Cars and bikes I’ve come across in my travels

those Enfield motors were on their way to the USA and had landed at the exporting port FOB (free on board) which means the price included crating, delivery to port and handling charges to get item onto the boat, the payment never came through from USA, which I think was Indian, and so they were for sale, ELite motors in Tooting (S. London) bought the lot and commisioned Rickman to build the bikes, they were sold exclusively trhough Elites and I might have bought one, but a) couldnt afford it, b) was woried about after sales parts and service, and 3) Those footrests??? all the aforementioned from memory so is probably wrong, anyone like to add?
CLEM
 
CLEMTOG said:
those Enfield motors were on their way to the USA and had landed at the exporting port FOB (free on board) which means the price included crating, delivery to port and handling charges to get item onto the boat, the payment never came through from USA, which I think was Indian, and so they were for sale, ELite motors in Tooting (S. London) bought the lot and commisioned Rickman to build the bikes, they were sold exclusively trhough Elites and I might have bought one, but a) couldnt afford it, b) was woried about after sales parts and service, and 3) Those footrests??? all the aforementioned from memory so is probably wrong, anyone like to add?
CLEM
Click to expand...
Correct- my college lectures were Mike & Tony Catton , the workshop foreman and manager respectively of Elites of Tooting ( & Dave Thorpe uncles asa matter of fact) & they told me about the Rickmans. I know of one in Dorset, looks great, but then I always did like the Interceptor engine.
 
IMG_1503.jpegIMG_1504.jpegIMG_1505.jpeg

Long before Vinfast there was the Citroen La Dalat, made during the American War from 1970 to1975. Based upon the Mehari, it was 75% imported parts at the beginning and 60% by the time Citroen left in 1975.
 
Looks like my GQ short-wheelbase 4.2 petrol Nissan Patrol. Loved that car. Insanely stupid 13MPG. That and a fragile head gasket issue were its faults.
 
The only rat bike I’ve seen so far, well there are tons of ratty bikes! This is just the first real custom:IMG_1473.jpegIMG_1480.jpegIMG_1481.jpeg
I’m loving how he converted the stock leading link into a springer. The whole thing is a bit sketchy but still, he’s trying….
 
I agree, there is a lot of inovation and trying hard there, the owner must have a bright custom type future unless he is already an old git. In the 60's I had a stepthrough and took the leg shields off, on a hot sunny day about a month later going up a local 1:8 hill flat out in 1st, barely fast enough to retain balnace, with a very nice bird on the back, the bloody thing seized, and we weere only going 5 miles for coffee and some cake, back home there was no real reason for this, after much investigation my dad concluded that it had overheated due to the lack of the plastic leg shild, cylinder cover thingy, so it went back on, but had the edges trimmed a bit, no further problems, the rebore and new piston wasnt even expensive, I remember the bloke who did the rebore very well, an old school engineering shop run by a man with the delightfull name of Hilton Woodrow, I got all manner of engine rebuilding stuff done by him untill the business closeed, Honda 50's, Aeriall arrows and Leaders, 250/350/500 AJS/Matchless singles, 500/600/650 AJS/Matchless twins many , many vistis with RGS (no not that type) which had race parts including a 40DCOE and coil ignition WITH POINTS ex Honda, many years later, decades actually, I discovered that Phil Todd also knew him.
CLEM
 
CLEMTOG said:
I agree, there is a lot of inovation and trying hard there, the owner must have a bright custom type future unless he is already an old git. In the 60's I had a stepthrough and took the leg shields off, on a hot sunny day about a month later going up a local 1:8 hill flat out in 1st, barely fast enough to retain balnace, with a very nice bird on the back, the bloody thing seized, and we weere only going 5 miles for coffee and some cake, back home there was no real reason for this, after much investigation my dad concluded that it had overheated due to the lack of the plastic leg shild, cylinder cover thingy, so it went back on, but had the edges trimmed a bit, no further problems, the rebore and new piston wasnt even expensive, I remember the bloke who did the rebore very well, an old school engineering shop run by a man with the delightfull name of Hilton Woodrow, I got all manner of engine rebuilding stuff done by him untill the business closeed, Honda 50's, Aeriall arrows and Leaders, 250/350/500 AJS/Matchless singles, 500/600/650 AJS/Matchless twins many , many vistis with RGS (no not that type) which had race parts including a 40DCOE and coil ignition WITH POINTS ex Honda, many years later, decades actually, I discovered that Phil Todd also knew him.
CLEM
Click to expand...
Hilton Woodrow died last year, he was grasstrack sidecar champion ( Passengerd for John Sandwell) and later became clerk of the course- bit of a legend.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top