The younger brother of the Chopper, the Grifter was the cool bike of the 80's. Like the Chopper, the Grifter was a chunky, heavy, cumbersome bike that felt more like a motorbike than a bicycle.
The most innovative thing about the Grifter was the gear shift which was incorporated in to the handle grips and was controlled with a twisting motion.
Do You Remember Raleigh Grifter?
Do You Remember Raleigh Grifter?
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chrissmlt
on
Nice to see this site about Grifter. my dad bought me 1 second hand after I crushed my new bike in an accident. Funny enough I still got it. It was in metallic sky blue then I spayed it myself in Blue as it had some scratches.
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jeff
on
i remember in the earley 80's when i got my grifter (second hand) for christmas it was the buisness looked the part with my police driving gloves on kickers/ jumbo bib and brace/and a fred perry t shirt the good old days you can't beat them
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chopper782010
on
My mate had a blue Grifter and I had a orange Chopper which I still have but I was always more of a fan of the Grifter it was more able to cope with jumps and high kerbstones and was more like the motor cross bikes we used to watch on Kick start on the telly but we both had to get off and push at the slightest of hills due to the heavy sturmey archer gears and chunky steel frames. good days though when you wanted a new bike it was always a RALEIGH that you thought of.
Adam .Cornwall.
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bubbins
on
What about the clicking sound when you peddled.....Oh yes Martin, i too folded the plastic ends of the mudguards under on my Raleigh boxer.....Oh what memories!!
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Graham Rowe
on
I was about 10, and all I wanted for Christmas was a mark 1 Grifter in about 1976/7, I was not sure if I would get one as I was 1 of 3 and my parents were not loaded, so every night before I went to bed, I would say to my parents, I might be getting my Grifter soon, this went on for several months. Christmas came and all 3 of us opened our presents, and there was no Grifter, I excepted it in front of my parents although insde I was very disapointed, then about 20 min later my parents said to me "there is one more present for you behind the soffer", It was covered with a sheet, when I uncovered it, it was 1 of the best feelings of my life, it was a blue mark 1 Grifter, I looked at my parents and started crying, saying "you should not have got it if you have not got the money. I had many years of happyness riding that bike, and for that reason, call it a mid life cricis if you like at 42, I am thinking of buying and rebuilding a blue mark 1 Grifter as it may make me feel young again.
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grifterfan1976-43
on
that was the first bike i ever owned...i think i got it back in 1976 from freemans catologe...i remember the day it arrived in one of those big delivery vans...i was so thrilled!
it was a nice blue model...and i felt well happy and proud...i kept it till the mid 1980s when it just packed up and i couldnt afford to get it fixed...great bike though.
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Mk2 grifter gaz
on
For everything grifter related come to the NO.1 grifter forum at www.raleighgrifteraceboard.com Fantasic pics and a great bunch of people dedicated to this iconic 80s bike! free to join and lots of great advice on purchasing and restoring a grifter.
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thebhoywonder
on
brilliant bikes, i had a grifter xl which wasnt as good though...
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davest
on
Had the ?mk2? - the bright blue one rather than the original with metallic paint finish. Always thought of it as the BMX's older, overweight but reliable big brother, but devastated that my Dad wouldn't let me add mag wheels and chip off the foam crossbar to add a BMX crush pad. Despite the weight it held it's own with wheelies and jumps and the massive padded saddle was a bonus if you fell off the back, basically bouncing the bike away from you. Used to fold the plastic bit on the end of the mudguard onto the wheel to simulate a motorbike sound, much better that the playing card and close-peg maethod.
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zombie
on
ihad grifter for xmas 1978 my dad bought it for me it was red metalic with the short mudguards, i rode it everywhere till my older brother canibalised it for parts.
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