Never a rocker but I did own a Dommie.
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Exeter Mods and Rockers
- Thread starter geoffwp
- Start date
Grecian2K
Very well known Exeweb poster
Ah, now we're talking Stuffers!
Once (in a much earlier era) was given the opportunity to buy a beautifully chopped Dommie (blue teardrop tank, stretched forks etc) which a guy at work was desperate to sell, dirt cheap, as he was short of funds.
Unfortunately, being on 'junior wages' at the time so some other lucky booger got the chance.
Another one of my (many) missed chances in life.
(PS If anyone knows of an example my particular vintage dream machine (Vinny Thousand) going dirt cheap I'd still be interested!!!!)
PeteUSA
Very well known Exeweb poster
Talking of Vincent 1000's, there was a tall chap with dark wavey hair that used to come in The Clock fairly regular who had one with a sidecar attached. His girlfriend was Mary Baker, from Heavitree. He only had one eye, which I thought was a bit chancy with no perception of depth on a bike of that magnitude. Sadly around 1964 he was killed riding the thing, but Mary in the sidecar was uninjured.
There were one or two others who were killed or badly injured that were associated with the Clock between 61 and 63:
Teresa Rozier; who was only about 16 was killed riding pillion. Colin Drake, who was a top guitarist on the local music scene was killed when he drove directly into a tree while fiddling with his car sterio.
Dave Taylor lost a leg below the knee when his motorbike was in a colision in Mary Arches Street. Dave Conway lost his entire leg in motorcycle accident.
A young lad with blond hair who was generally known to us as 'Barney' was killed on the Exmouth road while riding pillion on the back of Ray Clay's bike. Ray escaped uninjured.
There were one or two others who were killed or badly injured that were associated with the Clock between 61 and 63:
Teresa Rozier; who was only about 16 was killed riding pillion. Colin Drake, who was a top guitarist on the local music scene was killed when he drove directly into a tree while fiddling with his car sterio.
Dave Taylor lost a leg below the knee when his motorbike was in a colision in Mary Arches Street. Dave Conway lost his entire leg in motorcycle accident.
A young lad with blond hair who was generally known to us as 'Barney' was killed on the Exmouth road while riding pillion on the back of Ray Clay's bike. Ray escaped uninjured.
It's a small world Pete, Dave Taylor was a good mate of mine. Before he got married he lived in Northernhay Square. I always thought he was coming up Fore street hill when he came off. The bike he was on was a AJS 350.
My tale of woe is that I had my Dommie while in the army at RAF Seletar in Singapore. I paid $25 Singapore dollars for it off a bloke about to get posted back to the UK. Now the dollar in those days was worth 2/6 meaning it cost me little over £3. When I returned to the UK all I had to do was ride it down to to HMS Terror dockyard and they'd ship it back home providing I would take a chance of it being ditched over the side in case of trouble. I just couldn't be arsed, consequently I still regret it to this day. ;(;(
PeteUSA
Very well known Exeweb poster
I thought you would be a good bet to know somebody from that list mate; since two or three of the above, were as much Pack Horse as Clock Tower. You could well be right about the location my friend, Dave could have been coming up Fore Street and the accident happened in the Mary Arches Street vicinity. Its over 50 years ago since the accident was reported, so I was close. I never ever knew Dave to speak to incidently; I just remember his dreadful misfortune, as many of us did.
EDIT: Whats a Dommie incidently?
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Mine was a 500cc Norton Dominator.
PeteUSA
Very well known Exeweb poster
I know all the bikes of the day such as Norton; I never knew about the Dominator bit though. You live and learn.
PeteUSA
Very well known Exeweb poster
Did anyone ride a BSA Bantam or a BSA Bantam Major? Surely somebody must have ridden one briefly, even if you only put two stroke petrol in em'? Also who went on to be a 'bubble car' owner? They were like a Reliant Robin, where you could drive one of them on a motorcycle licence. The favorite at the time seemed to be the Issetta; where you opened the entire front of the vehicle (steering wheel an' all) to get in the thing. The other was the Messerschmidt, where you climbed in the top, got behind the wheel, and closed the 'bubble' which of course was perspex!
contrabombarde
Active member
Didn't own a bantam Pete but remember the Post Office used to deliver telegrams on them. The best I could afford at the time was a Triumph Tiger Cub. Only 200cc but used to go like **** off a stick. My mate had a BSA 250 C15 .He always had to go one better.