Bikes other than Greeves

[Brian Thompson]

Mullets Reunited, pt 2!!

Hi mate,

See....I knew I could count on ya bud....!!

Re the 'do', it's not just me Tony.....Me and Cray (Colin) have booked joint appointments already, Dicky's also told me he's seriously tempted, and I think Kim's been thinking of getting a 'makeover'.....

That's the thing about being stylish bud...if ya got it, flaunt it I say, but you're bound to get 'imitators' jumping on the band wagon....

Now.....about the 'trick riding' technique on display here.....I was seriously impressed with lack of run up, what with the fence being in the way and all, but more impressive still is the extreme low speed of the manoeuvre (almost stationary, in fact) and the zen like calm and state of total relaxation you're obviously displaying throughout....respect!! You make it all look so easy mate.....makes me sick!!!

Nice cub too, by the way!

bRiAn.

[dave higgins]

Don`t think its the old run up technique on this one Brian........had me fooled to......
I think its an early shot of Tony, when he was learning to drive a car...whilst still riding a bike.......as you can see....pedal work is fine, but still a bit to be done in the steering wheel department.......

[Brian Thompson]

Greetings C'bro!!!!!

Dave....

Great to hear from you bud, and especially to see the chuckle bone in action again....

What's that though....Tony can drive a car.......as well.....at the same time....????

Some people have far too much talent, that's all I'm sayin'......

bRiAn.

[tony]

No you are both wrong My mate thought I had worn out my shoes trying to stop so I was showing him the soles to prove the bike had brakes

[Brian Thompson]

Did somebody mention braike shoes....

Ha!! Nice one Tony, that explains everything.....

Mind you, there's nowt wrong with a little additional retardation assistance if all you've got is BHC tin hubs, a very steep downhill gradient, the bloke in front's brake lights don't work and the parachute has failed.....again.....

For moron the c'bro (TM!) approach to this kind of thing, check out post 18 of this thread.....

http://greeves-riders.org.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=29990#post29990

bRiAn.

[Brian Thompson]

In looking back through some old files recently, I came across some old pics from the 2009 Stafford Show. There were some pics of the GRA stand (posted elsewhere) but there were also some of a really nice Norton that caught my eye there. This 'Bikes Other Than Greeves' topic was a great thread and a lot of fun, so I thought I could combine a re-visit with the opportunity to post some pics of it.

I know I'm not the only one who appreciates a tidy Norton, although my experience is mostly Commandos through friends that owned them back in the day. I got to know them pretty well, helping out with engine rebuilds, restorations/projects/mods. Commandos are such nice bikes to ride, especially in 'Roadster' form and preferably without those 'barrel' grips....I could never get on with those!

I helped one mate put together a custom Commando based special, styled after a Harley XR flat tracker. He used a tank from a little KH100 (if I remember right!) cut down the middle and widened and made a one-off seat unit with a mold and fibreglass. Engine wise; Carillo rods, 920cc big-bore conversion, 42mm Malossi Delorto carb on a Hedlund manifold, 4S cams, lightened and polished valve train, gas flowed head and MKIII Isolastics (easier adjustment), alloy rims, Renthal bars, Bates headlamp, custon wiring loom, twin high-level stainless exhausts with stainless '920' heat sheild, etc etc. It was painted in apple green (frame and bodywork) as a tribute to the Francis Beart Nortons, with a white panel on the side of the tank outlined in black with a sign-written Norton logo in gold leaf outlined in black, loads of mirror polished alloy and stainless. It was a serious bike, and a nice tribute to the original Norton flat track racers that competed in the USA. I never got any pics of it sadly. It was a time before computers and all the rest! I often wonder if it's still out there somewhere, there can't be many around like that one, if it still even exists....

So to the bike in question....I don't know what model this is based on (big4? 16H?) but it looks a bit 'custom' to me, in a very good way to my taste. As I don't know better I'm assuming this is a very nicely screwed together semi-custom 'bobber' based around an original bike, maybe because it was easier than to source original parts? Whatever, I thought it was stunning and so well done. The use of a 'classic' inspired paint job and all the hand pin-stripping, and the way the seat and stripped back look all work together and it all seems so appropriate somehow. It might not be others cup of tea, but the workmanship can't be faulted.

Does anyone else have anything like this to share....?

Brian.

[John Wakefield]

The engine is an International 490cc OHC

[Brian Thompson]

Thanks John, I was having a look online earlier and wondered if it might have some Norton Model 50 and/or Model 18 DNA in there somewhere?

The girder forks are what made me think 16H, but maybe it's a combination or perhaps even built from spares?

Nice bike, anyway.

