Whoh!! Do I feel sorry for Bitsa

[AshimotoK0]

Trawling eBay as I do for CB250/350 K0 parts, decided to look at eBay France for the first time ever. Next to nothing for sale of any rarity. What the hell were those Froggies riding round on in the 60's and 70's.

Bitsa ... my heart goes out to you mate!

Cheers ... Ash

[Trigger]

Ash, don't feel sorry for him. He gets loads of freebies from me.

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Cheers Ash
They are a strange breed they had all the UK had along with the 350/4 but they hang on to stuff for ever.Their view is to me is if you do not pay what they want they are happy to take it home and try again in another 5 years.Rust and corrosion mean nothing to them.At a Big show there was a stand selling shed loads of wheels of all description's that me and you would not glance twice at and when I came out they had all gone so I asked the guy how the hell did you sell all that crap and he said in France a rusty wheel is better than no wheel well I thought.Right now I know of a k1 that is in bits assured it was all there and a spare engine but under a ton off logs I could not see most of it but when I scrapped 4 inches of wood shavings off the clocks I could see it was a k1 that was 4 years ago and I bet its still there as he wanted 2 grand for it, frac that going on all I could see.Over here even with classic cars they spray the spoked wheels but the rest is immaculate exterior and interior.
Cheers
Bitsa

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Freebies really
Getting old cant remember a freebie ever
Cheers
Bitsa

[Trigger]

Freebies really
Getting old cant remember a freebie ever
Cheers
Bitsa

Cheeky

[RGP750]

there's a lot of winking going on between you two

[Trigger]

There is also a lot of postage charges. Half of Bitsa's bike is P&P.

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Your right there Rich
Ash forgot to mention you remember that sandcast that went for over 100 grand on eBay?Well one of the 4 I recall went to France and no one knows where or what happened to it.Told you some lucky twat will buy a house over here and find it sitting in a crate or rusting away in a barn.Will never understand there thinking.Down in Marseilles there is a dedicated dealer who restores and sells parts at a rate I could not afford so no they do know as we do.
Cheers
Bitsa

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Frackin right there Trig
Some parts cheap and then the dreaded post costs cant win but you gotta have them but so far aint got stung by import duties.
Cheers
Bitsa

[AshimotoK0]

Your right there Rich
Ash forgot to mention you remember that sandcast that went for over 100 grand on eBay?Well one of the 4 I recall went to France and no one knows where or what happened to it.Told you some lucky twat will buy a house over here and find it sitting in a crate or rusting away in a barn.Will never understand there thinking.Down in Marseilles there is a dedicated dealer who restores and sells parts at a rate I could not afford so no they do know as we do.
Cheers
Bitsa

Do you mean this dark green one Bitsa? What makes you think it went to France?

Cheers ... Ash

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[JamesH]

Interesting Ash - that bike has the kater style lower tank trim (with black coachline) - did some of the sandcast / prototype bikes have this style trim?

[RGP750]

Cor that was a spot James,
Just shows nothing" correct" is cast in stone.

[AshimotoK0]

All 4 PP bikes had the black stripe 'K1' style tank trim. Nearly every individual part including the crank, Master cyl.  and carbs are totally different on that 'Las Vegas Show' and 'Brighton Show' bike (originally too at Las Vegas), compared with the first full-production machines. The Red one was crushed, the Gold one is in the UK (Brighton Bike), Vic World sold the Blue/Green one earlier this year for 90 odd k GBP to an, unknown to me, source  and the Dark Green one (in the pic I posted) is missing without trace (or is it in Bitsa's shed)

Vic World did list most of the differences in his original eBay listing, between the 4 PP bikes and the first production model.

I 'phoned a guy about some CB750 parts in the summer. I had a hunch who own's the gold 'Brighton' bike in the UK and has kept it in bits for the past 25 odd years  but this guy I phoned came straight out with his name, which tallied with my hunch. Out of common decency I won't post anything on here but a real shame that none of the 4 PP bikes are available for us to admire/drool over. Evidently the Gold bike was possibly part of  an 'exchange deal' for the Red, Febraury 1970 UK Registered,  'Diecast' press bike YLY70H ... bet the 'exchanger' is kicking himself now

It was rumoured that YLH70H (Candy Ruby Red, UK 'press' bike) was coming up for auction, possibly at the last Stafford Bonhams auction but nothing materialized, to my knowledge. Last pic I posted on here of it was in it's after-restored condition and it  looked stunning!

Cheers ... AshD

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Ash
At the time of the one on eBay I am sure he wrote about the history of them and he did say one went to France but never heard of again.
Not sure how true it is but no one highlighted he was wrong and no its not in my garage if it was all would know about it.
Cheers
Bitsa

[Trigger]

Bitsa, You have a sandcast but, have made it look like a K2.