McIntosh BR1 on ebay

[slowpoke]

I couldnt have afforded it, got an email from Rick at RMD.



Put it this way, if I was putting myself in hock for a bike I would be more likely to buy an RC30, or RC45 (and yes I know they made a buttload more of those than they did of these)

That RG500 he has is a minter though.

Hmmm, dunno, as collectable as an RC30/45 is on the international market, if I had the choice of a mint RC30 or one of Ken's finest to park in the lounge room (I've already got a spot picked out) I'd rather walk past the McIntosh every day. Different era 'n all but there's just something more emotive about 'em that stirs my guts.

(just whisper in my lug 'ole, how much of my soul would I have to sell?)

[jaffaonajappa]

Hmmm, dunno, as collectable as an RC30/45 is on the international market, if I had the choice of a mint RC30 or one of Ken's finest to park in the lounge room (I've already got a spot picked out) I'd rather walk past the McIntosh every day. Different era 'n all but there's just something more emotive about 'em that stirs my guts.

(just whisper in my lug 'ole, how much of my soul would I have to sell?)

Must say, I concur. I too would take the BR. probably any of the hand crafted, halk fairing, earlier bikes. The RC30 is still "the bike" that made me think I really had to get a job, after leaving school - it was that nice. But nowadays...well....any of the newer jappa faired race bikes look cooler. And their quality of finnish is usually as good, or better. Whereas an older (aka SB1 or BR1) jappa special is still that. Special, and almost unique - and not copied by the gazillion these days.

[ktm84mxc]

To me a McIntosh is a kin to the Kiwi spirit off lets build it better & faster an real bloke in hiz shed, we all don't have the skill but we all wished we did have.
A Roberts, Harris, Egli, etc frame kit/build does the same.
RC/RVF, YZF ow01, GSXR le, ZXR rr, VTR sp1, na all the same a mass produced bike, cud you build it ummmm no.
This is why custom choppers are so popular.

[jellywrestler]

A Roberts, Harris, Egli, etc frame kit/build does the same.
RC/RVF, YZF ow01, GSXR le, ZXR rr, VTR sp1, na all the same a mass produced bike, cud you build it ummmm no.
This is why custom choppers are so popular.

what about a Roberts built Chopper then?

[ktm84mxc]

Well that's the best GS L series I've seen. Certainly a 1 off, beat it wudn't go 2 well around Gracefield or over Rimutaka Hills.

[jellywrestler]

Well that's the best GS L series I've seen. Certainly a 1 off, beat it wudn't go 2 well around Gracefield or over Rimutaka Hills.

I remember Fonzie from Happy days adjusting his mirrors. He asked Ritchie which looked better Ritchie asked which position he could see best.
He replied I don't want to see where I've been, it's how cool I look getting there...

Word has it that it handled pretty weel.
It has a rising rate rear monoshock, built in 1981. Bimota were the first to use that for their SB1/2 only a couple of years earlier.

[HenryDorsetCase]

To me a McIntosh is a kin to the Kiwi spirit off lets build it better & faster an real bloke in hiz shed, we all don't have the skill but we all wished we did have.
A Roberts, Harris, Egli, etc frame kit/build does the same.
RC/RVF, YZF ow01, GSXR le, ZXR rr, VTR sp1, na all the same a mass produced bike, cud you build it ummmm no.
This is why custom choppers are so popular.

all the RC30's were hand made by HRC in the HRC shop

[ktm84mxc]

You may b correct HenryD on the RC, itz still a mass produced bike aka a Bimota[hand built also] eg large production run to qualify for racing SBK.
A NR 750 now were talking oval pistons, 8 valves per cylinder, but at a $100g nz?
Or a 998 Ducati V4 ,or that V8 machine from europe.
The same for TZ's u'd want an OW works 1st, RG an XR works 1st.
Just my views.

[Voltaire]

What does hand built mean? Are Japanese bikes assembled by robots?
I went to the BMW factory in Berlin in 1989 and they had just ditched machine built and gone back to hand built. A bevel drive Ducati motor took 8 hours to assemble... I did a Kawasaki 1000 motor in less than that....and I was slow.

[jellywrestler]

So back to the Mcintosh in question.
Anybody know how many GS1000 bikes he made?
There was the race bike for Keith Turner, that Freeth and Hiscock had a play on, then there was the GS1000R that Colemans funded for Hiscock to go to Europe on and the one that's on the second post in this thread.
Any clues?

[Grumph]

all the RC30's were hand made by HRC in the HRC shop

Allegedly built by guys seconded from the toolroom who were supposed to have selectively assembled them to closer tolerances than the usual street bikes..
If the one I rebuilt was any indication they should have stuck to the usual assembly staff - the bores weren't parallel to each other - and were tapered too. The finish on the crank where the oil galleries broke out left a lot to be desired as well.
Gearboxes were a bit hit & miss - if you got a good one,great, if not there's not a lot you could do about it.
I'd still have one though - when sorted they're very impressive.

McIntoshes - why not just ask Ken ?

[shrub]

I've just contacted Satan and asked if he wants my soul, and if so the going price is whatever that BR1 goes for.

[jellywrestler]

I've just contacted Satan and asked if he wants my soul, and if so the going price is whatever that BR1 goes for.

long gone
sold for $19950 AUD

[shrub]

long gone
sold for $19950 AUD

That's a tragedy and a bargain

[matthewt]

McIntoshes - why not just ask Ken ?

I asked him several years ago. He's not interested.