Griffon 380 Restoration Article - Classic Bike Magazine, March 1986.

[Brian Thompson]

Here's another rare article from my files, this time detailing the restoration of a beautiful 380 Griffon twin-port (yummy!) Crackin' shot of Brian Wade too.

There is a reference early on in the article to the owners brother's Scottish, which I have previously posted on another thread. (see post #26, here; http://www.greeves-riders.org.uk/for...?t=4030&page=3)

Hope everyone enjoys it, and any comments or additional info would be most welcome, as always.

Brian.

[druid]

Griffon restoration

This was Mick Barratt's Griffon. His brother Dave, sadly no longer with us, undertook numerous restoration, the Scottish which appeared in Classic Bike plus an RAS, Pathfinder and an ex army Griffon enduro. Mick did a couple of Griffons plus a 1968 works ISDTbike, ex Malcolm Rathmell. A lovely couple of guys who attended lots of shows on the Greeves stand, Mick's out of the loop nowadays although I still speak to him.

Druid

[Brian Thompson]

Info.

Hi JC,

Many thanks, as always, for the additional information.

It really helps fill in the gaps and adds a lot of value to the thread.

Much appreciated mate.

Brian.

[dave higgins]

Great bit of info there brian, i don`t know where you find all these griffon gold nuggets...

[Phil Hyde]

Barrett boys

Just to echo Druid's comments on Dave and Mick. Together they produced some real show shoppers. Their bikes were the centre piece of many GRA stands in the 80s and 90s. My personal favourite was Mick's ISDT Challenger. Despite being restored to a show winning standard most of the scrutineer's marks were retained from both year's it was ridden.

[Andy Z]

I remember buying that mag when it came out! Didn't realise it was that long ago!
I must confess I had forgotten all about it until I saw this post.

[Brian Catt]

Are we talking about the bike that was sold to Italy with the wrong forks and conflicting numbers on it?

[Brian Thompson]

Do you want salt with that....

I thought we are talking about a beautifully restored Griffon 380, in an article that appeared in a magazine nearly 28 years ago, restored by a couple of well liked GRA members, with pics and info that may be of use to a new member who is restoring one today.

Or at least, that was what I had hoped.....

Brian T.

[Brian Catt]

I was referring to the beautifully restored ISDT Challenger that now exists (at least when the photos were taken) in Italy. Nice though it is, it has been built to a slightly different spec that that used in the 1968 ISDT. Would you like to see my photo collection?....Unmodified....Maybe customer choice had something to do with it?

[Brian Thompson]

Que....?

Err.....have I just stumbled into a different thread or summat.....

Are you on about this bike now Brian (see attached.)...

The bike in the picture above on this thread is red (well, I say red...it's more of a kind of 'Murko Vision' (TM) yellowy orange* thanks to my poor scanning technique..)

The bike in the picture below is green.... Well, I'm guessing it's green anyway....it's a little known fact that I failed the exam for the Army Bomb Disposal team due to being colour blind.....

I think they may both be Greeves though...but who can say (actually I know who can say, I think....)

Brian T.

(*Orange is actually Egnaro spelt backwards....there's another bit of trivia for ya..)

[dave higgins]

egnara

Egnara, being latin for "ungratefull ", i believe, or another old translation, by the pundawa indians, ( long extinct ) " those that should know better ", both very apt in this case brian.

[Brian Catt]

I'm having problems uploading today......mismatching numbers, wrong forks, great bike otherwise.....yes, it's green, a Challenger as mentioned in the posts above!

[druid]

Not the Red Griffon

At the risk of winding up Thommo, a word about Mike's Greeves ISDT. Mike's bike was sold by auction at Stafford. I don't know where it went. This was Rathmell's bike. John Pease's bike is still in the UK and made a visit to Battlesbridge a few years ago. The one that went to Italy was Denis Jones bike, previously owned by a chap in Derbyshire. I believe this was rebuilt by Richard deal and fitted with wrong forks and an in correct riding number. Or course I could be wrong!

Druid

[Phil Hyde]

A great source of leg pull with Mick was the lacing of the wheels on his ISDT bike. They were 2 crossing instead of 3.

[Brian Catt]

Thanks for the info Druid....that answers a lot of questions!