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  • R is for?

    R is for?

    R is for – Resurrection, Reclamation, Renovation, Re commissioning, Restoring, Riding, and probably a few more. Having purchased an old bike most people will attack it with gusto using one of the ‘R’s. Some will take a different view and leave as is with the patina and all the history on view. Everyone has a view on this and is obviously an expert on the right course of action to take with any bike, regardless of marque.
    Of course there is freedom of choice to do what you like, no English Heritage telling you what you are allowed to do and what you are not allowed to do. The only judgment comes from your peers who like God are all knowing and will dismiss your enthusiastic endeavor’s with such words as:

    It’s not all original
    that has the wrong bolts
    that part is from 1966 not 1965
    the colour is not quite right

    Should this worry you? No, but since you have lavished time and money (plenty of it) it is going to make you at the least feel deflated.
    Bad taste and poor judgment, like beauty – are subjective, what is perfect in the eye of the beholder causes others to recoil in horror.

    There probably are very few bikes that are perfect; in fact as soon as you have tinkered with them you will have altered the originality. Many processes such as Cadmium plating are not carried out due to H&S and EU legislation therefore even the most original Vincent will have modern parts or coatings. So should we worry about these modern updates? I have a quandary over nuts and bolts; I always use BSF as they are what the bike was built with. The new ones are stainless so if I am putting in a modern bolt why bother with TFS? Why not Metric, which are significantly cheaper, and nobody will be the wiser?
    Perhaps the introduction of sensitive or sympathetic to the ‘R’ words will help. Where possible keep the originality don’t replace everything with Stainless, perfection is not necessarily judged by how shiny the bike is. Of course for some they like to see the bike as it came off the production line, often better. There is often little evidence of these types of bike being used. Nothing wrong with that, whatever floats your boat, and derogative remarks like ‘Trailer Queen’ are unfair, less they are made in a positive way. Remember that not everyone is fit and able to ride, their enjoyment might now be restricted to polishing and cherishing what they have achieved with the bike in the past and now.

    As an example my TFS Trail, bought off eBay, as a rolling chassis. Since half the engine was missing, exhaust, air filter, handlebars, binnacle and more - it was always going to be a resurrection, sympathetically restored with the correct parts. The plan was to get all the missing parts before I started restoring the bike. Well that was the plan.
    The frame was powder coated (Suffolk Stove Enamellers) and the engine rebuild by Simon Bateman, the wheels are the original ones cleaned up. This gave me a rolling chassis on which I could then slowly add to as I sorted out the various missing parts.
    The exhaust gave me a problem for a while until I found a silencer and got
    Tube Engineers Ltd. to form the pipe work, which was not easy. Fortunately I had some good photographs of Malcolm’s TFS Trail and could use them for reference. Thanks to Brian for some useful drawings, to Phil and others who offered advice.

    The bike is finished and hopefully retains some character and is not just the some of its parts. It is important to make sure that the process is enjoyable and the end result satisfies you. I certainly got enjoyment from finding the elusive parts and I am happy that another Greeves is getting muddy.

    * Of course R is for Relaxation as well, but with the Ranger next I think that is unlikely and R of course is probably for repetition as I have one too many Rangers.

  • #2
    If youR spaRe Ranger needs some Rn'R, I have just enough Room heRe!

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    • #3
      Well said Tony

      Nice post mate.

      R could stand for Ringe...on your bike anyway

      Scott

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      • #4
        Speaking personally I reckon you can do what you like with your own bike, especially if it doesn't have an important history. The only caveat I would add is that one should avoid making irreversible changes. In the overall scheme of things we're only custodians, aren't we?

        However having seen your latest Ranger it is so original that not restoring it back to new condition would be a bit of a shame.

        (Yes, it was me that saw it first and decided it needed more time and work than I was prepared to give to it. Sell it to me once you've finished it! )
        Colin Sparrow

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        • #5
          Some good points there Tony. Like you I keep my bike to ride, once I cant ride it then no point in keeping it as an ornament. The trend these days seems to be on 'back to original' restorations & then showing them as static exhibits/trailer queens. Always amazes me the expense some people go to in rebuilding the engines of show bikes which will never run. Whats the point with that as you cant see the internals.
          I also agree with Colin, why fully refurbish a bike that has the patina of previous use, once its been rebuilt & repainted its a different bike. I think in times to come original unrestored bikes with traceable history may be more valuable than restored bikes. To some extent this is already happening with certain cars & bikes. Always amazes me the silly prices that Drew Pritchard pays for architectural salvage (Quest TV Salvage Hunters) old rusty industrial lamps he buys 'all day long' for £30 or £40 each, a few years ago they would have gone for scrap. He then just gets his man to just rub an oily rag over them, & do a re wire to make them safe to use before selling them in Liberty.

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          • #6
            R restoration

            I am with you Tony and I love your KTM orange Ranger. I am presently building a green laner/road bike from all the old bits an pieces that I have obtained over the years and it can't be original. I would need to get all the right bits to go with the beam, no way!

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            • #7
              R is for.

              My emotions entirely Tony, I have R escured a number of basket cases including six Greeves. My intentions were always not to make any non reversible changes, and to leave recognisable to it's birth,regards to replacement items I think that the factory would have progressed to metric fasteners,powder coating etc.by now anyway. My riding is limited now so my enthusiasm is maintained by other means,there is always something Greeves to keep us all amused. Regards Les.

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              • #8
                Restoration or Preservation......

                Great post Tony, and I think you know where I stand on this topic....

                I posted a similar thread back in 2010 covering some of these issues, and several members contributed some interesting responses. It's here, if anyone wants to see it....http://greeves-riders.org.uk/forums/...n+preservation

                Brian.

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                • #9
                  Interesting stuff. On the subject of using metric nuts and bolts, let's have a look at that. You can't do anything about changing the engine & gearbox fasteners. Likewise wheel spindles etc. If you change the frame bolts to metric they will be the wrong diameter. For example, 12mm is under 1/2", 13mm is bigger. If too small they will cause vibration, and the mounting holes will go oval over time, as they are not a snug fit. Too large would involve drilling out engine plates, frame lugs etc to enable the metric bolts to fit properly; who would want to do that? Unless of course they are already oval through years of use with incorrectly tightened bolts..... That really just leaves small bolts & nuts for mudguards etc; hardly worth bothering, for having to keep both Imperial & metric tools available, especially if you are away from your workshop. They will also look wrong because of the stamping on the heads. A 6mm bolt is easy to spot!

                  Just my two penneth....

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