Britten Bikes

[Kittyhawk]

Does anyone on here own one or have they ridden one of these rare bikes?
I'm curious :not: :psst:

[What?]

Almost certainly not, very unlikely and yes. Only 10 were built.

[curious george]

Saw #10 bike for sale not so long ago. Only 500,000US dollars. I'd flipping buy it if I had the money

[Wonko]

I was privledged enough to sit on the Britten when it first came to Paeroa many years ago. For some unknown erason they wouldn't let me take it for a blast around the track.

[NordieBoy]

I touched one!
They're a lot smaller than you'd think in real life :D

[RiderInBlack]

was the Britten shop in Christchurch. They let you sit on it.

[Kornholio]

Ive got a photo of it wheeling the main street of Paeroa about 2 feet from the camera...must dig it up
Also got a signed laminated poster of the beast which John and Andrew Stroud signed :niceone:

[SimJen]

Ive got a photo of it wheeling the main street of Paeroa about 2 feet from the camera...must dig it up
Also got a signed laminated poster of the beast which John and Andrew Stroud signed :niceone:

Wicked that poster will be worth something one day. Hoping they'll do a movie on John Britten and his bike......something like "Worlds Fastest Indian", how cool would that be. :)

[Kickaha]

It was pretty common to see them at Ruapuna testing or racing while they built and designed them, most people only think of the bikes pictured in the thread but there were others before them before he built his own engines

[SimJen]

Yes but with big budget action.......hollywood would have fun recreating the front fork breakage during testing :)

[HDTboy]

We had one sitting at work (Auckland) for about a week, I think it belonged to one of the customers

[Kittyhawk]

The pics are cool! I just love drueling over the bike, and havne't really read up on the creator.
It's one of a kind and if there's just 10 that's extremely rare.
Has anyone done/designed replicas of the bike?

[HenryDorsetCase]

It was pretty common to see them at Ruapuna testing or racing while they built and designed them, most people only think of the bikes pictured in the thread but there were others before them before he built his own engines

I have a photo somewhere of a red really bulbous bike he did which was composite. a v twin powered by two denco 500cc speedway motors with custom cases and crank if I remember right... telescopic forks too I think. its soooo long ago now but the photo was taken in the pits at Ruapuna. maybe that Sound of Thunder Hugh Anderson was at or around that time?

[NordieBoy]

Has anyone done/designed replicas of the bike?
This one is a bit of a tribute...

[NordieBoy]

I have a photo somewhere of a red really bulbous bike he did which was composite. a v twin powered by two denco 500cc speedway motors with custom cases and crank if I remember right... telescopic forks too I think. its soooo long ago now but the photo was taken in the pits at Ruapuna. maybe that Sound of Thunder Hugh Anderson was at or around that time?
Aero D 1?
The Denco was designed by Colin Lyster in Nelson.

[bungbung]

In Welli there is a Britten on display in Te Papa.

[RiderInBlack]

In Welli there is a Britten on display in Te Papa.Yep, but you cann't sit on it:bleh:

[SARGE]

Yep, but you cann't sit on it:bleh:



bet? :devil2:

[bugjuice]

I've seen a couple of Brittens in the flesh.. but never sat or ridden one..
a pic (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=18126) and a thread with some more pics (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showpost.php?p=291238&postcount=21) innit..
awesome machines. Heard one thru the net, but never seen one move in the flesh

[Ivan]

I saw one at the cemetry circuit and one came to college a few years back if they had a battery in it they were going to let dad ride it

[GSVR]

This was the last one I saw racing at Manfield before it went to Italy.

I had a picture of it but can't seem to find it.

http://www.britten.co.nz/info/images/Britten3.jpg

Stroud McEwan Briggs Poole.

[R1madness]

I had one for a while. Lucky eh?? Still perfer my R1 though

[RiderInBlack]

I had one for a while. Lucky eh?? Still perfer my R1 thoughBetter work on your photoshop technic before you're ready to haddle the real thing, Madness:devil2:

[bugjuice]

This was the last one I saw racing at Manfield before it went to Italy.

I had a picture of it but can't seem to find it.

http://www.britten.co.nz/info/images/Britten3.jpg

Stroud McEwan Briggs Poole.
*CREEK-SNAP* oh crap..

[myvice]

Other 1/2 got to sit, and rev! one in a frends bike shop...
Said it fit her quite well.
muttermutterniceforsomeluckysoandsomutter...

[gav]

This guy in Nelson built his own!
Based on a Honda Bros.
I think the Britten factory along with Casbolts (as they were quite close) should build a replica kit around a VTR1000, just the body work and some sort of exhaust system would build a pretty good replica, dont ya think?

