wards Riverside

[spooky]

anybody got/had/know anything about Wards Riverside Benelli 250 `s, there is one available nearby

[CrazyFrog]

Not me I'm afraid. Pretty little bike, though that has to be the king of all crankcase breather tubes.....

[themoudie]

Aye spooky,

   Now your talking! Many bits similar to the mid to late 60's, early 70's Ducatis and other Italian lightweight singles. Motor should be easier to work on than Ducati, as it is a pushrod rather than OHC motor. None the less they can be made to go 'quickly' if you have the inclination.

As for spares for both chassis and motor, your on your own! But do speak with North Leicester Motorcycles and the Ducati single specialists as they may have or know someone who does! 

Here are a couple of links to wet your appetite. 

Benelli _250_single_warm_up_tune

Motobi/Benelli_250_single_race_development_A.Cathcart

My regards, Bill

[spooky]

Thanks Bill, that sounds great on you tube video  .. been for a look at it, think it`s a bit expensive, as yet it is a non runner (carb seized) and it doesen`t seem to have much compression, any suggestions as to a price ?

[Smithy]

Weren't they sold by mail order from a catalogue in the states?

Ian

[timbo]

Rufus. You have a knack for seeking out oddball motorcycles 😉

[themoudie]

Aye spooky,

All depends what you intend to do with it? To strip and rebuild a motor with new bearings, gaskets, seals, a rebore and get the big end properly checked by an engineer who knows what they are doing, don't budget for less than a Grand. Yes, you saw right, £1,000. You will also need to check all the frame and wheel bearings, replacing where necessary, cables and other 'rubbery' bits; tyres, inner tubes, grips, so potentially there is another £300 to £500 there. And finally, if you are going to redo the paint and chrome etc as well (though I prefer the clean oily rag/original paint) that could set you back a further £750 at least.

If you want the bike and want to ride it, then it'll cost you and USA and eBay will be best for some parts, so here is a link so that you can get some idea of what you are dealing with: eBay_Ward_Riverside_parts_2018-03-22

Note the 1st oversize piston price + P&P from USA.

When up and running, the value is what the next buyer is willing to pay!

If you still have the 'macchi, stick with it! 

My regards, Bill

[spooky]

Going to give it a miss, it would end up being expensive,  I only wanted it for a bit of sprinting,  thanks for replys   

[Dave#22]

Hi all, I bought one years ago and rebuilt it into a cafe racer style. The one I had was a 350cc, but it wasn't a pleasant ride. The engine vibrated and performance was limited by a small carb...18mm I think.
Funny thing when I bought it, the owner couldn't get it running, there was fuel in the carb and a spark, but no go, so I bought it as a non runner.
When I checked it out, the timing had been set, assuming the crank turned anti
clockwise, but it didn't, it turned clockwise, so it had been set ATDC....once reset it fired up straight away.
Dave.