Westgate road, Newcastle.

[Copycat73]

51 minutes ago, Bender said:

They need to read the signs and watch the news it was more than well enough publicised

already been explained .. eyes glazed over .. they will go elsewhere .. metrocenter .. dalton park .. galleries ... 

[S-Westerly]

1 hour ago, Copycat73 said:

already been explained .. eyes glazed over .. they will go elsewhere .. metrocenter .. dalton park .. galleries ... 

Can't buy motorbikes there though; not unless it's changed a hell of a lot since I moved south.

Edited December 12, 2023 by S-Westerly

[Essem]

Just look at the bike buying demographic. Back in the hay days of the hill, almost everyone was under the age of 30. When I’m out on the bike now, most people I encounter are nearer 60. We are in the last days of biking as we know it.

[Bender]

1 hour ago, S-Westerly said:

Can't buy motorbikes there though; not unless it's changed a hell of a lot since I moved south.

Nip to the Harley shop round the corner from MetroCentre

[curlylegend]

Sounds just like Great Western Road in Glasgow in the sixties and seventies.  Kings, Victor Devine, Valentes and all the others in the side streets too.  All gone now except Infinity Motorcycles which doesn't sell bikes, just clothes.

[Bender]

15 minutes ago, curlylegend said:

Sounds just like Great Western Road in Glasgow in the sixties and seventies.  Kings, Victor Devine, Valentes and all the others in the side streets too.  All gone now except Infinity Motorcycles which doesn't sell bikes, just clothes.

Still a clothes shop at top of the hill, they are pretty isolated, parking is easier though.

[Copycat73]

14 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

Can't buy motorbikes there though; not unless it's changed a hell of a lot since I moved south.

the remaining bikeshop of note is on scotswood road .. outside the ulz..  

[Bender]

8 minutes ago, Copycat73 said:

the remaining bikeshop of note is on scotswood road .. outside the ulz..  

Usually with a good selection of used stuff.

[S-Westerly]

I'm in the NE quite often to visit my Dad but I'm not in the market to buy a bike there! By the sounds of it,  fortunately!

[Kenyun]

Yes I remember Westgate road very well, the "greasy spoon cafe" on a Saturday morning, a big plate of pie, chips and curry, the best cure for a Friday night hangover ever! I would frequent the "Hill" most Saturdays from 1970 till the mid 1980s [when I moved away], checking out all the bikes and meeting up with "me marra's". I'd call in to Ken's bike shop just to chat with Jim, [when he was just a salesman!]. In those days I rode a Triumph 500 and 2 Bonnevilles, but in '78 I bought my first Japanese bike, from Kawasaki Newcastle at the bottom of the hill, it was the only way I could sell/partex my immaculate '67 Bonnie [no-one else wanted it] against a new Z650c, followed by a new Z1R in 1980, which cost £1860 on the road! Wish I'd kept that bike, they didn't handle well [needed frame braced] and the brakes were crap due to part cable part hydraulic operation, but I loved it!! On a nice day there would be hundreds of bikers visiting the many  accessory and motorcycle shops or passing through on their way to the coast or Jedborough, Halcyon days when biking seemed inexpensive, petrol and tyres were cheap and a bikes mileage was unimportant!!!

[SICKS6SIX]

me and my two brothers must have had 20 new bikes from Kens, my first on-the-road after a few off road bikes at 17 was a Suzuki TS100 for £399 from Kens in 1976, Mick Ken's son-in-law was the main salesman then Jim joined the team after marrying into the family, Ken's workshop at the top of the street for rebores etc, I never thought it would ever close down, it's a furniture showroom now I think I can't look to find out for sure, Harry Woods down the street and the cafe near the post office, Saturday mornings I've seen maybe 300 bikes during the summer, wheelies up the hill and crowds cheering and the occasional BANG as someone hits a car, mass ride offs to Tranwell woods near Morpeth for drag racing, Police turning up and checking frame numbers while scraping the paint off frames to see them clearly (so they said) its heyday was the time of RD's GT's KH's & CB's the blue haze hung in the air all day and the smell was adictive as you sat on the wall at bikesport eating your fish and chips watching the free show, nowhere like it back in the 1970s,

[Stottycake]

Used to go to Westgate Road in the 70s bought all 3 of my bikes at Kens,

Honda ss 50 to start ,then a yamaha Rd 250,all my mates were buying suzuki gt 250s

Any finally a gt 750,

Always wish I'd got the kawa z 900,though 

[pappa583]

Reviving an old post somewhat here but I can remember the 80s getting the bus through to Newcastle on Saturdays just to walk round the bike shops. Just  back on 2 wheels after a few years off and was gonna gave a ride over today to see if there are still any bikes venture over on Saturdays?

[bonio]

Did you go? Many people out?

I had a blast to Cambridge and back for a family bash. Loads of bikes on the road down here.

[Geordie Oldie]

Just back from a trip to Westgate road for my bikes MOT, Armstrong racing developments, I have been getting MOTs there for over 40 years and I don't think it has changed much.

 

She passed!

 

All the big dealers gone, what was Harry Woods/ M and S motorcycles is still there but not selling bikes. I seem to recall Kens had shops on both sides of the road. There was a couple of places doing second hand bikes.

 

It has become an extension of the west road, shishka shops, take aways,  an Uyghur restaurant ( I had to look up what that was!), Asian supermarkets, off licences.

 

It was always a bit rough and ready and still is, but at least most of the places have something going on, even if it's not bikes.

[Mold]

I remember the good old days, I bought my first new bike there. It was great as a young lad, I could walk around and look at the bikes. Then some idiot changed the way there into a one way system and the first time I went there, I got lost! I've been back twice for tyre replacement since then and I got ripped off both times (I couldn't find anywhere else close that would fit my tyres). Westgate Road was known only for motorcycles but it's dead now and it's a shame.

[Copycat73]

1 hour ago, Mold said:

 for tyre replacement since then and I got ripped off both times 

try here Homepage - Working Class Motorcycle Co. (wcmco.co.uk) 

 

and or here NE Motorcycle Tyres, parts and accessories (sumupstore.com)

 

NB. carries little or no stock .. will order in .. but likely will want a deposit .. 

 

[Copycat73]

On 16/09/2024 at 13:45, Geordie Oldie said:

Just back from a trip to Westgate road 

 

 

very few bother now ,, frankly it is dead.. 

most head to local meets on a saturday .. like minchellas gypsy green .. rothbury . vale cafe .. tommy @ seaham harbour  

[Ashy]

Was a trainee mechanic in 77 at Harry Woods, the job interview was like "can you ride a bike and change a spark plug" Yup, Start Monday morning 0900 don't be late.

Great times, used to go take a couple of speedway bikes in a van to Druridge bay on a Sunday and do are best to kill our self, happy days.

 

John Ashworth

[R9XDG]

One of the guys I work with was telling me about this place just the other day. He used to go down there all the time when he was younger, it sounded epic!

 

We fired up Google street view and he was shocked at how run down it had become.

[Bender]

Almost unrecognisable now

[Punts]

You used to be able to spend a day in Westgate Rd.

The internet has ended days out shopping, even if it was only window shopping.

 

Custom lids and J & S are in the Team Valley and Honda/Triumph are in Scotswood Road.