[WINJA]

Does anyone on here own one or have they ridden one of these rare bikes?
I'm curious :not: :psst:
YOU CAN HAVE A RIDE ON MINE IF YOU PAINT MY ROOF

[gav]

Couple of photos of the early ones, plus one of my favourite shots of the Britten.

[Madmax]

YOU CAN HAVE A RIDE ON MINE IF YOU PAINT MY ROOF
so no twisters down your way then
:devil2:

[speights_bud]

I've been lucky enough to meet 2 of the bikes in the flesh, Te Papa and on a tour thing they did.
What im still wondering is why are the top bike manufactures(sp?) not taking the positive aspects of the britten bike incorperating them into their bikes? like eliminating the dead spot of air infront of the rear wheel and having the air run 'through' the bike instead of around it?
Probably all to do with patent's and copyrights i guess??

[Kittyhawk]

Thanks guys! those pics a way cool. You'd think that there'd be some of the design put into the current bikes we have or the later designs,

wonder how fast that new bike goes that runs on water (I missed the episode) but imagine how many more of us there'd be on the road!

[FROSTY]

Nobodys gonna believe me but i've ridden a Brittan.Um ok it was only 200m at wanganui --and It was the denco brittain not "the "brittain --but hey

[Kickaha]

I have a photo somewhere of a red really bulbous bike he did which was composite. a v twin powered by two denco 500cc speedway motors with custom cases and crank if I remember right... telescopic forks too I think. its soooo long ago now but the photo was taken in the pits at Ruapuna. maybe that Sound of Thunder Hugh Anderson was at or around that time?

Denco made a complete V Twin motor which was what they used,the red bikes had a very bad beating with a ugly stick before they got to the track

[betti]

spoke to the guys at Britten when down in chch buyin my ktm, one of the most entertainin 45 minutes of me life!.
I highly recommend it to anybody if you are down that way, they have no.1 and the fully enclosed prototype in the place , not to mention loads of photos, memorabilia etc.
The guys there reckoned they were tryin to get a partner to build road going versions, but there was no interest!!! can you believe that???.
A totally inspiring visit, makes ya want to go and bury yerself in yer shed with the spanners , and best of all its free :niceone:

[Kittyhawk]

No interest my ass!!! Look at all of us we'd give it a go. Maybe we should do like the robot wars, or that american tv programme on Prime where you take a car or truck and transform it into something completely different.

Imagine the fun we could have!!

[quickbuck]

There's a thought. Give Jesse James at West Coast Choppers a call, and see if he will bank roll the opperation. As for touching the Britten, I got to push start one of the early ones at Ruapuna. Never riden one, watched them up close lots though. Those were the days....

[R1madness]

Better work on your photoshop technic before you're ready to haddle the real thing, Madness:devil2:

Umm actually its not photo shopped. It was sittin in my garage next to my R1 for a couple of days. Your are half right though. I did not own it just had access to it for a while :calm: Its who you know that gets ya lovely little pleasures in life. :niceone:

[T.W.R]

i used to deliver to john britten when i was doing after school work as a teenager saw the denco powered 1 when it was being concieved and when the house was being built. got some pics from the 94' isle of man and pearoa streetraces for you though. :niceone:

[metric]

I've been lucky enough to meet 2 of the bikes in the flesh, Te Papa and on a tour thing they did.
What im still wondering is why are the top bike manufactures(sp?) not taking the positive aspects of the britten bike incorperating them into their bikes? like eliminating the dead spot of air infront of the rear wheel and having the air run 'through' the bike instead of around it?
Probably all to do with patent's and copyrights i guess??

ya... got to see the one in Te Papa a few years ago.

my humble question is:

what is it that makes these beasties so revolutionary? I'm going to do a bit of research online now to see what I can dig up but if anyone could sum it up that'd be awesome

[T.W.R]

full carbon fibre body/frame, fully computerised management system the whole works dude, they were years ahead of their time ( John Britten was a modern genius, the greatest lost to New Zealand Motorcycle engineering) pushed the boundarys further than anyone had ever been! and just think back then $140000 brought you one mmm!

[metric]

a bit of concise info here (http://library.christchurch.org.nz/Childrens/FamousNewZealanders/more/JohnBrittenandtheSuperbike.asp)

might go to the library at some stage and see if they have his book dare to dream

I wonder if he ever met Burt Munro

[hXc]

This guy in Nelson built his own!
Based on a Honda Bros.
I think the Britten factory along with Casbolts (as they were quite close) should build a replica kit around a VTR1000, just the body work and some sort of exhaust system would build a pretty good replica, dont ya think?

