Where Are You Now? Trials Comet

[Graham Smith]

I don't know much about these photos, but they look to be the same bike and probably the same rider.

I'm led to believe the first photo is Ben Penny and it's said he's riding Ron Chandler's Comet in the 1995 Bonanza Trial.

Anyone know anything or where it is now?

 

[ClassicBiker]

Very cool. It looks as if the rear suspension has been removed and it is now a rigid frame. Also it looks like there is an oil tank other than the UFM and the Girdraulics have been modified.. I wonder how well it did in competition?
Steven

 

[bmetcalf]

Maybe @Colin or @Russell Kemp will comment on special Comet trials bikes.

 

[johncrispin]

I was at a Jack Lilley trial observing for a couple of years, when this bike was competing, at east twenty years ago maybe more.
If I remember rightly the young man riding it in the photos was on it then . It was a a relaxed event on Bagshot common run by our local VMCC Brooklands section, nothing like the serious stuff at the Talmag just up the road.
I am pretty sure the bike was fairly local, and I think the owner and rider must have been VMCC members (but not necsaariy if it was an open event.) Jack Lilleys the Triumph dealers in Shepperton sponsored it. My old mate Stuart Towner was also riding then,
with his model J HRD, and I guess he might be able to cast more light on this machine . I remember having a chat to him about it during one of these events because it seems such a strange horse for that course if you get me. Thanks for the photos Graham, sparked a lot of memories ...happy daze.

 

[Colin]

Thanks Bruce. Yes in the early 80s I built "The Arbuthnot Iron" a Comet trials for The Arbuthnot long distance trial but also entered in the Talmag. and a number of one day trials with my trials club Southampton Vikings. In my first entry in the Arbuthnot I had a rigid rear suspension as was then required but the Organisers made me run in the telefork class as they considered Girdraulics far superior to ordinary girders. I ran a 60 tooth rear sprocket, forks in sidecar position, and a specially made bash plate&, high level small silencer. I seem to recall I cobbled up some stronger ATD springs to keep it a bit retarded unless really revving. Apart from ditching as much weight as possible it was otherwise standard. If you could stick it on, it would climb the side of a house. It flogged on however I abused it but, it was really too heavy &, too wide for a trials bike but i had fun and , won the odd award . The building of the bike and subsequent rides were written up in MPH around the early 80's One thing it was very good at was the tie breaker. Accelerate from one line and brake hard to stop on another some fixed distance away. low gearing and four brakes were the winners. Shortest time wins tiebreaker. I have photos somewhere and will try to find them. I briefly rode Ron Kemps Trials Special at a Talmag event and it was far more agile, and lighter than the "Arbuthnot Iron" but my aim was to be as close to a standard Comet as was practicable. .At one trial as I parked up to walk a section, some one came out of the crowd and gave me a massive "telling off" for daring to treat a Vincent in such a manner. Good job he had not seen the previous section, as I had up ended it. in a sea of mud and it had taken me and a couple of observers about ten minutes heaving to get it out.
It never broke down, never failed to start, and never let me down. wish I had it now.
If you can look up the articles in MPH

 

[Colin]

Kurt Schupp built a copy of The Arbuthnot Iron and it was in his museum for a number of years.I gave him a few special bits that I had had made (eg rigid rear end in place of the rear suspension units)
Does anyone know what became of that bike? .As far as I am aware it was never ridden in a trial

 

[vibrac]

Here is my only picture of Rons trials comet as I recall he fitted the gearbox I recall an albion, hard against the vertical wall of the crankcase and thus reduced the wheel base. this bike should not be confused with the egli comet which was trialed but also did the silverstone high speed trails (all MCC events) pic below with a younger me on board. Finally there is Marcus and the chain drive Comet hope one day it can be finished before I am too old to try it out

 

[Russell Kemp]

Hi Tim, I had never seen the trials comet looking like that. I remember that the tank was removed and the oil tank was used for fuel and a small oil tank fitted under the seat as in the first photo. The exhaust was run down the left hand side and through the front of the rear guard to blow the mud of the rear tyre. Like you I have ridden the Egli trials comet and at the same place as you did, the bomb holes by Tring hill. I remember jumping my DT175 out of one hole and landing in the next one and was shocked that I did not fall off. Re the Egli I remember that Ron entered it in the Talmag one year with a pro trials rider on board (Brian?) and he won beating Sammy miller on GOV132, Sammy protested that the frame was not English and the result was thrown out giving Sammy the win.

 

[vibrac]

We will have to stoke Marcus up to give us the full story of that B&W picture from a front cover of MPH it only has a special comet engine no Vincent frame
I can belive that of Mr Miller

 

[Colin]

If I remember correctly Ron's Trials Comet had Honda front forks and front brake.
Mr Miller rode over me and my AJS 35 when I came off in a sea of mud at the bottom of a big hole. I must have given him enough grip to ride out the other side, for a clean!