Sunday, November 21, 2010

Greeves Anglian















While wasting some of my obviously not so precious time on the internet, I came across the Greeves Anglian. These were some of the best trials machines back in the mid-sixties. Imagine my surprise to find they are still being made. I didn't have to build a vintage trials bike, I could have just bought one. They're 6,500 pounds - that would be the monetary amount, not the weight. I don't know what the exchange rate is but even if it's one to one, I can't see me parting with that much money to buy one. I do realize that most people don't have the skills to do what I'm doing with the Rickati project and you can easily experience some serious setbacks to the bank account when you have to start farming most of your work out on one of these old dogs. So maybe the smart money is to just start with a new "old" bike and spend your time riding rather than scouring the countryside for parts and waiting for your turn in line with the local Greeves, Ossa, Bultaco, etc. trials guru to get the thing fixed. Greeves is also selling a new trials bike, if you fancy a new "new" bike. It's pretty interesting to see the two of them side by side on their website.

I started on the muffler for my project and I e-mailed the guy with the shocks. I got the outside of the muffler formed up and need to make the end caps next. Not totally sure how I'm going to baffle it but when I'm done being baffled, it will be. The guy with the shocks said no go on my original specs, their trials shocks don't come in that length. I can make the shorter version work easily enough by moving the top mounts down a little and changing the gussets. I was waiting to weld on the bottom mounts anyway, so no problem there. I e-mailed him back but haven't yet received a reply. I'm hoping to get them ordered next week at the latest. I'll have the long weekend coming up next week due to the holiday, so I'm wanting to spend at least one good day taking my usual shotgun approach towards my projects. Doesn't really matter which one it is as long as I'm seeing some progress on one of them.

5 comments:

cuzzin ricky said...

just looked the speedway motors museum only open on fridays during the winter that would mean we would have to take anm xtra day off i'll check on other sites in lincoln i'll try to have a report by tuesday night the muesuem web site makes it look like just the spot all kindes of race cars and pedal cars and lots of neat stuff when you through in a train ride its a win win situation cuzzin rick

Anonymous said...

6,500.00 GBP = $10,388.12 USD

Shop Teacher Bob said...

Rick - The only problem I see is the arrival time. I think it's $70.00 one way.

Kevin - Thanks for the math. I know I wouldn't spend ten grand for it. I'd get a lot more mileage out of the Moto Guzzi.

Grumpyunk said...

You need that Guzzi we saw at the show a couple years ago.

Shop Teacher Bob said...

Unk - The V7 Cafe Classic would be just the ticket. Maybe when the barn is done and I 've got a place to park it.