The Hill aka Westgate Road

FS1E, SL125, CB250K4,GT500 and then a GSX1100 Katana bought with 2700 miles on the clock bought from Rite Bike in 1984 (still got that one ) .

Its not just the Hill , I remember when Ashington had Mains, H & H, Peter Littles Yamaha ? and Harry Woods, Morpeth had both H & H and Harry Woods showrooms , Berwick had Darling and Swinney Honda ,Fewsters in Alnwick was a Honda dealer, Sunderland had Kawasaki World at the top of High Street West (interesting one in an old department store with a very strange collection of stuff in the basement ), a Suzuki/ Moto Morini dealer at the top end of of Holmeside and an old bike dealer in run down semi derelict premises on Silksworth Row (where they found still crated 70's bikes in the late 80's)

Plenty more I have no doubt have forgotten about.................... now feel very old

CHRIST ! , I am only 49 , and that trip down memory lane makes me feel ancient ! :rob:rob:rob
 
The bike shop in North Shields, the bottom end so to speak along from the "men's outfitters" shop was where I bought my BMW R75/6 back in 1978. Owned it for about 7 years put a lot of miles on her and rebuilt the gearbox at one point etc, still have the Clymer manual.
TAM or something similar I think it was called.
 
The bike shop in North Shields, the bottom end so to speak along from the "men's outfitters" shop was where I bought my BMW R75/6 back in 1978. Owned it for about 7 years put a lot of miles on her and rebuilt the gearbox at one point etc, still have the Clymer manual.
TAM or something similar I think it was called.

Remember standing outside gazing at the MV Augusta they had in the window, must have been 77/78. Then off down the Haven for the nightly ‘biker’ meet. All AP50’s, FS1E’s & the odd RD250 & GT250 for those who’d turned 17. Happy days.
 
FS1E, SL125, CB250K4,GT500 and then a GSX1100 Katana bought with 2700 miles on the clock bought from Rite Bike in 1984 (still got that one ) .

Its not just the Hill , I remember when Ashington had Mains, H & H, Peter Littles Yamaha ? and Harry Woods, Morpeth had both H & H and Harry Woods showrooms , Berwick had Darling and Swinney Honda ,Fewsters in Alnwick was a Honda dealer, Sunderland had Kawasaki World at the top of High Street West (interesting one in an old department store with a very strange collection of stuff in the basement ), a Suzuki/ Moto Morini dealer at the top end of of Holmeside and an old bike dealer in run down semi derelict premises on Silksworth Row (where they found still crated 70's bikes in the late 80's)

Plenty more I have no doubt have forgotten about.................... now feel very old

Peter Elliots (not sure of spelun) also was known as Swampy's Yamaha. Ashington and Pegswood.. Pegswood is now a chippy.
Lovely man but no personality at all.. lol
Oh! and HAMYAM we popped in on the way to Scarborough races..

Memories.. memories..
 
My oldest brother used to paint the ham yams back in the day the sidecar rider was mac Hobson still love the speed blocks paint work:okay
 
I used to go up the hill every saturday around 1974 and gawp at the the orange trident with the three pipes up one side. Did anyone ever buy it? Then a few years later i worked at kens till we fell out. Amazing how many fs1e,s he sold. A few years later i worked for an advertising photographer just round the back, restored his Ducati, when not watching the models coming and going. Lol. Then a few years later i recall the beerhouse at the bottom doing lunchtime trade with dodgy strippers. Haha.
 
Memories ...... AHHH ...... It's like Bisto.

Who remembers the old guy standing up on a red trials bike trying not to put his feet down? Also the guy with the GS1000S all done up in Yoshimura stuff wheelying up and down, had glasses as thick as a whale omelet? AHHH .... Memories
 
The old bloke was on a Triumph 500 ISDT twin (sure it was a Cheney) and he was a absolute bloody menace , on the road ,on the path , the lot.

In the early 80's I remember the place ripe with the very latest Japanese superbikes, loads of tuned and tarted up 70's bikes , the odd Harris Magnum or two .

I remember in the late 80's Harry Woods had a sale on Suzuki spares and I got a pair of brand new exhausts for my katana 1100 for the grand total of £70
 
Late 70’s and early 80’s I was up there most Saturdays on an RD, either 250 or 400, while my best mate was on his 900F.

That guy on the Triumph was a right PITA but I did enjoy watching him topple over in that steep car parking space next to Kens.

:D
 
I used to go up the hill every saturday around 1974 and gawp at the the orange trident with the three pipes up one side. Did anyone ever buy it? Then a few years later i worked at kens till we fell out. Amazing how many fs1e,s he sold. A few years later i worked for an advertising photographer just round the back, restored his Ducati, when not watching the models coming and going. Lol. Then a few years later i recall the beerhouse at the bottom doing lunchtime trade with dodgy strippers. Haha.

Probably the wrong spelliun, HOFFbraHouse... Many a Saturday drinking large watered down Beer..lol
 
Correct spelling. Watching the hack the rippers on Saturdays ��
The old bloke was Percy
He was a millionaire right auld Cnut
My dad went into his house once he had mannequins in the spare room with full bike gear on
Police uniform , full trails kit etc
The Cheeney ended up with Jerry at rite bike
He too died last yr. cracking bloke

When we were flying round with Z1’s with open exhausts we had xxx loads of run ins with the local bike copper Johnstone
He would stop us every 5 mins for noises exhaust, small number plates , etc etc
We used to wheelie past him just to take chase
I remember one Saturday he was sitting on his bike outside the caff ( which became A1 Harley shop, then A-Z stickers)
I did a ninja crawl behind him and stuck a kryptonite on his back wheel
Someone came speeding past and he gave chase
Managed 1 rotation of the wheel and fell off
Oh how we laughed
I heard later he was an accomplished trails bike rider and had won many trophy’s
Not that would have made a difference then

After seeing mad max I took my newly purchased Z1R sawed it up painted it Nat back and spent the next 5 yrs doing donuts

Happy days
 
Talking about Rite Bike , just found this in my documents .....the bike is still in the garage
 

Attachments

  • img508.jpg
    img508.jpg
    227.7 KB · Views: 360
Nice bit of history and nice bike
had a few Kats myself would love another
might have tracked one down to “restomod”
post a picture of yours Neil

wonder if our paths have ever Crossed, there wernt many Kats about then
but I don’t think I know anyone from Amble
i think my nate has a holiday cottage he rents out up there
 
mine has had this colour scheme since 1985 when it was painted by Colin at Custom Lids, running gear was upgraded around 2000 when the motor was also sorted, all of the standard bits (wheels,forks,brakes clip ons swinging arm, pipes ,rear and front mudguards are all hidden in the loft
 

Attachments

  • resize.jpg
    resize.jpg
    247.2 KB · Views: 360


Back
Top Bottom