Page 20 - LHR Sept 25.

Becoming More Than an Apprentice
By the mid-1960s, Ed had matured into a full-
fledged designer, though he still carried the
humility of an apprentice. He mentored
newcomers, teaching them to start every
drawing from the centreline and to always
consider how a mechanic would get a spanner
onto a bolt.

He also learned the politics of British
industry—budget cuts, management reshuffles,
and the looming threat of Japanese competition.
But he never let frustration diminish his care for
the work. A motorcycle, he believed, deserved
honesty, even in an era of corporate uncertainty.

Craft, Pride, and Quiet Achievements
Asked later what he was proud of, Ed rarely
mentioned entire models. Instead, he
remembered smaller triumphs:
· A tank badge that sat perfectly on a
tricky seam.
· A seat pan whose press tool was doubted
but ended up resisting rust better than
expected.

· A bracket that eliminated a vibration no
rider would ever know had existed.
These were “mercies,” as he called them—small
decisions that spared riders inconvenience or umility of an apprentice. He mentored
discomfort. For him, design was not about grand newcomers, teaching them to start every
gestures but about cumulative care.
drawing from the centreline and to always
consider how a mechanic would get a spanner
Becoming More Than an Apprentice onto a bolt.
By the mid-1960s, Ed had matured into a full- He also learned the politics of British
fledged designer, though he still carried the industry—budget cuts, management reshuffles,
and the looming threat of Japanese competition.
But he never let frustration diminish his care for
the work. A motorcycle, he believed, deserved
honesty, even in an era of corporate uncertainty.

Craft, Pride, and Quiet Achievements
Asked later what he was proud of, Ed rarely
mentioned entire models. Instead, he
remembered smaller triumphs:

· A tank badge that sat perfectly on a
tricky seam.

· A seat pan whose press tool was doubted
but ended up resisting rust better than
expected.
· A bracket that eliminated a vibration no
rider would ever know had existed.
These were “mercies,” as he called
them—small decisions that spared riders
inconvenience or discomfort. For him, design

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