Best bike ever!

[27motorhead]

Budgie, Tomahawk, Chipper, Chopper. Proving tricky for decent pictures.

Also proving tricky to say very quickly!

You can add a Chippy at the start of that list, the smallest Chopper-esq bike of all...

The frame is based on a pair of Budgie forks rotated 90 degrees... Genius!

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Also proving tricky to say very quickly!

You can add a Chippy at the start of that list, the smallest Chopper-esq bike of all...
View attachment 922565
The frame is based on a pair of Budgie forks rotated 90 degrees... Genius!

That's some clever production engineering.

 

[27motorhead]

Interesting thing pointed out by Tim @27motorhead - The front half of a Grifter is basically a Chopper upside down!

Indeed. I was lucky enough to get to know Alan Oakley (head of design at Raleigh at the time of the original Chopper launch) and Tom Karen (founder and owner of Ogle Design who worked with Raleigh on the original Chopper design) in the late 90s through the Chopper Club.

The Grifter frame was inspired by turning the Chopper upside down. Like many design processes, literally turning something on its head can be source of inspiration... including junior members of the design team!

 

[27motorhead]

That's some clever production engineering.

Classic repurposing of what parts they had available to hand to keep costs down/efficiencies high.

The motor industry are notorious for this where many models share the same components.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

@Ingola has been known to build a classic Raleigh, he was big into the tourist and superb types, did some really classy stuff.
Raleigh Colt, done 2 ways. (Yes he turned the ape bars upright)
1973 Superbe
Rare Canada only Raleigh Laurentian
Super Record Mixte (i want this one badly, but not as much as i want Ms Ingola to start riding it!)

 

[vcballbat]

I'd forgotton about the Commando completely. It looks like a Raleigh Twenty frame with the bracing removed from the BB to downtube. If so, more ingenious cost cutting.

It was the Hot Rod version of the Raleigh Eighteen which was the kids version of the Twenty with 18inch wheels

 

[PhillB]

Alongside the Chopper and the Tomahawk, there was the Raleigh Comanche too. I had a red one of these when I was about 7

 

[27motorhead]

@Totoro fill your boots mate. Various colours and marks.

View attachment 922505View attachment 922506

Those brochures are amazing!!!

 

[27motorhead]

Alongside the Chopper and the Tomahawk, there was the Raleigh Comanche too. I had a red one of these when I was about 7

View attachment 922576

We need to play the game what parts does this share with other bikes?

Cool rear trapezoid (was going to say triangle, but it ain't!) obviously the inspiration for the loop tail stays on Yeti's!!!

 

[Scott-S]

I had a Tomahawk with Mag wheels but really really wanted a Grifter when they came out.

https://www.macearchive.org/films/raleigh-launch-promotion

View attachment 922396

Jeez that was a blast from the past and a fantastic share, I had a blue grifter and totally forgot the rear cable went through the top tube but I never forgot that the seat was so comfortable.
simple times, out riding with our mates and not a care in the world.