Old photos of a scrambling Matchless G3 / G3L

[Dave2006]

More from the photo's of my late father in law (http://www.classicmotorcycleforum.com/index.php?topic=4186.0 & http://www.classicmotorcycleforum.com/index.php?topic=3907.15) this time I think it's a Matchless G3 / G3L (I think - thanks to my copy of Hugo's "The Ultimate Motorcycle Book").


He's stood with a mate's bike here

A grainy image, but here he is at full speed...


Enjoy

Dave

[rosko]

don't rely on books.

That engine with its cylinder head looks like one of those pre war G series,G80/90 500 or G4 350

[Rex]

Oh for a time machine and a wallet full of white fivers to go back in time to that top pic. Even that tourer alone over in the background would be worth a small fortune today.

[rosko]

Isn't it nice to see how well used  they were back then rather than someone worrying about the correct year and fitting of the foo foo valve or some such rivet.

[Dave2006]

Thanks for the replies - I was sure that it was the G3 / G3L as I have compared a few pictures, but I'll bow to the collective wisdom if that what others think.

I noticed on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matchless_G3/L that they said (of the G3):
Post war G3/Ls were the military version finished in black instead of green or khaki. Despite its age, the Matchless was so well proven and reliable it remained in use by the Ministry of Defence for another 15 years after the end of the war, until replaced in 1960 by the BSA W-B40

The Matchless G3/L was a popular choice for UK trials riders, and after the war there were plenty of bikes and spares to enable champions such as Artie Ratcliffe and Ted Usher to win numerous national events for Matchless

I agree with the comment about using them as they were designed, rather than keeping them in concourse condition...

Dave

[rosko]

the 2nd pic is of a G3L

the first pic I cannot see if i has a duplex front down tube frame, if it has its pre 1941, a G3 would have had girder forks but it was common enough to fit tele forks in place of the girders, believe me you wouldn't want to bash a girder-fork bike around a scrambles course

PS  when I blow the  pic up as far as I can I am not even sure this is a Matchless frame, it could well be quite a bitza;  I cant see any side car lug for  pre war frame and the down tube angle looks odd where it meets the engine; the comp bike behind is a 250/350 AJS or Matchless,timing cover is AJS style but the logo on the rocker box looks Matchless M.

Bike by the car could be Triumph.possibly Sunbeam
shame no reg nos are to be seen

[Tun up]

More great pics.
There was only my grandad who had bikes, no one else had the slightest interest in my family. Only two photo's of him on bikes are known to exist. One taken in the 50's on a spring heel Bantam, the other in the 30's on what is considered to be a Sunbeam (or maybe not).

[rogerwilko]

I agree with Rosko, it looks like a bsa frame.