UKDRN

Do you own or know the whereabouts of a piece of UK Drag Racing History or just want info on a particular machine.

Moderators: timetravel, ukdrn

 #16067  by challenger
 
ok thanks geoff, look forward to more pics, you seem to remember them days and the bikes well so i will take your word for it.
 #16106  by GS1236
 
Hi guys just joined the site after reading every article for weeks.Anyway this thread names a bike which i think i might own.Some six or seven years ago i bought a rolling chassis that the seller got from the Nash family.It is a pro stock chassis with Dymag wheels , one piece efe bodywork painted black with a blue and red stripe.I fitted an ex Kenny Taylor gs motor with eight plug head,v and m pro stock cams, dyna 4000 super pro ignition etc etc.V and M dynoed it at 183 bhp in 1991.Its up and running and out 2010 i hope.Sorry to hijack the thread but i hope some of you guys might shed a bit of light on the bike.I will try to get some pictures on a separate thread as soon as i can. Thanks alot. Forgot to mention it has aTVR sticker on the swingarm
 #16107  by Geofstilwell
 
Of course its possible you have Allan Nash's Suzuki...which was "Grandad's Piece" or you may well have the bike that was built for the lad that took over from me riding for NCK who's name escapes me but sadly is no longer with us. We need a bit more info to give a definate ID.
 #16110  by IanFeltell
 
Uncle Jim wrote:Blimey, a real blast from the past, the old NCK Funny Bike. I remember we did a feature on it for `Motorcycle Mechanics', which I don't think had morphed into `Performance Bikes' at the time. It had been sold to a bloke in Scotland who intended to use it on the road. You do wonder about some folks, don't you?
So it was fitted with treaded tyres and made road legal, which was the basis of the article, but there was no question of me being allowed to ride it. What we did was hang a small `No Parking' sign on the back, wheel it down to the end of the NCK Speed access road and the photographer took shots of me apparently trying to kick the thing into life. Believe it or not, but a bloke in a Transit sat behind me, patiently waiting for the thing to fire up and get out of his way! Eventually we waved him past. I did ask months later if the man was actually using the bike as he'd intended, but couldn't get a proper answer from Graham or Allan.
That's Allan with two l's, please notice. He told me once that he'd worked at an engineering company, where the secretary never did mange to get Allan's name spelled correctly, until he really put her right. "My name is Allan," he told the lady. "Spelled with two l's, as in bollocks." He reckoned she never got it wrong after that.
Allan sadly died earlier this year, victim of a brain tumour, before I could get over to Coventry and get his memories down; it would have been a great story. He was on timekeeping duty when drag racing first came to the UK and remained a calm authority in racing organisation for many years, until he decided in his late 50s that it was his turn for some fun. He took over Graham's Suzuki Pro Stocker, had a tasty green paintjob done, then bought a set of leathers to match; Grandad Nash became famous throughout Europe, running in the low 9s - don't remember him ever hitting the 8s, but I'm open to correction on that - and always quick on the lights. After all those years watching others do it, he'd obviously learned something.
Allan was one of the good guys. When I started running quarter mile sprints at Fulbeck Airfield, he was the man who ran the clocks at every meeting and I never saw a bill for his services. When I had a brain storm and decided that we'd time the bikes at 110 yard intervals for the meeting before the big Records Bash at Elvington, it was Allan who worked out how to do it. The great Brian Chapman turned up at his funeral on a Vincent road bike - very appropriate.
Best
Uncle Jim Reynolds
Hello Jim welcome to the forum

Ian Feltell
 #16133  by NitroWars
 
Geofstilwell wrote:Of course its possible you have Allan Nash's Suzuki...which was "Grandad's Piece" or you may well have the bike that was built for the lad that took over from me riding for NCK who's name escapes me but sadly is no longer with us. We need a bit more info to give a definate ID.
That would be Paul Willis... RIP

The TVR decal would suggest that it was Paul's.
 #16141  by GS1236
 
Thanks guys.I will start another post with pics to give you as much info as possible.Once again sorry for butting in on this thread!
 #16388  by challenger
 
dont know if these pics are any use to finding more history on the bike but here goes anyway, one thing that can be confirmed is it definatly runs a car wheel in the rear a compomotive split rim
Attachments
gpz n frame 003 (Large).jpg
gpz n frame 003 (Large).jpg (112.92 KiB) Viewed 9055 times
gpz n frame 004 (Large).jpg
gpz n frame 004 (Large).jpg (110.4 KiB) Viewed 9054 times
gpz n frame 009 (Large).jpg
gpz n frame 009 (Large).jpg (93.72 KiB) Viewed 9056 times
gpz n frame 007 (Large).jpg
gpz n frame 007 (Large).jpg (95.9 KiB) Viewed 9054 times
gpz n frame 008 (Large).jpg
gpz n frame 008 (Large).jpg (127.43 KiB) Viewed 9054 times
 #16423  by Geofstilwell
 
Well it looks to me like its been well chopped about. This bike was built in the USA by sandy kosman. That wheel is not what was on it originally. The engine we used was the Kawasaki 900 with special block etc. The chassis has been changed so that the Z1000 fitted. From memory and i am sure someone will correct me if i am wrong, is that the Z1000 was taller from crank to top of the cylinder head. We had to run a special outrigger bearing to support the gearbox sprocket and to clear the tyre . You should talk to Sandy Kosman or seek out frank bratchvogel for help. It might save you a load of time and pain.
 #16437  by muddytalker
 
Image

Taken by Mick Farmer in 1984 at Long Marston Raceway & courtesy of Original UKDRN Galleries.
 #16445  by challenger
 
thanks for the replys fellas, after seeing so many differences with the bike from then till now i,m finding it hard to believe its the same bike, the rear part of the frame is so different as the front is to, i cant understand why anyone would narrow the rear part of the frame to accomadate a narrower tyre ?? we cant go any wider on the tyre or wheel due to chain clearances against the frame, so hence it runs a 6" wide slick, also there is a differnce in the forks and the front wheel being a single disc set up, i can appreciate the frame having to modified to fit the gpz 900 motor but just cant understand the rest being so altered, if it is the same bike it leaves the question of WHY alter it so much when it ran so well, guess i need to chase up previous owners the only one i know so far is a terry meakins but have no means of contacting him, thanks for the interest guys