Readers Motorcycles, page 3

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Here is a wonderfully nostalgic image of a 1920 Levis from Robin Checketts in the USA
On the right is Robin 70 years later in 2004!! He tells me - ' this machine is a "demon" does a whopping 15mph and has about 37 miles on one charge ,fully electric plus some pedal power'
This is what he has told me about the old photo, this is worth reading !!

Well finally, I have a picture of my old Levis,You have my permission to put this on your web site.
My name is Robin A Checketts born in 1922 !!!! the bike in question was a 1920 single speed belt drive Levis. No clutch, no gearbox , just an exhaust valve lifter, when you stopped the engine stopped. Luckily it was very easy to start! It had a large outside flywheel with a small vee pulley on the inside, it had a large vee pulley on the rear wheel,with a veebelt connecting the two. The wheels were 24"x 2" ,and the tyres were "beaded" edge! I was 13 years of age when the photo was taken in 1935. I had stripped the bike of all unecassary items, such as the silencer . at that time my family was going to "dirt track "racing therfore I turned the Levis in to a "dirt bike" hence the number plate on the rear end !!!! after a few years I GAVE the bike away ,in pefect running order---- How I wish I had it now !!! so all the best to you, I am sure I will be in touch with you again. As a matter of interest, I live in Alabama, and have been in the states since 1965, So I'm a full fledged "Yankee" Happy memories

I had better tell you more about my background in "mechanical moving vehicles" !!! my first memory of motorcycles is about my farther's Rudge -Multi ,this was about 1927 or 28 .he had this bike with a side-car, Mother ,and I in the side-car,and my brother on the "pillion". This was I believe a 500cc,and was equipped witha tansmission of expanding ,and contracting pulleys!. ( this is the same idea as the very latest automobiles ), they say "there is nothing new under the sun!!! the bike had a long quadrant on the side of the tank,with 23 "notches", if you stopped in the high gear you had to rock the bike back,and forward to get it in low gear , This was difficult with a side-car on together,with Mom,and I inside!!! . The bike had a habit of "chewing"up belts( I hope the modern cars have better belts!) I guess that these were the days when motorcyclists were tough!!! When we came to the slighest grade ,farther would Hop Off,and run a-longside! .. The lighting was "Carbide",and as a 5 year old my job was to "sniff" the gas,and tell "The smell is here!!!" of course if you went over a bump the lights woud go out ,and if you turned up the water in the generator you "flooded" the carbide. Then you emptied out all the carbide,and started over--- What Fun??? The next bike he had was a 990ccVee Twin Matchless, Nothing EVER passed us on the road!!! ,this must have been approx 1930 ,we still had "Lucas " Carbide lights.

At that time my farther was "head "of the outdoor staff ,and "Chaffeur"for a very rich industrialist ,James Thompson, he had a "boiler" works in Ettingshall near Bilston Staffordshire, At that time they employed approx 10,000 people-- a large company. We lived at Ludstone Hall,in Shropshire a home that was a monastory,and it had a moat all round it---- we lived in the lodge, we made our own electricity with a "battery" house ,these batteries were Glass about 18x18 x18high-- the smell of acid would clear up any "sinus" problems!!!! At that time there was a "speed 20" Alvis with a fabric covered body, a Talbot with a "dickey" seat ,and a very large Daimler this had glass panel between the driver (my Dad) and the "old"man he had a "speaker " tube so that he could talk to the driver!!! .So you see I was around vehicles from a very early age,no one ever taught me to drive ,or ride ,it just came naturally. my father was an excellant mechanic, and I was always a-round watching, which I think was a good all round training. so I am fairly good with my hands.

