Trail Rider Magazine

October 2026 39 Into the 1970's, these other companies were inves ng serious engineering money into further development of off-road motorcycles, and ny Greeves was becoming overwhelmed. Compound- ing the challenges Greeves faced was the loss of its contract to produce the Invacar, as changes in Bri sh road laws made the three-wheeler illegal on public roads. With the loss of revenue from that arm of Greeves Motorcycles Ltd and faced with the increasing difficulty of keeping pace with ever-growing compe on, Bert decided it was me to re re, followed soon a er by Derry Pres- ton-Cobb. A er their departure, the company declined further, and when a fire occurred at the factory in 1976, produc on ceased, and the busi- ness went into receivership—a sad but somewhat inevitable end to a short but amazing run for this small, independent company. Our featured bike is an Observed Trials model – a 1965 "Sco sh Trials", although the design and lay- out are much the same as Greeves' other off-road models from this me period. Note the rudimen- tary, non-expansion-chamber exhaust, Greeves' unique cast-alloy downtube, and the leading-link front suspension. Also noteworthy is the fitment of a compression release into a second plug hole in the head, used in bikes of this era as a supple- mental braking system. Although it does appear a bit ungainly and was indeed somewhat heavy at close to 240 lbs., these machines were ridden to considerable success in Trials compe on; for example, rider Don Smith won the 1964 and 1967 European Trials Championships aboard this model, alongside several Bri sh Na onal Trials victories. Yet another example of how this awkward-looking machine succeeded despite its appearance. And that, in brief, is the legacy of Greeves motor- cycles. An example of how one man's engineering prowess, along with the performance of some very skilled riders, put these dis nc ve motor- cycles into the winners' circle more o en than anyone could have imagined. -Ted

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