Custom Tanks and Designs

This is a short blog to say farewell and thank you to Peter Keyte.

In life you meet very few people that have the ability to make something from scratch.

Peter Keyte was such a person, someone who single-handedly could turn a sheet of metal into a finished item. Whether it be a petrol/oil tank, fairing or seat, if you had a photograph or could explain what was wanted, Peter could make it. Not only did he have the skills necessary to perform this task, but he also had the artistic flair and understanding to appreciate what was needed and more importantly, how to get the required result.           That is a rare talent indeed. 

 

 

 

Peter was a time-served man who needed very limited equipment to carry out his business. Throughout his long career, all his welding was done using a pair of oxy-acetylene cylinders, a blowtorch and a No.7 nozzle. His skill in welding alloy meant he had no need for a pulsed-Mig or Tig plant and the customer was the winner as his welds were fully annealed during the gas-welding process. The intricate shapes and curves were all formed by hand on an English Wheel or by a few simple press-tools that Peter made himself.

 

Peter Keyte

 

His retirement will leave a void in the motorcycle world that is unlikely to be filled, he will be sadly missed. He takes with him the knowledge and experience gained from a lifetime in the trade and we will be poorer for that loss. However we wish him all the best in his retirement and hope that he finally has the time to play his Fender guitar.

 

 

The Great Escape.......with a Velocette

 

With the ending of ‘Lock-down’ now in sight, it is time we returned to the more interesting things in life….

 

As was the case last year we are blessed with some lovely spring weather, what better time than to dig out the boots and head for the hills. Sadly not Criffel this time, but the moors of the Peak District that separate South Yorkshire from the Hope Valley. 

 

Addy's map of 1888

Houndkirk Road is an ancient highway across Houndkirk Moor and runs from the village of Ringinglow to the Fox House pub. Known locally as the ‘Old Roman Road’, it was a drover’s cattle route that was improved and turned into a Turnpike in 1758. The road has an extremely interesting history, that included a drover’s Inn at Thieves Bridge known as Oxdale Lodge and a WW2 Starfish Site known as the Houndkirk Decoy. This was to attract and lure the German night-bombers away from Sheffield and the industrial heart of the River Don.

Once again it sounded like a job for a Velocette…..

 

Below Stanage Edge with Hathersage in the distance

 

Previous info on the Viper trials bike is contained in the following link:

http://yorkshireferret.blogspot.com/2011/06/velocette-viper-trials-bike.html

And the journey up Criffel is detailed:

http://yorkshireferret.blogspot.com/2018/10/criffel-climb-back-in-time.html

The overall gear ratio of the Viper has been recently reduced, by fitting a larger gearbox sprocket. This gives the bike more of a ‘trail-bike’ gearing, when compared to the ‘proper’ trial-bike gearing previously fitted. This suited the easy going terrain far more, 1^st gear being low enough to deviate from the beaten path and yet with a reasonable turn of speed on the public roads to the area.

 

Houndkirk Moors

 

As usual the bike ran very well once the stale fuel had been discarded. The sump bash-plate proved it’s worth on more than one occasion when venturing across boulders and through the various bomb-holes that are to be found in the vicinity. The throttle was set so that the engine could be kept running whilst dismounting and opening the gates found along the old road, making for a far quicker run.

 

Of course the old girl has been used in some pretty harsh conditions in day’s gone by and is not fazed by a little snow. In point of fact she was just put back in the shed and would remain there until the next outing, well till the roof fell in......                                                     My the winters were cold.

 

A proper winter