Classic Coventry Motorcycles - general

So, were you a Lambretaist or a Vespaist?

I am neither of the above having been a motorcyclist since 1965. Next week I will be one of many hundreds attending the D day landings celebrations. I will be riding my 1942 Matchless despatch riders bike, but I draw the line at wearing period attire. My waistline dictates

Neither. I never wanted a scooter, but my dad's mate at work had bought his son a little scooter, and his son never used it but went to college to study sociology (unlike his dad, an engineer, the son was more of the arty type). My dad thought he might learn to use it as a runabout, so he bought it off his colleague for a mere £5, which was cheap even in the olden days. However, my dad had always been a car man, and decided it was too late in life to learn to ride a two-wheeler. So he gave it to me. Now, this little scooter (NOT a moped as the newspapers and even the polliss get wrong today) was a Raleigh Roma. It had a single-cylinder 2-stroke 80cc engine. Three gears. Top speed was about 40mph going downhill with a strong tailwind. But it was good as a runabout for going to work and to the shops. A gallon of fuel would last two weeks easily. The little Del'Orto carb used air, not petrol. I used it for a few years, the main bike being my cherished Norton for weekend use, which of course was thirstier on petrol, but went rather faster. I later sold the Raleigh Roma to someone for about £20, which I thought was good. Later, I became aware of my mistake: the reg number was 24 BRW. It was sold on for a much larger amount of money who wanted the cherished registration number. Ain't life a b..... So in answer to your question, I was a Raleighromaist.

Slim - You are the only other person I have ever encountered who owned a Raleigh Roma scooter. My first motorised transport was also a Roma, I think I paid £15 for it. I rode it for a few months until my so called mate and younger brother decided to take it bits to rebuild it. Needless to say, vital nuts and bolts were lost so the scooter was thrashed to death round a local coal yard by my brother and his mates. I did see a Roma in an exhibition at Coventry Transport Museum a few years back, but that is the only other one I have ever seen. I moved on to a Lambretta TV175 scooter which was certainly a lot quicker. This brings back memories of visiting the Frettons showroom in Bishop Street and ogling the new bikes. I seem to recall that the scooter accessories were on the first floor. A few years later I was able to purchase a proper bike, a 1960 Triumph 350cc, Model 21 and one owner from new. I paid the vast sum of £40 for it from a very nice chap in Kenilworth. I only kept it for about a year because increasing mortgage rates were making things very financially tight. I did get my £40 back though.