Peter’s Perilous Past.
basil | 6/17/2005 | 2:10 pmSuzuki Bandit owned by Peter in Worcester 2005.
Peter on his first Machine 1956.
Pete started motorcycling on a BSA Bantam, a two stroke 125cc.
He rode everywhere with the throttle wide open, even though it was a small machine it gave the impression of travelling at high speed.
After stopping, a rotating noise could be heard for several minutes due to loose plates on the flywheels.
The local village linesman was the first to complain, when Pete speeded past he immediately jumped in the ditch and took the rest of the day off to recover, when he caught up with the racer some days later he told Pete, “that was the second time he had been buzzed and would he refrain from speeding and riding so close, as next time he would feel obliged to throw his shovel at him”.
As the Bantam was getting a bit tired, Pete acquired a Norton Dominator which was quickly customised with racing seat, clip-ons and megaphones.
Pete practised riding through the bends from Worcester to Lower Broadheath, until he had perfected the racing line.
Ray asked Pete for a lift home from Bill’s one-day, unaware that he would be subjected to a high-speed ride. Ray was shaking when he arrived home and told Pete later “he was so nervous that he had to make himself a cup of cocoa and have a long sit down to calm himself, and that, in future he would prefer to walk”.
Bernard a local acquaintance, was a bit of a sceptic and when told of Pete and his speeding antics disbelieved.
Pete said go down to the sharp bend at the Knoll bank and watch when I speed by, Bernard was petrified when Pete rode round the bend at seventy.
He said, “all I could see was the bottom of the bike with exhaust and footrests scraping the road producing a shower of sparks”.
One evening Brian another sceptic said to Pete, ” That old heap will not do a ton” Pete said jump on the pillion and I will demonstrate.
Two days later we saw a subdued Brian with his arm in a sling, “what happened to you” we said.
Brian remarked “You would never believe that old bike of Pete’s would do a ton, but we were going too fast for the corners and we piled it up on the Ombersley Dual Track and Pete has just come out of Hospital”.
On one occasion after closing time, Pete with an accomplice on the pillion, were travelling along the Henwick Road, when a uniformed person waving a torch, jumped into the road and signalled Pete to stop, undeterred he twisted the right hand grip and sped off.
Two days later Pete was waiting at the traffic lights at The Cross in the centre of Worcester, suddenly a hand was placed on Pete’s shoulder, and a voice said “why didn�t you stop the other night” The reply from Pete was ” I didn’t notice you and besides I wasn�t speeding” The person in uniform said “I just wanted to tell you that you both were singing much too loudly.”
Today although Pete is into his sixties he is still an active motorcyclist, and owns several fast machines including a Yamaha R1 and Suzuki Bandit, a BSA Starfire is also in his collection.