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Im mostly looking to gauge interest here. I've run up on a 59 matchless g2 for a really good price. Anyone here know much about them? Lookin to do a restoration on it. Wiring looks pretty simple, and there's parts on ebay. But techwise in the engine, and other historically accurate points, I really don't know much about it. Any thoughts?
Like all British road going machines of that period they are pretty simple. It looks fairly complete and wouldbe a good resto project. It woud look much better restored than cafed. Most of those machines are so simple they can be restored with a big hammer and a blunt screwdriver.
Looking at the photo again I'm surprised at how mch of it is there. Break the engine down. Pushrod single, semi unit (I think) construction, chain primary, simple four speed box. Wiring is very simple. A restoration will take some work but theres no rocket science involved. Buy it and good luck. Keep us posted.
I'm no expert but IIRC those were after the AMC merger and were a relatively low cost bike with an unusual gearbox arrangement.
They are not too sporty, but hey it's a 59. The hubs and wheels may be British Profiles but I wouldn't swear to that. It's been a loooong time since I saw one of them. Could be a lot of fun.
A friend in Ireland many years ago summed up British bikes of the 50s with the words "They were built down to a price". Which, when you think about it, is very true. England was still recovering from WW2. The country was damn near bankrupt after the war and in order to survive exporting was the rule of the day. "Export or die". I have old English magazines showing some new model that was "for export only". It wasn't available on the home market. We got the hot diggity new twin carb Triumphs with hot cams while the home market got a single carb soft cammed economy model. AMC bought up a lot of ailing companies and the mergers saved a lot of marques from disappearing. Its a nice machine. Should be an eas and fun resto.
Like all British road going machines of that period they are pretty simple. It looks fairly complete and wouldbe a good resto project. It woud look much better restored than cafed. Most of those machines are so simple they can be restored with a big hammer and a blunt screwdriver.
I have to agree, the 50s Brit bikes are simple to work on. The hardest thing for me is finding parts, but even a lot of those are interchangeable with other bikes of the era, or can be made pretty easily. In fact, I recently fashioned a specialty washer out of a coffee can. Mine is a cafe racer, afterall. I'd say if you can afford it, buy it!
Should you decide to pull the trigger on this
Join this group and you'll have all the assistance & knowledge you could ask for http://www.ajsmoc.com/
besides the forum they maintain there is an online library of close to everything ever published
on AJS / Matchless including tech manuels, you'll be in fine shape!
Nice it appears to have the hardest to find tin wear..
It'll make a super Pit or run to grocery store bike!
Thanks for all the info guys. Looks like this bike will be a certainty. Ya'll will know tomorrow for sure, cause we are going to pick it up. It's actually for a friend of mine who was looking for a project. There's a lot of other good potential project bikes at this place just waiting to be wrenched on too.
Great news! The matchless has a new home. My friend bought it today and it will hopefully never see a raindrop again. And I hope he joins up here and starts a build thread.....
So, I am the new owner of a 1959 Matchless G2! Much thanks to Mr. E for the awesome find! I was unable to do anything to the bike yesterday after I bought it, so I started with a vengeance today! The bike got a complete tare down, and I found that the engine is complete, and turns over freely!!
I will post as often as possible on this build, and am very excited about what is to come.
I will post pics soon, as I need to resize them first.
Not everyone gets to find a Manx Norton in a junkyard. That Matchless looks too complete to pass up on. Loved or loathed it will be a very handsome machine when restored. Glad to hear the engine is free. Always a bonus. Still looking forward to the build.
I'd say the less-wanted a bike is by the masses, the more special it will be to someone who does want it. Certainly more unique. Can't wait to see the build thread. Welcome to DTT!
I have a magazine on the table beside me. "The Motorcycle" dated the 16th June 1966. In it there is an article by Phil Vincent (yes THE Phil Vincent) titled "Historic or Junk". Its a piece about the decision of the British vintage club to admit motorcycles made after 1930. At the time members of the vintage club considered anything made after 1930 to be "just old bikes".
Fast forward 45 years. The once mighty British motorcycle manufacturers are a vague memory. From what I've seen in the Brit vintage magazines anything and I mean literally anything from the 50s and 60s is now very desirable. The late Titch Allen (one of the founders of the British vintage club) once described Brit bikes as either "Roast Beef or Grey Porridge". A Matchless G2 may come under the heading of Grey Porridge but in these day that doesn't lessen it appeal. Truth more likely those models were treated with contempt and discarded when they broke. Rarity does have its appeal.
I can remember a time in the 60s in Ireland on a motorcycling ride around the country, a friend on an M20 BSA had the misfortune to have a valve snap off at the stem. It made a mess. The cure was to pull off the mag/dyno and carb as they were the only usefull bits on it and quite literally we pushed the remains into the ditch and Frank hopped on the back of my bike and we continued on. The thought of doing that today would be akin to sacrelige!!
No. That Matchless will be a handsome and rare(ish) machine when done. At least it won't be like they say about C15 BSAs. C15 and you've seen'em all,
Could be worse. Could have been a Tiger Cub. When I was in High school a mate of mine had a T20 and It was fun little bike, but I suspect our kitten has more bite that that thing.
When it's all said and done and old bike is still just an old bike.
It's like teh CR93 I restored yonks ago. The motor was way cool and it looked and ran like a champ, but it was still just another noisy motor bike. All a bit disappointing really, but there it is.
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