Joining Club and now own my 1st Greeves

[Karl R]

Hi to All

My name is Karl , I live on the Norfolk / Suffolk Border with my lovely wife , my shed and collection of Bikes . Just became proud owner of a mostly complete Greeves 25DD road bike . I am collecting parts to start the rebuild .

I do not intend to build a factory spec bike as I have a liking for 60-70`s Trail bikes so plan to build a special with 21" front wheel , twin leading brake , 2t engine , single seat , wide bars , and 350lc exhausts . Sorry if this horrifies some but I make bikes that make me smile and suit my style . I live out in the sticks and trail bikes work well thrashing around the lanes so I will throw in some ISDT styling . I really love the huge Greeves Frame spar look and simple technology . Will hopefully post some pictures during the project .

Regards Karl

[John Wakefield]

Welcome aboard Karl, I am a bit surprised that having decided on a trail bike you have chosen a roadster as its basis. With Greeves being predominantly comp. (trials & scramble bikes) I would have thought one of these would be a better basis for what you are after. I hope you are not cutting about a fairly complete road bike. You say you are going to fit a 21" front wheel, but you will need to change or lengthen the fork loop to accommodate this as the loop is shorter on the roadsters.

[Brian Thompson]

Guess nobody told Mr Greeves then.....

I am a bit surprised that having decided on a trail bike you have chosen a roadster as its basis. With Greeves being predominantly comp. (trials & scramble bikes) I would have thought one of these would be a better basis for what you are after.....

A picture is worth a thousand words...... (and a few of Mr Greeves' words as well....)

Welcome to the forum Karl, and good luck with your project!

Brian.

[John Wakefield]

Karl. Assuming you are a paid up member of the GRA you need to PM 'Rob' to get upgraded to full member so you can post pics.

[Kim275]

Karl welcome to the forum to add to Brian's comments .... We love Greeves of whatever persuasion plenty of help here from our fellow GRA members Cheers Kim

[tony]

Welcome Karl, I to live in a rural area where the road is often green down the middle Good fun on the pegs on the way home, makes commuting fun.
Enjoy building your special, there are some great guys on here with fantastic knowledge, who will give plenty of advice.
I have two specials, one complete thanks to Phil and one getting there thanks to Dave.




Smile I think I have been Tango'd

[Rob]

Karl is now upgraded!

Welecome to the GRA and forum Karl and good luck with the project! Rob

[Phil Hyde]

Welcome

Good luck with your project and welcome.

[Colin Sparrow]

Welcome aboard, Karl and thanks for posting. Sounds like you may live quite near me - I'm about five miles south of Diss.

If you've acquired a "mostly complete" 25DD, I'd like to point out that the Essex Twin is a fairly rare machine and worth preserving. Be aware also that the glass-fibre 25DD fuel tank cannot tolerate petrol "contaminated" with ethanol, so you'd need a new tank or an ethanol-proof liner.

Could I politely suggest that it might be a better idea to move it on to someone who will restore it and use the cash to buy a Greeves trials bike or scrambler to form the basis of your special.

Greeves made far more of them than they did the roadsters so they are relatively plentiful. You'd then have a bike designed and intended for off-road use with appropriate suspension (and a 21" front wheel). Plus a single-cylinder engine is a better bet for off-road than a 2T.

Although I fully agree with the principle that "it's your bike, you can do what you like with it", that alternative approach is well worth considering.

[griffon380]

Welcome Karl,
Get a Challenger tank from Roger and put two high level expansion chamber on.

he first Challenger twin !!!!!

Looking forward to some pictures etc.

Craig

[Dick F]

Also Welcome to the Club Karl, Lots of us love to see these specials being made and used , i know that the GRA is a predominantly Greeves originals , but i love to see the wonderful creations that people put together Japanese engines Itallion ,Spanish Austrian ,German ,you name it.

At least its still a Greeves frame , more than can be said for some new so called English bikes

[Karl R]

Warm welcome

Thanks for everyone who has taken the time to say hello . To answer some of the points raised :

1. I have found a steel Greeves tank , just needs lining and painting.
2. I am not going off road with my bike , I am just making a trail bike look using wide bars , single seat and knobbly tyres . I will try to make all modifications reversable so a future owner can decide what to do with my creation.
3. I love the idea of a twin trail bike , I love my 350YPVS but wanted a TDR250 so this is my old school version I guess . I will try to do justice to the Greeves frame and history .
4. The twin engine will be smoother on the road than a sinlge, besides I have a fully rebuilt engine waiting to slot in so seems a shame not to put it in the frame it was intended to go into.
5. not sure on blue or green paint ? , love both .

regards Karl

[Karl R]

Welcome aboard, Karl and thanks for posting. Sounds like you may live quite near me - I'm about five miles south of Diss.

If you've acquired a "mostly complete" 25DD, I'd like to point out that the Essex Twin is a fairly rare machine and worth preserving. Be aware also that the glass-fibre 25DD fuel tank cannot tolerate petrol "contaminated" with ethanol, so you'd need a new tank or an ethanol-proof liner.

Could I politely suggest that it might be a better idea to move it on to someone who will restore it and use the cash to buy a Greeves trials bike or scrambler to form the basis of your special.

Greeves made far more of them than they did the roadsters so they are relatively plentiful. You'd then have a bike designed and intended for off-road use with appropriate suspension (and a 21" front wheel). Plus a single-cylinder engine is a better bet for off-road than a 2T.

Although I fully agree with the principle that "it's your bike, you can do what you like with it", that alternative approach is well worth considering.

Colin

yes you are pretty close by , If you ever ride out near St Peters , Bungay give me a look up .

I purchased my pile of unloved bits at Copdock last year . No one else wanted them so i bought them at the end of the day . I could summise that people inclined to own an original 25dd probably have one by now , so I plan to make my ideal Greeves the way I want it . People have been modifying bikes ever since they first turned a wheel so I dont feel too guilty for what I plan to do . Afterall Mr Greeves did modify his whicker invalid carrige with a motocross engine I believe ? , so hopefully he would approve of my plans ?

[dave higgins]

Colin

yes you are pretty close by , If you ever ride out near St Peters , Bungay give me a look up .

I purchased my pile of unloved bits at Copdock last year . No one else wanted them so i bought them at the end of the day . I could summise that people inclined to own an original 25dd probably have one by now , so I plan to make my ideal Greeves the way I want it . People have been modifying bikes ever since they first turned a wheel so I dont feel too guilty for what I plan to do . Afterall Mr Greeves did modify his whicker invalid carrige with a motocross engine I believe ? , so hopefully he would approve of my plans ?

Well said karl, but you don`t have to justify your intended actions regarding your bike, its no ones business, except yours.
Some members on here have an over inflated sense of self importance & its time they wound there necks back in & shut up.......

[Colin Sparrow]

Although I fully agree with the principle that "it's your bike, you can do what you like with it", that alternative approach is well worth considering.

Come on Dave, just a bit of harmless, friendly and potentially helpful advice to a new member.

Karl, it sounds to me like your special will turn out just fine. Good luck with it.
Be interesting to see what colour it does ends up. YPVS livery perhaps?

By the way, the 24TFS that I am rebuilding will be black and silver...