Mike Partridge and Walridge Motors, everything vintage British motorcycles by Richard Young
Mike Partridge, the owner and opera- tor of Lucan-based Walridge Motors, knows about motorcycles. He has owned, collected, raced, and repaired them since his teenage years. After a successful twenty-year career in banking, Mike took early retirement to restore his private collection of vintage British motorcycles. “After realizing that some of the parts I needed to complete my restoration
“We enjoy being able to supply all the parts that customers need to maintain, ride, and restore their bikes, and it is most satisfying when they tell us how surprised they are by the number of parts we can still supply for these vintage bikes, which in some cases are eighty or more years old,” says Mike. “Our customer base ranges from age 20 to 95 and it is rewarding to see the interest is still there from the young generation, as well as the undying love from customers in their 70s, 80s, and 90s.” Mike is dedicated to his customers and the industry and works up to ninety hours a week serving them, mainly answering technical inquiries. As a classic British motorcycle historian, he has published two books and many articles. At present, he is working on his third revision of An Introduction to Classic British Motorcycles , a book intended to give an overview to someone new to the hobby. The new edition is scheduled to be released in 2025. He also has plans to establish a museum in Lucan for classic British bikes. “The future of this industry largely depends on the availability of parts to enable both new and existing customers to continue to maintain and restore British bikes. We are pleased that our various parts suppliers and manufacturers are well aware of this,” Mike says. “At the height of production, several thousand bikes were exported to North America every week, so the supply remains good. Unlike modern bikes with computer- controlled technology, anyone with basic mechanical skills can easily restore and maintain these beautiful older classic bikes.” For more information about Walridge Motors, visit walridge.com. Songbird Lane – Christmas Lights Jeff Vanleeuwen and his family have been lighting up the sky with beautiful Christmas lights and collecting donations for Childcan and the Ailsa Craig & Area Food Bank for five years. To date, they have raised a total of $126,624 for Childcan and 14,350 pounds of food for the Food Bank.
would take nine months to get, I recognized an opportunity to establish a small business here in Canada importing vintage motorcycle parts from various sources in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world,” recalls Mike. “Instead of nine months, I can usually have everything you need for your restoration in three weeks.” “Walridge Motors has become a leader in the parts industry selling to dealers and enthusiasts primarily in Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand. In thirty-seven years, it has grown to the point where we now have over 20,000 customers, list over 40,000 part numbers, and deal with over 200 suppliers in nine countries. We have a large warehouse in Lucan housing a huge inventory and have added a Research and Development division. A large part of the business is devoted to R&D, getting parts made that have become unavailable. Over two hundred such parts have been made, and many are sold to other suppliers around the world,” says Mike. Walridge Motors is an esteemed one-of-a-kind e-commerce business that specializes in the sale of vintage motorcycle components. Mike characterizes Walridge as a traditional British motorcycle parts retailer with a focus on models produced from 1940 to 1983. Its inventory includes parts for various British motorcycle brands such as Triumph, Norton, BSA, Matchless, and AJS. Additionally, Mike is honoured to serve as the Chair of the Board for the North American Chapter of the AJS and Matchless Owners Club. Branching Out for the Foodbank Wesley was hard at it again this year selling branches for your holiday decorations at 11605 Fernhill Drive. He raised $375 and 125 pounds of food for the Ailsa Craig & Area Foodbank & Thrift Store and is very thankful for all the support again this year.
This year, $20,086.59 and 1,350 pounds of food were collected. Jeff and his family, along with Childcan and the Food Bank, are very grateful for all the generous donations. Photo: Jeff and Nancy Vanleeuwen
Page 10 Ilderton and Area Villager • January-February 2025
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