YES YOUR MAJESTY




 Being a Loyalist and having worn the hat badge and had "her" commission for 30 years in the
Royal Air Force I decided to build my own as the originals (bikes that is) are about as rare as
rocking horse ****!  Where to begin? Well, good old Google provides the site and an engine kit
is found in the UK. The kit comprises the two inner engine cases, suitably bored out to accept the
bigger liner for the 320 piston. A spacer, various gaskets, the mighty piston and rebored and lined
barrel and a head from a 76/77 motor. All I have to do is get a donor engine ( I have plenty of them)
split the cases and fit everything in the Majesty box.


 Up north in Dolores CO, where we have small RV Park called Cozy Comfort, there is a motorcycle
graveyard which I had always promised myself to look round, but had never been there as we were
always transiting through, up or down, on our way to Telluride. So on a summer weekend when we
are up there I venture into the scrapyard. Machines in various stages of decay and dissassembly.
Walking through the rows I stumble on what I recognize as a 74 TY250A, and after pulling it out
consult the boychild as to how much he wants for it. "Make me an offer" he says..... "$50.00" says I
and he whips out his cell phone like John Wayne and rings his Boss.

 After 30 seconds of describing the said "bag o'crap" he annouces that the Boss wants $30.00!!!
Well they sure drive a hard bargain in these parts!



 Back home the "purchase" is unloaded and under the 3 color cammo paint (yes, it's been used
in the woods by a hunter) lurks a lot of very usable parts. 4 cans of paint remover later a half
decent collection of wheels, forks, frame and the bottom half of an engine emerge from the wreck.

 Everything is made ready, and all the parts for chroming and polishing are sent off for their beauty
treatment. All the other essentials are collected including the Sammy Miller tank and seat unit and
rearset and down pegs. A note here, (if you use the Sammy set they bolt directly onto the swinging
arm bolt and if you have a CAT model there are studs in the lower frame rail for the bolts. Another
way to do it is to use a continuous bolt and go all the way through with a nut on each side) The
BJ conversion means that "shade tree" had better be good at drilling and tapping as they fit directly
 where the old pegs once were. Next cables, carb and reeds,  some falcon rear shocks, and a complete
lightweight WES exhaust  all from BJ Racing. Tires, chain, filter and other bits from Cycle Gear
(goods news here if you are a MSF Instructor). Get some new Magura levers, throttle and bars and
now all I need to do is true up the wheels, mount the tires and get the motor prepped before the
chrome work comes back.

 The donor engine is split and I'm ready to begin when............. wait for it.......... Doof the lab, comes
crashing into the workshop with stick in mouth and jumps up just as I'm in the process of sliding
the transmission out of it's housing
.......... front feet firmly on my elbow ...... and now..... whoooooosh the cogs, wheels and shafts are
scattered to the four winds! 2 hours later with a tray full of gearbox looking things and a collection
of other unknowns from previous drops and springing circlips, reassembly is attempted...... however
mensa is not helping, so a printout from the commuter is brought over to sort out the mess! Another
poke in the eye with a sharp stick...... and so desperate measures, split another engine and use that
as a template.

 Finally by evening the crank and gearbox are now in the Majesty casings and are cemented
together.The following day I consult my rebuild litterature and read those awful words as I scroll
down ......REMEMBER....and of course I hadn't so the cases are split again and the longer clutch
pushrod put in it's home. More glueing and time for a beer! The following day time to mount the
remaining bits including clutch and kickstart shaft. Well the amused reader will no doubt have
guessed, Yes, the kickstart spring hascome off internally and now we split the cases for the last
time, but by now I'm getting good at this and somewhat of an expert, even if its not from choice.




 All ready, and the chrome will be here on Friday so allocate the weekend to "building the majesty"
Name of the game will be have everything prepared and then allow 12 hours to build, and
photograph the machine from scratch.
Saturday morning and all the parts are laid out on the floor like a jig-saw puzzle and at 10 a.m.
building begins with the object of having it complete by Sunday lunchtime.




DID IT!





 So the 320 Majesty takes her debut, and oh, yes the big motor complete with a 290 main jet in
the Mikuni does well. The power is a little excessive for modern day nadgery type trials but it's still
a lot of fun and something different. One day a Godden frame maybe?


Tony Down