Red Gold Wing Phasar

April 2017: This machine, or rather, what's left of it, is currently for sale on ebay. The engine has gone, but the Tait HCS system and front wheel are still there. See the relevant blog post.
February 2020 Update: This Gold Wing Phasar, registered JFS 967T, is the same one that Richard Baughen can be seen riding elsewhere in this folder. He said: "I bought it off John Carter in February 1988. The original owner was Gerald Game." PNB
Photo: Ian Kew Archive

Red Gold Wing Phasar

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Value?

To put this in perspective, the only part of this package that has any general value is the Tait HCS - Unless somneone is proposing to find a Honad Lead wing, itself a 'classic' now, and break it for everything (almost all of it) needed to rebuild this not very succesful FF. I believe there are still a couple of new, unused, Voyager Mk11 HCS wheel units available for less than £2K, although they may not have the (wire) wheel rims assembled onto them. Earlier this year I created a new Mk11 unit for a bit less then this, although a buyer would need to create the EN16T axle unit - which could be done by hand. So £2K is around the top price you'd need to pay to get a comparable HCS to the Tait (obviously I'd argue that the Voyager unit is superior - more lock, lighter, simpler etc. but that's just my opinion) But it's also worth remembering that Difazio made more than 150 HCS units (the Banana has no. 152) and most of them will be out there somewhere - probably for less money. A reasonable alternative for a lightweight FF where the limited lock would be OK (e.g. a racer). So this unit is really looking for someone with a damaged Tait HCS that needs a direct replacment. Didn't Mark Crowson have exactly that problem with the SEV Z1300 Phasar?

It's obviously sad to see old FFs being broken up, but such is the general fate of prototype specials, they meet someone who wants to restore something ordinary, and doesn't understand why they're 'special'. The unusual thing about old FFs is not that some are broken up, but that so many survive.

Kept in one piece...and electrified!

Note that Dave Arthur actually kept the beast in one piece, but took the engine out and replaced it with an electric drive train! See here: http://bikeweb.com/node/3347