Any Pictures of the Jim Lee/Mick Grant Commando Based Race Bike?

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lcrken

lcrken

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Does anyone have pictures (or links to pictures) of the Commando based race bike that Mick Grant raced in 1971? I've only now heard about the bike, and am curious about the Jim Lee frame design. This is the only one I have found so far.

Steve or Chris, maybe?

13181913_450_450_7287_0_fit_0_4191d2ff9ff1af80578f31986c4d63a7.jpg


Ken
 
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Hi Keith
I will ask my friend Howard if he has some photos. I still wind him up about it.
I know Mick did really well with the bike.

Did you see the Cyril Chell frame on Facebook? He had two frames made, I had heard of them but never seen one.

Thinking about this Ken I also spoke to an ex racer who emigrated to ? Canada or the States who also raced a Jim Lee Commando.

I will see what I can find.
Chris
 
Thanks, Nigel and Chris. I've found a bit more info. It sounds like Jim Lee made two of the Commando frames. The other one was owned for a while by Fred Broadbent, and later sold to Micky Shaw from Sunderland. I found these pictures of his bike. Mostly I'm just curious on the frame design. After I read that he made the drainpipe frames for Dunstall, I wondered if it was similar, but it looks more like a Seeley. I ran accross a reference to him also building a Commando frame for Peter Williams, but no details. I found a reference to an article on Jim Lee in Classic racer back in the 2012, but it will take me a while to pull boxes down out of the rafters to pull out that issue. It's b een fascinating reading about Jim. He was quite a guy.

Fred Broadbent Jim Lee Commando.jpg


Fred Broadbent - Croft paddock.jpg


Ken
 
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Hi Ken
Mick Grant says there were three frames built.
Fred Broadbent was the racer I was referring to. I've only seen the yellow frame.
I also have the name of the man who made the Dunstall Drainpipe & Jim Lee frames.
I will have photos of Mick Grant's bike tomorrow.
Peter William's early special was made by a Thruxton fabricator.
 
Thanks for a great response, Chris.

That Cyril Chell frame looks familiar. I saw one like that somewhere on-line while searching, but as the bare frame.

If we counted up all the people who fabricated different frame designs for a Commando engine, we'd have a pretty impressive total.

Ken
 
As a relevant aside : I wondered for years what the pattern on Mick Grants helmet was, then recently in an interview somebody asked him. It's the initials of his first sponsor Jim Lee, so Mick must hold him in high regard.
 
cliffa said:
As a relevant aside : I wondered for years what the pattern on Mick Grants helmet was, then recently in an interview somebody asked him. It's the initials of his first sponsor Jim Lee, so Mick must hold him in high regard.
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From what I read, he did indeed. Jim plucked Mick from obscurity and put him on his path to recognition. Plus he taught him a lot about bike building and preparation etc.

Nice to see people respecting those that helped them and not losing touch / sight of such things.
 
Hi Clffa
Jim Lee put Mick on the road. He framed Micks Velocette that Mick started racing on. The JL on the lid stayed, a brilliant Thank you.
Jim was really helpful when I was trying to get eligibility for my bike. He told me he never numbered his frames because it was all about the racing & making frames helped fund that.
Look up Jim Lee on Facebook, Although it's mainly cars, Jim was a builder of fabulous race cars. It has a lot of his old friends & colleagues on there & it shows the high regard he was held in.
Chris
 
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No photos yet!
Roger Winterburn said in a post that a Neil Proctor Blaine made Jim Lee & Dunstal frames. I have no information on this gentleman. I have asked Roger if he has anymore info.
Roger raced the Dunstal Kawasaki in the day.
 
Chris said:
The Cyril Chell frame
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When I saw this I remembered watching the late Dave Rawlins, former Norton tester and the 'Rawlins' in the 'Baker Rawlins Drag Race Team' that set 4 world records at Santa Pod with a Commando street bike.

Dave was moving on to TZ350s from Nortons in something like '77/'78, but, he got an opportunity to ride a C G Chell Norton at Cadwell. It didn't look much like the bike in the photo then, as it had yellow bodywork and a long mega thingy on the two into one, of a type that some Seeley riders favoured in that period!

Trouble is after paddle starting the TZ he seemed to forget how to push start the Norton and got away dead last plus a bit. In a 6 lap scratch on a 1.5 mile circuit he didn't seem to have much of a chance of a result, but, he rapidly caught the field and started passing riders everywhere, if it had been a 7 lapper he would have won it, but after 6 had to settle for 2nd, absolutely brilliant to watch. I was there and riding, but I can't recall why I didn't start the race, may have been a heat race with me in another.

One of Dave's typical antics was to ride under you at Charlies and look over and give you a wave! Bob Smith used to do the same!
 
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