My Dad got invalided out in 1946 via Weeton after his Egypt stint from '44. He joined in '41. Caught a severe case of dysentery.
After marriage moved to Southport where I was born.
He had a Velocette KSS, which when I was old enough to cling on to the back of his jacket, used to go to a Temperance place up a street off Lord St, where they sold sasparilla out of a tap.
He was head cocktail barman at the Prince of Wales hotel then the Royal before we got a pub in Wigan.
I was a BSA man and had a '56 DBD34, Grandpa had been a Norton man.
Motorbikes, ah yes. You'll have to lift your sights a bit from 250cc though. A younger (and slimmer) Ken.
On a Velocette without a "fishtail"...sacrilege!
However sorry to digress from
Danny's excellent contribution.