Has anyone got pix of Morphy Motors from back in the day?

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Laverda450

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10 Mins from Morphy Motors
Morphy Motors - for those of you not UK based - was a Hertfordshire dealer known for selling all manner of Italian motorcycles in the 70s, 80s. Other stuff too but famously, Laverda. Located in Long Marston near Tring, Morphy Motors was our monthly 'ride-out' to dribble over whatever was in stock that week. Minded that Italian bikes were rare, and roads round there were made for bikes, MM was the place to see them in number. Saw my first Jota there. Upgraded from a Morini 3 1/2 via MM.

They would hold 'demonstrator' weekends. Heaps of us would ride-out to them. Happy daze.

Unlike today, no one had a camera in their pocket, do pix exist? If so sight of them would bring a lot of joy.
 
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Andy J said:
I dare say others, such as the Sock, who photos everything, might have some too.
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I take photo's, nowadays, since I carry my phone and it takes a good picture.
Back then, however, there was no easy way to carry a box Brownie in a denim jacket or jeans.
Used to go to the ILOC monthly meetings at the Queen's Head in Long Marston, over the road from Morphy's.
 
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I used to ride over from Hemel..always closed, only about 2 bikes in the shop...still pressed nose against glass to see them😁
 
I went to the monthly meetings at Morphys for a chat and get spares for my then new 3C (1975) trouble was they hardly had any.
 
Yup... me too, I used to ride over from Hemel Watford... always closed.

I understand one of the magazines from the era did a Moto-Morini 3 1/2 road-test and Morphy Motors supplied the journo with a test-bike - some pix must exist somewhere. Being my motorcycle of choice (prior to a Jota) I've got most of the featured Morini road-tests from then, only not that one.

Queen's Head - Long Marston ( for those who'll not know, the pub - direct opposite) is very much my 'local' these days. I sup my pint from the QH to see the scene today. I try not to dwell on the sight or I'd weep.

In what was otherwise the quintescential pretty English village, its heart with an old garage and pub on the X-road, Morphy Motors is now a block of 'orrible 80s 90s flats. White plastic 'Disneyland doors' etc... fake Victorian 'style' joinery - you know the kinda' thing... screwed the place in a stroke.

There's a place for shonk and I get it, just not there. Seems we don't truly know what we have..

I swapped my ungainly Moto-Morini clip-ons for Jota bars. Fairly sure I got my Jota bars via Morphy Motors?
 
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Laverda450 said:
Yup... me too, I used to ride over from Hemel Watford... always closed.

I understand one of the magazines from the era did a Moto-Morini 3 1/2 road-test and Morphy Motors supplied the journo with a test-bike - some pix must exist somewhere. Being my motorcycle of choice (prior to a Jota) I've got most of the featured Morini road-tests from then, only not that one.

Queen's Head - Long Marston ( for those who'll not know, the pub - direct opposite) is very much my 'local' these days. I sup my pint from the QH to see the scene today. I try not to dwell on the sight or I'd weep.

In what was otherwise the quintescential pretty English village, its heart with an old garage and pub on the X-road, Morphy Motors is now a block of 'orrible 80s 90s flats. White plastic 'Disneyland doors' etc... fake Victorian 'style' joinery - you know the kinda' thing... screwed the place in a stroke.

There's a place for shonk and I get it, just not there. Seems we don't truly know what we have..

I swapped my ungainly Moto-Morini clip-ons for Jota bars. Fairly sure I got my Jota bars via Morphy Motors?
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Was Morphys anything to do with Market Garage in Tring, I bought my Guzzi there in ‘92.If you’re from Watford suppose you went to Bernie’s Spares & Repairs? I worked at Lloyd Coopers .
 
Not sure of any Market Garage connection? Didn't know MM well. Bernie's Spares n' Repairs I know very well. Had a shop near Oxhey station and moved to Station Rd Watford later on. When I had zits to hit mirrors at ten paces, bought Garelli stuff from Bernie, and my brother bought Bernie's MZ racer. Hejira frame et al.
 

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I bought my Jarama new from Morphy's in 1978 after many journeys from Hemel to dribble and dream until I could actually own one. My point being that very obviously it wasn't always closed.
 
Of course, too many are unfair on dealers. If selling motorcycles was truly a ticket to print cash, we'd see many. Major towns had 2-3 dealers back-when, Watford had four. Today most have folded.
 
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During the late `seventies / early `eighties , I always used a Kodak Pocket Instamatic ..... about the size of a Mars Bar , which according to Mars advertising at the time , would " always fill that gap " ......... Just ask Marianne Faithfull ..... ( allegedly ) ......

BTW , I believe it was Chris Morphy who came up with the name " Mirage " for the hopped up version of the 1200 , at a dealer convention at Breganze ....... Someone who was less than impressed with the proceedings suggested the name " Fandango " , which Massimo liked ..... It was a dance , just like the Jota ........ He was eventually persuaded that maybe it wasn`t such a good idea after all .......
 
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rocketonarail said:
During the late `seventies / early `eighties , I always used a Kodak Pocket Instamatic ..... about the size of a Mars Bar , which according to Mars advertising at the time , would " always fill that gap " ......... Just ask Marianne Faithfull ..... ( allegedly ) ......

BTW , I believe it was Chris Morphy who came up with the name " Mirage " for the hopped up version of the 1200 , at a dealer convention at Breganze ....... Someone who was less than impressed with the proceedings suggested the name " Fandango " , which Massimo liked ..... It was a dance , just like the Jota ........ He was eventually persuaded that maybe it wasn`t such a good idea after all .......
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Gosh that was Lucky !!!
 
Sir Sidney Ruffdiamond said:
Gosh that was Lucky !!!
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Yep ..... the guy who suggested it was thinking of it in the context of pointless fooling around , which he felt this meeting was descending into , whilst another definition is that of a brothel ( fandango house ) , due to the rather energetic nature of the dance ...... cartwheels across the floor and so on ............... I guess Massimo would have been unaware of these English / American connotations ......

Another Laverda model name which doesn`t really click , to our ears anyway , and which actually made it into the brochures , is Hildago ......... who was a mustang which performed with Buffalo Bill`s Wild West Show ........ but then you look at the thing the name was attached to .....

Then there was Gladius ( a Roman gladiators sword ) , which Suzuki pinned onto a version of the SV650 ...... nice idea in theory if you`re selling to the Italian market , but to us it`s just a stupid sounding name .......
 
LDC420 said:
I bought my Jarama new from Morphy's in 1978 after many journeys from Hemel to dribble and dream until I could actually own one. My point being that very obviously it wasn't always closed.
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I lived in Hemel..Sat morning in the queue at Moore's for parts for my xl125,😁 valves, poison rings you name it. Remember one guy blasting up and down on the new XS750, what a great noise. Am now in Kent too...
 
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