), Eh they were the days vampire2

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This was on Facebook.   What happens to old Mods.

I remember seeing Bolt at R.O.T in 1961, was it him or some other biker who had barbed wire wrapped around his jacket? His outfit was known as Bolt's Coffin. Another guy called Johnny Dench had a com

No,no,no,no,no, oh ok then. Many years ago on a Nottingham Forest trip to Lyon . Lots of beer, then lots of Cotes Du Rhone, then a "bumpy" taxi ride to the ground shook me up so I fell into the arms

  • 11 months later...

Well now theres a link in both areas.

I had an LD150 in around 1971? The year of the great Lambo disaster.

On returning from the Slipper on me Lambo. The rubber strap broke on

the Carrier dropping me wooden box of BlueStax and Tamla all over

Wilford Crescent West. The main damage was caused by the helpful drunk

helping me pick them up, whilst walking all over them.

Eddie Wilsons Shing-a-Ling stroll (on the Action Label) came off worse.

With a bite sized chunk out of it.

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Ah! the old LD lambretta.

I bought a second hand 125 - 1958 - model in or around 1965. I used it for over 2 years on a daily basis, travelling to and from Nottingham.

If I remember correctly I could run it all week on one gallon of 2 stroke mixture, with a ratio of 25 to 1. It had a magneto instead of a battery, which made it a little unnerving in the dark, or fog, due to the fact the lights would go very dim when you dropped the revs to slow down or turn a corner.

It only let me down once in the time I had it, and that was when the fuel line came adrift just outside Gunthorpe. I had to push it all the way to Bingam, It was only then that I realised how heavy it was pushing it up that long steep drag.

When I could eventually afford a car, I knew then, that I was built for comfort, and not one for having the wind blowing through his hair.

Very cheap way of travelling, also very risky, even in those days.

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It had a magneto instead of a battery, which made it a little unnerving in the dark, or fog, due to the fact the lights would go very dim when you dropped the revs to slow down or turn a corner.

Especially when the small wheels hit those slippery manhole covers in the rain whilst braking thumbsdown

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Reminds me of when i borrowed a mates Vespa Sportique in 1966, erm................i was actually too young to be riding it legally! (hope you cant get done for a misdemeanor that happened 41 years ago!!!!) anyway, earlier during the year on one of the bank holidays, me and a mate would hitch hike, first down to London, spend Friday and Saturday there, having slept rough usually in a subway (that Pet Clark song really meant something!) and then, hitched over to Gt Yarmouth, although why we didnt go to Brighton which is way closer, ill never know!, but it was my mate Graham Asher who was older and made the plans.

Anyway, on the way to Yarmouth we got a lift from a mod guy travelling from Cambridge and spent some time hanging with him as he seeemed to be a "face" So, onto the reason for this post, sometime later i borrowed the Sportique as i said, loaded the parka and sleeping bag onto the back rack, and set off to visit the guy at his home. All went well as i drove down the A1 with a tranny literally taped to the handlebars with Radio London playing through one earphone in glorious mono, Ike and Tinas River deep, was playing as i hurtled there at 40 mph!

I arrived in Cambridge, Over to be exact, found his house, met up again, and went off to the local mod hang out. W e had a great time, recalling how us mods had kicked the rockers arses etc!, and had a half of shandy.......................? before heading back to his, where his mum kindly let me sleep in the spare room.

So the following day, after brekky, i set of home again, all was well as i hit that heady speed of 40 mph again, but, for whatever reason, i dont know if id momentarilly fallen asleep, but im almost colliding with a car going the same way, lost control , and ended up kissing the A1, wearing only a levi jacket and jeans for protection, and no helmet, as it wasnt mandatory, i wasnt a pretty sight to say the least. This happened right outside the RAF base, where they had seen the accident, and sent help, which i refused , as i darent go to hospital where they would have asked my age!

Needless to say, the Sportique wasnt unscathed, and upon returning home, had the unenviable job of telling the lad id borrowed it off, he wasnt happy!!! no2

PS, re the 2 pics above, surely someone out that lot went to the Dungeon Club?

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Great story Craig,I'm relating the story to my man & we are reminiscing like mad!!

I think you are a tad older than us,but all the same it's good to go back in time ahhhhhhhh the good old days :rolleyes:

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Great story Craig,I'm relating the story to my man & we are reminiscing like mad!!

I think you are a tad older than us,but all the same it's good to go back in time ahhhhhhhh the good old days :rolleyes:

Im afraid the only pics i have are my Trent publicity shots, which i get the pee taken out of when folk have "googled " my name, so i wont be posting them!

Promise me you wont upload any!!!!!!! Dont forget i was posing as per the photographers orders, and a 'tash like that was the law in the 80's!

SORRY! , just seen ive "quoted" the wrong post, see Caz's re wanting a pic.

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Craig Posted

Im afraid the only pics i have are my Trent publicity shots, which i get the pee taken out of when folk have "googled " my name, so i wont be posting them!

Promise me you wont upload any!!!!!!! Dont forget i was posing as per the photographers orders, and a 'tash like that was the law in the 80's!

