Rear number plates all models

[greeves246]

I HAVE MADE 2 FORMERS SO THE INDENTS ARE ON THE PLATE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO ALL INSUNDRY



THE TOOLS FORMERS


I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE MAKE SPARES AND DO A HALF ARSED JOB OF IT

GREEVES246

[Nemosengineer]

Hi Greeves246
Very nice set of dimple dies, "I HATE IT WHEN PEOPLE MAKE SPARES AND DO A HALF ARSED JOB OF IT", your a man after my own heart.

Best Wishes: Mike

[greeves246]

More wrong spares !

I HAD A TOOL BOX NEW FROM THE CLUB FOR A ROADSTER IT WAS TAPERED BUY 1/4 INCH I HAD TO CUT IT DOWN AND RE WELD IT !!

ALSO


ALSO SHOULD BE 1.1/2

[John Wakefield]

Spares buyer beware

Just goes to show that members should well heed the GRA statement that the club do not endorse the quality or suitability of parts provided by the independent suppliers listed in LL. The onus is on the buyer to make sure the part is suitable for the model & is of good quality. Personally Garry you should have returned the toolbox to the supplier & asked for a refund, & reported them to the GRA so their name is removed from the LL listing.
This is not the first case I have heard of members receiving re manufactured parts that don't fit & have to be modiified. (Garry's number plate is another) If the parts are made to the original Greeves drawings, (available from the club) by a reputable engineering concern they should fit without any modification. Whilst on the subject of spares a number of suppliers including Vehicle Wiring Products, the VMCC, & numerous eBay suppliers are selling Miller pattern lighting switches of a similar style to the ones used by Greeves. From enquiries I have made these all appear to be an unsuitable configeration for Greeves, and are only suitable for Vincent, Velo, Rudge & some RE models. At around £40 they are not cheap. I do not know of a source of switches suitable for Greeves.

[Brian Thompson]

GRA Spares etc.

[QUOTE=John Wakefield;7137]
Personally Garry you should have returned the toolbox to the supplier & asked for a refund, & reported them to the GRA so their name is removed from the LL listing.
This is not the first case I have heard of members receiving re manufactured parts that don't fit & have to be modiified. (Garry's number plate is another) If the parts are made to the original Greeves drawings, (available from the club) by a reputable engineering concern they should fit without any modification.
QUOTE]

In the interests of adding a little 'balance' to the debate.....I don't know the full story on your toolbox Garry, but perhaps you could as an alternative have contacted the supplier and pointed out the issues with the fit of the one you received?

A good while ago I ordered a fairly substantial frame part via the GRA spares scheme, and when it arrived two of the main fastening points didn't line up correctly so it couldn't be fitted. I raised this with the supplier concerned and supplied a photo along with a factory drawing and details of the dimensional discrepancies, who was very happy to rectify the problem at no cost to myself. The job was carried out very promptly and to my complete satisfaction. It turned out that the fabricator was a new contact (through an experienced and knowledgeable member/restorer) and my part was one of a few made up as prototypes before going ahead with getting a batch produced for stock. I would add that the cost for this part was very reasonable indeed, especially considering the number of individual parts that went into the finished item.

I have also ordered other parts from various GRA suppliers from the listing in 'Leading Link' and received very nicely fabricated parts, extremely good value for money and prompt, courteous service. One part (a chainguard for a TCS) will need slight modification to fit as it is a Hawkstone item, identical in every detail but one, and I will enjoy the minor bit of 'fettling' required with drill and file to make it spot on. Sometimes this is the way it is with what are effectively hand fabricated spares for old bikes, especially where it simply isn't practical (or commercially viable in small batch production) to produce 'one of everything' and adapting something close to what you need is sometimes the best way forward. I think good communication is paramount in these things, and that all parties are clear in their expectations. Yes, there are rogues out there waiting to take advantage, but conversly things can also often be sorted out with a little clear headed diplomacy (or if all else fails access to a well trained attack Emu...!!!)

