LIN’S GREEN GSX
Readers, viewers or even occasional users of this magazine will no doubt have become slightly familiar with the name Vic Jefford. It was Vic’s incredibly sleek and sexy GSX trike featured way back in issue number 186 and it was Vic’s out of this world Triumph that won Best of Show at this years Rock And Blues Custom Show.
Well, this isn’t his bike, but it’s ridden and maintained by his delightful partner, Lin. The distinctive Jefford style engineering abounds in this latest creation. Hmm. I think to profess that it’s the latest creation is being just a tad economical with the truth. The bike was in fact conceived way before the building of the aforementioned GSX trike.
Work on it came to a halt to concentrate all efforts towards the Jefford three-wheeler. In real money that equates to one winter’s work spread over three years… Sound familiar? Undeterred by the delay, Lin simply battered the hell out of Vic until he finished what he’d started. That’s a lie really, she actually displayed the patience of a saint; Lin conceded that to wait a little longer would make the finished machine so much better than a quick and easy rush job. A fair amount of people I have spoken to all agree that the wait was well worth it. The frame was built by a gentleman by the name of John Ashton, ex-A&D frontman and builder of ‘that bike with the curly wurly exhausts’ seen on the show circuit a few years ago, and the only person looking 
worse than Blue at Stormin’ The Castle this year. It was supplied just in basic form, leaving Vic and Lin to add all the necessary mountings for engine, footrests etc. Speaking of footrests, those neat aluminium plates were built by Vic’s mate, Billy, who kindly offered while Vic concentrated on tearing his hair out with the wiring. Using only a four inch grinder and gritted teeth he emerged from the workshop two hours later holding two mountings that fit like a…horse into a phone box.. sorry, glove. [A horse into a glove? That may tell us too much information about Mr Keld’s home life… B] The two little taillights are green to match the bike, and Lin knows that she will have to change them at some point, although she has managed to do a large number of miles without attracting the attention of the local constabulary of several counties.
The engine spec reads like a drag racer’s dream. Suzuki GSX1100EFE with a 1260 Cosworth conversion, Kent cams, gas flowed head, billet clutch, Dyna ignition system, breathing through 38mm carbs and exiting through a exhaust system by Nick Paravanni of Custom Fabrications up in Norfolk. Vapour blasted crankcases covered with Sperex and two-pack lacquer make the engine unit look ultra clean. Both crankcase end covers have been machined smooth; it may not give any increase in performance but it does look well.
Lin’s certainly not the sort of girl to do things by half. If it’s going to be fast then its got to be the best. Up front a pair of Yamaha EXUP front forks mated to a de-seamed YZF750 front wheel and wide glide kit do the business, while a pair of YZF six pot callipers stop the machine from running into passing kamikaze cattle or little old ladies in Minis. Fuel tank (topical subject at time of writing) is a pair of quick bobs ‘cut and shut’ and was originally started by John Ashton, and later finished by Vic. The addition of a Pingel fuel tap ensures a healthy amount of petrol to that monster of a motor. This is a motorcycle which Lin not only enjoys riding, but rides incredibly well. Blue and I followed her along the road, and watched her throwing the bike around effortlessly, as she and machine were one, and that’s rare enough to see on any bike, let alone a custom. When we pointed out that we had been doing 70mph coming out of a 40mph limit and weren’t catching her, Lin innocently said, ‘Was I? Must get that speedo fixed…’
Stainless bars and electrics box were also of the Ashton variety. The rear end is a YZF deseamed wheel again with a rear guard built from two Harley guards cut, widened, filled and mounted by Vic. Good friend Martin laid on paintwork, after Lin eventually, after much deliberation and sleepless nights, chose the colour. Could this be why the whole thing took so long…the wait for the ultimate colour choice? Sorry Lin, it had to be said! For those who are unfortunate enough to be colour-blind it’s a beautiful deep candy green, with the wheels powder coated by Steve at NB Coatings in Pontefract to match.
Vic himself took care of most of the small but essential engineering tasks such as the brass fork cups, bar ends (snigger snigger), speedo mount and footrests. Just as with the trike, and with the radical Triumph, Vic has done almost everything himself, persevering to get things right, teaching himself how to do things he didn’t know he could do until he did them, and redoing items until he was completely happy with them. A talented man indeed, but all the time he was working under the advice and careful eye of the lovely Lin. This isn’t one of those bikes built solely by the male of the household. Lin’s input to the whole project was evident from the very start to the tightening of the final nut. It is a joint effort and a double act with the same dedication 
as the likes of Fred and Ginger, Bogart and Bacall, Wizzkitt and Sweeney or Black and Decker. Both Lin and Vic are incredibly modest about their bikes; if I had built something like this I would be shouting about it as loudly as possible. But that’s not their style, their bikes speak volumes, and they themselves are among the nicest, most modest people you will meet. Except when they’ve had a shandy or two when they can be very silly. Allegedly.
Watch this space for the unbelievably radical Triumph that Vic built, and watch out on the roads for Lin, she’ll be the one a hundred yards in front with a smile from ear to ear.