Show and Tel'
By TMX Archives on 28th Jan 09
HERE it is the ALL-NEW Greeves trials bike which broke cover at Alan Wright's Classic Bike Show at Telford last Saturday. This prototype was only completed the evening before the show and although Richard Deal of Greeves Motorcycles said that the actual show machine was a runner this was not actually put to the test at Telford.
Unveiled by Greeves MX legend Dave Bickers, twice the European MX champ, the 2009 Greeves is the first all-British trials model since the four-stroke CCM back in the late 1970s. It remains true to Greeves tradition by featuring a ‘beam' type aluminium front chassis member. In fact, the new Greeves goes further in that the complete chassis is constructed in welded aluminium with several sections, including the ‘beam', machined from solid billet!
The model features the latest Marzocchi front forks and a single shock at the rear which is mounted virtually upright and operates with NO linkage. On the prototype the shock's bottom mount is sunk deep into a central cutout in the aluminium swinging arm brace.
The fuel tank is mounted under and rearwards of the seat and is uniquely filled with juice via a special valved nozzle which is accessed through the rear mudguard and features a similar sized air-vent to facilitate filling. The airbox is also under the seat but the air vent is way up under the dummy tank cover so should operate well in mud and deep water.
According to Deal the water-cooled engine has been designed in-house at Greeves and it bears a striking resemblance to the Sherco/ Xispa unit. Exhaust also appears to be Sherco inspired with the silencer doubling-up as rear mudguard alongside the fuel tank. The five-speed gearbox features ratios that are "similar to a Sherco,” according to Deal.
Ignition is electronic by Leonelli and the hubs are classy Talon units, laced by Talon to an Excel front rim and a Morad rear. Tyres fitted are IRC. The sump shield as currently fitted looks vulnerable though, in thin gauge metal, and along with its two front mounting bolts and their brackets, looks favourite for an upgrade before coming into contact with any serious looking scenery.
Although obviously only at the prototype stage the enthusiastic Greeves boys told T+MX that they should have a model ready for testing in a month to six week's time – and that production will begin shortly afterwards. Greeves is aiming at a showroom price of £5,300 including VAT.
Given that this is a brand-new design with a host of novel features that, to our knowledge have not yet been tested in the field, would appear to be a really tight time scale to aim at.
But, what you can't argue with is that Greeves has invested a claimed £100,000 so far in this brave venture so far and Richard is keen to press ahead and get bikes out there.
T+MX will keep you right up to date with progress and we'll get our chief trials tester Woody Hole – who has ridden every current machine out there in the marketplace – out on one just as soon as we are allowed...