Mickey Oates Motorcycles
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Sad day
Fantastic dealership and did a cracking mail order service
Fantastic dealership and did a cracking mail order service
Lovely people, sorry to see them go.
That's a shame, used to use them in the 70's when I started out on bikes.
There were a couple of small outfits like them, another guy whose name I can't remember, rode a kettle, nice lad. And Victor Devine, Richard in the workshop, always gave you a brew.
There were a couple of small outfits like them, another guy whose name I can't remember, rode a kettle, nice lad. And Victor Devine, Richard in the workshop, always gave you a brew.
Sad news for them and the rest of us in Scotland where dealerships seem to be closing too often.
Sad to see
Not been in for years, I seem to remember attending one of their ride-outs back in the late 90's. We all rode to Oban via Lochgilphead. T'Was a great ride there, but marred on the way home as I witnessed an accident. One of the riders was overtaking a car just after Connell Bridge, and the car swung over the road heading to a layby on the right (without indicating). I stopped at the scene (was only about 4 bikes back from the accident), but the driver of the car was being an arse, and it was looking like he was heading for a beating from the splattered bikers mates...
Not been in for years, I seem to remember attending one of their ride-outs back in the late 90's. We all rode to Oban via Lochgilphead. T'Was a great ride there, but marred on the way home as I witnessed an accident. One of the riders was overtaking a car just after Connell Bridge, and the car swung over the road heading to a layby on the right (without indicating). I stopped at the scene (was only about 4 bikes back from the accident), but the driver of the car was being an arse, and it was looking like he was heading for a beating from the splattered bikers mates...
ktmman
Registered user
Mom and Ecosse in last few months , getting less choice up here. A sure sign motorbikes are becoming an expensive toy less can afford.
Think I last used them in the late 70’s when I had to get a new rim on my Bonneville, to pass an MOT. They were in York Street in Glasgow City Centre at the time. (Still got the rim, and the Bonneville!)
That then got me thinking about other bike shops which I occasionally frequented around the same time., and which have gone, or changed radically since then.
So far, I’ve got:
Mickey Oates, York Street, Glasgow
MCS Motorcycles, Abercorn Street, Paisley
Lloyd brothers, Peacock cross? Hamilton
C&J Wilson Broxburn
West Pier Motorcycles, Brandon Terrace, Edinburgh
Two Wheels Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh
Carrick Motors, 8 South College Street, Edinburgh.
Victor Devine, 223 Great Western Road, Glasgow
Ross Motors, 240-260 North Woodside Road, Glasgow.
Willie Pitblado, Dunfermline?
John George Motorcycles, 36 Claythorne street, Glasgow
Fleming Motorcycles, 538 Edgefauld Road, Springburn, Glasgow.
Jay & Jays Motorcycles, 395 London Road, Glasgow.
(Jay & Jays was a very small shop with secondhand parts of dubious heritage...)
That then got me thinking about other bike shops which I occasionally frequented around the same time., and which have gone, or changed radically since then.
So far, I’ve got:
Mickey Oates, York Street, Glasgow
MCS Motorcycles, Abercorn Street, Paisley
Lloyd brothers, Peacock cross? Hamilton
C&J Wilson Broxburn
West Pier Motorcycles, Brandon Terrace, Edinburgh
Two Wheels Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh
Carrick Motors, 8 South College Street, Edinburgh.
Victor Devine, 223 Great Western Road, Glasgow
Ross Motors, 240-260 North Woodside Road, Glasgow.
Willie Pitblado, Dunfermline?
John George Motorcycles, 36 Claythorne street, Glasgow
Fleming Motorcycles, 538 Edgefauld Road, Springburn, Glasgow.
Jay & Jays Motorcycles, 395 London Road, Glasgow.
(Jay & Jays was a very small shop with secondhand parts of dubious heritage...)
