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1965 ISDT MX2 Challenger project

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  • 1965 ISDT MX2 Challenger project

    Hi all,

    I am currently working on a Greeves ISDT restoration and I would like to thank John Collard, Kenny Sykes, Brian Thompson and Frank Conley for their invaluable help with my project so far.

    It was ridden in the 1965 Isle of Man ISDT by USA privateer Dale Deyo from Idaho (competition number 152) but he retired after the first day with a broken engine mount. The Greeves was personally presented to Dale by Bert Greeves at the factory for the IoM ISDT and then shipped to the USA shortly after the event. As you can see, it was later 'customized' and painted green and black with maltese crosses! I plan on returning the bike to its original ISDT trim (see photo of Dale and the greeves in Idaho taken sometime during 1966) as I now have a road legal licence plate for it in the State of Washington.

    Here is my wish list of missing parts...

    1. ISDT tank bag (see photo showing cut down threaded studs on the tank for the bag). Should I paint over the studs or can anyone suggest how to reinstate them without damaging the fiberglass tank?

    2. Front and rear lights (the steffa magneto still has the original lighting coils).

    3. 80 mph speedometer and bracket attached to the handle bar risers.

    4. ISDT tyre inflator.

    5. Front full width alloy hub without the cooling ribs together with painted high tensile steel 21" rim to replace the original 19" front wheel (new 19" enduro tyres are hard to find).

    6. Center stand.

    I have preserved the original paint dabs on the bike from the ISDT tech inspection and it still has the quick release tommy bar wheel nuts. The bike was originally fitted with a Villers S25 carb instead of an Amal and the 19 inch front wheel was installed in place of a standard 21 inch Challenger rim.

    I realise that alot of the parts that I am looking for are very rare because so few ISDT greeves were ever manufactured but I thought I would ask GRA members if anyone knew where I might find the above items before I embark upon fabricating replacement parts from scratch.

    Thank you in advance for your help. Paul
    Attached Files
    Last edited by pgc40; 03/04/2013, 08:29 PM.

  • #2
    Paul ,

    The front hub is the standard British Hub with the fins turned of , done by the factory . Leave one fin over the brake drum for strength . A standard Challenger one with 1" rim will do .

    Centre stands were made to fit each bike , only answer is to make one .

    Speedo came off a DOT and the drive from an Italian moped .

    Tyre inflators are very conspicuous by their abscence throughout the known world .

    Headlight , was a Triumph unit and rear light a roadster one .

    Chris

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    • #3
      Thanks Chris - thats very helpful. Out of interest, why did they turn the fins off the hub?

      Paul

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      • #4
        Paul ,

        The idea was to save weight and make easier to clean .

        Chris

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        • #5
          Great project! As an ISDT fan, this is a great find, all the best with the build, and make sure we get to see the results when it's ready.

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          • #6
            Thanks Chris and Brian, absolutely - I will post photos when finished

            Paul
            Last edited by pgc40; 08/09/2011, 07:30 AM.

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            • #7
              Paul ,

              Kenny & I have decided you cannot use the Gunnar Gasser throttle , got to be an original Sackville quick action one .

              Chris

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              • #8
                Sackville throttle? Available? Get it running on a Gunnar while you search! Also make a dummy air bottle while searching for a real one. You won't be alone on the last point.
                If you have any more info on the ISDT, I would be grateful for learning such, as I'm attempting to compile a story of the Greeves involvement, and also a chart of medals and retirements. 65 was a bad year!
                Last edited by Brian Catt; 08/09/2011, 10:10 AM.

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                • #9
                  Greeves ISDT

                  Sackville throttles still come up - my good friend Riflegreen let me have one recently.

                  If you want to make a fake bottle Paul, let me know, I can measure both the long and short versions, (1 puncture or 2).

                  Druid

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by riflegreen View Post
                    Paul ,

                    Kenny & I have decided you cannot use the Gunnar Gasser throttle , got to be an original Sackville quick action one .

                    Chris
                    Thanks - I shall add it to my wish list. The one that came with the bike is not the original.

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                    • #11
                      Yes please Druid - I would probably go with the shorter one if you could send me some details on the tyre inflator. I am afraid I do not have any more ISDT information Brian other than what I have previously posted but if I hear of anything I will certainly let you know. Thanks Paul

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                      • #12
                        Hi Marcelle - I do not have any mounting brackets on the frame so perhaps you are correct that it never came with a tyre inflator.

                        Is this a sackville throttle? (see photos) I found it on my 1970 AJS Stormer

                        Thanks again, Paul
                        Attached Files

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                        • #13
                          That looks like it. See my pic of 1968 in Italy.
                          Attached Files

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                          • #14
                            Nice photo Brian - thanks for sharing. It looks like I am missing the collar that goes around the end of the throttle body.

                            I also found this photo online of a Greeves ISDT at the www.isdt.eu website. Registration UPA 21F. It is also featured on the Greeves Motorcycles Ltd website under restoration with the following caption...


                            "This is a Greeves Challenger MX 5 ISDT owned by a customer from Italy who is the chief mechanic for the Ducati World Superbike team. This machine has been totally refurbished. The forks which were Ceriani have now been changed to banana forks, which were manufactured and supplied by Greeves Motorcycles."

                            Cheers Paul
                            Attached Files
                            Last edited by pgc40; 14/09/2011, 08:36 AM. Reason: Additional information found

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                            • #15
                              YESS, this seems to have been "restored" to order, rather than truth. UPA21F was ridden by Malcolm Rathmell on plate number 139. See next pic!
                              Attached Files

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