February 24, 200917 yr Hi Ian (and all readers) As far as I can remember the frame number was on the headstock. As to the engine number - I doubt anyone in the UK has any records, you may be able to search further afield - Austria for instance - but be prepared for a long search. As to the exact age of the Dalesman - I doubt now anyone has any records. Peter Edmondson may be the man to ask - though I think a request for any info will be met with complete disinterest. He left (or had to leave) the company shortly after this time. I have no contact details for PE. But examining the evidence i.e. Late type frame. Late ISDT type engine. REH yokes, REH front hub. My best guess would be 1971. My Dalesman came new in November 1970 with a Puch front hub and all Dalesmans I had seen up to that time had the Puch hub. So that would suggest a later date. And by 1972, the company was in trouble, so 1971 would be my guess. Kind Regards Sparks2
February 25, 200917 yr I should have stated that the very first Dalesman Puch trials did have the Puch moped front hub and forks, however the MX version had the heavier alloy REH hub and heavier duty forks. My actual 1969 bike was a 'hybrid', being part trials and part MX model to cope with the requirements of the ISDT which was it's intended purpose at that time. In 1969 the frame colour was definately green. The reason that Dalesman bikes were exported to the USA is quite simple, American finance backed the small company in Otley, Yorkshire! I also remember Joel Robert tested the first of the MX machines when he was contracted to CZ. Big John Edited February 25, 200917 yr by Big John
February 25, 200917 yr Author Hi, After a little careful scraping of the nasty black brushed-on paint job I have revealed a previous Silver, hammer finish. I don't know if this is original or one of many in the life of this bike. I'm still thinking that the front hub may not original as there is no provision for a speedo drive. I don't really care, but it does add to the mystery, particularly as there was a speedo cable taped to the frame! I've started to dismantle the bike and will be posting more pictures to Flick at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/64592529@N00/sets/ Thank you all for the input, everything is helpful. More to come! Ian Edited February 25, 200917 yr by Ianashdown
February 25, 200917 yr Silver hammer finish I recall as original on the 6 speeder my brother had. After the Puch hub they used three different front hubs (presumably what they could get hold of) one of which was REH. However here's something more interesting - if I remember correctly Dalesman were the first to have a disc brake on the front of a trials bike. I remember seeing a picture in one of the weeklies and the bike was ridden by Mick Wilkinson. I think pad life was a problem and possibly the rocks too as it was a big disc by modern standards. By the way the exhaust looks original to me. Edited February 25, 200917 yr by 2/4
February 26, 200917 yr Author Hi, It's good to get confirmation of the paint color. I'll have to decide if I go with Silver or the mid-green color that I remember from my original bike back in '72. I'm surprised to hear that the exhaust might be original! Good job I didn't throw it away!. I haven't found a picture of anything that looks similar, although I have found some where I could say that the first pipe could be the same. The silencer looks a little home made! If anyone has any pictures showing this or any exhausr style I'd love to see it. I've put up a load of Pictures on flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/64592529@N00/sets/ recently, and I've been collecting all kind of photograps of other Dalesman and/or Puch machines, I'll try to post them to the same site in the next day or two. If this is a helpful resourse to someone it will have been worth it. Cheers! Ian Edited March 4, 200917 yr by Ianashdown
March 1, 200917 yr Ian Your bike is a 1972 from looking at the Dalesman literature that I have. The pipe is correct as is the front wheel. Some 72's came with the Puch moped front forks and front wheel others came with the better REH front forks and front wheel. The seat is correct. These bikes came with both 4 or 6 speed motors. Motor West has lots of parts for these bikes. I think this is the same bike I tried to buy on Craigs list out in CA last week. I bought a 1968 Saracen instead as the guy on Craigs never sent me any more photos. Mark Hollaway is setting up a Dalesman web site like the Vintage Monark site.
