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Don Smiths Greeves


scot taco
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I just finished reading an article on Don Smith.I really admire that era of riders because many of them did it all as far as develope,build and ride well.

 I don,t know much about Greeves other than I like the unique looks and would love to try one out.It had a picture of him on his newly debuted 1964 SSDT bike that he had modified and extensively lightened.

 I,m just curious what the production one weighed and if anyone has an idea as to what his modified bike weighed?

 From what I,ve read it seems like Mr. Smith would have been great fun to hang out and ride with as well as learn from.

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I wish that I would have started in trials 40 years ago! I guess better late then never at all.I did get to ride a KT in a trials a couple of years ago.My opinion doesn,t count for a whole lot due to my limited experience,but I thought it was ok,but not quite as good as my TY.

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I wish that I would have started in trials 40 years ago! I guess better late then never at all.I did get to ride a KT in a trials a couple of years ago.My opinion doesn,t count for a whole lot due to my limited experience,but I thought it was ok,but not quite as good as my TY.

 

The KT has very cool sounding primary drive gears though

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Hi friends,

 

Here are a few photographs of my old friend Don Smith in action - just to help you pass the time dreaming..............

 

Enjoy,  but if you want to know more about them - use a very small Paypal action (£12) and get a complete supply of ORRe from the very first issue - right up to date.

 

Cheers

Deryk Wylde

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Hi,

 

Wrong, if you knew Don you would know the cigarette was part of an early form of image marketing because he confided in me that he was aiming to earn a new living replacing the Marlboro' or Winston cowboy advertising with a casual biker series.

 

Never came off for him - but it did wind Ralph Venables up something chronic - and Don enjoyed that.

 

Sad that the only fact that many 'remember' about Don isn't even a fact................

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Lovely guy. Cornered him at the start of a Sunbeam Greybeards trial a few years back when he'd entered on a Millerised Cub (I presume it was one of his last rides). Told him I was rebuilding a KT250 and he gave me his business card and said if I needed advice or help just give him a ring. Very kind of him. I now own a Greeves TES which is very much like one of his and#39;special' TES's. My first trials bike was a Greeves Scottish way back in and#39;63 when Smithy was contesting the European championship. Occasionally I'd ride with a roll-up fag pretending to be the great man. It was great to meet him around forty years later.

 

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I just finished reading an article on Don Smith.I really admire that era of riders because many of them did it all as far as develope,build and ride well.t

Hi Scot, as a, young lad just getting into trials we used to go and watch some Eastern centre trials (we were under 16 so could not ride as most were road trials) Don was then riding a Greeves Anglian just before he moved on to help develop the Montesa Cota 247. He greatly influenced my choice in bikes as I started on a Anglian and then progressed onto a Cota. When we saw Don at a trial he would always spend time having a chat and discussing lines through a section with you, he always called you 'Ace' as he couldn't remember everyone's name but always made you feel important with the use of it. A great bloke and I still count him as one of the greats of our sport and use a picture I took of him on the Mont as my avatar.

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Very cool stories from everyone!

 

Beautiful Greeves bigplonker!

 

Nigel,funny thing with the language differences.When I first scrolled down and saw your reply to nistua I thought at first glance that you were calling him a fag - as in a little light in the loafers!Yes I know I,m a bit slow,but I had to think for a minute before it came to me that you ment a cigarret.LOL.

Edited by scot taco
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