Further, on the subject of factory drawings, let us not forget that it isn't unheard of for innacuracies to crop up now and then..... Indeed, Chris (riflegreen) once mentioned to me that the Greeves factory techs had all manner of prongs, spikes and 'persuaders' to coax parts into position....!

A couple of final points.

Back in the day a GRA member needed some Silverstone handlebars so decided to canvas members with a view to getting a batch made up. A very capable fabricator located, the price was set and agreed by all parties, orders were placed and they were made. However, when the time came to pay up orders were then cancelled, potentially leaving the member concerned seriously out of pocket and stuck with a bunch of handlebars to try and find buyers for...He did eventually manage to sell them all, over time, but I doubt he would be tempted to perform the excercise again! It's a real shame, because apparently they turned out even better than the originals!

Regarding Miller lighting switches suitable for Greeves, didn't Steve Gollings (of Villiers Services) get some of those made up (at great expense) a couple of years back...? I seem to remember him telling me about it at Battlesbridge in 2009. As I remember these were not cheap either (he's in BUSINESS after all, and needs to make a profit in order to STAY in business, and keep producing spares for us!), but I know Steve was very impressed and pleased with the accuracy and quality, even down to correct manufacturers logo etc. It's also worth saying that if people buy as many ancilliary parts (such as chains, sprockets, oils, etc) from a dealer, this often helps fund batch production of the rarer spares, stuff that can often stay on the shelves for a long time, and that can end up being sold 'one at a time'...Just a thought on behalf of the lads in the trade.

Personally, I don't mind paying a bit over the odds if it saves me a load of hassle trying to locate and refurbish a rare/expensive/old/worn out original, that probably only an 'expert' (and with some experts I have encountered in 40 years of motorcycling, the following definition applies well; x = a non-entity and a spurt is a drip under pressure! ) would be able to tell it's a pattern part if it's well made etc. Within reason and for the sake of practicality, if it means keeping my bike working and useable, I'm afraid the rivet counters will have to deal with it as far as I'm concerned! But that's just me, and speaking as a clubman, I'm thankful that there are many true experts on hand in the GRA to provide accurate advice and guidance for the benefit of fellow members, not to mention assist in the fabrication and sourcing of increasingly hard to find spares at very reasonable prices.

So there!

Brian.

[greeves246]

gary gwillam

the lights have gone out here and im writing buy torch light big storm


HELLO THE TOOL BOX I DID CONTACT THE MEMBER WHO MADE IT HE WAS QUITE CERTAIN IT WAS WEDGE SHAPE BUT THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE MAKING BOXES AND IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO I BROUGHT IT SO I TOOK MY ASS IN MY HAND AND FATHER HELPING WITH BROKEN RIB (INJURY) WE WENT TO WORK ! AND CUT DOWN THE WIDTH
THE TOP LUG IS WRONG AS WELL AS JOHN WAKEFIELD POINTED OUT ! WE ALSO HAD TO PODGER THE DOOR AS WELL SO I GUESSED GREEVES NEVER MADE ANYTHING WEDGE SHAPED THAT RAN VERTICALY FOR A TOOL BOX
SO AFTER HAVING A 32dc to hand and a 25dcx they are both 4" parralel
the rear n plate was made and sold to me ages ago and i dont like the idea of no dimples ! restoring a bike with that in the back of my mind i was not happy
lol so i went to work as i am a fitter and turner also carpenter and bus driver also worked for preci spark =(rolls royce and saab and pratt and witney)

i have false dimples made from false teeth material !!!!

good old rob ! there gone in the bin now

i can give dimentions for the dimple dies if you all want but it should be done to stop warpage of the steel or hot with a blow lamp

[Brian Thompson]

Put another 50p in the meter then!!!

Nice one Gary! At least you have the skills and tools to correct the problem yourself, and very nicely too I might add.

Obtaining parts for old bikes is so different to the 'modern' mass produced stuff isn't it. I guess they come from different eras (not to mention the manufacturing methods used etc), and in the classic Japanese bike world I guess restorations of the same model of bike would have to be pretty much 'identical' down to the very last 'catalogue' detail to be truly concourse, whereas our old British bikes are all that little bit different and individual. I think that's a huge part of their charm and gives them so much character and personality. Anyway, a big part of the fun for me is the building, fettling and problem solving, followed of course by the personal satisfaction that comes with the riding of a well put together, smart and reliable machine when it's all done.

