Alloy Mainframe Query.

[dave higgins]

hi everyone.
Can anyone throw a bit of light on this, i`ve got a alloy main frame with original taper headstock & the frame no is 14171/TA.
Now am i right in thinking that all the t/a`s would have been the old ball bearing h/stocks, if this is so, have i got old numbers on a newer frame, I did read somewhere that you could buy a replacement beam from the factory with no stamp on the head & then you restamped it accordingly, but i don`t know.
I am building a pre 60 c15 engined scrambler for next season & would like to use it in the build, but i`m not sure about the dates the taper headstock came in (1960) i`m thinking.
thanks & if anyone uses a c15 greeves, any build advise very welcome.

[John Wakefield]

Frame no

Frame No 14171/TA seems too high. The 1958 25TA Scottish Twin started at 8651/TA & they certainly did not make 5520 of this model. The 1958
20TA started at 8001/TA so again too high a number. Looks like a made up number.

[Peter Rotherham]

Alloy Main Beam

Hi Dave.

You are sort of right about the date, however as with a lot of Greeves 'bits' dating is a 'movable feast'. Whilst it is unusual for a beam to be written off, it was by no means rare, I've seen a few twisted ones! So, it MAY have been a replacement, or it may be, as John says, a made up number. Does it have a short, straight top tube, or does it curve round to the back of the gearbox mount? I'd suspect that it's original No was 1417/TA, but without seeing it I can't be sure. I know that the GRA hold records for such details, and if you are a member, they'll be happy to help.
Otherwise, as you are planning to make a 'hybrid' with a BSA motor, does it really matter? Just get the correct to frame forks, (and with Taper rollers you could use Teles of course), and go from there.

Any help?

[Phil Hyde]

BSA Greeves

I have a few pictures of BSA engined machines. I will look them out. In the meantime look in the latest edition of Classic Dirt Bike (No.17) page 73. There is a letter and pic from Derek Pickard and features his Greeves B40. Not a C15 I know, but close. Derek was an early member of the GRA and a good journalist. He wrote the best selling British 250 Racer, now sadly long out of print.

pHIL

[biggeoff]

my c15 greeves

I have a c15 engined greeves the engine was fitted in 1962 by a friend of mine who had the bike new in 54 . One of the jobs that takes time is the oil tank as it needs to be central and away from the exhaust i dont know how to post pictures only via e mail hope this helps

[Brian Thompson]

Derek Pickard's Greebsa B40.

I have a few pictures of BSA engined machines. I will look them out. In the meantime look in the latest edition of Classic Dirt Bike (No.17) page 73. There is a letter and pic from Derek Pickard and features his Greeves B40. Not a C15 I know, but close. Derek was an early member of the GRA and a good journalist. He wrote the best selling British 250 Racer, now sadly long out of print.

pHIL

Hi Phil,

I've posted something about Derek's Greebsa (etc) here, in 'Non-Greeves Engines'; http://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/for...=4595#post4595

A cracking bike (and a brilliant book too!)

Brian.

[dave higgins]

alloy mainframe.

hi, thanks for replies, john, pete, phil.
Yes i was not to worried about the frame number as its going to be a special, it was more a case of being able to use that h/stock in the pre 60 scramble class without cheating! ( well not to much anyway).
If they were introduced early 1960, some would have left the factory in late 59 & thats good enough for me. ( shoehorn is my middle name)
i will check out the b40 pics, but i want to build it in period style & i`ll stick with the old l/links, well thanks anyway & by the way i am a member, just have not been upgraded yet.

[Brian Thompson]

Hi Dave!

Sounds just the job Dave, and would love to see some pics when it's finished.

Cheers for confirming your GRA membership too mate-pleased to hear it!

Brian.

[Rob]

All I can add to this is that as far as I know, the scramblers pre-dated the trials bikes by a year. The 1960 SCS Hawkstone has the bigger beam and taper rollers but this did not come in on the trials models until the 1961 TD.