Performance platforms
Inspired by your fantastic ‘1973’ issue, here’s me in the car park at South Kent College of Technology in Ashford, Kent sometime in the spring or summer of 1974. I was in the first year of my mechanical engineering apprenticeship – four days in the practical workshops learning turning, milling, grinding, welding, etc. Valuable skills that, although now retired, I’m still using to this day. Not so much fun was one day and two night schools in the classroom. Several of us would congregate in the car park during lunch hour, tearing up and down attempting wheelies and stuff until eventually we were banned. In the photograph above, notice the forks at full extension and left hand poised over the clutch in preparation for another feeble wheelie attempt. Full ’70s flowing locks trailing in the breeze, roll-neck sweater, oneinch platform boots – but somewhat surprisingly, no flares! Unfortunately, there were no girls to impress, as engineering was a completely male preserve in those days.
The YDS7 was purchased in January 1974 from Pride & Clark in London, six weeks before my 17th birthday, coinciding with a trip to the Racing and Sporting Motorcycle Show at Alexandra Palace with my older brother. Secretly, those six weeks were made shorter – I lived in a village, and every time my mum and dad popped out, so would I, being sure to return before them. The YDS7 was a great bike – anyone know where OMV 41K is now? – but just six months later, with my test passed, it was part-exchanged on the very same day for a Honda CB500 Four. Great times!