GREENWICH MOTOR & MOTOR CYCLE CLUB Ltd  2008

ERIC WALKER - Triumph Greeves Project

It all started with an advertisement in one of the Bike magazines.  UNFINISHED TRIUMPH GREEVES PROJECT FOR SALE etc.  I had always fancied building a special, and this looked interesting.  I phoned the advertiser who gave me a few details and we arranged to meet the following Sunday.  So, in a van borrowed from one of my Greenwich Club mates, it was off down the M4 to Reading to see the T/G project.

  The Greeves was basically a rolling chassis, plus a 3T engine, a couple of petrol tanks, a glass fibre oil tank complete with snap filler plus a tea chest full of bits and pieces.  The owner, a very nice chap, said he had intended to build the Triumph-Greeves Boy Racer style, but this was all 14 years ago.  He was now married with his own house and his long forgotten project was still gathering dust in the basement of his mother’s house.  Realising he was never going to start let alone finish it, he had decided to sell the lot.  So I became the owner of a rolling chassis and tea chest.

  At home the tea chest revealed its contents.  Two heads, 3 chain cases, 4 timing side covers, various camshafts, valves, timing wheels and a few gearbox parts, a box of studs and bolts and other bits and pieces.  To start the job I dismantled the engine.  Fed Cooper, who I have known for years, balanced the crank and cleaned out the sludge trap.  I fitted new main bearings and big end shells.  The hole for the distributor in the crankcase was plugged having decided to fit points, the correct type of timing side cover coming from the tea chest.  The pistons are standard 3T, but I fitted 3134 cams, and the timing wheels are lightened.  Turning to the cycle parts, I think the oil tank was from a BSA not Triumph.  The petrol tank I bought at an autojumble.  It was plain aluminium, no taps or petrol cap, but I thought if I could use it, it would help keep the weight down.  It proved OK but a little too long, so I cut a few inches off the front end.  I shaped two ally plates to cover the holes that had not unexpectedly appeared, but before these were welded in I pressed an indent into each plate.  This was to give just that little extra clearance for the forks on full lock.  The glass fibre oil tank was robbed of its nice polished filler cap for the petrol tank.  I first had to turn up an alloy ring to mate with the aperture in the tank.  All securely held with... Yes, Araldite.

  I modified the toolbox, making it a lot deeper.  In it I put the coils, rectifier and battery.  I was going to fit a battery switch inside so that when the “tool box” was locked the engine could not be started.  I cannot remember if I fitted it or not.

  To carry a few tools, I made up a tray which fitted into the rear frame under the seat.  The same idea as a Norton Featherbed.  (I had a 1954 Norton 88)   The seat, ex Yamaha, with a modified front end is held the same Norton way, two wing nuts underneath.  I had to make supports for the rear mudguard, and to make a neater looking job made up from sheet ally, the rear top section braced the number plate, hid some of the wiring and also supported the rear indicators.  

  Other jobs were adapting rear sprockets to change the gearing and the exhaust system.  On a borrowed trailer, the machine was taken to Cambell Geometrics at Dartford, Kent who made the 2 into 1 system, after which I had the pipes chrome plated.

  I had made a panel to hold a speedometer, switch and ammeter but it did not look very elegant and I was looking around for something more suitable.  Then I saw it.  On the windowsill in the kitchen was this black plastic container holding two small flowerpots.  I took the flowerpots out and turned the container upside down.  It looked about the right size.  Out in the garage I placed the speedo, switch and ammeter on the bottom of the upturned flowerpot holder ... PERFECT.  After cutting the holes for the components, it only needed a backing plate and fixing brackets made up and the job was done.  Thanks B&Q or was it Homebase ...

  All the paint work was done by hand, applied with a brush.  I used Parson’s Re-Paint and top coat.  A Kent Racing Combine badge was fitted to the front as I had been a member for a number years.
  The machine still had its original front wheel, but after riding it for some time, I came to the conclusion it could do with a little more stopping power.  I managed to get hold of a Jap front wheel with a two leading shoe brake.  After turning up a spacer and modifying the anchor lug a little it fitted perfectly and was a big improvement over the small Greeves brake.
  I sold the bike in October 1988 having bought from a fellow clubman a Honda CB550.  The person who bought the Triumph-Greeves from me gave me the impression he was a private individual, but I later learned he was a dealer.  I hope the present owner is getting as much enjoyment out of this bike as I did.

                        Eric Walker