Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

~ l ENGLAND STORMS AGAIN Test & photos by Maureen & Gene Lee ~ When you buy a Grl!ton, what should. r.J you expect? You've bought a true scram:iI!: bier, that's for sure. It's proving itself r.J in Europe right now and is competing favorably on American circuits with ~ everything else. Greeves distributor U Nick Nicholsoo bad much to do with the design of the Grllfon to make sure it would be right for American conditions. We feel it might handle better on some types of track than some rival motocross ti machines, although a 19" front wheel may be the answer for fast TT scrambles. Both machines are identical in dimensions as to frame and seat etc., but the 250 is 11 pounds lighter than its big brother. They are sweet handling bikes and in spite of the fact the traditional cast "H" beam front frame down tube is missing (now the whole frame is tubular) they sWl retain the good .,Greeves feel." First, the 250: It's a beauty and in many ways for the average rider, perhaPs a more desirable machine than the 380. It's not so drastic but a pussy cat it is not. It was as happy beirig wrung out at full throttle by an experienced racer as being put-putted around by one 250ee 250cc engine: 70mm bore x 64mm stroke; power output 28.5 bhp at 7,500 rpm. Compression ratio 11 10 1. 380cc engine: 82mm bore x 72mm slroke; power output 39 bhp al 7,000 rpm. Compression ratio 10.7 to 1. Carburetor: Amal 900 wi th concentric float chamber. Ignition: Compact outside flywheel only 3'1, inch diameter. Energy transfe!. to separate high voltage coi I. Exhaust: 250cc Single exhaust pipe with special expansion chamber. 380cc-Twin pipes siamesed into single expansion chamber. Gearbox and li"ing r.e 380 An" 250(( Gree,es Griffons who didn't get out of second gear but who felt safe as houses on it. We bad a carefully measured 1/8th mUe stralgbtaway laid out and did test runs on the 250 the same way that racers have done for years - rider at one end slgna1llng when ready, flagger at the other punching a stop watch and dropping the flag simultaneously. You don't get perfect results, but it averages out. With a 205 lb. rider up the 250 did its best in 11.3 running against apretly stiff breeze from the ocean. We have no top speed, not having that type of equipment, but the machines were both peaked out by the end of the measured 1/8 mile stretch, just where the power band for this type of bike should end. In motocross bikes it's not so much top speed attained but where the all-usable power band lies, and these machines have it where it's wanted. The 380 klck-startsllkeahighiy-tuned Goldstar, if you get the picture! Compared to a 360 Greeves it will really give you a wallopl The compression is listed as 10.7 but feels like 13.1. We found the best way was to kick it over with the throttle turned fully on, and firing was instantaneous. The power on the 380 however, as we 3BOee Clutch: Four-speed Greeves box with new selector mechanism. All-metal Greeves clutch. Frame: All-tubular frame of tempered Reynolds 531 tubin~. Bronze and arc welded. Suspension: GreevesCeriani telescopic front fork. Square section rear swinging arm on bonded rubber bushes. Girl ing dampers. Wheels: Greeves aluminum conical hubs, with larger spoke flanges. General Dati: (in brackets when different on 380 Griffon) Weighs, 216 lb. (227 Ib). Wheelbase, 55 inches. Ground clearance, 10 inches. Handlebar width, 32 inches. Seat height, 32V, . •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Distributor: Nick Nicholson Motors 11573 Van Owen, No. Hollywood, Cal. Ph. (213) 764-8674 Racing since 1946 - Selling 2 strokes since 1954 said earlier is a bit drastic. It's either on or off and will give you a surprise when you do give it a twist. Pow! There is so MUCH pow that an inexperienced rider might find it a bit more than he can handle, but for the rider who wants it there right NOW, it's there! This one turned in 9.8 in the eighth with a tallwind and a 10.2 against it. Faulting the Griffs is difficult but the 380 gave our rider a few exciting moments when at full speed the rear brake wasn't there. The assembly is held on by All in all for the average rider who is not a competitor, the 250 Griffon is in our opinion the machine to buy. We feel most riders will be happier with it than with the 380 unless they can live with all that zonk when out cowtrailing, for a cowtrailer the 380 isn't! The 250 will go along slower with less effort, but if you are a serious competitor in the 250 class, the machine will do everything you want it to and probably surprise the heck out of the OPposition, as Gary Balley did when he beat the European motocross a spring tension clip and when the tension fails, the rivet comes out of the hole, the rod drops and bingo, no brake. Owners will want to make sure it doesn't come off by using a cotter key. But there are unexpected good things. As in the 360 the Griffons have a rubbing block under the swinging arm called a "chain wearing strip" to stop the chain from rubbing on metal. Great idea. The Griffon engines are 2" lower in the frame than previous models and the gas tank now has a buut-in gas overflow to the front of the tank where the 360' s used a breather hose. But Thundersley was thinking for quite a while. The gas cap on the 360' s bad the hole glassed over pending development of the newer more slender tank on the Griffons. Desert riders will no doubt have to go to a bigger tank on some long runs, but the slim tank is a joy for stand-up riding and the longer, slimmer seat makes moving around and working with the machine easier. It's also capable of carrying two-up for emergencies. But once again we bet some of the desert brigade will go back to the Older, fatter seat for its comfort. The hlgllly polished wheel hubs are a real nicety and the transmission filler and level plug are much easier to work with than the older models. The carburetor also appears easier to service. But a word of warning, if you take a plug check after running the 3~O, wear gloves. It's a bit tight under there and these two big upswept pipes get hot! Perhaps the greatest change and the thing that faulted Greeves so mucb over the years is the gear box. It's completely new, buut by Greeves themselves and according to tests run in England, it stands up marvellously to all kinds of crunching besides weighing quite a bit less. Griffons will be priced competitive to other similar machines and in the parts depariment, in some instances superior. A piston assembly for the 250 is $22.28; for the 380 $25.00. Rings are $7.00 for the 250 and $5.62 for the 380. A big end assembly with bearings is only $30.60. 250cc (left) and 380Cc Griffon (rlihl) bear strooi resemblance, but barrel and head lell Ihem apart. stars on a 250 Griffon. Dave Bickers, who won two championships for Greeves, stated he thought he was on the 380 and was surprised when told he was on the 250. He said if they'd bad the Griffons when he was really campalgning, he never would have changed to C- Z. Now there's a recommendation for a machine! If you're seriously engaged in the 500 class and can handle it, the 380 will do beautifully for you. On local scrambles tracks and in the desert the 360'shave been surprising people but the 380 is a bit more than the 360 if you can handle it and need it. It's not a machine for an inexperienced novice but for one who can ride it to its potential, and even for an Expert it requires some skill. Know the old racing term "instant strawberry?" This is it. It makes us a bit and to see the passing of that famous Greeves front frame member and all for a measly weight saving of three pounds. But time marches on. The Griffons are here to stay and make a name for themselves.

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