Does anyone remember seeing a picture of a monoshock Ossa in the motorcycle news back in the mid '80's. I think is was a prototype that never made it into production. I'm sure it was designated a '303'. I'd like to see the picture again if anyone has it.

The Ossa importer of the era Roger Holden was playing about with one, but as to where you can get a picture, can't help.

I have a pic, but something new at forum. Ad pic button used to be under this box. If I click on the tree icon on top of box, it asks me about an URL instead the path on my pc...

Mybe only today a problem?

Pat

I had one, bought after the Scotish 6 days trial in (I'll have to think about that) 78 79 80.................!

6 were built for Scotland 2 teams of 3 John Renolds John Metcalfe and Chris Griffin from the north, as far as I know was never ridden by Mick Andrews? Was a fantastic bike way ahead of its time.................

Wish I still had it......................

I think perhaps two different Ossa are being confused.

Peter Quinn took over from Roger Holden as Ossa Importer in about '82. The factory sent brochures over of the 303 in late 1983 but none were ever imported. From memory I think the 303 was actually a twinshock and the engine was much the same as that in the gripper. Bearing in mind the mono yam came out in late 83 and the first mono beta in 84 the Ossa was never going to be a big seller.

In the stock Quinns purchased from Roger Holden were some monoshock frames but these had been built in the 70's and were to suit the model before the Gripper, may have even been for the MAR. The monoshock system was quite primitive and was very similar to the Yamaha DT system. It was a single shock but fitted to a steel loop that started near the rear spindle and went up round the front of the rear wheel and then back down to the other side. Anyone who remembers the very early yamaha mono systems on the YZ and DTs will know what I mean. I dont know if it was really any more effective than a twin shock as I doubt the shocker would have been sophisticated enough to provide rising rate.

John Reynolds rode one of these mono ossas in the Irish world round in the mid seventies and I think was the youngest points scorer for a while, JR was exceptional in mud. John ended up riding a JCM for Quinns during 85 and 86 and won a few nationals and scored points in the World rounds in Wales and in Ireland .

Quinns tinkered about with trying to fit a JCM shock into an Ossa Gripper frame but it never made it to a trial. Ossa engines used to be very hard wearing, Quinns would often sell first oversize pistons to people for the green model and the Ossa Mar, those bikes could be anything up to 10 years old and still be on the original pistion. On the downside the gearbox was quite poor and the selector fork was easily damaged.

Edited February 17, 200719 yr by Baldilocks

Apparently there was an article about the Reynolds/Metcalfe monos in "Classic Bike" a few years ago. If anybodies got that article I'd love to see it. Below is a pic of the 303 (photo from Mats Nybergs site) . Clearly not a mono. Interestingly Ossa made a bike called a domino after they went bang. But it wasn't a mono either.

Edited February 17, 200719 yr by TooFastTim

Weren't the monoshocks Whitlock framed? Quite fancied one at the time as an Ossa man but not as much as the monocoque Ossas ridden by Duncan Macdonald and his father a bit earlier. Anyone else remember them, they had cut down front forks as rear units, well ahead of their time.

Hi fellas,

I think this could be one of the bikes being discussed.

Can anyone put a name to the rider, Reynolds, Griffo, John Metcalfe ???

Or does that leg belong to you STU ?

Hope this link works, as it is my first attempt with the dreaded 'Bucket'

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u35/tou...ProlinkOssa.jpg

Edited February 24, 200719 yr by 2fargone

I thought the Ossa monoshock (or one of the versions) was built by Keith Horsman.

Yes BJ I also remember Duncans Ossa it was black with silver rivetts holding the monoque together. This was around N. Wales in the mid seventies, did his father also ride one?

I'd put money on that being John Reynolds' Monoshock Ossa as he was the only Ossa UK 'works' rider on the mono at that time. Can't remember who made them but not Cheney. Don't think they were Whitlock either, pretty sure he only did the twinshock frame.

There's some more pictures of this in Don Morley's Spanish Trials Bikes book.

Pretty sure john Reynolds had one in 76 or 77.

As I currently own two of these bikes I can add info as far as I know.

There were 5 frames made by Eric Cheney for Ossa UK. 1 was a sidecar and later scrapped. (source Simon Cheney). They were both originally nickel plated although one is now bright yellow.

My frames are slightly different where the seat and downtubes meet.

Keith Horsman made a number of replicas his were different to the Cheney. (he could tell straight away from my photos that it was not made by him).

He made me an alloy exhaust.

I am always looking for info on the bikes so if you have a photo or history please drop me a line.

Thanks

Edited February 27, 200719 yr by mattylad

the photo 2fargone posted is the same rear suspension design I was talking about but the frames Quinns inherited were not chrome, they were matt black so maybe there were at least two frame manufacturers. I'm pretty certain John Reynolds rode one in the Irish world round, i'm sure Ive seen a photo of him wearing the Charles Hurst bib from the event and you can see the bikes mono.

I always thought that the frame on JR's bike was done by someone else, not one of the Cheney frames. Don't know why, something I must have heard years back.

Keith (not Eric) Horsman also made mono frames for the Ossa as well as the reed valve barrells (referred to as Harpower reeds)