What's this Challenger, does anyone recall coming across it? last seen Cheshire '78?

[John macleod]

[John Wakefield]

Do you have a frame number?

[johnrunnacles]

John C (druid) is probably best placed to tell you what it is, John. I would guess it's a bit of a hybrid ............. MX2 perhaps, with later forks and mudguards? Whoever has had it since may have restored it in its original "factory" finish, of course?

[John macleod]

Thanks John, I'll contact JC - some people have suggested to me it looks like an MX3 1966 shorter original wheel base model with a modified straightened rear hoop? But has anyone ever come across it ?

[John macleod]

Hi John W, Sorry I dont I only remember a 2 and an X - I think but could be mistaken - It was a long time ago! Came from a guy in Birmingham with an amzing F1 type garage under his house. He looked just like Gerry Adams (hope I'm allowed to say that), same build with a beard. He'd totally rebuilt it - the engine worked for 3 years with only an oil change and the odd spark plug.

[John macleod]

The guys who bought it from us were 2 brothers with their dad, they had an old ambulance to collect it in Cheshire. I did hear Iain Bain had something similar - anyone know if that's true because he lived about 10 miles away

[johnrunnacles]

Is that a younger John Macleod astride it in the photo?

[John macleod]

Hi John, hope allis good,

Yep that's me - a young 15 year old with a new toy - it was Anglian signal red - the pics have faded over 40 plus years

Regarding its provenance - A very helpful answer from the Druid as follows:

The bike is a combination of parts as was usually the case.

The banana airbox was used on the MX1 and 2,

banana forks didn't appear until the MX3.

I reckon that it is probably an MX2.

I can't remember any bikes having that red colour. I've no doubt a few bikes could have been made in red unofficially but they would have been signal red same as the Anglian.

I can't help in identifying who would have built it.

Many thanks John

[johnrunnacles]

Thanks John .............. and John!

Lucky you, John, to have had such a nice toy to play with at 15! I just had a push-bike (with knobbly tyres fitted, though!)

John #3!

[John macleod]

Hi John,
Ha Ha yes, I was a very lucky guy, amazing parents too and I'm still very grateful ! My frst bike was a Bantam D3 in a box of bits- for I think £20 -we got that going and so my dad bought me that one after I started getting Ok at trials but wanted to race my friend around the farmers field, we went through a Honda 50, Cb175 and then my friend got a very early Suzuki- it was about 1979 so prob worth something now.Still would love to find my Greeves.
Sorry for late reply.
I just ordered some alloy rims and galvanised spokes for the new one.
Hope all is good
kind regards J

[johnrunnacles]

All good, thanks John.
In my case, parents never had enough money so I needed to leave school early to make my own way into bike ownership, and then only as a means of transport to work. First bike was an old(ish) Norman twin with Anzani engine, bought because it vaguely resembled a Greeves with its leading link forks .............. and I couldn't find a Greeves that was within my budget.
Good luck sorting the Challenger wheel rebuilds. It'll look the bees-knees when it's finished!
Take care.
JR