Below you’ll find a selection of photos of my new Matchless G3L motorcycle. The first pictures were taken by the previous owner (thanks Dave!) and shows the bike in it’s award winning state prior to commencement of a total restoration. This restoration is still very much in progress, as can be seen in the second gallery, as the bike is currently in storage back home in the UK awaiting my next trip back. I’ll update with more galleries of pictures as the restoration and reassembly goes on, but this is going to be a very slow process whilst I’m still out here in Hong Kong.
Before restoration:
During restoration:
Hi James,
Given the already excellent condition of the machine when you acquired it what was the reason for another full strip down and refurbishment?
cheers
Sam Trenchard
Hi James, what kind of plating did u try for the nuts/bolts/studs? I tired cadmium and the finish was great.
Regards
Pratap
Hi Pratap. Most of the restoration work was completed by the previous owner so I’m not exactly sure, but I believe that most of the nuts and bolts have been replaced with new ones in stainless steel where available. Regards, James
Lovely G3L there James. Hopefully my bike will look like that someday, when I get around to restoring it. Cheers.
Nice Weblog James.
I got a Matchless G3L myself, bought it in 1991.
There are some things that must be replaced or fixed, so your weblog has got som great information doing that.
Greatings Eric Heijdens (Netherlands)
Cheers Eric, nice to hear from you! 🙂
Hello James,
I am not a motor cycle rider, but about a year ago I bought an AJS rigid, in basket case form. At the time I thought it would be a good project to get involved with, but I think it is turning me into a basket case. It has a 1949 frame, but the crank case is stamped 50.
It has been a real challenge due to a number of reasons, the first being that I suspect it was a farm hack, and there were a lot of non-standard parts used to keep it going. There is also a lack of technical information available, particularly around the rear wheel configuration.
One of the pieces of information that I have been trying to find, and probably the most frustrating, is the offset on the wheels. The wheels that came with the bike had been completely dismantled. All of the spokes were gone and the hub had been stripped out. No one in the two vintage motorcycle clubs I joined has the information at hand, and there were no rigid’s registered to members, so no chance to measure it.
Looking at the the photos of your project, I noticed that the rear wheel looks brand new. Did you have the wheels rebuilt, and if so did you record the offset of the wheels. If you did could you please let me know what they are?
Thanks, Steve.
Hi James, greetings from India. Is this the same bike you bought from Hyderabad?
HI JAMES.I AM GNANASAI,HYDERABAD, I AM A PROUD OWNER OF A MATCHLESS VECHILE,BUT I AM HAVING SOME CONFUSION IN THE NAME OF MY BIKE,IT’S WHETHER MATCHLESS G3 OR G3L.CAN YOU PLEASE SAY ME.
Hi Gnanasai. Take a look at your engine number – does that say G3L? If your bike looks like mine, then it is a G3LS (I think most Matchless bikes in H’bad are the same as they are all ex-police or ex-military). If it has no rear suspension then it is a G3L, and if it has the earlier girder forks then it might be a G3 (unlikely I think!). Hope this helps 🙂
Okay then,I think my bike comes under g3 category.thank u.
Hi congratulations!!! your Matchless looks awesome!!!
I have a 1949 Matchless G3L too but with a rear swing frame and shocks.
Have you changed yours with a hard tail one?
If yes I would like to do that with mine too…is it possible?
Any help?
Cheers,
Rob
Hi congratulations!!! your Matchless looks awesome!!!
I have a 1949 Matchless G3L too but with a rear swing frame and shocks.
Have you changed yours with a hard tail one?
If yes I would like to do that with mine too…is it possible?
Any help? please…
Cheers,
Rob