Manky Monkey Motors

I had an email late last night from a Brian Byrne. No idea who he is or where he lives.
He asked Does this look familiar? So I scrolled down the page...
Hmm, that's a nice trike


...wait   a   minute!
Just a darn tootin', cotton pickin' minute!
Recognition had slowly dawned -oh my Gawd! That's my first trike! The very first trike I ever built -a hardtailed Yamaha XS750, put together for my girlfriend of the time, Sharon. It was one of a his n hers matched pair. Hers was the first one finished, but I sold it before it was road legal. My one was sold as a bare metal project. Spent 2 & a half grand on each of 'em & flogged them for a lot less. A friend, who's a sheet metal worker, & I built the frame in his workshop in Newbury, Berkshire & I had it powder-coated gloss black. The headstock & front down tubes were Yamaha but the rest was all us. I narrowed a Reliant axle by 11 inches, off setting the diff housing to one side to line up with the engine -then discovered Reliant axles rotate the opposite way to Yam engines, so I had 5 reverse gears. Had to buy another axle & start again. Forks were Yam with new 4 or 5 inch over length tubes. Both engines were stripped by a mate & completely rebuilt, no expense spared.
I sold it to a disabled guy in Lytham St Anns, near Blackpool, Lancashire & never saw it again. Until now.
That was at least 20 years ago & it looks exactly the same. I'm absolutely gobsmacked. Always wondered what happened to it.
I've emailed Brian back & begged for more info, but not had a reply yet. I'll keep you informed.
Amazing to think it's still about after all these years.  ;D

As I sold it.

i like that  ;)

I love that  ;D

She was my first ...sigh.

Very nice work Andy
Regards
K

Cool when things like that happen!  ;D

 :)
I was inspired to build it after seeing a triked XS1100 at the Bulldog Bash one year, (when I still used to do the camping thing).
It looked so simple & tidy. I thought, I can do something like that. It was built by Nik of Cycle Haven in Lincolnshire.

When I bought my XS650 last year, I discovered they're still in business, so I drove up there to buy a bunch of chop parts.
Under a cover in the middle of the shop was that very same XS1100 trike, almost unchanged since I'd seen it a million years earlier.
Weird.

I love Cycle Haven frames  ;D ;D ;D ;D

There u go Andy a testament to your workmanship amazing after all theses year there is no difference since you made it measure twice build once

nice looking trike that is pity you had to let it go

I like the new one better

..  Hagar  ..   ;D

You know Taz is gonna hunt you down for that don't you Hagar. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Still no follow up from the original email sender -I need to know where my trike went to & who owns it now!

You sure thats an XS750 engine Andy, mine never looked anything like that even after I cleaned all the lime and muck off it ;)

What a shame that you've not had a reply yet still, maybe tomorrow.
Great pic of Taz, she's looking well must be all the bananas and jaffa cakes. Love the trike she's riding too. Did you build that one Andy. Well done, got one finished and on to the next one perhaps with an engine ;D ;D

That photo explains why you like my Gertie Andy - there is a kind of similarity!

I see you have taken to riding pillion behind "'er indoors" then Mr. M.............

Our latest secret project. In my trademark green too.

Sums Taz & I up quite well I think -I'm the quiet little guy, dutifully tagging along behind as she blazes a trail through life. I have bad hair days like that too.  ;D

Hurrah! I've finally had a reply from Brian. I know it's a long post, but thought the trikers among us might be interested

Hi Andy,
Yes this was your trike. I've owned it now for about 9 years. I bought it from a guy in the Peak District. He'd acquired it from a guy in Sheffield, who in turn had acquired it from a guy in Lytham St Ann's, near Blackpool -who you sold it to.
I was gobsmacked to see it on your web site as I had very little history of it. When I bought it, it was in a poor state, a non runner, no MOT with damage to the frame and bent half shafts. This didn't become apparent until I managed to get the thing running and it went down the street sideways! It also became apparent that the engine was shot as it wouldn't select 1st or 2nd gear -apparently a common problem with the XS. The electrics were also shot.
 
I decided to do it properly and stripped the whole thing down at the start of 2003. I found a complete XS, (1980), with only 13k on it, only one owner, who'd come off it in 1996 and not ridden it again, but had left it standing outside for 7 years. All the bits I needed worked so I bought it.
 
The trike frame needed some work. The arms that support the guards were bent and it looked as though the head stock had been cut off and welded back on badly, certainly not to the standard of the other work on the frame, which is excellent. I can only imagine it had been in an accident, as both half shafts were bent, one much worse than the other. The welding was done by Geoff Madock. He's had bikes featured in 100% biker magazine, in particular his pride and joy, a Norton rotary engined, R1 framed, street fighter. Geoff manufactures custom exhausts for any bike, and is an excellent welder. He did all the repair work on the frame, including some more gusseting/support for the head stock. A mate of mine, Andy Wilson, worked for Mercedes and they put the drive shafts on a press to straighten them out. I put the axle back together with new seals and replaced all the rear brake components, including new stainless fittings and braided hoses, as the original steel fittings had corroded. This was a ridiculous price for what it was. I also replaced the hydraulic brake light switch with a mechanical one. As you commented, the brakes aren't the best but the axle must be 40 or 50 years old and for something moving at 65 - 70 mph its fine. I also replaced and rebuilt the master cylinder from the donor XS and fitted that to the frame.
 
