New Member from Scotland

[Donnie]

Hi

Just bought my first ever Greeves a couple of months ago - a 1960 Scottish. Bought as a non-runner, but now have it running. Plan is to try and get an entry for the pre 65 Scottish in the next couple of years.

I do modern trials with a Sherco and used to do road racing. Still occasionally ride a racing bike at Classic parades. Been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Greeves stalwart Rob Thornton at these events.

Donnie

[Colin Sparrow]

Hello and welcome to the GRA Forum and to Greeves ownership. It's great to hear about a Scottish being acquired to be used and I wish you the best of luck with it.

A trawl through the threads will find loads of useful information and advice. In particular there is a current thread running started by Cookie who is also sorting out a 1960 Scottish to use.

Just search on "1960 Scottish".

[Brian Catt]

I'm not sure whether I regret saying this or I'm pleased to stick by tradition, but the lack of Greeves being ridden in the "modern" Classic and Pre-65 Trials is obviously because the geometry cannot be butchered as easily as most other makes. The sections now used bear little resemblance to the originals and most bikes are altered to suit. How many Greeves were present at most trials in the period? I can remember going to events where around 40% of the entry were on Greeves, now very few are used because it's too much work to adapt them.

[John Wakefield]

Pre 65 Trials

I'm not sure whether I regret saying this or I'm pleased to stick by tradition, but the lack of Greeves being ridden in the "modern" Classic and Pre-65 Trials is obviously because the geometry cannot be butchered as easily as most other makes. The sections now used bear little resemblance to the originals and most bikes are altered to suit. How many Greeves were present at most trials in the period? I can remember going to events where around 40% of the entry were on Greeves, now very few are used because it's too much work to adapt them.

What started off as a bit of fun for riders just wanting a bit of fun has been spoilt yet again by pot hunters, & those bending the rules with 'new build' pre 65 bikes, James, Dot etc. Maybe just as well that Greeves are not easily butchered to make them competative, at least there are still loads surviving, how many original trials James, Dot, Francis Barnett's etc do you see. Looks like the only real use for an orginal spec trials Greeves is a bit of green laneing (& good fun too), although I read somewhere that the ramblers & the 'green wellie' brigade are still trying to ban that.

[Rob]

Donnie,

Great to see you on here! I thought you were winding me up (or humouring me!) when you said you had bought a Greeves!

Anyway, I'm sure you will find it pretty straightforward to restore compared to a Yam!

We have plenty of info within the GRA to get your bike sorted!

Plenty of helpful people on here too!!

Welcome to the Forum!

Cheers,

Rob

[dave higgins]

Brian, its only a few hours work to modify the upper & lower fork plates to alter the fork leg angle, without having to go anywhere near the alloy beam.
I have altered a few, both for scrambles & trials riders, & have had no complaints.
My apologies donnie, welcome to the gra. dave.

[Brian Catt]

Sorry to have hijacked this welcome to Donnie! I realise what you say, Dave but that is only one trick in the whole gamut of the Pre-65 "benders' book. I don't see how you can increase front travel as much as the teles can be, and so ground clearance is magically increased. I'm sure I read that bananas were not welcome at the Scottish, so riders are limited to rubber forks, yet most other makes have components from modern bikes hidden in old casings.

[dave higgins]

Brian, i was talking about riders wanting to improve what they had, so as to still be able to ride in a pre 60/65 class, altering the fork rake is one thing, fitting teles is another.
But i would not thought you would gain a lot by doing that, permited travel is 6.5" on pre 65, rubber forks are about 5.5.
Speaking only from the motocross point of veiw, i think the l/link forks are much more sure footed than telescopic alternative, i imagine its the same for trials bikes.

[Brian Catt]

Dave, we must have been studying different bikes.....a new James frame with doctored Roadholder or other forks may "only" have 6.5 inches of travel, but magically, they now have about 3 more inches of ground clearance than the original bikes. If it was that easy with a Greeves, then I'm sure many people would be riding them.....but they don't seem to go that route. As for Bantams.....don't get me started!

[John Wakefield]

LL forks do not give such precise handling as teles in trials, especially tight full lock sections.

[Gr11mpy]

Mmmm, just started on a trials Bantam, I'll keep the photo's for the relevant website, don't wish to offend here. .
Two things do spring to mind tho'
1. There are plenty of parts readily available for trials Bantams to allow you to go from mild to wild with the mods to suit your £ budget.
2. Has anyone replicated the the Greeves Beam and made them available at a suitable price for specials builders to 'play with' and create new frames around. I'm sure a great deal could be done with the geometry to create ground clearance and lower seat heights etc, if of course you really wanted to or indeed needed to for that matter (not my area of expertise)…..
I built the b40 below in the mid 80's and everyone thought I was taking things too far then, how times have changed.
Apologies for hijacking the thread….. perhaps we should be re-sited elsewhere.

Ah well back to the TFS with the angle grinder and welding torch

[John Wakefield]

Alloy beams

I think the alloy beams may be available from Greeves Motorcycles, http://www.greevesmotorcyclesltd.com/ they had a batch of new Anglians made some years ago but not sure if they had new beams cast or used 'recycled' ones. Up until now there appear to have been plenty of 'old' beams around to satisfy special builders, they occasionally come up on eBay.

[Colin Sparrow]

They had new beams made for the "new" Anglians. They have a much smoother finish than originals. It might be worth having a word, though presumably only the Anglian steering head angle would be available.

[druid]

Aluminium beams

Phil,
Seems a lot of money for 10lbs of aluminium and a piece of bent tube. You can have whatever head angle you want by adjusting the length of the rear units.

Druid

[John Wakefield]

John

Put like that it is hard to comprehend.

The pattern Greeves motorcycles used was a far cry from Invacars. One wonders where the pattern is today?

Phil

Phil
One has to be careful with ones words on here but 'dodgey' comes to mind