Grinnall Cars U.K.

[Tharon KNOETZE]

#2203

Several months ago Lesley and I rode to Grinnall Cars near Bewdley which is in Worcestershire, U.K.Having no idea of where to go, we left the trip route completely up to our GPS. Well from London we started out on the M25, then M1, then a highway, then came the country lanes and then the "goat" tracks. Don't know if the way we went was the best but we did enjoy the country ride.Once we arrived at the Grinnall factory we were taken on a tour by one of the mechanics while we waited for Mark Grinnall to return from town. The factroy is set in old farm buildings and is very clean and organised as you would expect.Here they manufacture from scratch, 3 wheeled cars and both BMW and Triumph Trikes.When Mark arrived we set about taking the R1200C demonstator trike for a spin. Lesley went first with Mark in control. Lesley Didn't want to "drive" the trike but when they arrived back from the test ride she was in control and complained of how she was "tricked"into it. She enjoyed the ride very much.Now my turn. After a quick lesson from Mark I was off - by myself. What a strange feeling - having to turn the front wheel, having to worry about width and fighting the urge to lean over. Apparently it is a lot easier for a non biker to ride a trike first off as they have no pre concieved ideas of how a bike should behave.I really enjoyed the experience as it was so easy to ride and I could see it being a great toy to play with.After some discussion we decided to find out prices/delivery etc.Delivery takes about 3 months once a donor bike is found. R1200C's and CL's are becoming harder to find as many have all ready been triked and these models now have a bit of a cult following over here and are sort after by collectors. These models are used as they have the sort of styling that suits triking and also have a low centre of gravity which is essential.The price is around 10.000 - pounds + donor bike (around 5000 for a low mileage one) Ouch! We thanked Mark very much for his time and went away to buy a lottery ticket. These machines are fantastic and if the budget allowed I'm sure we would own one.Here are some pics you may find interesting. Lseley and the R1200C Factory with R1200CL ready for conversionTriumph Rocket 33 Wheeled cars (2 wheels front) using BMW  K enginesThis is thier web site for futher info: http://www.grinnallcars.comIngel

[Dave Ross]

#8448

Thanks for the report Ingel and Lesley. These guys do an amazing job. The R1200C conversion seems to work particularly well. I agree with your comment on the R1200C. I can see it becoming a future classic.

[Tony Russell]

#8449

All due respect to the Beemers, but in all fairness – the Rocket III is top dog trike in these pictures. 2.3 litres of raw torque takes some beating! On the other hand, the Scorpion III, 2 wheels up front and a K-engine/drivetrain at the rear, is really something for old age pensioners with sharp reflexes and a fair amount of disregard for lethal hazards.. 😆

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