Bikes found in the back streets of Cairo (2002)

All of these photos were taken when I found a small, Father / Son business operating in the back streets of Cairo Restoring Motorcycles left in Egypt after WW2. The Father, many years ago had the foresite to travel Egypt and start buying every old bike, and bike bit that he could find, no matter what condition and store them in Cairo. Thus assuring himself of vast amounts of material for a Restoration Business and income for his Family. Luckily father and son are very good at what they do and the end products are as good as i've seen anywhere. The bikes are all mechanically correct with original parts wherever possible. Seats and other cosmetics are Made Locally using originals as patterns if required. The Bikes generally leave the workshops clad in Bright colours and chromework. One BSA B40 left completely bright yellow including wheels and engine for an American Expat. I saw photos and it looked good!. The time that I visited there was a HarleyView Harley, Norton, and BSA ready for sale. I was made very welcome and shown around their many small storage and workshop areas. There are bikes and bits spread around the whole erea in lockups and empty buidings seeminly at random. By some mystical means they could tell me what everything was! Most of these Bikes have been where they are for many years waiting there turn to be reborn and sent back into the world. Rusting doesn't appear to be a problem.
It will be many years before there are no more bikes to restore. These photos don't really show the number of bikes and amount of stuff they have.
(this where their address and email etc should go but I've temp mislaid them. I will add soon)


This ex-wd Norton Big 4 had just been completed and it rained as soon as it was taken outside for me to photograph. (it doesn't only happen in the UK).It is the only one i've ever seen so I guess that they are quite rare now. I took a few photos of it as it appeared to be complete with all the bits that normally get lost over the years and they may be useful to someone.They told me that the sidecar complete with drive shaft is somewhere in their laberynthe of storage places. The colour and chrome is not original obviously but it seems to suit.




I spent the day looking (climbing)around their Workshops (small rooms in converted houses). and their stores (anywhere covered that a bike will fit). Somehow they seem to now what they have and how to find it. Yet another Egyptian mystery!. There must be a lot of rare parts in this maze many still in original packaging left by the Forces. It was very difficult to photo anything as it was all so cramped.
The end products though are impressive see above and the Harley WLA on my harley page.