Oldest bike shop in Dublin..still going

Pythagorean · 23-02-2021 10:30pm

Edit: Was it Hanans or Hanas or Hannas?[/QUOTE]

Pretty sure it was Hanans ; Fred Hanna was a bookseller

H_Lime · 24-02-2021 9:45am

The New Gem was always a cool place to visit for me as a newb. They always had something "exotic", got my first aprilia off em. They had an eccentric but good mech (Dessie iirc?) who showed me his rc30 and explained some facts of life relating to bikes and engines.

Max Headroom · 24-02-2021 10:39am

H_Lime wrote: »

The New Gem was always a cool place to visit for me as a newb. They always had something "exotic", got my first aprilia off em. They had an eccentric but good mech (Dessie iirc?) who showed me his rc30 and explained some facts of life relating to bikes and engines.

I know The Gem was around in the 50's..did they sell m/bikes then or just bicycles...??

H_Lime · 24-02-2021 11:21am

Max Headroom wrote: »

I know The Gem was around in the 50's..did they sell m/bikes then or just bicycles...??

Im in my forties so couldn't tell ya Max. Was is the gem was christened the new gem when it moved? This was all over 20 yrs ago and I have trouble remembering last week:pac:

Max Headroom · 24-02-2021 4:47pm

H_Lime wrote: »

Im in my forties so couldn't tell ya Max. Was is the gem was christened the new gem when it moved? This was all over 20 yrs ago and I have trouble remembering last week:pac:

There long before me too...Think it was renamed in the 80's .....but it was still on Chelmsford road...till they moved down the road to Donnybrook..
Funny it was never a shop i liked....

spiggotpaddy · 24-02-2021 6:57pm

Remember the one at the end of the malahide rd in fairview, Peter Stuart's shop, can't recall what it was called. And the one across from M/joy motorcycles Dave Fitzsimmons shop, top notch mechanic, can't remember what that was called either.

Max Headroom · 24-02-2021 7:23pm

Two wheels was across from MJ..there was another around the corner tho..can't remember the name...

Nodster · 24-02-2021 8:27pm

Max Headroom wrote: »

There long before me too...Think it was renamed in the 80's .....but it was still on Chelmsford road...till they moved down the road to Donnybrook..
Funny it was never a shop i liked....

I know my sister bought a Honda C50 in 1973 from the Gem, back then I think the Fagans owned it, they sold it on to the Ruttle brothers (one who ran the Kawasaki Centre before it was taken over by Megabikes). Not sure if they renamed it The New Gem?

Two Wheels on Blessington Street was run by the Galbraith brothers, I think they went on to take over the Honda M/cycles imports in Honda M50

Pythagorean · 24-02-2021 11:32pm

H_Lime wrote: »

The New Gem was always a cool place to visit for me as a newb. They always had something "exotic", got my first aprilia off em. They had an eccentric but good mech (Dessie iirc?) who showed me his rc30 and explained some facts of life relating to bikes and engines.

Likely was Dessie Shiels, (RIP), founder of the Japanese Classics Owners Club Ireland, subsequently merged with the IVVMCC.

Hotblack Desiato · 25-02-2021 12:47pm

KT10 wrote: »

Just to add to the list of shops no longer around, the Italian Shop run by John Elliot. An old school mechanic who helped me out more times than I dare try to count. I was not long after starting out on bikes, and he dealt with all of my stupid questions or poor attempts at self-maintenance with a quick quip, usually spoken around a cigar he's just lit off a butane torch.

A true gentleman who sadly passed away a few years ago.

The Italian Centre. Ah jaysus, didn't know that. Only had work done by him once about 15 years ago but a very nice guy.

Hotblack Desiato · 25-02-2021 12:53pm

Nodster wrote: »

I know my sister bought a Honda C50 in 1973 from the Gem, back then I think the Fagans owned it, they sold it on to the Ruttle brothers (one who ran the Kawasaki Centre before it was taken over by Megabikes). Not sure if they renamed it The New Gem?

Yeah he did, anyone else have... interesting... dealings back in the day with the owner of TNG? I've stood in things with more personality

Tarmac_Diva · 25-02-2021 4:03pm

K.Flyer wrote: »

Well done, I was only short of dropping into M&A during the week to work out which way around it was.

M&A were at the top of the lane where the old DMG was alright,
It was owned by two brothers
Michael and Alan Meaney, their father had the small bike shop across on the opposite side of the junction.

Down the lane beside the shop was GP motorcycles.

KT10 · 25-02-2021 7:00pm

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

The Italian Centre. Ah jaysus, didn't know that. Only had work done by him once about 15 years ago but a very nice guy.

Yes, the Italian Centre, can't believe I got that wrong!

H_Lime · 26-02-2021 10:46am

Pythagorean wrote: »

Likely was Dessie Shiels, (RIP), founder of the Japanese Classics Owners Club Ireland, subsequently merged with the IVVMCC.

