No. 003, RWS 882S

Delivery of Mike's Quasar was postponed so that Wilsons could show it at the 1978 Bristol Motorcycle show.  He managed to negotiate a discount on the price in return for allowing Wilsons to exhibit the bike, and he also attended the show to 'talk up' the virtues of the Quasar.  Work on Franks Quasar, (RWS 881S), was delayed in order to get Mikes ready for the show, so this was actually the second Quasar completed.

The Quasar was registered on April 7th 1978 and on the road from May of that year.

Mike took the Quasar for a long weekend on the Isle of Man in the company of Malcolm Newell and Royce Creasey in '78, completing the running in process 'en route'.  On the final day of his stay Mike Schwartz arrived so that, for a brief period, there were four Quasars together on the island.

Since then, Mike  has covered over 145,000 miles in the Quasar, originally having it as his sole means of transport.  Reliability has been good, other than the frequent need to replace the steering head bearings, a common Quasar problem.

The engine was re-worked by Alan Norwood, a one-time mechanic for the official Ford Rally team when they were running Mark I Escorts.  The engine is significantly improved although Alan is unfortunately not available to do further engine work as he subsequently set up his own transport business and moved abroad in '99.

Mike has suffered one potentially serious accident on the Quasar.  He was driving around Bristol's ring-road, close to the bus station with his wife in the back of the Quasar when they encountered a patch of diesel and the Quasar went down on it's side.  It ran along the side of the central barrier for about fifty yards before stopping, flat on it's side, in the road.  Mike's wife suffered a spiral fracture to her fibula and her leg had become soaked in battery acid. He had serious abrasions to his knee and elbow, but was able to right the Quasar and get it running again.  A trip to hospital ensued.  Happily neither of them suffered any permanent harm.

In recent years the Quasar has been 'resting' but Mike hopes to get it back on the road in time for the Quasar rally in September 2001.  Fingers crossed !

Mike out for the day at the Bath Microcar rally

RWS 882S on the left and Q434 AFG on the right.

Mike Reed on a visit to the workshop in Hastings

Last updated 25th December 2004