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Sprite Trials Bikes


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Hi Guy's,

Sorry about this OTF - 2000? :chairfall:

This is the reply from Frank.

Hi Charlie.

Yes you are ok with the fact the we did make and sell motorcycles before 1965.We made the first ones in Handsworth Birmingham, then we moved to cross street Smethwick, Around 1963/4, then moved EEL street Oldbury , then we moved in the factory at 33 Stourbridge Halesowen in 1969,

Regards Frank

Frank has also sent me the histoy of Sprite Motorcycles, in the form of a full Broshure. Very interesting.

Regards Charlie.

post-2608-0-28425200-1299674033.jpg

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Hi Guy's,

Sorry about this OTF - 2000? :chairfall:

This is the reply from Frank.

Hi Charlie.

Yes you are ok with the fact the we did make and sell motorcycles before 1965.We made the first ones in Handsworth Birmingham, then we moved to cross street Smethwick, Around 1963/4, then moved EEL street Oldbury , then we moved in the factory at 33 Stourbridge Halesowen in 1969,

Regards Frank

Frank has also sent me the histoy of Sprite Motorcycles, in the form of a full Broshure. Very interesting.

Regards Charlie.

Well thats it then i was wrong and my memory was definately playing tricks.

As Charlie Prescott says the price of Sprites will now deffinately rocket as i think the only thing holding them back was the perception that they were not pre65 eligable.

All i ever wanted was a categorical answer and this is the nearest i am going to get. I do notice that in all the correspondance that nobody ever says they were selling TRIALS sprites pre65 as i know they were selling scramblers but they just say motorcycles. Whatever i have to accept that Sprites are pre65 eligable. It's just a shame that it's taken so long for anything like a categorical answer to emerge.

Thank you Charlie and Jonah.

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Hi Guy's

Hi Dave,

I said that the price of Sprites would now rise rapidly.

But the Piers Dowell paint job on the tank of your "Old" Sprite, is problay worth more than most of the 2011 batch of James?? :banana2:

Regards Charlie.

Haha - it certainly helps you focus on keeping the bike upright Charlie!

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in the early days dad (frank hipkin)used AMC forks, then when those ran out he designed, made and sold the leading link. then they tried the mp forks which were no good then ron humphry came down and asked dad to test the r.e.h fork which sprite used, then further down the line sprite made and produced their own forks wheel hubs at their foundry. :thumbup:

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Hi Guy's.

Hi Young Hipkin.(Steve)?????

Glad you found the site Say Hi to your dad, and again thank him for the information he gave me, and thanks for your information.

We can now start to peice together more on the History of "Sprite Trials Bikes". I have just found another Gem of information.

Of how your Dad got Chris Leighfield, interested again, to ride the little 125 engined bike, after riding the Suzukis.

"Sprites" could now become the NEW James???? Watch this space!! :banana2:

Regards Charlie.

post-2608-0-92186100-1299843000.jpg

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Hi Guy's.

Hi Young Hipkin.(Steve)?????

Glad you found the site Say Hi to your dad, and again thank him for the information he gave me, and thanks for your information.

We can now start to peice together more on the History of "Sprite Trials Bikes". I have just found another Gem of information.

Of how your Dad got Chris Leighfield, interested again, to ride the little 125 engined bike, after riding the Suzukis.

"Sprites" could now become the NEW James???? Watch this space!! :banana2:

Regards Charlie.

God that was an awful bike. "One day trials machine?" yeah you rode it for one day then got rid quick. Loved the 125 Sprites but the 405 was a pile of poo :barf:

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Hi Guy's

Look "Jack", sorry, Bill.

The bikes name is "SPRITE" not Sprit.

The man who built these bikes, Frank Hipkin, was asked this Question, Did you build Sprite Trials kits before 1965.

Frank replied with the answer above. so what more do you want "blood". And to be quite honest does it matter?? all this for one trial that you may never get a ride in!!

What I find interesting is the history of Sprite trials bikes, having grown up with them and seeing them on the Midlands trial scene on a weekly basis,and knowing both of the works riders at the time was a bonus.I was interested how they started with what was a Cotton, and as the weeks went by this bike was developed into a "Sprite". Frank supplied, what was the cheapest way to own a New trials bike,even Cotton followed this route in 1966,(I built 2 up). So without the insight that Frank had, to supply something that someone wanted,we would not have had the amount of trials riders we had at the time, who had a cheaper route to the sport than buying from the continent.

Regards Charlie. :thumbup:

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