March 1, 200917 yr Author Hi, This is all great information. I would really love to speak to you about getting copies of whatever Dalesman information you have. I started posting pictures to flickr because there is so little information about these bikes on the web. I've actually thought about starting a small web site as a repository for anything and everything I could gather on these bikes. Do you have good pictures that you'd be willing to share? Yes this is the one on Craigslist. He didn't send me the photos either, but I'm close enough I just got in the car and went there! Did the deal right away! He had a nice little Cotton that almost found a new home as well!! I would really appreciate any information, pictures, specs or whatever that you would be willng to sell, copy etc. If there is going to be a web site already I may not bother - he'll probably do a much better job - but if not I may put something together to share the story of my restoration, everything I learn along the way and all the information I can put together. I'll sent you my e-mail via PM All the very best, Ian
March 8, 200917 yr Author I've just added 34 new pictures of other Dalesmans gathered form all over the place. I hope they are helpfull or at least enjoyable. You can find them at http://www.flickr.com/photos/64592529@N00/sets/ Ian
March 8, 200917 yr Ian I saw on you Flicker photo page you had a photo of my 1971 Greeves Pathfinder from my Myspace page. Small world.
December 29, 200916 yr hi Ian, another Ian here, just aquired a '69 Puch Dalesman all complete, in reasonable nick for a 30 y/o bike, I have the original green log book for mine, and it was bought from Terry Sylvester in Holmefirth in March '69, haven't had chance to have a good look at it yet, as I've only just got her tonight, (picking it up saturday) ,,,and, like yourself, am on the hunt for info on what to look for, part sourcing, and general knowledge on this bike,,,'tis a bit of local history for me
December 30, 200916 yr Hi That's interesting. Nigel Greenwood bought a Puch Dalesman from Terry Silvester's in Holmfirth in March 1969. Terry cannot have sold that many Dalesmans. If the bike is Nigel's, Nigel or his father Frank's name should be the next name in the log book after Terry Silvester, the supplying dealer. If the bike is Nigel's I know something of it's subsequent history. Kind Regards Sparks2
December 30, 200916 yr hi Sparks,,,sorry mate, the next guy after Terry is a Mr Jack Anthony Roberts on the 17th March '70, then Mr Roberts again with a change of address on the 24th August '70, next up a Mr Michael Alan Taylor in what looks like '70, although the stamp is a bit blurred, then Mr David Harrison, '73, Mr Nigel Martin Greenwood, '74, Mr Anthony Haig, 29th July, ''75, and finally myself, ,,,you think Nigel Greenwood, who bought the bike in '74 is the same guy Sparks ? Edited December 30, 200916 yr by Swampy
December 30, 200916 yr Hi,I have just acquired a 125cc Puch Dalesman Trials bike in need of more than a little TLC. It's been years since I was involved with trials and I've lost touch with where to get parts etc. Obviously an old bike like this presents even more of a challenge, but if anyone has any information, pictures, manuals etc that I could purchase, copy, borrow I would be really grateful. Also if there are business that specialize in this bike or similar I'd be happy to hear about them. Thanks! Ian Hi Ian, PUCH IS AWAKE are the bumper stickers we promoted in the early 70's when I sold Puch motorcycles. I must admit that the Dalesman model was not offered to us at that time, but I suspect the bulletproof, 125 & 175 radial head, aircooled, Bing and Bosch equipped enduro models closely resembled the Dalesman. I have fond memories of the reliability we enjoyed with those models until they pulled out of the U.S. Any correspondence would be thoroughly enjoyed.
December 31, 200916 yr hi Sparks,,,sorry mate, the next guy after Terry is a Mr Jack Anthony Roberts on the 17th March '70, then Mr Roberts again with a change of address on the 24th August '70, next up a Mr Michael Alan Taylor in what looks like '70, although the stamp is a bit blurred, then Mr David Harrison, '73, Mr Nigel Martin Greenwood, '74, Mr Anthony Haig, 29th July, ''75, and finally myself,,,,you think Nigel Greenwood, who bought the bike in '74 is the same guy Sparks ? Hi Swampy No, it's a different Nigel Greenwood, just a co-incidence I think. But I do know David Harrison from Thurstonland, a village just south of Huddersfield. And I know he had an early Dalesman round about 1973 and that he did a certain amount of restoration work on it at the time, indeed I can remember seeing it around the country lanes of south Huddersfield at the time. Small world eh! Kind Regards Sparks2
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