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

 

 

05/10/2018. Jayne Pickering.

We are very sad to say Jim passed away last night, he battled and fought his illness with strength & dignity. We will miss him terribly ... Jayne, Anita, Dawn & family .
We are proud to say The Drayton will carry on ....
Jim Pickering ... Legend........R.I.P.

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Charlie~Oo> I will let Tony say what I think we all thought about Jim, just a dedicated all-round top bloke, who loved his Classic trials sport. And like me just loved building bikes...
Tony Henbest..... Simply the saddest of news. Jim Pickering a true gent, thank you for all the support and for introducing us to the legendary Drayton club. We will never forget you, I will miss our banter and will remember you as a very very dear friend, who 'told it as it was' and gave so much to everyone involved with the hobby and sport you loved.
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 250 and 340 BSA engined  Trials Frame Kit.

 

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.

More slow progress with the Drayton. Work, family and need to rebuild scrambles BSA's all slowing progress.
Not sure if you were going to do a Drayton page on the site.
 
 
Charlie> Well here it is.
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 Part Two
Since last report.
Exhaust needed some tweaking now that the final engine position has been sorted.
Got a nice chain line and can work out correct wheel build.
Yokes, I have a number of options, but have gone with Drayton yokes as these are all part of the correct layout that Jim designed.
Forks come via Alan Whitton with Norton bottoms and a front wheel with a Whitton Bantam style hub, stainless spokes and alloy rim.
Bars and sump plate now fitted together with mounting the coil, start of wiring.
Mudguards now fitted. ( white plastic at this stage but will be replaced with aluminium after testing ).
 
Jobs still to do - make oil pipes, cables, twist grip, rear brake, chain and chain tensioner.
Then running in and setting up.
If happy then the rear wheel will be redone with new rim and spokes and any other modifications needed.
 
Final report to follow - just not sure when.
First scramble of the season is only a few weeks away !
Richard.
Charlie> We look forward for the bike to be finished now Rich I hope it rides as good as it looks.
Cost of Frame Kit from Drayton. is about £1750.00.
 
Photo Courtesy Twinshock shop.
The Drayton BSA unit four-stroke frame kit.
 
 
 
This Drayton BSA C15...bike was for sale recently. Built For Scotland. No Entry?
 
Photo Credit "Otterman"
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I spotted this Drayton "BanStar" at the BMCA trial at Tanworth-in-Arden today, 20/03/2016.
The machine looks as though it has been run in trials for some time and was still sound, so there's a pointer for you Rich. Dave Harrison showing me the bike.
"G"Type engine and BSA/Triumph, four stud forks fitted. and she sounded well.
 
Photo Credit "Otterman".
 
Not the best of photo's, but it shows off the bike better, and I only had time for a couple of shots, Dave Harrison wanted to get on with the trial, and so he should he was the Clubman route Winner.
 
There was also a very nice Villiers 8E engined  Drayton "VibSa" at the trial.
I will get a picture on for you. later.
 
Photo Credit "Otterman"
Here's One shot there are better when I load them.
I will also get the riders name, it is Charles Millington.
 
Photo Copyright Lee Prescott.©...
Heres a better side shot of the Drayton "Villiers BSA"
 
Photo Copyright Lee Prescott.©...
 
This shot shows the nice Billet Brakes must work.
 
Photo Copyright Lee Prescott.©...
 
Yep, They Worked, "Classic" Little bike this Drayton "Villiers BSA".
 
First ride out on a Drayton "BanStar". and Dog walking at the same time.
 
Trials photo's from the BMCA Trial on November 06/11/2016.
 
All the photo's taken from this trial by Paul Hooper. were from the Drayton Camp so I thought what better than put them onto this page.
 
 Attached photos from Hunnington.
4243 Colin Leese riding Ken Garfield's Bantam
4211 Martin Makenzie
4090 Les Richardson
4125 Stuart Branford
4097 Gavin Andrews
 

 

 
 
 BSA C15 engined Drayton "BanStar", ridden by Jim's son in law
Gavin Andrews...
 
 
This is the Villiers engined Drayton ridden by, Les Richardson.
 
 
 Stuart Branford  riding his Drayton  185 Bantam.
 
 
Martin Makenzie. Drayton Bantam.
 
 
And .Colin Leece riding Ken Garfields Bantam.
( Unclassified because of the Yamaha Forks and Front hub}
 
23/11/2017.
Wilderley Draytons.......
Photo's Courtesy Hammertight.
 
 
Testing the NEW Drayton Bantam.
 
 
Steven Leyshon. Drayton Bantam.
 
 
BMCA. Excuse me! but how long has MZ forks been British?
Mick Parkes aboard.
More Later.
And more Photo's of the Drayton "BanStar"...
 
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Photo's "Hammertight".
 
Dave Wood on his Now Drayton framed 
"BanStar"...
 And followed by a bunch, that have been well and truly Drayton "CNC'ed"...

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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...

 

More on the Drayton Triumph engined bikes Later.

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