Ahh....one day etc! I'm still saving up for paint and chrome for mine......!

Brian.

[greeves246]

paint

me and dad love playing with the bikes he used to race a metisse

dad loves using synthetic with fast flash thinner at 5%/10% on a hot summers day ! as its more chip resistant that cellulose two pack is hard and the new water based stuff is fussy !.
(sythetic £7 a liter)

we also have a chroming plant but the day we use that the national grid will go down !.
i zinc plate all myself its fun (like correcting tool boxes lol) ! fun watching the silver go on and not off for a change then passivating

also learnt to make that brushed effect on the jap forks and re laquer them

i now have 16 greeves ! 9 RM suzukis 2 TM 400,S 11970/1 4 yams bultaco cz400 fantic 300fm ccm 540 1977

the ccm is going to be a total bitch ! its ex works and specail frame is badly dammaged !

i even had new DCX bages made but the contractor messed them up so i never put them on sale trying to get the 25 badges made now

i see rear speedo gearbox on ebay made £ 135 shock horror !

thanks for the coment though i appreciated it

gary

PS PUT £2 IN THE METER !

[John Wakefield]

Spares

If someone is going to manufacture parts for sale then they should be right at the point of sale. Customers should not be used as guinea pigs, for prototypes. Its as easy to get parts right, as wrong, or whether they are a batch of 5 or batch of 1000. As Garry says he bought the toolbox two years ago I trust that the supplier (& I think we all know who he is) has got things right by now. Again the number plate should have had the dimples in, its unacceptable to sell them without, OK Garry is an engineer & has been able to make up a jig to put them in but most owners do not have these skills.
Most of the bits for Greeves are basic engineering & with the drawings manufacture should not present a problem for a competent, skilled, time served engineer/sheet metal worker with the right equipment.
If there ARE discrepancies with Greeves drawings, then Rob should be informed so that they can be corrected.

[dave higgins]

I think its hard for any one in the current eco climate to manufactuer good quality, low production number parts for a reasonable fee, you get what you pay for & i`m afraid there are a few people who are behind the times on price reality & when the cheap part they have ordered arrives, it doesn`t fit, doesn`t look right, what a waste of money.
I do agree though that the companies producing parts should get the basic sizes, measurements correct, but the quality comes down to price.
I was looking at the items adrian was selling at the agm, real good quality kit, well made & with a bit of thought gone into it.
I don`t know what adrians prices are like, but the stand he had set up in front of his ferrari, looked very professionall...
Quality is worth paying for, i think. dave.

[John Wakefield]

I dont think £95 (now £120 I believe) for a bare toolbox (unpainted & no lid) is cheap Dave. It cost no more to do it right than wrong, after all we are only talking about dimensions the quality of the work is ok. Just to put the record straight we are NOT talking about Adrian Dickinson's parts here.

[greeves246]

parts

your right john as you ssay we used to "TAKE PRIDE IN OUR WORK"
i worked for preci spark if we got somthing wrong we were saked (whole work force !) if a plane fell out of the sky and 100% traceability to the person
with a personal stamp number

it dosent take much to get it right and i think we ought to make more spares

also thanks to all the peopel who make this web site possible !!!!

[dave higgins]

john, i think, if you read again what i posted, you will find no reference to adrians products other than complementry & yes i do think that £120 is a fair price for a good tool box, what you did not absorb was what brian was saying about, small companies making errors in manufactuer, but with customer feed back, being able to correct this without any further issue.

[John Wakefield]

As Adrians name was mentioned I just wanted to make sure that he was not implemented, I fully realise it is not his products that are under discussion.
I do take in what Brian said but no company or individual offering parts for sale on a commercial basis should be selling inferior or untested products.

[greeves246]

Number plates all models

THIS IS WHAT I HAD


RUBBER THAT FITS ON THE N UMBER PLATE AND TOOL BOX