Greeves (motorcycles): Difference between revisions
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Greeves are an English producer of motorcycles, mainly for the trials and offroad market.
Original Greeves
Founded by O.B. (Bert) Greeves MBE as an offshoot of the Invacar company, they began production in 1952 at Thundersley, Essex.[1] The bikes exclusively used 2 stroke engines sourced from from Villiers Engineering and British Anzani, with gearboxes from Albion Motors; before later replacement by their own designs from 1964.[2]
The specialist lightweight and high powered package made them successful in the trials market place against classical Triumph and BSA models. In 1957 Greeves signed motocross rider Brian Stonebridge, and started competing in the European Motocross Championship. After the death of Stonebridge, Greeves signed Dave Bickers who won the 1960 and 1961 championship.[3] The company went on to win the Manx Grand Prix, the European Trials Championship and the Scottish Six Day Trial; and with Gold medals in the ISDT and the ACU 250cc Road Race.
Greeves started to produce lightweight road machines, developed through racing, and by 1962 there was eleven models. The offroad motorcycles also developed through an association with Queen's University Belfast producing the later Greeves QUB model.[3]
However, as the Japanese entered the market place - Suzuki dominated the European Championships from 1970 to 1973 - sales began to slow.[3] Combined with a down turn in trade for Invacar and a financially disastrous fire, the company floundered in 1976 and went into receivership.[1]
New Greeves
As Greeves machines became older, they became ideal machines for the new "classic" class of trials. However, parts were scarce and resultantly expensive, and so Richard Deal started to produce replica parts and then a replica motorcycle called the Anglian. In May 1999, after gaining control of the trademarks of the Greeves name in the UK, USA and Europe, a new Greeves company was founded in Chelmsford which restarted production of mainly trials models.[4]
References
- Rob Carrick and Mick Walker Greeves Pub. Osprey Collectors Library