The pipe at the back...Is it connected to anything? Or is it there for show?

[Ivan]

Shit that homemade one roules I should make my own body work like that and set it up in a RG50 for at buckets Imagine it then if that works do the fairings to a Honda RS125 even better still

[NordieBoy]

Well now we have a member who has raced them.
So Shaun, spill the details.

:corn:

[Goblin]

Stroud McEwan Briggs Poole.

Wonder what these riders are up to these days? Anybody here know?

I got to see Brittens racing at Manfeild, Paeroa and Bay Park at The Mt. There was one at the Mobil in Cambridge once and there was a few drops of oil under it so I wiped it up and rubbed it into my leathers....:love:

[marty]

Stroud McEwan Briggs Poole.

Wonder what these riders are up to these days? Anybo here know?

I got to see Brittens racing at Manfeild, Paeroa and Bay Park at The Mt. There was one at the Mobil in Cambridge once and there was a few drops of oil under it so I wiped it up and rubbed it into my leathers....:love:
why do i get the feeling if pamela anderson was standing there and there was a litle damp spot under her, you'd do the same thing?

[Shaun]

Well now we have a member who has raced them.
So Shaun, spill the details.

:corn:

Touched it, stroked it,Talked dirty to it:banana: Ground parts off it with a grinder and the road, helped fully pull it apart and had the crank in our hands in 30 minutes, held it in one gear to long, drained oil from a car and fixed it on the side of the road at the TT and rode it home after the race was over to prove that the KIWI bike had not had a major blow up,held my hand over one of the mufflers at a noise check in Asses so it would pass the noise limit,got very drunk with John after that day and laughed my face off all night just watching him run around like a child totally in love with the world:2thumbsup
had the pleasure of working on and racing this bike a few times.

FASTEST EVER BRITTEN RIDER

JASON Mc EWAN:blip:

[Shaun]

Stroud McEwan Briggs Poole.

Wonder what these riders are up to these days? Anybody here know?

I got to see Brittens racing at Manfeild, Paeroa and Bay Park at The Mt. There was one at the Mobil in Cambridge once and there was a few drops of oil under it so I wiped it up and rubbed it into my leathers....:love:

Stroud, racing for Brother Suzuki
Briggs Supermoto i think
Poole Yaughtingworld $$$$$$$$$$$

McEWAN- Currently looking for cash sponsors for the upcoming 2005/6 NZ champs. He has been offered a fully built Superbike for NZ, but needs a cash sponsor for entries, fuel, tyres, travell. $8000.00 any one? The bike has no naming write sponsors as yet, just product deals on lower fairing only.

[Sensei]

Bastard , gota video of you racing it . Very Kool , not many have had the chance that you did in racing it round the TT . Still want a ride on ya K5 up the road :blip:

[Unit]

It was pretty common to see them at Ruapuna testing or racing while they built and designed them, most people only think of the bikes pictured in the thread but there were others before them before he built his own engines
Thats true. I had the prevlidge of John working on my Norton once, and visiting his workshop. They used to make the dyes to cast the parts in, and talk about clean and organised. He truely was an interesting guy. :yes:

[Goblin]

Touched it, stroked it,Talked dirty to it:banana: Ground parts off it with a grinder and the road, helped fully pull it apart and had the crank in our hands in 30 minutes, held it in one gear to long, drained oil from a car and fixed it on the side of the road at the TT and rode it home after the race was over to prove that the KIWI bike had not had a major blow up,held my hand over one of the mufflers at a noise check in Asses so it would pass the noise limit,got very drunk with John after that day and laughed my face off all night just watching him run around like a child totally in love with the world:2thumbsup
had the pleasure of working on and racing this bike a few times.

FASTEST EVER BRITTEN RIDER

JASON Mc EWAN:blip:

Well I'd sure like say congratulations mate, can I shake your hand? Thats quite an accomplishment.
Wouldn't mind shaking McEwan's hand too.:blip: Hope to actually meet my all time favourite racers in the near future.
As for Briggs, had the pleasure of watching him SuperMoto-ing at Taupo a few months back. Wicked rider!

[Shaun]

Bastard , gota video of you racing it . Very Kool , not many have had the chance that you did in racing it round the TT . Still want a ride on ya K5 up the road :blip:

You called? Your next set of tires is waiting:banana: I the road big enough for you

[Sensei]

I the road big enough for you[/QUOTE]

What ya trying to say Dude I'm not that Fat ?? am I :doh: Yea tyre got the hell work out coming home round the Mountain tonight :blip: . Will catch up with ya sometime this week . Have some stuff to put by you about my set up .