HOO66H who has it now

[John Wakefield]

HOO 66H is well known as Scott Ellis's works Pathfinder. Where is it now?
Several years back Dave Pink acquired a frame with the same number as HOO66H which is 59A103. When he went to register the bike with DVLA they said there was already a bike with this number so he had to register it under another number EHJ441H but retained the same frame number
Looking at the DVLA web site HOO66H is 'Not Taxed for Road Use' so looks to have been stored away by someone, maybe Scott Ellis still has it.
Vehicle make: GREEVES
Date of first registration: April 1970
Cylinder capacity (cc): 175 cc
CO₂Emissions: Not available
Fuel type: PETROL
Export marker: No
Vehicle status: Tax not due
Vehicle colour: NOT STATED
Vehicle type approval: Not available
Wheelplan: 2-WHEEL
Revenue weight: Not available

[John Wakefield]

Just bumping this thread in light of further info.
I have now managed to make contact with Scott Ellis, who told me that he did not buy the bike from Greeves after he finished riding it for them (although he was offered it by Derry Preston Cobb)
In fact Scott said he did not have that much involvement with the factory and only rode for Greeves for a brief period.
So it looks as if it was sold off to someone else, maybe someone working at the factory at the time, so may still be with that person. I suppose it could be on one of the Greeves 'loan' lists that seem to surface from time to time. Someone somewhere has the bike.
One other interesting bit, which may answer the question as to why there was a second frame stamped up 59A103, is that Scott told me he had an accident with HOO66H, the bike came off his trailer and was badly damaged, so maybe the factory stamped up a spare frame in case the original could not have been repaired. Scott also said that the bike had special barrel and exhaust developed in conjunction with Puch. Scott had previously ridden for Puch and that was how he came to ride the Pathfinder for Greeves.

Out of the other works Pathfinders GVW15H, FPU28H. HNO32H, only JPU51H is live on DVLA 'untaxed for road use' frame No 59A104 the prototype ex Scott Ellis was present at the Greeves 50th anniversary at Battlebridge

[justalad]

John, You don't think 'HOO 66H' might be retained by someone as just a number do you??
It's such a good number, probably be worth more than the bike now.
NOT that I would ever separate a vehicle from it's original number, it's part of it's history and character
but I know it goes on.

[John Wakefield]

John, You don't think 'HOO 66H' might be retained by someone as just a number do you??
It's such a good number, probably be worth more than the bike now.
NOT that I would ever separate a vehicle from it's original number, it's part of it's history and character
but I know it goes on.

No I don't think so, as when Dave Pink applied for a V5c for the bike he built the DVLA contacted the registered keeper of HOO66H and then arranged a police inspection. They deemed that bike to be the original, so it must have existed. As is the case the DVLA never divulged the keeper. A subsequent Carweb search revealed that there has been only 1 keeper since 24/4/1970 (the date of original registration) So obviously who ever acquired it never registered a keeper change with DVLA or taxed it since. My guess it passed to someone working at the factory at the time

[justalad]

John Pease ??

[Brian Catt]

I don't think JP rode a Pathfinder and when I interviewed him for the book ISDT1974, he said he had no motorcycles at all.

[John Wakefield]

Quite right Brian. John Pease had loads of bits from the factory Which he sold off some years ago the second (spare) HOO66H Pathfinder frame was amongst them. He did not have the original.

[PeterJGreig]

Please tell me more about the ISDT book- is it still available?

[justalad]

John Wakefield -
Hi John I've sent you a personal message.

[Brian Catt]

Peter, I have in my possession (and contributed to) ISDT1968, ISDT1970, and ISDT1974 I did not contribute to ISDE1985, but Googling the relevant tag will take you to the authors. The Spanish 1970 and 1985 were written by Javier Benito Aguado and the Italian ones were written by Roberto Biza and Marcello Grigorev. These latter 2 contain English translations. All these books are huge and weigh about 2 Kg. I think some are out of print by now. If anyone is interested in seeing any of my collection, which includes other ISDT books, I can bring them to the AGM for review.

[PeterJGreig]

Brian many thanks, looks like a very nicely done book but E80 (no euro key!) bit steep, should have asked for it for Christmas! Does it show UPA23F & John P.

[John Wakefield]

Can we keep this thread on the Pathfinder HOO66H please

[Brian Catt]

PM sent to Peter G.

[justalad]

Hi
Been reading some old Leading Links and this turned up from LL No 14 (December 1986) 'news' section written by Andrew King.
I shall quote exactly what Andrew wrote at the time:-

'An ex-works Pathfinder has recently been rescued for the princely sum of £28 (after serious haggling) and must rate as the bargain of the year.
It has been established as the fourth Pathfinder made and it is the actual bike offered to the press for test reports before becoming Scot Ellis's mount.
Scot Ellis used it a lot in the 1970 period including the Scottish Six Days. This bike really does have an important history but is in need of quite a few parts
including the correct engine. If anyone can help with these elusive parts please let me know and I will pass the message on - (no it is not my bike, I missed
this one , can't imagine how!). '

Now, if this is really the bike that Scot Ellis rode in the 1970 SSDT then it is 59A103 (HOO 66H)
However, the fourth Pathfinder made would be 59A104 (JPU51H)
Surely, Andrew would have known at the time that Scot rode HOO 66 H in the 1970 SSDT there has always been photographs around.
What do you think ??

[John Wakefield]

justalad Thanks I will email Andrew, he 'does not do the forum'