The Place

WE ALL NOW KNOW YOU ARE OFF TO LIVE IN FRANCE SHORTLY MIKE.
THANK YOU FOR THE HELP AND SERVICE OVER THE PAST YEARS.
YOU HAVE SINGLE HANDED CARRIED THE UK CLASSIC SIDECAR SCENE
FROM ONE OFFS TO A PROFFESIONAL SERVICE.IN ALL THINGS CLASSIC.

ROD BELLAS , TONY BAKER,JOHN SIMPER, AND A FEW OTHERS WILL ALL
CONTINUE TO TURN OUT REALLY GOOD MACHINES, BUT YOU HAVE RAISED
THE STANDARD BOTH FOR QUALITY AND QUANTITY.

THANK YOU MIKE......I SUSPECT THE DOVER /CALAIS FERRY WILL BE FULL
OF ENGLISH GUYS GOING TO VISIT YOU TO ASK FOR YET MORE BIKES.

DICK HAWES...[very happy customer]

Thank you Dick for your kind comments
I am on the last one now (number 114) then semi retirement begins start of September I am moving my workshop in full to my new home in France and will occasionally build a bike but no more eight or nine bikes a year and seventy / eighty hours a week.
I want to get to all the european meetings I have been unable to get to because of work load and enjoying watching some racing
I also want to build the F2 I designed seven years ago for pleasure. I built forty seven F2's and want to build one last one

I have really enjoyed building bikes for the classic series, but if they dont get a grip on costs I feel the gids will start to shrink, which they all ready have.

I have someone lined up locally to do repairs / updates who is of the standard I require. Major rebuilds will have to come to France and suffer some great weather and wine

My new home is about thirty minutes from Val de Vienne

Thank you to my past customers and you are all welcome to France. I am thinking about having a big bash in my workshop before I leave.

A huge thank you to Mr Steve English for such a brilliant site that has definently help me along

Mike and Mair

I don't believe any of Mike's creations Vintage and/or F-2 have made it to N. America to date....but we certainly have kept a eye on what he was building, and a dare say have used some of his designs in our Vintage outfits we build here in Arizona, USA.
His workmanship is outstanding, Vintage racing here in the US. both solo and sidecars is certainly on the up swing....it cost less and puts on a much better show, so we have been kept busy building outfits. However, not all of our creations will see the track
several have gone to M/C museums for display only. We wish Mike a happy semi-retirement in the wine country of France.........

Well said Dick. Mike the outfit you built us is an honour to own and being part of the build was a truly special experience and we thank you very much for that. All the work you have done for us over the years has been top quality and affordable. We may not have yielded the results hoped for (yet) but your support and encouragement has always helped and been most welcome. Your views about the current situation regarding classic racing are spot on and we totally agree. However rather than simply join the band waggon we will carry doing our own thing racing a beautiful and almost unique outfit to the best of our ability when and where we choose purely for the pleasure we get from doing so. We look forward to seeing you in France at some point. Enjoy your new start
PS Shame the last chassis is not number 118

Bak189 wrote:I don't believe any of Mike's creations Vintage and/or F-2 have made it to N. America to date

We raced a 2010 MRE F2 with SRA East in 2013 & 2014. It is now back in the UK awaiting our 2nd trip to the IOM TT in 2016.

Mike. I wish you all the best in your new adventure, I cant think of any one I know that deserves it more than you.
You will be sorely missed this side of the Channel. I look forward to seeing you at a European meeting sometime.
So until then its
Au revoir my friend
Jimmy Mann

what can I say Mike, good luck with the new venture, no problems with the bikes ive had form you and the back up service second to none,
Ive always found if you treat people right, they do the same to you, so as I say good luck you derserve a break
PS wont have to chop any more BSA solo chasis ,to bits in your w/shop
which is a bonus

all the best see you soon Tony T

I was helping Jim Noble and Shaun Chandler with their MRE outfit at the TT this year and to say that you were a a help with advice and information is a bit of an understatement Mike. If you didn't answer your phone when Jim rang it wasn't long before you rang back, that is what you call SERVICE Good luck with your new life in France, hope all goes well for you but don't forget to bring that new F2 back over here for us all to have a look at when you get it built and sorted out
P.s. Remember to let us have your French telephone number, we might need it

OMG,bloodyhell mate!! Retirement,you found that money tree mate!!!!!
goodluck in your new venture,pleasure to have competed against you in our early days

Top quality fella that is going to be missed by many sidecar crews

Good luck Mike, the Frogs have won for a change.

hi mike looking forward to have you here in a civilised country so WELCOME to frogland

Totally agree wit all the above. Totally top bloke our "magic mike". Please let us know before you go. We would love to pop up and see you and Mair before you disappear!
Regards.
Tim

Thanks everybody Got loads of film Bruce of us and Mark Halliday swapping places everywhere in 92 /93 you on the 350 Shelbourne yam me on the "green Meanie" 600 Derbyshire Kwak and Mark on the 600 Derbyshire Yam. I had 33 wins in 93 and never did a full season again Should have got fed up of the politics and the "Works" Yam I bought was never as good as the Kwak.
I got more interested in the engineering of the outfit than racing them. I have thick folder of outfit Dimensions and weights etc of all different manufacturers that have come through my workshop.

At last! Beginning to think you never would f*** off, you mad Welshman!! Very best of times to you both . . . . still regret selling my F2 - my baby! Awesome outfit, handled like nothing else. Had some great rides on the side of you too - always went home with a pot . . . or a blown engine, nothing inbetween! I defy anyone to outdo you in the wet! (why am I not on your profile pic anymore?! - my claim to fame, that!)