Never ever throw me a challenge, see not so bad afterall, the women on here are a little nosy when it comes to whom they are talking too especially Caz. now you have come out I have others, see Link..945CraigStrongpic.jpg

Use link to be take to see more Roadio Trent DJs of the past..Radio Presenters of the past for Radio Trent

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Didn't take too much notice of the scooter's, but best looking bike of the 60s has to have been the Royal Enfield continental GT 250cc imo

Cheers

Roger

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Didn't take too much notice of the scooter's, but best looking bike of the 60s has to have been the Royal Enfield continental GT 250cc imo

Cheers

Roger

I admit,before i became a mod, i wanted one of these, in fact, there was a shop at the very top of Hyson Green, corner of Southey St, and Bentink rd, that had one in, round about 64, red fibreglass tank, racing seat, and drop (clip on?) handlebars, i was only 12 though, and wasnt allowed it!

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As was "De Riguer" for a mod, i had a suit tailor made at "March The Tailors" approx where Next is now in Town. It cost 18 bob a week, (18 guineas for the suit plus credit charge ) and i had to get a part time job, paying 2 bob an hour to pay for it. I just worked out, that even at todays minimum wage,it cost the equivelant now of nearly £550 'kin 'ell!

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Craig Posted

Im afraid the only pics i have are my Trent publicity shots, which i get the pee taken out of when folk have "googled " my name, so i wont be posting them!

Promise me you wont upload any!!!!!!! Dont forget i was posing as per the photographers orders, and a 'tash like that was the law in the 80's!

Never ever throw me a challenge, see not so bad afterall, the women on here are a little nosy when it comes to whom they are talking too especially Caz. now you have come out I have others, see Link..945CraigStrongpic.jpg

Use link to be take to see more Roadio Trent DJs of the past..Radio Presenters of the past for Radio Trent

Great,always good to see what you look like,at least I got to see Den & Mick in the flesh,so to speak..............haven't been the same since ha ha Lol! them not me ;)

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  • 1 month later...

I had a Vespa Sportique! Bought it in Derby - big mistake. Me mate eventually bought a Royal Oilfield Continental GT (5 speed box!) and I got fed up with him blowing past me on the A52 so I bought a Triumph 500 Speed Twin off a bloke in Chilwell (advert in the Evening Post). I loved that bike - fast enough for a 16 year old, smooth and reliable! Wish I had it now!

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  • 1 year later...

The Best Looking Bike Of The 1960's? Yes the Continental was a nice looker but that's about all, still had the Royal Oilfield leaking motor with proxy gear selection and lots of gimmicks like wheel discs that did nothing, 1" oil breather pipe (ditto) swept back as per goldie exhaust, rev counter that gave a rough estimate and a tuned speedo that would show 100 when true speed 85 mph. My vote for 1960,s and probably Best Looking Bike Ever goes to the HONDA CB750

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Although I was neither a mod or rocker at the time, my first bike was a Thunderbird (sprung back axle) with a chair on it. Quite a handful for a 16 years old. I used to forget about the chair & weave in & out of traffic along with my mates on their 'solo's, whilst giving the chair riders a bit of a lift (!?)

I eventually swapped this (3-way swap [covered elsewhere on these pages]) for a racing ITOM straight from the track at Snetterton.

As it couldn't be used for 'every-day' motoring (tho' I did try) I next bought a Tiger 110 (650),,,,,, can't recall what happened to this one, tho' I do recall some of the conquests made at skeggy !

Next was a Beezer 650 (would it be an A7 or A10 / Gold Flash ?). I put clip-ons & rear-sets & thought it was the dogs dangly bits,,,, I used to throw it about like a moped & seemed to just stick to the road at whatever angle you cornered ! Only problem I had after fitting the clip-ons etc,,,, was cumming out of a roundabout a hell of a lot faster than I went into it !! The throttle cable had jammed under the tank,,,,,

After that it was a tiny LD150 Lambo. The obligatory paint job, a nail through the silencer & a bit of castrol R & it was all go.

Added the mirrors, lights & racks,,,, all of which worked. Its amazing how many scooters had mirrors that you couldn't see out of,,,, lights that weren't wired up,,,, & racks that wouldn't hold the ubiquitous sleeping bags.

Couldn't keep hold of the running boards tho' as they were worn away by cornering.

I also drove my mates R.E & Triumph 250cc scooters. Boy they ran well,,,, and fast,,,, but they just weren’t the right look !

Great great days,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

BAZ

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Loved the old sprung hubs! first big bike I had was a T100c narrow fin all alloy motor, v fast had 3 thunderbirds thus later. also had a 250cc twin 4 stroke BSA scooter, bought off guy on forest rd who later got murdered! took flywheel off it, unbelievable revs! like an MV Augusta, instant flat out then back to tick over, went great till it seized solid!

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Thats reminded me, my very first motor bike was an Ambassador 175cc with the plunger type rear suspension, the engine was that old faithful Villiers with the big brass flywheel (what a load of crap) but I wish I had it now

Rog

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Thats reminded me, my very first motor bike was an Ambassador 175cc with the plunger type rear suspension, the engine was that old faithful Villiers with the big brass flywheel (what a load of crap) but I wish I had it now

Rog

Was that a gorgeous white, twin,,,,, or am I thinking of the 250cc version ?

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