Ol' Timey Desert Racers....

gaspipe · 11-26-2004, 08:57 PM

Earles type leading link Greeves 250cc desert racer. MX5. Cool stuff.

gaspipe · 11-26-2004, 09:10 PM

TT500 Based Protec:

gaspipe · 11-27-2004, 10:21 AM

1964 Greeves MX1, 246cc, 215lbs.

gaspipe · 11-27-2004, 10:23 AM

380cc, 44HP. 1972 QUB Griffon.

gaspipe · 11-27-2004, 10:28 AM

All the gear, all the time.

The QUB at Taylor. Sometime in the early 70's.

nachtflug · 11-27-2004, 03:57 PM

whats a QUB? Desert Racers? I'be bin meaning to PM JN Robert and ask him if he is...JN Robert.

That TT 500 Pro Tec. Not quite a desert sled with the YZ tank, but..a friend had a 78 TT 500, pulled all the crap off, blinkers etc, put a pipe on it, decent shocks on the back and a Marazocchi front end. I could ride that bike like the wind, besides regretting having not concentrated my efforts in the 125 class instead of the 250 class, I so regret not borrowing that 500 Yamaha and motocrossing it in the late 70's. Open Amatuer MX was a relatively safe class, the front runners were competent, everyone behind them were way in over their heads. I could have done well on that thumper, defintitely top 5.

gaspipe · 11-27-2004, 05:36 PM

NF,

QUB, was a moniker that referred to Doctor Gordon Blair, of the Queen's University Belfast. The QUB in, uhmmm, QUB. He worked on the Greeves 380cc engine to improve the performance. It was primarily improving the cylinder porting and exhaust system. The QUB 380's power was increased by 6.5 hp to 44 hp.

The Greeves were interesting bikes in that not many others I knew of utilized the leading link front ends. Ossas, CZ's, Steens, Bultacos, Pentons and other lesser known marks were hot rides back then.

The Protek TT500 was really built as a motocrosser, as you pointed out. You have a good eye. It was a radical departure from typical thumpers of the time, and I think it was fairly successful in it's intended design.

If it had gotten a bigger fuel and oil tank, it probably would have done fairly well in the desert.

Good onya for noticing.

nachtflug · 11-27-2004, 09:09 PM

besides the Protek, I believe there were a handful of "Bengt Aberg" replica's floating around out there in California, I forget who was building them. White Bros? They were white and red. Bengt raced the thumper a few times in the World Championship series over in europe, maybe even here in the US with pretty good results. Of course thats when men were men and rode 500's in the 500 class and not 500's in the 250 class like todays loafers. Talk about a sham.

Do you recall Bengts Bultaco with the forks mounted on the back in place of conventional shocks circa 1975? I saw him at Unadilla on that. Pomeroy and Aberg ran 1-2 the first moto and Pomeroy won it by a mile. I believe they both DNF'd the second moto. Bultaco el Breako.

vintagemxr · 11-27-2004, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaspipe

>snip<The Greeves were interesting bikes in that not many others I knew of utilized the leading link front ends. Ossas, CZ's, Steens, Bultacos, Pentons and other lesser known marks were hot rides back then.

Sachs / DKW also used the leading link forks. Had buddy that bought a 125 Deek. He thought he was moving up from his Hodaka. Went out to eleven races and DNF'd eleven races in a row. Tranny problems. He was not a happy person.

BMW, of course, used leading link forks on all their street bikes through about 1968. Can't remember if they used telescopics on their ISDT bikes or not.

I had a Yamaha 90MX about 1971 that I fitted a set of aftermark leading link forks to. No idea who made the things, they were red and had a pair of Girling shocks on them. Bolted right up to the 90MX and were miles better than the stock forks. Sadly, that's one of the few bikes I've own of which I have no pictures.

motu · 11-28-2004, 12:45 AM

My C50 had leading link forks,they were great on the rutted gravel roads I had to ride it on - I used to ride it like the wind...well,I used to try and catch the wind if it was going my way.

nachtflug · 11-28-2004, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vintagemxr

BMW, of course, used leading link forks on all their street bikes through about 1968. Can't remember if they used telescopics on their ISDT bikes or not.
.

speaking of which, I have vivid memories of an early 70's BMW ISDT bike in a magazine, with two rear wheels mounted side by side, dual knobbies.

twice the traction....

gaspipe · 11-28-2004, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nachtflug

handful of "Bengt Aberg" replica's floating around out there in California, I forget who was building them. White Bros? They were white and red. Bengt raced the thumper a few times in the World Championship series over in europe, maybe even here in the US with pretty good results.

