New Member with TES MK2

[JJ66]

Hi There everyone,

My name is Jonathan and I have just joined the GRA. I have had a Greeves since I was 14 (41 years ago!) but only just got round to joining.... The Greeves I used to have was a 24MX2 converted for trials use, and I used to ride in Pre-65 trials in South Lakeland when I was a teenager living at home (early '80's). I live in South Herefordshire these days and got the bug to do something with a Greeves again and so went on the look out for a proper trials version. I settled on a very nicely patinated (Read: Tatty!) 24TESMK2, and I love it, its a great bike. I've got some history with it and it has been converted to a what I presume to be a replica of the style of bike ridden in the late '60's with chrome frame and chopped rear mudguard hoop. One of the nice bits about the bike is that it still has the original Dealer tag on the front of the tank (Lawton and Wilson, Southampton). I plan to do a bit of sympathetic restoration, mainly mechanical, as I like the look of the bike as it is. I hope to share some points as I go along and also to learn more through the forums. I will try and upload a few pics.

Thanks for reading my post! Best Wishes, Jonathan

[garybam4711]

Welcome
very nice to see the dealer plate has survived

[whitehillbillies]

Nice Bike.
Just need to make a carrier for the Landy.
Mine on my S3 Daily.

whitehillbilly

[JJ66]

Nice Bike.
Just need to make a carrier for the Landy.
Mine on my S3 Daily.

whitehillbilly

Lovely job, the bike rack works very well. Sadly the Landrover isn't mine, would like one though!

Cheers, Jonathan

[JJ66]

Welcome
very nice to see the dealer plate has survived

Thank you Gary, the bike has survived well and I was able to trace its history back quite a long way. I was lucky to find a prior keeper who still had the original green and buff logbook. It stayed in one ownership for a few decades which helped keep the originality I guess.

Cheers, Jonathan

[KevinLS]

Nice. Getting the frame plated like that now would be prohibitively expensive.

[JJ66]

Nice. Getting the frame plated like that now would be prohibitively expensive.

You're not wrong!! I always liked the Morland blue but I have to say the combo of chromed forks, rear end and swinging arm with the blue main frame tube looks really good and I'm keen to keep it like that. Its bashed and scratched but that adds to its charm :-))

[IanCordes]

A good looking machine! It appears to have been fitted with a TFS rear subframe. The back brake is cable operated.

Ian C.

[JJ66]

Hi Ian, thanks for your reply. I always assumed the mudguard hoop had been cut off and the cable brackets welded on, but I didn’t think about it being from a TFS, good point, I will investigate further

cheers, Jonathan

[IanCordes]

It could have been modified to simulate the cable operation of the TFS Jonathan. The TFS had a full mudguard loop as well. Don Smith used to cut his off to save a bit of weight. That was ok, but without proper bracing across the subframe, the subframe at the top shock mounts could spread. It wouldn't have matter to Don, as he would have gone to the stores and got another subframe!

Everything on the original frames was bronze welded, so arc or mig welding the cable lugs would no doubt look different than brazing. Having been chromed, it may be difficult to spot. No big deal either way now. It's a good find, either way.

Cheers.

Ian C.

[JJ66]

Excellent info Ian, I will suss it out soon!

Cheers!!