Remember Lloyd's in Hamilton, yes it was peacock cross....... I bought a few there late 70's including a brand new Suzuki TS250 trials style bike in 78
came off it lots at many Lanarkshire roundabouts when the filthy diesel busses dropped overfilled tanks 
all tyres back then were made of slippy hard plastic it seemed. Ruined a few pairs of Derri Boots 
West Pier - good old Eddie Koski and his daughter who used to make eyes at me whenever I went in. I bought a brand new Ducati 250 Mk3 from him in 1975. It was my everyday transport. There was swarf in the oil at the first oil change and it ate its main bearings at 6k miles.
Two Wheels - I bought a new VFR800 from Neil Danskin there in early '99 after my then girlfriend, now wife, told me to "fuck off and buy my own" after using her new Thundercat for about 4 months of winter.
Carrick Motors - In the early Prestonfield days, in '75, they rebuilt the front end of the Ducati after a head on collision with an idiot driver who ran a red light at Haymarket. Then I had Russ gas flow the head on my Mk3 Commando to go with the S3 cam and 10.25:1 Omega pistons in an effort to wake it up a bit. They also did a fair bit of servicing on a Minivan owned by an organisation that I managed in the mid 70's. Closed from the day that HMRC turned up one morning at the shop at Meadowbank and closed them down because Russ hadn't been paying N.I. contributions for the staff.
Donald who was Russ' business partner for several years had left some time previously and was ultimately the only guy in Scotland doing 2CV servicing and repairs, after he'd done a stint doing the vehicles for Circus Archaos. He's still a friend and occasionally turns up in his Hotchkiss, his beautifully restored Citroën Dyane van or recently on a Royal Enfield Interceptor that he won in the National Motorcycle Museum raffle.
As ever, nostalgia ain't what it used to be...
I have a vague recollation of another Edinburgh dealer that had Ural/Cossacks, and a DKW rotary in the window. Possibly Tollcross area? Would have been around 1980 ish.
Late 70's there was Ian Gillan's (of Deep Purple) World of Wheels in Lochrin Buildings in Gilmore Place, next to Pistons and Components. It must have been about '78 because ex wife and I lived there before we moved out to SQ that year.
ktmman
Registered user
Got my first Suzuki ap50 from Reid allan and Paterson Edinburgh many moons ago.
Carrick behind the museum, then Leith then meadow bank. Brings back memories.
DMC Dunfermline sadly gone aswell. Liked to chat to Paul.never a dull moment.
Carrick behind the museum, then Leith then meadow bank. Brings back memories.
DMC Dunfermline sadly gone aswell. Liked to chat to Paul.never a dull moment.
I think Paul is still around doing bits and pieces, though not at the shop. I see him occasionally at SCMC meets.
Dublin suffered the loss of many motorcycle shops over the last 40/45 years. JJH
Plus Ride On Motorcycles, 3 folk, a main man, his missus Carole and his bearded brother the mechanic.
And the lad I can't remember who rode a GT750, another good spot for a brew and a chat.
Better Bikes in Cathcart, Kawasaki dealer, never bought anything, just lusted after the Z900
Lloyds were good for their open days when you could ride all the bikes you lusted after. 1 August 1978 I picked up a new 400Four from them and then learnt what really crap customer service was all about.
Wheeled Machines ? , Wellington Street Glasgow, ( BMW and Yamaha ) . Bought my RD 200 new in 1979 but lusted over the Martini / BMW RS in the show room. Also Alexanders Motorcycles, Clyde Street Helensburgh ( Yamaha ) who fixed the smashed crank case on my XT 550 under warranty when Wheeled Machines refused to. Was it Ride On in Eglington Street Glasgow? and the outfit in Maryhill who then moved to Victor Devines current show room in Glasgow, stocked BM Kawasaki and Triumph.
Ernie Page Motorcycles in Polwarth Edinburgh. Bought my first new bike from them in 1985. A Yamaha RXS100, 2 stroke. If you had been running round town a lot it meant you laid smoke like a destroyer when you gave it the beans on what was still the new Edinburgh Bypass.
Alvin's in Leith Walk. Motorbike breakers and latterly also sold bikes. Yamaha, Buell, etc
Alvin's in Leith Walk. Motorbike breakers and latterly also sold bikes. Yamaha, Buell, etc
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