Taylor Matterson bike dealers

I can assure you it was pretty special to chat with Harold outside the shop!!.

In the mid '50s, Norton parts were very hard to get in New Zealand, and very expensive. The agent for all the AMC brands was a certain ex works rider by the name of R Coleman, who rather preferred AJS....

My father needed lots of parts to rebuild his very tired International. It was cheaper, and rather a lot quicker, to import his parts by air mail from Harold Daniell. Does that make his bike a supertuned race special? Er, no.

BTW, Daniell eventually got caught out nicking parts from the Norton factory, so maybe my dad bought really hot bits....

Paul

Two of my bikes have dealers information on them . One has a very ornate cast badge(Elite motors Tooting) and the other a transfer (Jessops Eastbourne). An AMC employee tells me that on the closure of Bracebridge St not much good stuff came over, and if it had they would have nicked it themselves!.

I just found these that I bought in Taylor Mattersons closing down sale.

For those wanting to finish their bike as it was first supplied these would be really valuable - not necessarily cash valuable, but in 'getting it right' valuable. Before you use or sell them, may I suggest that you take a photograph with reasonable resolution and with a rule next to them for scale, and save it?

"Classic Transfers" and "Isaydingdong" (I've used both, both good) are able to reproduce stickers like these should anyone else need one. A lot better than trying to photo/scale something stuck on a mudguard.

Of course, this would go for any other 'dealer transfers' that anyone else has too.

Question for the Clubs Librarian: Would the club library be interested or able in holding the photographed images like this so that members wanting one can get them made?.

Just a thought,

George

Some Dealers supplied metal badges such as Philpot/ts Motorcyles Ramsgate, an old friend, now deceased, had an Ariel 250cc Arrow and a BSA 350 Gold Star from there. I saw a bike at a classic gathering with the metal enamalled badge on it.

My Z 650cc Kawasaki had a  began with "S" I think, Thames Ditton, sticker on it?

George I got some lovely transfers from the Ding -dong place they are excellent!

John 

When Taylor Mattersons  closed down, they had all their parts laid out on the floor of their shop. I asked Sid if I could buy all their parts books, and he sold me the lot. He also gave me their complete set of Commando service notes that the factory sent them, as then TM were the main service agent for Norton in the UK. I also got some of their decals as well some of their service tools, as I own the cut away timing cover that is shown on the wall in Roy Bacons book, Norton Restoration. It was such a good shop to go to in Bedford Hill, for all your Norton parts. At the time no one was interested in old Norton bikes, as so many riders then rode Jap bikes. I always kept the faith, and only wanted Norton bikes.