Introduction to the Matchless G3
The Matchless G3 became highly popular as the main motorcycle used by the British Army in WWII. After military upgrades, the Matchless G3/L was born. This modification dealt mainly with weight reduction and the “L” signifies “lightweight”.
In all, over 80,000 motorcycles were produced for the military during WWII. The Matchless G3/L introduced “Teledraulic” front forks which made maneuvering over rugged terrain much easier. This fork design is used still for most motorcycle designs.
The bike was so popular during war times that the South African Army ordered Matchless G3/L’s for their riders to use, as well.
I have just finished restoring (Here in Australia) a 1953 G3L 350 single and would love to find out the history of the bike. Who owned it, purchase history etc. The frame number is 99686. Any direction on where to start would be greatly appreciated. I have spent many hours searching the net but to no avail.
Your assistance is appreciated. Very curious. Regards Dominic
Hi Dominic. Please check out this page that I’ve just published for information of dating and finding out the early history of your Matchless:
https://matchlessclueless.com/mechanical/identification/motorcycle-dating/
Regards, James
Thanks heaps for this James. Im going to start the ball rolling. Even more curious now.
Regards
Dom
Very useful blog. Thank you.