Those were ProFab kits. I forgot all about those HL500's. Thanks for the kick to the head to jog that loose. There were a lot of home made thumpers around in that time, big singles shoehorned into MX frames.

Interesting article about the HL500 - where I hijacked these pics:

http://www.fastbits.com.au/articles/...bike/hl500.htm

gaspipe · 11-28-2004, 08:59 AM

HL500........

gaspipe · 11-28-2004, 09:01 AM

gaspipe · 11-28-2004, 09:08 AM

Aberg flyin' high.......

11-26-2004, 08:57 PM	#1
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	Ol' Timey Desert Racers.... Earles type leading link Greeves 250cc desert racer. MX5. Cool stuff. __________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

11-26-2004, 09:10 PM	#2
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	TT500 Based Protec: __________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

11-27-2004, 10:21 AM	#3
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	1964 Greeves MX1, 246cc, 215lbs. __________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

11-27-2004, 10:23 AM	#4
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	380cc, 44HP. 1972 QUB Griffon. __________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

11-27-2004, 10:28 AM	#5
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	All the gear, all the time. The QUB at Taylor. Sometime in the early 70's. __________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

11-27-2004, 03:57 PM	#6
nachtflug infidel Joined: Jan 2002 Location: New York Oddometer: 42,855	whats a QUB? Desert Racers? I'be bin meaning to PM JN Robert and ask him if he is...JN Robert. That TT 500 Pro Tec. Not quite a desert sled with the YZ tank, but..a friend had a 78 TT 500, pulled all the crap off, blinkers etc, put a pipe on it, decent shocks on the back and a Marazocchi front end. I could ride that bike like the wind, besides regretting having not concentrated my efforts in the 125 class instead of the 250 class, I so regret not borrowing that 500 Yamaha and motocrossing it in the late 70's. Open Amatuer MX was a relatively safe class, the front runners were competent, everyone behind them were way in over their heads. I could have done well on that thumper, defintitely top 5.

11-27-2004, 05:36 PM	#7
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	NF, QUB, was a moniker that referred to Doctor Gordon Blair, of the Queen's University Belfast. The QUB in, uhmmm, QUB. He worked on the Greeves 380cc engine to improve the performance. It was primarily improving the cylinder porting and exhaust system. The QUB 380's power was increased by 6.5 hp to 44 hp. The Greeves were interesting bikes in that not many others I knew of utilized the leading link front ends. Ossas, CZ's, Steens, Bultacos, Pentons and other lesser known marks were hot rides back then. The Protek TT500 was really built as a motocrosser, as you pointed out. You have a good eye. It was a radical departure from typical thumpers of the time, and I think it was fairly successful in it's intended design. If it had gotten a bigger fuel and oil tank, it probably would have done fairly well in the desert. Good onya for noticing. __________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

11-27-2004, 09:09 PM	#8
nachtflug infidel Joined: Jan 2002 Location: New York Oddometer: 42,855	besides the Protek, I believe there were a handful of "Bengt Aberg" replica's floating around out there in California, I forget who was building them. White Bros? They were white and red. Bengt raced the thumper a few times in the World Championship series over in europe, maybe even here in the US with pretty good results. Of course thats when men were men and rode 500's in the 500 class and not 500's in the 250 class like todays loafers. Talk about a sham. Do you recall Bengts Bultaco with the forks mounted on the back in place of conventional shocks circa 1975? I saw him at Unadilla on that. Pomeroy and Aberg ran 1-2 the first moto and Pomeroy won it by a mile. I believe they both DNF'd the second moto. Bultaco el Breako.

11-28-2004, 12:45 AM	#10
motu Loose Pre Unit Joined: Dec 2001 Location: New Zealand Oddometer: 3,950	My C50 had leading link forks,they were great on the rutted gravel roads I had to ride it on - I used to ride it like the wind...well,I used to try and catch the wind if it was going my way.

11-28-2004, 08:59 AM	#13
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	HL500........ __________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

11-28-2004, 09:01 AM	#14
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	__________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

11-28-2004, 09:08 AM	#15
gaspipe ^OP Just a dude.... Joined: Jul 2004 Location: Pickwick Lake, Tennessippi Oddometer: 11,203	Aberg flyin' high....... __________________ gaspipe [the original] I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle. -- Winston Churchill

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