Introducing Andy - The Man Behind Kingpin Components

Andy Marks
5 days ago
3 min read

As the title of this post suggests, my name’s Andy, and I run Kingpin Components — a small workshop focused on making and supplying parts for vintage and classic motorcycles. As is usually the case with a business like this, I am a keen motorcyclist myself. So I thought it was time to introduce myself and tell you how we got here.

Man sitting on a stone wall, smiling, with winding mountain road 'Stelvio Pass' in the background. Green hills and white clouds under blue sky.

Early Bikes

I quite literally grew up around classic bikes. Both of my Granddads had bikes, as does my Dad who I still ride with regularly.

Two motorcyclists in helmets and jackets flank a child on a toy bike in a driveway. Brick house and greenery in the background.

I can't actually remember learning to ride a bike, I started off road, and I passed my test within a few weeks of turning 17. Within a few months, as well as a modern Suzuki GS500, I had my first classic bike – a 1951 Royal Enfield Model G.

Child on red mini dirt bike rides around tire track. Wooden shed in background with surfboards, man, and child on another bike.

It needed some work when I first got it and with my Dad’s help we had it running well in no time. I was soon riding it more than the Suzuki and to say I was hooked on the classics would be an understatement. By the time I was 19 I’d blown the engines on both bikes (my mechanical sympathy has improved marginally over the years). The Suzuki ended up on the scrap heap, but I rebuilt the Royal Enfield, again with Dad’s help and I still own and ride that bike today.

Vintage black Royal Enfield Model G motorcycle on grass, with "TYJ 433" plate. "Royal Enfield" text displayed, amidst lush green trees.

University and First Restorations

Whilst studying Engineering at University I bought the bare bones of a 1934 Norton International with some inheritance money. This was my first full restoration project and I soon realised how few parts were available for it. I had to make a lot, but that was all part of the fun for me, so it didn’t matter.

After university I went to work full time for my Dad’s business, The Magneto Guys. In my spare time I restored another Norton, a 1951 ES2 this time and, as with the International I found many parts hard to find so had to make them from scratch.

Alongside my work for The Magneto Guys I started making some of these hard to find parts in small batches and selling them on eBay to help fund my hobby. Kingpin Components was born.

A vintage 1951 Norton ES2 motorcycle with chrome detailing is parked on a path, set against a lush green park with trees under a clear blue sky.

Since Kingpin Components Began

The business has evolved, but behind the scenes I’m still restoring, riding and occasionally breaking old bikes

I have modified my ES2 to turn into my idea of a classic tourer and proven its success with over 15,000 miles in nine different countries, including an almost 3000 mile round trip to attend the 2016 Norton Owners Club rally in Italy, where I rode ‘door to door’ without any major issues.

Norton ES2 motorcycle parked at Oberalppass, 2046 m altitude, by a milestone and wooden buildings. Snowy mountains in the background under cloudy skies.

I’ve sympathetically rebuilt a 1928 Norton CS1 and covered several thousand miles on it, including week-long trips in Wales.

Vintage Norton CS1 motorcycle with "RX1993" plate on a roadside, overlooking lush green hills and valleys under a clear blue sky.

I’ve built, tuned and raced a 1980’s MZ, then crashed it rather spectacularly – that one needs doing again!

Two motorcyclists in green and blue gear race on a track. The foreground shows number 14; background, number 56. They're leaning into a curve, evoking speed and intensity.

Most recently, I have inherited my Granddads 1929 Harley-Davidson Model J, which I intend to take to France this summer to attend a rally which he did on it many times.

Three men in jackets sit on vintage motorcycles against a green hilly landscape. The sky is partly cloudy, creating a cheerful mood.

What I'm Up To Now

Alongside Kingpin, the bikes are still very much in use.

Current Project

A 1936 Velocette MAC. I bought it as a complete bike but it needed a full strip and rebuild. It is now completely stripped and I am just getting started on the rebuild. I have some very ‘special’ plans for this bike which will make it an interesting one to follow. I will be writing about the work as it progresses.

Motorcycle engine disassembled in a workshop, surrounded by shelves filled with tools and spare parts. Blue straps secure the frame.

Out on the Road

As you've probably gathered by now, I get a lot of pleasure from working on my bikes in the workshop - but the end goal is always to take them out and use them. This summer I have rallies booked on my Harley, my CS1 and my ES2. I'll write more about all of these as they happen.

Vintage Norton ES2 motorcycle with license plate PHA 320 on a rural road, surrounded by green fields and rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky.

That brings things up to date — I’ll write more about the bikes and what I'm using them for over time.