Ken Ford, whom old-time dealers will remember well for his good humour and exceptional product knowledge, died on 2 December; he was 84 years old.
Ken entered the bike trade from the aircraft industry, where he was a centre lathe turner. His engineering background and interest in bikes saw him join Paul Dunstall in the early 1960s when he helped develop Dunstall’s sports exhaust systems.
It is thought he was probably the first Brit to realise the potential of the Far East and was an early visitor to Taiwan (then known as Formosa) sourcing motorcycle parts.
Moving from the London area to the East Midlands, Ken joined Codnor Light Fabrication, helping to develop and manufacture the then industry-leading Micron range of exhaust systems. He later moved to Lincolnshire-based national parts and accessories wholesaler Lintek where he was to become a star salesman.
Larry Riches, founder and former owner of Lintek writes: “To say Ken was popular with his dealers would be a massive understatement. They respected him for his bike knowledge and engineering background; he knew what dealers wanted. In one record year 35 years ago, his commission alone on sales was £70,000!”
Leaving Lintek after the business was sold, Ken worked as a rep for Nevis Marketing, Peter Gleave and George Lloyd. After retiring, he spent some of his time looking after a small collection of bikes, which he kept at the Bike Shop in Long Eaton, not far from his home in the Amber Valley district village of Codnor in Derbyshire.
Adds Riches: “Ken was a lovely man respected by all who met him, either in the trade or out of it. He was part of the team that built Lintek into a top wholesaler before it was sold.”
Ken leaves his wife, Janet, sons Andrew and James and five grandchildren.