Greeves Motorcycles has split into Greeves Classic and Greeves Modern.
Richard Deal, owner of the Greeves name, has licensed Gary Bamford of British Bikes 1970 and Greeves Motorsport to take over the supply of spares, manufacture, and all other commercial interests for 1953-1976 Greeves models.
Bamford, based in Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire, is a Greeves specialist, offering parts, service and restoration. He has restored 70 models and ridden the marque in scrambles and trials. He is also the chairman of the Greeves Riders Association. The new business arrangement strengthens his position in the Greeves world, making him the key global supplier for classic Greeves parts, restoration and merchandise.
Richard Deal will now concentrate on his modern Greeves trials bike and develop plans to move into the mobility scooter market with a 4WD all-terrain electric Greeves.
Deal registered Greeves Motorcycles in 1999, commencing parts manufacturing the following year. He is now relocating from his Norfolk farm to a 15,000sq.ft workshop in Essex to further develop the modern 280 Greeves fuel injection trials model he introduced in 2009.
“My ambition is to get into the indoor arena world trials scene with a more powerful 320cc model and go into production with a four-wheel drive, independent suspension off-road mobility scooter with a steering wheel,” he said. “The mobility prototype is finished and ready for filming. I have interest from Scandinavia, America, and the UK as well. At the moment, there is not a decent mobility scooter out there.”
Deal is working with a Lotus engineer on the Greeves 2kW all-terrain mobility scooter, plus a junior version that a parent or guardian can remotely control. The mobility market is a growth industry with an estimated half a million users in the UK alone. Annual UK sales are approximately 80,000 and growing.
If his plans hit target, Greeves will have come full circle because Greeves was born from the post-war mobility industry. Founder Bert Greeves created Invacar (Invalid Carriages) to improve the quality of life for disabled people, many of whom were injured in WW2. He used motorcycles as a means to test suspension components, going on to produce motorcycles as a second business. Invacars were made from 1948 to 1977, and motorcycles from 1953 to 1978.
Greeves two-strokes achieved world fame out of all proportion to the Thundersley, Essex, factory’s size. Highlights included winning the 1960 and 1961 European 250cc motocross titles, as well as the European trials championship in 1964 and 1967.
It is estimated that 15,000 Greeves were manufactured at the tiny Essex factory. Richard Deal has added to that number by 82, plus making thousands of parts. His period parts inventory has been passed to Gary Bamford, who now carries the classic Greeves torch lock, stock and barrels.