The biggest issue with the braking was attempting to rebuild the master cylinder for the front brakes. It tuned out to be Honda, but you probably know that! Once I'd worked out the origin I had the alloy polished and I rebuilt the master cylinder with a repair kit from Z Power who helped me identify the original. 
 
The donor engine was media blasted and painted with 2 pack gloss black. When I got it back in the frame it wouldn't run. It had no compression so I re-built the top end with the engine back in the frame. I also added a new clutch and electronic ignition which also involved a full rewire. The carbs that came with the doner engine were re-built but have never worked well, so the engine now runs with the original carbs. These are a slightly larger carb, or the intake is slightly larger than stock. I've had 3 sets on it to date -thank God for Ebay! All the removable parts of the case were removed and polished. I bought a new exhaust from Ebay but you must've shortened the back box as the new old stock stuck out a good 6 inches beyond the original, so it now runs with new old stock down pipes and your back box. I had this powder coated and it's standing up well.
 
The front end had new seals, dust covers and oil, the top nuts were chromed and I put some lights on the top yoke for oil and neutral. The callipers were rebuilt with new pistons and seals and all were polished. The front wheel was polished and rebuilt with new seals and the shaft chromed -pointless really as nobody sees it!
I am on a 3rd set of handle bars -the first 2 had the electrics running through the bars but the weak spots where the cables entered & exited the bars started to tear, so the set I have on now have external electrics and seem to be holding up well.
All the paint work was done by Esoteric, a custom bike painter in Blackpool.
 
Hope this clears up some history. Unfortunately I now need to sell the trike as 12 points on my licence is too great a risk to continue. If you need any more info just let me know. Apologies for not having come back to you sooner -this has taken longer than I expected!
 
Regards, Brian. 

.

.

.

Taddah!

So there you have it. The story comes full circle. My first full blown custom creation is reborn. Cycle of life & all that. Or tricycle of life?

My reply:

Hi Bri,
that's very strange, seeing the ol' girl again after all these years. And looking so good. Like seeing a long lost relative, all grown up! You've made a fantastic job of rebuilding/restoring it.
I sold it finished & running but not MOT'd, so never actually did any mileage on it. How does it handle? Really appreciate you getting back to me -having received your first, tantalising email. I was desperate to know what had become of it! Yep, I sold it to a disabled guy in Lytham St Anne's, near Blackpool. I'd originally built it for my girlfriend as one of a matched his n hers pair, though my own was sold as an unfinished rolling chassis when we split up. Should've ditched the girlfriend & kept the trikes! I also built her a stripped down single seater XS750 cafe racer thingy, but she preferred my standard XS850, so we swapped.
I owned several XS750s, as well as 4 or 5 XS650s, one XS850 & an XS1100 for about 3 weeks. I've got another XS650 now!
Yes, the 750s were prone to 2nd gear selection problems, though I never experienced it myself. The 2 engines for the pair of 750 trikes were stripped & rebuilt for me by a friend at great expense, but as I said, were never really ridden in anger.
The standard Yamaha master cylinder wasn't really up to the job of operating the Reliant drum brakes. I didn't realise that at the time, but should've fitted a bigger car type cylinder. I now use 5/8" bore Girling cylinders to operate all 3 brakes linked together on one foot pedal. I also convert the Reliant axle to disc brakes, using Vauxhall Nova discs & VW Golf calipers. I wrote a piece for 100% Biker many years ago on this & it seems to have become almost a standard conversion now!
The exhaust was a brand new Marshal DeepTone & was indeed shortened. In all, I think I spent about 2 1/2 grand on the trike -a lot of money back then. Always wished I'd persevered & got it roadworthy. I'm curious about the crash damage, but at the same time, kinda pleased it withstood it. It's really nice to know it's been out there, racking up some miles.

Well I must say he has done a bloody good job on the rebuild.

Should have no trouble selling it  ;)


Are you going to buy it Andy  ;D

                                               



                                                    BUY  IT,,

Nah. You should never try to rekindle a lost love. I've tried & it doesn't work. I'm happy just knowing it's still out there. Kinda nice to know something I built from scrap parts is still alive & making someone smile a couple of decades later.
Of course, it could be exhibit number 1 in the Manky Monkey Motor Museum.  ;D

MANKY MOTORS MUSEUM,,, now ther,s an idea
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now where,s me lotto ticket  ;)

What a great bit of history!




Lotto ticket - prolly same place as mine all end up - in the bin!   >:(