Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to get in touch with me or leave some feedback on the website or blog. It’s great to hear from you and know that someone out there is finding this useful and interesting!
Here are just some of the kind words I have received lately…
Absolutely superb explanation of dynamo/regulators. Many would be teachers could adopt your style and simplicity. Once again thanks.
- John Brady, May 2012
Thanks for all the usefull information. I will follow your updates with great expectation!
- Piet Roets, August 2012
I just stumbled accross your website & I find it most interesting. A really great guide for people who could be having problems
- Richard Patching, May 2012
Well done for keeping the knowledge alive!
- Mike Ackerman, April 2012
Hi we have just purchased a 1951 G3LS to restore and will find lots of info of this site. Thanks for the photos now we know what it will look like.
- Shirley Robinson, April 2012
If you’d like to get in touch, please leave some feedback using the form below or on a specific page if your comment is related to some particular content. Alternatively there is a contact form at the bottom of every page from where you can send an email straight into my mail box.
Kind regards, James 🙂
Hi James
I stumbled across your website almost as I stumbled across a Matchless G3L, or shall I say, the couple of parts thereof. A friend, whom is more into Indian & Harley restoration, gave me an engine and a frame of a 1946 Matchless G3 or G3L as it was in his way. Well, to be honest, I don’t know where to start restoring this old girl and scratched around on the net and stumbled across your website. The info you made available I believe already will be a help and I believe I will be visiting your website often.
Best Regards, all the way from South Africa, Ig
Hi Ig. Thanks for your kind words. Check out the AJS & Matchless Owner’s Club – it is well worth joining just for the help and advice you can receive via the forum. See here: http://www.ajs-matchless.com/forum/
Regards, James 🙂
The 564 light board is fine, you may recall asking me to mail photos of its installation back in the Spring. Have just ordered another set as a spare, but trying to Log in could not remember my password, tried to re-set but having done so the Website locked me out. I was half way through the transaction but couldn’t find any way to be let in again! hence completing payment under a slightly different name.
Hi Rags. Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately the amount of hacking attempts recently has meant that the website security has needed to be stepped up, which is probably why you found it difficult to reset your password. Sorry about that, but I have received your order through so glad you managed to place it in the end. Regards, James
Great site and great parts. HOWEVER I had no idea my parts would be shipped from Singapore directly to Holland rather than from the UK: you may want to note that the Netherlands are red-hot on individual’s import taxes and my thirty nine quid LED array attracted anoiher twenty four euros in duty. It might be a good idea to make that clearer on the website.
Hello James, Came across your website/Blog. Looks good. I’ll be back to learn more.
When I was living in Luxembourg following my stint in the US Army, I bought a 1951 Matchless G3LS at a police auction in 1975 or 76.
THis bike, along with a number of others sold at auction, had probably been in storage for about 20 years after being decommissioned from use in the Army of Luxembourg. While still in it original army OD livery and following a thorough cleaning, you can imagine my delight when it started on my third attempt at the kick starter. I rode it regularly until 1980 as I returned with my ‘treasure’ back to the USA in early 1981 – where it has sat in various garages ever since.
Now with the children grown and with more time on my hands, I am anxious to get back up on it’s two wheels.
As I prepare for the restoration to make it road worthy once again, a question comes to mind.
Because this bike was once an army ‘dispatch motorcycle’, I assume it is geared for off road riding. Why? THe max speed I was able to attain was just about 50 mph – probably going down hill with a strong wind at my back. Can you give me any words of wisdom as to what parts I could use to get more speed? I don’t want to be limited to only driving around town.
Any assist you could bring would be greatly appreciated.
BTW I’d be happy to send pics if you like.
Also I tried to download the Ownwer’s MAnual you have posted here, but wasn’t able to connect to the link.
Best Regards from Sidney, Ohio
Hi Douglas. Sounds a nice bike you have there, and a fun project to get it back on the road. Have you discovered the UK Owner’s Club website forum yet (jampot.com)? There’s been much discussion on there over the years of the top speed of these old bikes. 50mph max seems a little bit low, but also not sure that I really want to go much faster on them! Check how many teeth you have on the engine and rear wheel sprockets and compare to those listed in the original parts manual – a smaller engine and/or bigger rear sprocket will lower the gearing, so converse bigger engine and/or smaller rear sprocket will make it go faster (in theory!). Sure alternative sprockets are readily available, but not sure you’ll realistically want to go much faster than 55-60 mph anyway. But a few extra mph can make a difference on faster roads, I know.
Check out these few threads on the Owner’s Club forum:
http://www.jampot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=2203
http://www.jampot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=14367
http://www.jampot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=5938
Enjoy your bike, ride safe, James 🙂
Sorry the links aren’t working. Gremlins in the system and no time to track them down! But all owner’s manuals, spares lists, and so much more can be found here:
http://archives.jampot.dk/
Hi James, I bought a 1950 G80S as of yesterday (Monday) and through googling for various things I stumbled across your site and although I had not the need completely – read a few of your write ups and it’s fair to say I’ve bookmarked this site for future reference.
Finally after years of wanting a proper Brit bike I now have one and no doubt in the future I’ll stumble across gremlins I’ve not encountered before on good ol’ jap bikes. I say proper Brit bike as I have a 2017 RE500 which is nice and all but not proper classic British.
Apart from the contact being dirty on the light switch making the headlight keep dieing riding home from work at 1am and the previous owner riding it round on a battery with only 1/3rd full of electrolytes plus being 6years old in turn completely destroying the voltage reg from the current it would have been pulling – oh and signs the fork seals are starting to go so far so good 😀
Anyhow keep up the good work 🙂