The Drayton Bantam, "Banstar," and Triumph... Trials Bikes.

05/10/2018. Jayne Pickering.

 250 and 340 BSA engined  Trials Frame Kit.

Phone Numbers for kits and parts are... 

Rob 07828 159628...

Pete 07855 685548...

We have had the "Tribsa"  "Vibsa"  and others.

So I thought that by combining the BSA Bantam and C15 T"Star"engine, what better name for the Drayton frame kit to take these motors, but the "Banstar"...

Photo Courtesy "Otterman"

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Well here is a very nicely finished C15 engined  Drayton "Banstar", at the 2014 Manx Classic trial.  Ridden by Gwillym Hoosen-Owen into 10 place, in the Expert Clubman route. 38 Marks lost... First Class Award.

Photo Courtesy "Otterman".

This photo shows the very slimness of of using this combination of frame kit and engine, compared to The "Otter" but you have the disadvantage if you can call it that, of having to have an oil-tank.

Richard Clarke's Build.

It turns out the Drayton Bantam frame can now house the C15 and Triumph Tiger Cub engines and all legal for Scotland.

Back home a few minutes with Google and there were pictures of a Drayton C15 from Telford – the year I did not go !!

Photo Courtesy Eric Miles.

Telford show 2014 Alex Cranes bike.

Armed with the contact details, next day a call to Jim to find out if and when he may have these frames. Answer, you can have a full Drayton frame kit in about 6 or 7 weeks.

Just what was needed a full kit to build a bike, a delivery date and a very reasonable price.

As promised, the phone went and a voice with a distinct Midlands accent announced your frame kit is ready, what finish do you want on the frame..?

Ten days latter and a trip up North, well from Somerset most places are North.

At Drayton HQ was met by the man himself.

A few hours and a number of cups of coffee later with the truck loaded with all the goodies a Pre 65 Classic trials builder could need.

The homeward journey passed in a blur of planning the next few hours in the workshop.

Once laid out on the floor, time to find the other bits needed to build the bike.

The kit you get includes the frame and swing arm already powder coated together with its bolt and bearings, footrests, heavy duty ali sump guard, aluminium petrol tank, covered seat, oil tank, oil pipes, rear brake peddle, stainless steel exhaust and silencer, head bearing and engine bolts !!

Just needed to add engine, carburettor, electrics, yokes, forks, mudguards, bars and wheels.

The engine was already sorted following a visit to my BSA engine man of many years standing, Roger Taylor of RTS.

Now Roger has built scrambles and grass track engine for me going back almost 40 years.

A chat with Roger and a specification for a C15 based trials engine came together.

Using the heavy later B25 flywheels and con rod, with a one off cast aluminium barrel and one of Roger’s superb heads, that was the engine sorted and came with a new Amal carburettor and electronic ignition.

Forks, wheels and yokes soon sorted and a phone call to Gary at Rock Shocks soon had the rear suspension in hand.

I find his service and the quality of the rebuildable Rock Shock the way forward with most of my bikes.

The other bits were soon found around the workshop.

That first evening, in went the engine;

Just to see how things will line up.

It went straight in and the engine bolts slid into place.

Along came the Somerset Cider apple harvest, so workshop not seen for almost three months.

Huge harvest even though it started a couple of weeks late this year.

Thanks so far to Jim Pickering, Gerry Minshall, Gary Fleckney and Roger Taylor. The build will be in Part 2, which I hope will follow shortly………..

Photo Courtesy Richard Clarke.

Photo Courtesy Richard Clarke.

Photo Courtesy Richard Clarke.

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Part Two the Build. Picture.

Photo Courtesy Richard Clarke.

This is our old freind Richard Clarke's bike has it is so far.

This is what he says.

Photo Courtesy Twinshock shop.

Photo Credit "Otterman"

Photo Credit "Otterman".

Photo Credit "Otterman"

Photo Copyright Lee Prescott.©...

Photo Copyright Lee Prescott.©...

Photo Copyright Lee Prescott.©...

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Photo Courtesy Edwin Woolliscroft...©...

The machine that started the Drayton Revolution.

 This is Jim's "Work-in-Progress" Bantam, parked on the bank at the section Cheeks Hill or corect name "Cisterns Clough"... Jim was walking the section, part of the Reliance Trial... this machine later when the frames were built at Drayton Shrop's became the basis of the "Drayton" trials bike...

Photo Courtesy Dave Dawson.

 And the First true Drayton BSA Bantam, that Jim offered the ride for the day to Dave Dawson...That Clinched it...

More on the Drayton Triumph engined bikes Later.

Updat2024...10...