Seemed a nice fella, took time to redirect me on my creative servicing techniques:pac: Think he had a yammy bulldog in later yrs, remember chatting to him on some Wicklow spins.

Hotblack Desiato · 26-02-2021 11:38am

Maybe we should have a "Stupid things I did to (or on) my bike when I didn't know any better" thread

H_Lime · 26-02-2021 12:57pm

Tightening the chain on the loose spot was an early fave:pac::eek:

gramp · 02-01-2022 8:34pm

The MB Motorcycles shop was either where the NCBI charity shop is now or next door to it. I bought two bikes there, including a new GT 500 Suzuki in August 1977. MB (Gerry Stephens and Eamonn Waldron, who died a long time ago) also had a bike shop in Prices Place Ranelagh and I bought two Triumph bikes from them there.

They later opened a big shop off Whitefriar St. During the boom in the nineties they got an offer they couldn't refuse and finance Bikeworld with some of the proceeds. Alas, Eamonn was dead quite a while at that stage.

gramp · 02-01-2022 8:34pm

That is, the MB shop on Crumlin Road.

Hotblack Desiato · 04-01-2022 9:00pm

The place off Whitefriar St. was K.D.I. - Kawasaki Distributors Ireland - they used to have a sectioned Z1300 (inline six) engine and transmission on display... bought my first Dainese leathers in there in '99 or '00 not long before they moved to Bikeworld.

burtner · 16-03-2023 9:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118407297#Comment_118407297

That was run by Arthur Stephens and the young lad Paul Clifford !

Esel · 16-03-2023 10:08pm

Anyone remember Eamon Waldron and Vinnie Farrell racing Z1s in the '70s?

hamburgham · 16-03-2023 10:14pm

And Charlie’s in Ballybough?

01Surveyor · 12-09-2023 10:41am

Some memories from the 70s

MnB in prices Lane Ranelagh run by Gerry Stephens and Eamon Waldron (RIP) a gentleman. Eamon had a Vincent Black Shadow and his wife/partner rode a 500c vincent as far as I can remember.

The Gem Chelmsford Road run by Brendan Fagan, Brendan was more interested in rallying cars than he was in Motorbikes

Bob Sheeran, who was Chas Mortimer's mechanic, had his workshop in a lane off sandford road opposite T.Humphreys, he later moved to Rathgar and was the best 2 stroke mechanic in ireland IMO

DMG the Five Lamps run by Derek McGuire, another gentleman

John Elliot (Italian Centre) ended his years running a workshop in Phibsborough just off the NCR/Rathdown road

????? Capel St/Bolton St Ducati Agent - not much interested in selling anything in my day though I have a 100cc Ducati Cadet (2 stroke)bought there.

Bohemiam Motors _ I think this was Mountjoy Mororcycles workshop(?) and was located in phibsborough in the lane behind McDonalds

Speedwell Motorcycles located in a Lane of Mounjoy St was run by Ivor Shire and Simon Fraser-Casey who rode a 750/4 with great gusto until he hit a morris minor in Raheny poor guy never really recovered.

Francis st. Spares - great spot.

Reg Armstrong pearse street/Ringend Road the source of all things Honda

Mountjoy Motorcycles - the university of mtorcycling!

DanFay run by Danny Keany and located in Stephen St (I think?) source of all things yamaha

Priory Motorcycles NCR (near croker) -source of all things Suzuki

Louis Carter Mount Street Crescent the cleanest workshop in ireland

I'll leave it at that for now.

Hotblack Desiato · 12-09-2023 2:24pm

The Suzuki distributor place on NCR was called Priory by my time (mid 90s), they were great for saying they had a part in stock and then not having it when you got there. Knocked down a few years ago.

01Surveyor · 12-09-2023 8:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121101154#Comment_121101154

I think youre right it was Priory not Capital, I never knew anyone who bought anything there?

goblin59 · 13-09-2023 6:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121102629#Comment_121102629

Priory are still around, up in Cabra.

Took a month to get a part from them,

Pat Dunne · 15-09-2023 5:39pm

Huet Bros 7-8 Batchelor’s Walk, BSA importers, closed in 1974.

Lindsay Motorcycles 25-27 Great Ship St, closed in 1985.

Esel · 16-09-2023 7:37am

Bohemiam Motors was run by 'Ginger' O'Beirne. I think Mountjoy used them before they set up their own workshop.

Aidan O'Keefe in Parkgate St - a small old-fashioned shop.

dubdamo · 23-09-2023 1:33pm

There was Ace motorcycles , around the corner from Mountjoy Motors, Denis was the name of the mechanic there, top bloke, mostly did servicing but sold the odd hack as well.

listermint · 04-10-2023 10:04pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121106184#Comment_121106184

Finglas.

Oldest bike shop in Dublin..still going

Comments