Brian.

[John Wakefield]

The forks on the 16H are similar to the International of that period. It could be an original 1930's International

[John Wakefield]

I owned this bike circa 1961, bought it from a guy by the name of Pete Witchell who lived at Great Shelford near Cambridge.
Apparently it started off as a 1938 International & was rebuilt with later road holder forks in the late 1940's early 50's by Cambridge motorcycle mechanic George Bowyer of East Road. It then passed to a Bernard Carter of Duxford & then to another owner in Mill Road Cambridge during who's ownership the original ohc International engine was replaced by a model 18 500cc ohv push rod unit.
I ran the bike for around 2 to 3 years, even with the push rod motor it went well & would do over 90mph on the clock. Sounded good with the fish tail silencer. I sold it onto another guy living in South Cambs in the Abington/Linton area if my memory serves me right. Sadly the pic (the only one I took of it with a 127 Kodak Brownie camera) does not show the registration number, which was a Cambridgeshire mark, poss KCE*** or KER***
Would be interested to hear if its still around.

[Brian Thompson]

Hi John,

That's certainly narrowed it down a bit and I reckon you could be right about the sliver Norton, thanks for your input.

Thanks for posting the pic of your old bike too, it's nice to see it. I love the fishtail exhaust, and bet it sounded every bit as good as you say! It's a great pic John, and I remember the 'Box Brownie' cameras. as I'll bet a few others do on here too! Simpler times eh?

Interesting how your bike had been rebuilt with the later forks. When I was having a look online yesterday I saw a few bikes modified this way, as well as a couple of Model 50s that had been rebuilt in a sort of 'roadster'/'bobber' spec, similar to that silver bike. They both looked good and very 'period', arguably an interesting variation on the contemporary original style. I've attached a pic of one of them below. Note yet another variation of the fishtail exhaust style silencer and again the later 'Road-holder' forks. This one is based on a 1956 Model 50.

Brian.

[whitehillbillies]

My first Bike.
Still looking for the actual photo hidden on my laptop somewhere.

[Brian Thompson]

Nice 'Fizzie' WHB, I had the Suzuki AP50, also my first bike. I don't have any pics of it but found this one online in the same blue colour. Interestingly, this bike has 'fixed' footrests, possibly for a market other than the UK? See the red bike in pics 2 and 3 for the 'pedal' version, and the locking lever mentioned below can be seen clearly in pic 3.

Mine had the pedals that could be utilised as 'actual' pedals or left in their 'fixed' position, facilitated by moving a lever to unlock them and rotating one of the pedals backwards. Mind you, when I tried it the gearing was so low that progress was measured in inches per crank as I remember! This was to make it legal in the UK as a moped that could be peddled as the law required then, but it was a neat way of locking the footrests in place the rest of the time, probably a bit of a 'dodge' as well, not that I was complaining as it made it feel like a 'proper motorbike'. My AP50 was good for a clocked 65mph on a good day (honest officer....true story!!) and no, that does NOT mean 'off a cliff'....!!!! That's what most 'commuter' 125 four strokes make these days!

One of my mates had a really pretty little Fantic Cabalero but the pedals on that bike just 'swung' in situ (in the both-down position) and it made for an interesting ride until you got used to them. It was very similar to the one in pic 4, but it had a lovely dark candy apple red paint job on the tank and the little tank bag as well as the alloy guards with the front mud-flap....and those swinging pedals! Talking of Fantics, does anyone remember the 'infamous' Fantic Chopper 50? The frame colour (see pic 5) looks the same as my mates Caballero mentioned above.

Back in 1976 was all my mates had 'peds and we went everywhere on them in our little 'gang'. Happy days and glad I survived the 'learning curve'! The roads weren't quite as bad then as they are these days and motorcycles were far more common place and car drivers slightly more two-wheel aware.....well, a bit anyway.......

Brian.

[John Wakefield]

Talking of 'tiddlers' my other bike is a 1991 Yamaha T80 'Townmate' Yamaha's answer to the Honda C70 C90 and in my opinion a much better machine, 4 speed gearbox, shaft drive, and cam shaft running on ball bearings (Honda camshaft runs direct on alloy casting) engine is bullet proof, mine has over 60000 miles on the clock! Cracking little bike will cruise at 40mph all day and 45 at a push. and 130 mpg. Now becoming rare as rust is a problem on the tin ware.

[Veg]

I’ve owned 60 plus bikes, from 1960’s triumphs to bmw r nine t’s I do like a twin. I have a constant though and that’s Yamaha Rd/Lc’s pretty much owned one since the late 1980’s
This I built over a 3 yr period from 2016.