Jack Plowright continued
In the 1960s I worked for North Anglian Autos in King's Lynn. We were not Velo agents but of course we worked on them from time to time.
The excellent article in the June issue on flat twins brought back many happy memories.
I had the pleasure of servicing a Valiant and was so taken with it that when I took it out on a road test, those back at the shop thought that I had broken down as I went a little further than our usual test route. It was a delight to ride and I resolved to find a second-hand one for myself, but never did.
I believe it was the same customer who subsequently came back with a Viceroy, again for service. Scooters were definitely not my preferred mode of transport. However, this machine also impressed. With its proper forks and big wheels it handled quite well, but I had misgivings about riding it in a cross wind. It was so large, which meant excellent weather protection behind those enormous leg shields and screen.
For its time it was a powerful beast and by far the best performing scooter that I ever had the pleasure of riding.
I didn’t earn much money but I had the best job in the world. Happy days!
Jack was a gentleman, very ‘old school’. The motorcycle shop was the bigger of two in Trowbridge though I have no photographs of it. The lads used to go in there. I remember one ordering a Velocette Thruxton but it never materialised so he bought a 650SS instead which served him well.
I used to go in to chat to him and was very taken with the ‘Norton’ mat he had outside his office. I tried to cadge it off him but he said ‘Heather, if I ever close down you may have that mat’. It is now in our hall in Bradford, thanks Jack.
I believe he went to live in Spain.
I have been an OBM subscriber for many years, but was taken aback to read 'Jack Plowright Motorcycles' in large print on your letters page in the June edition.
I was born and grew up in Trowbridge and bought my first two bikes from Plowrights in Mill Street, so I was very interested to read Chris Hawkings’ letter. I believe Jack Plowright also had a dealership in Devizes.
My first bike was a second-hand Honda C200, 90cc, registration JMW 107F, bought either late 1968 or early 69. I took my test on this bike and passed first time. It was totally reliable but I soon grew out of it as it was rather small, and not very quick. I traded it in for a second-hand Suzuki Invader, registration MWV 57G, which I bought in 1971, for £165 I think.
So my dealings with Plowrights predate Chris Hawkings’ time with them. The 200cc two-stroke Suzuki took me to university in Southampton for three years, along with several touring trips to North and West Wales, the Lake District and even a trip to Glencoe in Scotland. The small capacity Suzuki would cruise all day at 65mph, even with a pillion and luggage. This bike too was totally reliable and would hold its own with larger capacity British bikes a lot of the time.
Jack Plowright attached a small metal oval plate on the bikes he sold and I enclose a picture of the Suzuki Invader side panel with the Plowright plate beneath the Suzuki logo. I went on to have two more Suzuki bikes, a 350cc Rebel twin (on which unfortunately I had a bad accident in June 1976 and the bike was written off) and my current 2001 SV650S, which I have owned since 2003. I am now in my late 60s and still enjoy motorcycling.