More of Costa's
Dirty Bike Pics Text & Photos
courtesy of Costa Zarifi
Click on small pics to
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This one is kind of obviously a twin, but I chose to include the shot for two
reasons: in the first place, the bike is related to the singles, by virtue of
having been born a TR5T; secondly, I think it's a great picture!
The rider is Eric Pritchard, a BI lister. Although some people
may know Eric for his work with astonishingly quick Tiger Cubs, to me he's always
been Mr 500. Eric is kind of famous in our parts for campaigning a mid-60s Tiger
100 on the Vintage Trials circuit, scrambling a couple of TR5t
based bikes and a Tiger Cub, as well as a monster of a 650, and road-racing
yet another TR5T, as well as the aforementioned Cubbie. The bike shown
bike is pretty much a standard Adventurer frame, with Ceriani shocks and light-weight
wheels.
It's also one of the sweetest sounding 500 twins I've heard, with the characteristic
sound of hot cams and an open exhaust. The bike is very quick, but is somewhat
heavier than the B50s, and carries its engine a little higher.
The picture at Right shows Eric riding his Triumph Tiger Cub. Not
much to say about this one. With some people, you would think that they were
old enough to know better. Eric takes great pleasure in campaigning Tiger
Cubs in every possible venue, from Trials, to roadracing, to moto cross. It's
kind of a neat little bike. Both photos of Eric Pritchard by Ariane Pritchard.
This is Marc Cornut, on Left, riding an oil
in frame 441 Victor, at speed at Ormstown, August 1998. This picture
by Leon Goldik.
Steve Tucker and Eric Pritchard
are two of the prime movers in our club, when it comes to off-road events. That
the Montreal area has an active vintage trials calendar is largely due to the
efforts of these two. Steve has raced motocross around here
for over thirty years, now. He campaigned a Victor GP, the original oil-in-frame
unit single, in the late sixties, and raced Greeves Griffins into the seventies.
He now maintains a small stable of unit singles, 250s, 441s and 500s, which
he and his son, Dave, campaign in AHRMA events.
Photo on Right of Steve,
#78, aviating at Southwick, on his 441 BSA, with a later, oil-bearing frame.
Forks and wheels are from a CZ. The frames are modified, losing the rear part
of the oil tank, with the seat loop extended to fit. It is fairly easy to modify
them to take long travel suspension, but that would make them illegal for pre-65
racing. Thanks to Joan Darlington for the picture of Steve Tucker.
David Makin, also a B-I lister, riding his "Grumph",
the curious result of mating a 500 Triumph lump with a Greeves frame. It makes
for a remarkably small bike, and probably the most mechanically reliable Greeves
out there! Dave used to be one of the most enthusiastic proponents of
the virtues of BSA unit singles out there.
In the past, he has owned (probably at the same time!) Cheney BSAs, CCMs, and
some fairly hairy chested B50s. Now that he's much older and, allegedly,
wiser, he maintains that twins are the only way to go!
Both photos of Dave are from Ormstown '98, and the vintage scrambles
exhibition.
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