Dave Johnson worked for Tom in 1978 and 1979.
In the first installment of his memories Dave, who now lives in Austria, remembers his first meeting with Tom in 1978.............
" In 1978 I was working for Rodger Keen in Aston Clinton, Buckinghamshire rebuilding Yamaha and Suzuki crankshafts and engines.
One evening in the workshop Rodger said that Tom Herron's mechanic was bringing some TZ750 cranks round for a rebuild before the 1978 Race of the Year at Mallory Park.
I knew that Pete Kelly had gone to work for Rolf Steinhausen so we did not know who to expect.
Next morning I heard Rodger shouting at somebody and it was Wes Pratt. Wes had parked across both Rodger's and next door's driveways with Tom's van and the caravan was in the middle of the pub car park 3 doors away. Rodger told Wes that only a American would do that. That made Wes even louder as he was a Canadian and, built like a grizzly bear.
After a while Wes parked Tom’s truck just outside the workshop and he got Tom's RG500 out of the truck.
Both the TZ750 and the RG looked like motocross bikes having just come back from a wet and muddy road race in Holland or Germany,
Wes quickly washed off the RG with a bucket of soapy water and checked the rotary valves and put the bike in the corner of the workshop. Rodger ask Wes to bring the Yamaha cranks in that needed rebuilding. Wes had the van keys in one hand and a small luggage bag in the other, gave the van keys to Rodger and said get them yourself, they're still in the bike!!. Wes then disappeared for a long weekend break!
I got the Yamaha on to my work bench, the poor bike was in a right state, and you could tell that Pete had not been working on it for a while for sure!!
I got the motor out and we found that the two inside pistons and cylinder heads extremely were badly detonated. After a day and a half the motor was rebuilt and after a couple of welding jobs on the frame and a bit of black spray paint it looked like new.
When I come to put the exhaust pipes on, I found the perforated silencer tubes were all broke up inside the mufflers. We decided to cut the lot off and put some new and a bit larger in diameter tailpipes and silencer tubes. I had mounted the pipes on bike ready to weld on the tailpipes, then realized I had a spectator, it was Tom!!
I have no idea how long he had been sat there in the corner with a mug of tea or coffee just watching me!
It was a strange feeling working on a bike I had seen pictures of in many motorcycle papers and at the TT with its rider who I was a big fan of and a lot of respect for, sitting there watching me!
Tom had a quick look round the bike and said ´Nice job, I am off to the chip shop, do you want a fish or sausage supper'?
I remember replying, just as Rodger walked in saying,´Anything as long as there are mushy peas and gravy with it!!'
Rodger just turned round shaking his head mumbling something about the eating habits of Irishmen and Northerners!"
Stephen McKeown
December 2009