08colin Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 Looking for anyone that can remember or rode one of the original 230 4 speed Ossa Pennines (plonker) I alway's wanted an early all fibre glass Pennine, been hunting for 8 or 9 years anyway 2 years ago found one up near Penrith thrown in the back of a shed in one H--- of a state anyway large lump of heavys' changed hands put remains of said bike in back of van and set off for the 150 mile drive home (plenty of time to work out how i'm going to explain what a good investment it is to the other half) It was painted in austin allego metalic green and everything else in matt black (spray can).The engine unit was held together with a large hose clip round outer cover's and crank case fins were smashed off head and barrel,exhaust system looked like it had been attacked with a hammer and this is only a brief description of the shocking state it was in. But underneath this mess i could see my dream Ossa Pennine (ever tried to convince the mrs). There was a hole top and bottom through r/hand crank case half and outer cover.That was 2 years ago spoke with Mick Andrews and a local x works rider Malcolm Barnes to find when we found matching engine and frame number's for one of the 2 Pennines in the UK apart fron mick's this one being the Ted Breffitt first Ossa.Ted resprayed his Ossa silver and yellow flash i photo'd this bike at the Hillsborough trial in 1968 in Don Morley's spanish two strokes there is a photo on page 131 of Ted riding in the Bemrose on it. I got in touch with Ted and met him at this years Pre 65 scottish and he couldn't believe that it had survived. Got it up and running in May this year but have got a dreaded badly worn 24mm IRZ carb problems i'm still waiting for it to come back from being repaired. So does anybody remember or rode one of these early Pennines Has anybody got or know where i might find an original 24mm IRZ carb Also looking for the small VDO speedo that was mounted on the top yoke. As big j would say feet up and thanks.08colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hop blip and a jump Posted November 27, 2008 Report Share Posted November 27, 2008 Thats not fair teasing us!! show us some pics????? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08colin Posted November 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Hi hop blip and a j had problems trying to post pictures suggest you send me your email address and i will email some photos to you. have you riden or seen one before.Is there any chance you might beable to post the pictures 08colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted November 28, 2008 Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Memories. I had one a long time ago. Bought it off Roy Pidcock. Seem to remember at some point it was ex Chris Milner bike. My only real memory was that it was a swine to ride bit like a moto crosser. Loads of power but so fierce. Little ground clearence and very heavy and bulky. Sold it to Eric Housley and bought a Sprite Goldfinger. Would appreciate so piccys. Nice to hear Ted is still alive i used to ride with him in the old days. Always a gentleman in a check shirt and belstaff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08colin Posted November 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2008 Hi Grumpy fanatic i can't seem to put any photos on at the moment but if you email me on pauline.thompson3@virgin.net i will send you photos before and after.My bike is the breffitt first Ossa mau 113f in silver if you can remember him and the bike,big sutton falcons club rider.I first saw Ted and the silver Ossa in 1968 at the Porlot Quarry Derbyshire trials Porlot wasn't one of my favourite venues in those day's as i had just started riding trials on an old round tube Dot (didn't go over the rocks very well) look forward to hearing from you again.Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lassejahn Posted November 29, 2008 Report Share Posted November 29, 2008 Hi Ossa fans! We got two of the 230:s early -68 to Finland, one for me and the other to my friend Eino Louhio, later head of the finnish federation. I took part in the 3:d round for the European Championship in Germany and in the St Cucufa Trial in Paris on it. Appearing on the front page of Motor Cycle Nov. 13,1968 , photo by Ed Bentley who gently sent me a copy of the paper, at that time the magazine with the worldwide largest circulation, is one of my many good memories. Das Motorrad magazine in Germany was interested in whether I was using asbestos gloves to move to extra silencer around! The bike was good for the fast transport parts and the engine stayed in tune longer than the others from the same country, that,s a positive part. My friend put his engine in a Montesa frame after the first year, now sadly both bikes have disappeared, most likely not to be found anymore. Gopod memories made me also first finnish owner of MAR later on. I have some b/w pictures from the time, but nothing special. Lasse Jahn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks2 Posted December 1, 2008 Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 Hello Colin Well done with the Ossa restoration. It cannot have been the easiest bike to restore. I remember the original Ossa very well although I never rode one. Round here (West and South Yorkshire) they were very thin on the ground and the word on the street was that they were not the equal of a good Bultaco or the early Montesa. I believe Ted Brefitt rode at least 3 early Ossas with, I think, the following registration numbers:- WAU 113F With the Silver and yellow tank (as you say). RAU ???G Also with the Silver and yellow tank (probably transfered from the earlier bike). Some years ago I worked with a chap in the Ruston Gas Turbines Drawing Office (Lincoln) who owned and rode this bike in the early to mid seventies, although he did not sound particularly impressed with it. UAU 9H Ordinary Green and yellow tank. The suffix AU is a Nottingham registration, so presumably Ted picked the bikes up from Eric Houseley in Clay Cross and registered