Searching for an MCS Owner

[JJ66]

The pics dont show by the way just says 'vBulletin'

OK John, I'll try again. I seem to be having issues uploading pics, its not so straightforward..

[JJ66]

Hi John,

Apologies I didn't answer all points. No, I don't think there has been any confusion between the two bikes, the original MCS obviously existed as I have the log book and the numbers are clear, and the frame number on the MX is clear. It is perhaps as John Wakefield suggested that the original MCS was damaged and the MX was seen as a handy replacement! The MCS/MX has clearly had an interesting past as I have record that it was fitted with a 2T motor, and given the real state of the engine mountings in the MX when I bought it then I can well believe that a number of different motors had been in it and that it may have been called to service to replace the original MCS. An interesting tale indeed!! I can still remember the place I bought it from on the shores of Ullswater, it was a lovely old building that had been used as a Cheshire Home, and one of the outbuildings had all these old bike bits in. I had a number of engines (Bantam, Triumph Tina, AMC) thrown in with the Greeves and it set me up for bits to tinker with for a good while!

Regards, Jonathan

[johnrunnacles]

That's the Challenger frame OK, Jonathan, with home-made engine cradle to take that engine, whatever that was (?). Wheels look to be Hawkstone ........

Thanks for replies to my comments.

John R

[JJ66]

That's the Challenger frame OK, Jonathan, with home-made engine cradle to take that engine, whatever that was (?). Wheels look to be Hawkstone ........

Thanks for replies to my comments.

John R

The cradle was made by myself to take a 31A, which is what is shown in the picture, very much a BITSA of all-sorts though. The wheels do look like Hawkstone, I agree. The rear wheel was one of those very rare ones that were only made for a few months. Only found that out after selling.....!

Thanks again for all your comments, the pics have brought back some good memories of my youth playing with field bikes on a shoe-string budget!

Cheers, Jonathan

[johnrunnacles]

Thanks for sharing your story, Jonathan. I do know where you're coming from. My own experience is very similar in some ways, for example fashioning engine plates from steel sheet as an impoverished teenager with only hacksaw, files and a carpenters hand-brace at my disposal. In my case, it was to fit a near-clapped-out unit Triumph engine into a Greeves Hawkstone frame. I used that in my formative years of real pre-65 scrambling until my first retirement from the sport at grand age of 22 in 1967, not to return to Greeves ownership until 2001, when I "discovered" the Pre 65 Motocross Club, the GRA and the Dave Harper Greeves scrambles Championship ............ but that's another story, perhaps?

Enjoy your own Greeves journey .........

John R

[druid]

I think you'll find that the frame is from an MX1 number 256 not an MX2. The tank is definitely an MX1 version.

Druid

[JJ66]

Hi Druid,

that’s very interesting because I always thought it was an MX1 but was told by someone from the GRA (can’t remember who!) that it was an MX2. I agree that the tank is the exact shape of all the MX1 pics that are in books etc.

Thanks, Jonathan

[JJ66]

Thanks for sharing your story, Jonathan. I do know where you're coming from. My own experience is very similar in some ways, for example fashioning engine plates from steel sheet as an impoverished teenager with only hacksaw, files and a carpenters hand-brace at my disposal. In my case, it was to fit a near-clapped-out unit Triumph engine into a Greeves Hawkstone frame. I used that in my formative years of real pre-65 scrambling until my first retirement from the sport at grand age of 22 in 1967, not to return to Greeves ownership until 2001, when I "discovered" the Pre 65 Motocross Club, the GRA and the Dave Harper Greeves scrambles Championship ............ but that's another story, perhaps?

Enjoy your own Greeves journey .........

John R

Hi John,

Thanks for your reply and also sharing past memories. Wow, fitting a Unit Triumph motor into a challenger frame, you had access to a tasty combo there, I'll bet it was great fun! You just reminded me that I bought another Greeves as a niaive teenager, had a lovely metallic blue Greeves tank, so it must have been a Greeves right? Wrong, it was a Sprite with those huge banana forks. Wish I still had that one.....

Best Wishes, Jonathan

[whitehillbillies]

My TCS came with an Unstamped beam.
I was corresponding with Andrew King, a GRA member who suggested the Frame may have Twisted/Broken and the Factory would have supplied a Un Stamped Frame as a replacement.
I had Its Original Paper work with the Original Frame Number, He ID the Greeves as a 24TCS from photos sent to him and suggested it would be quite acceptable to Stamp the the paper work Number to the frame.
Hopefully it will turn up.

whitehillbilly

[JJ66]

My TCS came with an Unstamped beam.
I was corresponding with Andrew King, a GRA member who suggested the Frame may have Twisted/Broken and the Factory would have supplied a Un Stamped Frame as a replacement.
I had Its Original Paper work with the Original Frame Number, He ID the Greeves as a 24TCS from photos sent to him and suggested it would be quite acceptable to Stamp the the paper work Number to the frame.
Hopefully it will turn up.

whitehillbilly

Thanks a lot, thats all good supporting info.

CHeers, Jonathan

[JJ66]

I think you'll find that the frame is from an MX1 number 256 not an MX2. The tank is definitely an MX1 version.

Druid

Hi Druid,

I've dug into this a little on the Frane number register on the GRA website, the picture below does suggest that it is an MX2 rather than an MX1:


Do you have any other info to suggest something different? Agree the tank is possibly MX1 though.

Regards, Jonathan

[druid]

According to my records 2MX 256, fitted with engine no' GPA1 231 left the factory on 29/7/64 and was definitely an MX1

Druid

[JJ66]

According to my records 2MX 256, fitted with engine no' GPA1 231 left the factory on 29/7/64 and was definitely an MX1

Druid

Hi Druid,

Thanks so much for the details provided, thats really helpful. So does that mean that the frame number sequence on the website needs updating, or did the MX2 actually start at 24MX201? That sounds a bit daft if it did as there would be a chance of having the same frame number? Forgive me for being a bit confused :-).

Jonathan

[Brian Catt]

There is confusion as this listing is wrong. If the Survivor's list is correct, MX1 frames from 24MX101 and run well into the 200/300and even the top one is 415. MX2 frames start at 24 MX 501and run up to 24MX 828 according to the records collated by John Wakefield. Perhaps someone with the Dispatch Records could investigate this and confirm that the published listing needs amending?

[John Wakefield]

There is confusion as this listing is wrong. If the Survivor's list is correct, MX1 frames from 24MX101 and run well into the 200/300and even the top one is 415. MX2 frames start at 24 MX 501and run up to 24MX 828 according to the records collated by John Wakefield. Perhaps someone with the Dispatch Records could investigate this and confirm that the published listing needs amending?

The GRA listing is wrong. Looking in Carrick & Walker book MX1 starts at 24MX101 and MX2 from 24MX501