David Silver, Honda museum article

[Eyeguy]

Landed in my inbox this morning. I bought a Vultus last year, so am subscribed to Dream mAgazine, it appears!

http://www.dreammagazine.co.uk/motorcycle-museum/?s3campaign=HN_dream_enews_month_year_HM5228&s3advertiser=s3email&s3banner=motorcycle_museum&utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Celebrating%2040%20years%20of%20the%20Honda%20Gold%20Wing&utm_campaign=2015-01&utm_term=2015-01

Enjoy

ATG
Paul

[tom400f]

Thanks for posting  . Some mid-capacity model featuring heavily there...   

[Nurse Julie]

Thanks for posting  . Some mid-capacity model featuring heavily there...   

Just what I was thinking Tom 

[Eyeguy]

When I worked at Dresda in the 70's, we had a turbo 400/4 in for some work, Julie. Not quite as good as we'd hoped, but still a lot of fun!
Cheers
ATG
Paul

[AshimotoK0]

I have a small 'email forum' of four member  CB250K restorers and the person who is restoring a Candy Red / White CB250K0 like mine has agreed  to display his in the Museum once DS has sorted the insurance implications out. DS already has the 'Sardine Blue' ex James May 'Manlab' (sorry Julie!)  CB250K0 bike but there are quite a few non-correct parts on it.

When the DS Museum  opens, a nice place to stay is in Stradbroke ,which is not too far away from Leiston (less than 20 miles)  in a quaint B&B owned by the 'Hales' Honda husband & wife pair Tony & Suzan ... biker friendly and secure place to leave your bike. (Hales Honda now defunct I think though     ) Last time I stayed there he was restoring old pushbikes.

Ash

[Nurse Julie]

When I worked at Dresda in the 70's, we had a turbo 400/4 in for some work, Julie. Not quite as good as we'd hoped, but still a lot of fun!
Cheers
ATG
Paul

Ooooh, not quite sure if I would like the idea of a Turbo'd 400, I suppose it would be OK if everyting else was upgraded on the bike as well, such as brakes !!!. If I wanted something that went faster or had more acceleration than an old 400/4, I wouldn't have a 400/4 these days. Would ride the Turbo for a laugh though 

[Eyeguy]

Hi Julie
Upgrades are funny things, I've come to appreciate. Having owned about four hundred bikes over the years, like many of us, ive been through the updating and improving phase. My first British bike was a commando that I spent thousands on, trying to eliminate the problems inherent with both the design and the technology of the time. I fitted a sooper dooper front end, twin discs, alloy rims in 18" to allow modern, wider tyres. I fitted jap carbs, belt drives and modern ignition and wiring/ instruments.
A friend remarked that the blend of old and new tech had resulted in either a shit modern bike or a shit British bike, which did I consider it to be. He was absolutely correct, of course. About two years ago I tested a Kawasaki H2 with ultra modern front end, monoshock rear, etc etc. I really tried to say something positive about it, but in the end scrapped the piece as it was just an old jap bike with 55bhp at the rear wheel that handled and stopped a little better than the original and had all the foibles extracted. A stock H2 is still shit, but at least it's a laugh to ride!

Back in the 70's the ONLY thing that seemed to matter was beating your mates in a straight line, handling was just about getting used to the individual bike and riding around the problems. The turbo 400/4 suffered from horrid lag, of course, but once wound up would do about 115mph. We had it for a Dresda swinging arm and Girling shock figment, plus the inevitable ( and still the most beautiful) Barcelona half fairing.

Ahh, them's were the days!
ATG
Paul

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Do you all realize we have contributed to this man having a museum?I get no loyalty for buying from him do you know this?
I am amazed the praise he gets sorry
Bitsa

[Trigger]

Do you all realize we have contributed to this man having a museum?I get no loyalty for buying from him do you know this?
I am amazed the praise he gets sorry
Bitsa

Don't worry Bitsa. Silver will be charging a small fortune to enter his museum which you payed for 

[Nurse Julie]

Do you all realize we have contributed to this man having a museum?I get no loyalty for buying from him do you know this?
I am amazed the praise he gets sorry
Bitsa

Don't worry Bitsa. Silver will be charging a small fortune to enter his museum which you payed for 

Oh do stop keeping on Bitsa, the man's only earning a living 

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Yeah by ripping us off
Ask Ash how much he charged when he was how shall we say a little man and YOU thought 26 Quid for a couple of rubbers was a robbin git
Cheers
Bitsa

[UK Pete]

Do you all realize we have contributed to this man having a museum?I get no loyalty for buying from him do you know this?
I am amazed the praise he gets sorry
Bitsa

Don't worry Bitsa. Silver will be charging a small fortune to enter his museum which you payed for 

[Green1]

Silvers makes his money on postage 
That's why I ride down there it's only 55 miles one way 

Mick

[AshimotoK0]

You are all correct his postage defines logic.

However, I recently gave away my spare pair of K0 250. very rare fork ears to a fellow restorer, cos I am that kind of guy, thinking I would never need them. Then I got my K1 and guess what was bent and knackered on them   So  only yesterday I searched the middle---286-- part number on DS Website  and got a pair of NOS perfect, painted in the correct candy blue green ones for ten quid each .. absolute bargain. The guy on the phone even offered me one side with a slight scratch for 6 quid ! Those would fetch 60 quid a pair easily on eBay ... if you could find them..Iv'e never seen a pair on eBay in 6 years as they have no reflector holes, like the K2 onwards so 68/69 only. So I think there are still bargains to be had there.

What I think is really unfair is that guys like Graham who buy loads of parts, regularly are not allowed a trade account.

David at Saisei I am sure would discount us Genuine parts if Honda supplied him at trade.

[Lobo]

I can't knock DSS - they are reliable & generally high quality. 2 things were instrumental in my two (quality) restorations; this forum (thanks Steve / you all)... and DSS (thanks David).

Of course I could spend hours on the Internet sourcing bits... only to pay customs / overseas postage... be conned.... be ripped off....waste time returning ... (done all of these - but generally happy to be fair); or I can just go to DSS & have the part in 3 days.

No-one has to buy from him; and with the Internet it is so easy not to. The fact that he's thriving suggests most folk are happy with what he provides.... he certainly does not give the impression he lives in some grand 'ouse with flash cars on the drive etc.

I'm not a businessman... but often realise how bloody expensive (thanks government / grubbing councils etc) running such an enterprise would be: business tariffs, staff, insurances, heating, rent... I guess the list goes on. Furthermore, who on here (Ash excepted) goes out of their way to source parts / make them easily available, and better still arrange out of stock parts re manufactured etc? ALL these parts don't appear out of thin air & likely have serious overheads to account for.

His postage costs might be high... but perhaps like me, he just wants minimum drama ... and reliability.

Too easy to knock him.... I tho' am grateful.

Simon (& nope, not related!!!)