I thought that you may be interested in this picture, it is my brother Cecil W Checketts ,we built this bike from garbage cans full of bits ,and pieces. This started life as an A.J.W., it was very "Brough " like in appearance,the engine was a 680cc V twinJ.A.P.,and had a three speed hand change ,Sturmey Archer gearbox. The whole thing was competely restored,and was very "quick" The picture was taken in 1940 ,note the "black-out"device in the headlamp,due to the war! the photo taken at Seisdon Hall,in Shropshire,unfortunately he was Killed in Singapore, during the invasion .
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	Readers Page 3 :: " Checketts Family England & USA"- 3
. Here is a wonderfully nostalgic image of a 1920 Levis from Robin Checketts in the USA On the right is Robin 70 years later in 2004!! He tells me - ' this machine is a "demon" does a whopping 15mph and has about 37 miles on one charge ,fully electric plus some pedal power' This is what he has told me about the old photo, this is worth reading !! Well finally, I have a picture of my old Levis,You have my permission to put this on your web site. My name is Robin A Checketts born in 1922 !!!! the bike in question was a 1920 single speed belt drive Levis. No clutch, no gearbox , just an exhaust valve lifter, when you stopped the engine stopped. Luckily it was very easy to start! It had a large outside flywheel with a small vee pulley on the inside, it had a large vee pulley on the rear wheel,with a veebelt connecting the two. The wheels were 24"x 2" ,and the tyres were "beaded" edge! I was 13 years of age when the photo was taken in 1935. I had stripped the bike of all unecassary items, such as the silencer . at that time my family was going to "dirt track "racing therfore I turned the Levis in to a "dirt bike" hence the number plate on the rear end !!!! after a few years I GAVE the bike away ,in pefect running order---- How I wish I had it now !!! so all the best to you, I am sure I will be in touch with you again. As a matter of interest, I live in Alabama, and have been in the states since 1965, So I'm a full fledged "Yankee" Happy memories I had better tell you more about my background in "mechanical moving vehicles" !!! my first memory of motorcycles is about my farther's Rudge -Multi ,this was about 1927 or 28 .he had this bike with a side-car, Mother ,and I in the side-car,and my brother on the "pillion". This was I believe a 500cc,and was equipped witha tansmission of expanding ,and contracting pulleys!. ( this is the same idea as the very latest automobiles ), they say "there is nothing new under the sun!!! the bike had a long quadrant on the side of the tank,with 23 "notches", if you stopped in the high gear you had to rock the bike back,and forward to get it in low gear , This was difficult with a side-car on together,with Mom,and I inside!!! . The bike had a habit of "chewing"up belts( I hope the modern cars have better belts!) I guess that these were the days when motorcyclists were tough!!! When we came to the slighest grade ,farther would Hop Off,and run a-longside! .. The lighting was "Carbide",and as a 5 year old my job was to "sniff" the gas,and tell "The smell is here!!!" of course if you went over a bump the lights woud go out ,and if you turned up the water in the generator you "flooded" the carbide. Then you emptied out all the carbide,and started over--- What Fun??? The next bike he had was a 990ccVee Twin Matchless, Nothing EVER passed us on the road!!! ,this must have been approx 1930 ,we still had "Lucas " Carbide lights. At that time my farther was "head "of the outdoor staff ,and "Chaffeur"for a very rich industrialist ,James Thompson, he had a "boiler" works in Ettingshall near Bilston Staffordshire, At that time they employed approx 10,000 people-- a large company. We lived at Ludstone Hall,in Shropshire a home that was a monastory,and it had a moat all round it---- we lived in the lodge, we made our own electricity with a "battery" house ,these batteries were Glass about 18x18 x18high-- the smell of acid would clear up any "sinus" problems!!!! At that time there was a "speed 20" Alvis with a fabric covered body, a Talbot with a "dickey" seat ,and a very large Daimler this had glass panel between the driver (my Dad) and the "old"man he had a "speaker " tube so that he could talk to the driver!!! .So you see I was around vehicles from a very early age,no one ever taught me to drive ,or ride ,it just came naturally. my father was an excellant mechanic, and I was always a-round watching, which I think was a good all round training. so I am fairly good with my hands. I thought that you may be interested in this picture, it is my brother Cecil W Checketts ,we built this bike from garbage cans full of bits ,and pieces. This started life as an A.J.W., it was very "Brough " like in appearance,the engine was a 680cc V twinJ.A.P.,and had a three speed hand change ,Sturmey Archer gearbox. The whole thing was competely restored,and was very "quick" The picture was taken in 1940 ,note the "black-out"device in the headlamp,due to the war! the photo taken at Seisdon Hall,in Shropshire,unfortunately he was Killed in Singapore, during the invasion . Main page or Scott Memories page1 Readers Page 1 Readers Page 2 Readers Page 4 Readers Page 5 Readers Page 6 Readers page 7
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