This is a 1965 Greeves 24TFS, a rare two-stroke motorcycle from England that was a force to be reckoned with in the world of 1960s off-road racing in both Europe and the United States.
Greeves motorcycles were known for handling well and for helping to popularize two-strokes in a world where four-strokes were still king, doing a lot to pave the way for the two-strokes from Husqvarna, followed by the Japanese ring-a-ding-dingers that would come next.
Fast Facts: A 1965 Greeves 24TFS
- The 1965 Greeves 24TFS is a rare British trials/scrambler motorcycle from a company that built its reputation on lightweight two-strokes, unconventional engineering, and excellent off-road performance. Greeves machines became particularly successful in trials and motocross, helping challenge the four-stroke motorcycles that had long dominated international competition.
- Greeves grew from Bert Greeves’ work developing the Invacar with his cousin Derry Preston-Cobb. Motorcycle production began in 1953, with the company becoming known for its cast aluminum-alloy front frame member, rubber-in-torsion suspension, and distinctive leading-link front fork. Competition success came with riders including Brian Stonebridge and Dave Bickers.
- This particular 24TFS was restored in 2014, when its multi-piece frame was refinished in Moorland Blue and its fuel tank and high-mounted fenders were painted white. The tank is signed by former Greeves works rider Dave Bickers. Equipment includes a trials seat, number plate, side stand, NJB shocks, and wire-spoke wheels.
- Power comes from a Villiers 37A 246cc two-stroke single fitted with Greeves’ alloy square-barrel top end, an Amal carburetor, and a compression release. It uses a four-speed gearbox and chain drive. The selling dealer says it has run for only around 35 minutes in 12 years and is offered for off-road use only.
History Speedrun: Greeves Motorcycles
Greeves Motorcycles started out when, in the years shortly after World War II, Bert Greeves fitted a lawnmower engine to the wheelchair of his disabled cousin, Derry Preston-Cobb, who had grown frustrated with the limitations of his battery-powered chair. This improvised creation evolved into the Invacar (a petrol-powered three-wheeled microcar for disabled people) and in 1952 Bert and Derry won a major UK Government contract to supply them through the Ministry of Pensions.
Looking back at Greeves history, it’s clear that three engineering signatures really defined the brand – a cast LM6 aluminum-silicon alloy I-beam downtube in place of a conventional steel frame tube, rubber-in-torsion springing at both ends, and the distinctive “Banana” leading-link front forks. Image courtesy of Greeves Motorcycles.
Largely as a result of wartime injuries, there were a lot of people in need of transportation designed for disabled people, and it was this steady income from Invacar production that gave Bert the financial footing to pursue his real ambition – designing and building motorcycles.
Bert had been a dedicated motorcyclist from his early teenage years, when he first rode a 225cc James. He was a keen trials rider, and by the early 1950s he had assembled a personal collection that included everything from a 1912 Triumph to a 1951 Vincent Black Shadow – the latter being the fastest production motorcycle in the world at the time.
Working with Derry at their factory in Thundersley, Essex, he developed a prototype motorcycle in 1951 using a 197cc Villiers two-stroke single and a rubber-in-torsion suspension system borrowed directly from the Invacar. Motorcycle production began in the autumn of 1953, and the first models were shown at the Earls Court Motorcycle Show that same year.
Looking back at Greeves history, it’s clear that three engineering signatures really defined the brand – a cast LM6 aluminum-silicon alloy I-beam downtube in place of a conventional steel frame tube, rubber-in-torsion springing at both ends, and the distinctive “Banana” leading-link front forks. These all worked together to give Greeves motorcycles a look and feel unlike anything else on the market, and they proved remarkably tough in off-road competition.
Competition, trials and scrambles racing in particular, was central to the Greeves identity – in 1956 the company signed motocross rider Brian Stonebridge, who beat 500cc machines on his smaller-capacity Greeves at Hawkstone Park in 1957 and earned gold medals at the International Six Days Trial.
After Stonebridge’s tragic death in a car accident in October of 1959 (with Bert at the wheel) the company signed Dave Bickers, who won the 250cc European Motocross Championship in 1960 and 1961. Greeves riders would go on to take victories in the Manx Grand Prix, the Scott Trial, the European Trials Championship, and the Scottish Six Days Trial.
By 1962 there were eleven models in the Greeves range, spanning roadsters, scramblers, trials bikes, and road racers, and the company had built a profitable export business, particularly in the United States, where Greeves played a significant role in growing the sport of off-road motorcycling. The workforce at Thundersley rarely exceeded 125 people, yet this small Essex factory punched well above its weight for over two decades.
Competition, trials and scrambles racing in particular, was central to the Greeves identity – in 1956 the company signed motocross rider Brian Stonebridge, who beat 500cc machines on his smaller-capacity Greeves at Hawkstone Park in 1957 and earned gold medals at the International Six Days Trial. Image courtesy of Greeves Motorcycles.
When Bert retired in 1973 the company entered a slow decline, and a factory fire in the late 1970s brought the original Greeves story to a close. This wasn’t quite the end though, as Richard Deal bought the rights to the name in 1999 and launched a new Greeves trials bike with an all-new 280cc two-stroke engine in 2009.
The 1965 Greeves 24TFS Shown Here
This is an original 1965 Greeves 24TFS, it’s a rare competition trials motorcycle that was refurbed in 2014, when its multi-piece frame was refinished in Moorland Blue and its fuel tank and high-mounted fenders were finished in white. The tank carries the signature of noted Greeves works rider Dave Bickers, a nice little piece of marque history.
The bike has a solo trials seat, front number plate, side stand, Greeves leading-link fork, and tapered steel swingarm fitted with NJB rear shocks. Power comes from a Villiers 37A 246cc two-stroke single fitted with Greeves’ alloy square-barrel top end, an Amal concentric carburetor, and a compression release.
This is a 1965 Greeves 24TFS, a rare two-stroke motorcycle from England that was a force to be reckoned with in the world of 1960s off-road racing.
It drives through a 4-speed gearbox with a right-side shifter and chain final drive. The bike also has a Tomaselli side-pull throttle and levers, an aftermarket air filter, cable-operated drum brakes, and 21-inch front and 19-inch rear wire-spoke wheels.
The selling dealer says that it’s accumulated only about 35 minutes of running time over the past 12 years. It’s now being offered for sale out of Morgan Hill, California for off-road use only with a bill of sale. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer + Greeves Motorcycles
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