them back home in Nottingham? I remember a chap from the Barnsley/Sheffield area called Alan Dugdale buying one new from Eric Houseley although he never did particularly well on it. Alan Dugdale sold it to Mick Dickinson from Rotherham. Mick loved the bike and indeed gained Yorkshire Centre expert status on it but only after he had built and fitted his own frame. Alan Dugdale has long since left trials and went on to build his own house, I believe. Mick still rides an Ariel and Bantam, and very well I might add, with the Yorkshire Classic Club. Jim Swallow (the chap who restored Bill Wilkinsons 1969 Scottish winning Greeves) had a very dilapidated early Ossa in the back of his garage in the early nineties. But subsequently sold that, as well, to Bill Wilkinson. I cannot believe that Bill Wilkinson did anything with it. So could this be the your bike, Colin? Hope all this is of interest. Kind Regards Sparks2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08colin Posted December 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Hi sparks 2 Ted first bike the one i have reg no is MAU 113F i have had this confirmed by Ted his self,the other rider Ted's team mate riding vertually same bike as Ted was a guy called Malcolm Barnes from Barnetby-le-wold North Lincolnshire. he was the top rider in the area at that time his bike was registered TRA---F i actually rode this bike and when Malcolm sold it to Chris Nieman i was at tech college with Chris,Chris loaned me the bike and to me at that time after Malc and Chris had basicaly sorted it out it was fabulous to ride,been the 230 race motor de-tuned was very fiece and there was nothing to catch it on the road my riding buddy at the time as we had both just started riding trials him riding a Norman me riding a 61 Dot my Dot had blown the big end and crank was away been repaired so Chris loaned me the Pennine unbeknown to my mate on the Sunday morning been as we riding the bikes to the trial he turned up bright and early him still thinking i was riding the Dot he got the shock of his life when i pulled the Ossa out,Graham my mate turned on his heel jumped on the Norman and disappeared i shot into the house got my jacket and boots etc,dashed out fired up the Ossa and set off after him took me a 2 or 3 miles to catch him up,when i overtook him and left him for dead i shall never forget the looks on his face. Incidently i was runner up at that trial i was beaten by a Gaunt Suzuki 120cc sadly come the Monday i had to take the bike back to Chris,Chris sold it on and bought Malcolm Barnes second Ossa and i have never heard anything of them since i have spoken with Macolm Barnes this year and he has no idea to what ever happened to either of them,Chris Nieman emmigrated to New Zealand of which i have never seen him since Regards Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparks2 Posted December 2, 2008 Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 Thanks for the reply Colin. Very interesting. Yes, you are very probably correct with the reg MAU 113F Is Malcolm Barnes from Barnetby still a painter and decorator? Who was driving the Gaunt Suzuki to beat you into second place. Regards Sparks2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08colin Posted December 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 hi there sparks2 yes that is the same malcom barnes although he has now virtualy retired, i took the pennine across to his home for him to look over and have a ride on he is now suffering badly with artheritous in his hands and knnee's he has still got 3 trials bikes last i saw him out on a trials bike couple of years ago at a poachers club trial at biscathorpe quarry riding a ht5 of which he remarked was getting too harder work for his hands and knee's with the artheritous but if i could get ossa fully sorted he would love to ride again i've promised him when i get the carb back from been resleeved and its back up and running ok he can borrow it anytime, just to see him ride an ossa again, he'd fallen in love again and to think i'd managed to find one and resurect one back to original i spoke with mick andrews and he has seen the bike he reconded it must be the only original mk 1 left in uk as he as he doesn't of know of any other that is unless anyone knows different let me know would see another surive colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted December 2, 2008 Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 The lack of pictures is disturbing. Before and after would be ideal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
08colin Posted December 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 tell me how i post and i will definatly post picture's if you talk with big j nicely he might he has some photo's colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 tell me how i post and i will definatly post picture'sif you talk with big j nicely he might he has some photo's colin I had a thread on how to post pictures but I can't find it anymore. There should be something in the Help section, maybe I'll write it up again and see if someone can stick it there. In the meantime Big J ain't sharing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter9000uk Posted December 3, 2008 Report Share Posted December 3, 2008 This sounds very much like a bike I round a few times whilst in Canada in the early 70s. One piece Green tank/seat unit with yellow bits on it? It belonged to Burt Irwin of Irwin Supply in Cornawall Ontario. His son Tommy may know if it is still about, long shot I know but stranger things have happened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trial pat Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 Hello Colin there is a nice Ossa 1969 Plonker in Switzerland, even Mick Andrews had a test ride in 2002 Moudon Trial http://www.twnclub.ch/classic_trial_files/.../Moudon2002.htm I just made a new Ossa page, have a look. http://www.twnclub.ch/classic_trial_files/Ossa/Ossa1.htm Regards Patrick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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