I know it is a 125 Greeves but I'm not certain of the year. My dad rode just about every kind of woods bike that I could ever imagine. He was always buying a new bike after a year or so of riding one. My mom used to call him a horse trader because of the way he switched bikes. My mom was not happy with the way he switched bikes, but he worked his ass off so my mom never gave him a hard time about it. This bike was his and he sold it to a guy he knew a VERY long time ago. The guy has had it in his barn for eons and rides it occasionally. Life has a funny way of letting people discover things. This guy my dad sold it to is someone I met through my wife way back in the early 80's. Her family has known him for eons. This is how I found this bike. I belong to a club that is an AMA sanctioned enduro club. One day in May of 2010 I was working checks at an enduro my club was putting on. I met one of fellow club members and as we were yapping and he told me his brother in law had one of my Dad's old bikes. He told me who the guy was and I was floored. I told him that I have known his BIL for a long time but I had no Idea he had this bike. I had totally forgotten about the fact this guy had that bike until last week. I went to buy my Christmas tree at this guys farm and ran into him. We were yapping away and he said to that he had my dad's old Greeves. I am floored at this point. He went on to tell me that had bought a LOT of my dad's old bikes but this was the only one he had left. I asked if I could see it and he was more than happy to take me to the huge barn and show it to me. I walked in and I was just awestruck at seeing it. He told me that he still had the original bill of sale and owners manual. He told me that he let me ride this bike in the spring when it warms up. Later that day I told my brother about this and he was really excited to see it. He wants to buy it but I'm sure it's not for sale.
What ever bikes I have my son who rides will have them all someday. My older brothers had so many bad accidents on bicycles we weren't allowed a bike with a motor on it. I had 52 stitches in the head/face once from a bicycle. I think I was in my mind life crisis when I got my own dirt bike. A co-worker rode his restored matchless one cylinder street legal bike to work once it was Purdy. His street bike was a 750 Norton commando. He rode till it snowed. Another guy rode his moto gussi even in the snow. The bike had more salt and dirt on it than my car. I only seen Greeves in pictures and dvds in old dirt bike races.
Very cool for sure. The greeves came on the scene about the same time as Husqvarnas as I recall and won many races against the #! factory BSAs in Europe. Those fenders were as soft as butter and the rear on your dads bike looks like new. Does it have a leading link front end? I think every Greeves I've seen in person did. If it were me I would really try to buy it. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvb5vwEFE3A
Wow nice find and a great story. Dont think its a 125 though, Looks to be the 250 engine, The 125 / 197 lumps never had a square barrel as far as I remember. Would need to see a pic from the other side but I have never seen a Villiers / Greeves 125 with that top end fitted to it, Any chance of more pics ?
This is the other picture I took that day. I will take more when I go over to see it again. My dad passed in 2006 and he knew this guy still had the bike from what my friend told me. If my brother had known about it I'm sure he would have really tried to get this bike many years ago. I think my brother is really going to try and get it if he can. I spoke to him yesterday and he said hi will do his best to get it. If it turns out that he can buy it, I'm more then willing to chip in some $ $$$.
i came across my dads old 74 mint 400 penton once binging ridden in the woods down at Chadwick by the parts guy at the local Suzuki/Kawasaki shop
