1962 Other Makes G80

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1962 MATCHLESS G80 – ALL ORIGINAL SURVIVOR! 10,708 ORIGINAL MILES, FRAME #A81946 This Matchless G80 epitomizes the early 1960’s British motorcycle that became a permanent part of British lore and still represents the classic style… The condition of this machine is highly original and un-restored. The frame and engine numbers are factory correct and original. It is the 500 cc engine. The gearbox is also original to the machine. This Matchless G80 is completely original and has never been apart. I believe I am the fifth owner from new, but I can’t be positive. It is in un-restored and original condition, and would make a perfect rider or an ideal candidate for an easy restoration. This machine has been in my collection for many years, is started on a regular basis, and is ridden occasionally. When I purchased the bike, it had not been run for some time and was in completely original condition. I went through the entire machine and checked all of the major engine, transmission, and braking components for wear and safety. The gas tank was cleaned and coated, and the carburetor inspected, cleaned, and re-installed along with a new air filter, all fluids were changed, and both front and rear brakes were replaced. The tires on the front and rear are the original style and size, and while they are still fairly soft and pliable and I ride this bike occasionally, I don’t ride it too hard through corners, as they are old. The wheels are also original to the machine and are in good overall condition. The seat is also original to the machine. The engine and transmission are in excellent interior condition due to the low mileage and absence of any type of harsh conditions or abuse throughout its life. A complete cleaning and detailing was performed, and although detailing on an original machine is never completed, the overall condition of the finishes is remarkable considering the age of the machine, and is in line with the original mileage. The aluminum and chrome parts are in fair condition overall, but due to the originality, I did not want to go too far polishing any parts. The black paint is, as far as I can ascertain, original, and while it does have imperfections, it is in good condition overall. The original decals and badges are still applied to the gas tank and side covers. The side covers and badges are also in good condition and are not in need of any type of repair. The Matchless on the road is very easy to handle, and rides down the road very tight, with no shakes, shimmies, or rattles. It shifts and accelerates smoothly and holds the road as it should. There is absolutely NOTHING that needs to be done to this machine to ride it and enjoy it. It is also the perfect candidate for an easy cosmetic restoration, as all of the hard to find original parts are accounted for. As I mentioned before, the one thing the new owner might want to do is replace the tires upon purchase. Unlike other old British bikes for sale on the internet, this one is ready to ride and not in need of any expensive service once you get it home. I am always looking for new machines to add to my collection and have several other 1970's era Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki road bikes, and 60's and 70's era motocross and enduro machines for sale, including early Maico, Gilera and Can Am motocross and enduros. Please contact me if you are interested or have something interesting for sale. TERMS: $500 DEPOSIT WITHIN 48 HOURS OF AUCTION CLOSE. BALANCE OF AUCTION AMOUNT MUST BE PAID BY CASH IN PERSON, BANK TO BANK WIRE TRANSFER, OR CERTIFIED FUNDS (WITH VERIFICATION) ONLY WITHIN 7 DAYS OF AUCTION CLOSE. SORRY, NO C.O.D. AND NO PAYPAL. PLEASE NOTE YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL BANK WIRE FEES. The description of this motorcycle is written to the best of my knowledge. However, I am by no means an expert on vintage Matchless motorcycles. Please don’t hesitate to ask for more photos and, if possible, come and look in person before the auction ends. ALL SALES ARE FINAL! If you have any questions, please contact me before the auction ends. I am also happy to help arrange shipping (international or domestic) on my end, so if you are interested, let me know. If you have any questions, please contact me. If you live close to Chicago, I encourage you to come and inspect the motorcycle in person! In an effort to protect the eBay user information and to help ensure the authenticity of correspondence between sellers and bidders, eBay’s new listing format does NOT display any bidder information. Nevertheless, I STRONGLY encourage bidders to contact me directly to answer questions or to verify correspondence. Seller reserves the right to not accept bids or sell the vehicle to anyone with a zero or negative eBay feedback rating.This motorcycle is being sold as is, where is with no warranty, expressed, written or implied unless there is a warranty in effect from the factory. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the motorcycle and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgment solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this motorcycle at the buyer's request PRIOR to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any statements regardless of any oral statements about the part. Please remember that your bid constitutes a legally binding contract to purchase this item. If you require an inspection, have it done prior to bidding. I strongly encourage all bidders to inspect the motorcycle personally or enlist the services of a professional inspector prior to placing a bid. After the sale, inspections are not recognized as a contingency to completing your obligation to your winning bid. If there are any questions regarding the above terms, please e-mail prior to bidding. Please do not waste my time or yours bidding on an item you do not intend to pay for. If you bid on this motorcycle and win, you are expected to pay and pick it up in a timely manner! I welcome ALL international bidders and am happy to assist with making shipping arrangements. I can also arrange crating for shipment on my end for a nominal extra charge. If you are an international buyer, I understand it can take some time to arrange shipping, so I do not mind keeping the motorcycle for a longer period of time until pick up. Please contact me before the sale ends, if possible, to discuss the specifics. Thanks for your interest! For more on the Matchless G80 and the history of the Matchless motorcycle company, read on… Matchless G80 Specifications:Manufacturer: Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) (London} Production: 1949 to 1966 Engine: 498cc Single cylinder, pushrod 2 valve, 4 stroke Power: 28 bhp (21 kW) @ 5,600 rpm Transmission: 4-speed AMC gearbox to final drive chain Wheelbase: 1,397 mm (55.0 in) The Matchless G80 is a single cylinder 500 cc British motorcycle built by Associated Motorcycles (AMC) between 1946 and 1966. During the 1950s and 1960s, the main export product for AMC was the AJS/Matchless range – the road bikes were very similar, often with only the badges distinguishing one marque from the other; the equivalent AJS being the Model 18. Development: In the early 1950s, the most popular British four-strokes were still pushrod singles. The Matchless G80 is typical of this era. The earliest G80 is sometimes referred to as a G80L, the L signifying "Teledraulic" forks, rather than girder forks. The magneto on an AJS was in front of the cylinder, and the Matchless magneto was behind. A design originating in the 1930s, the Matchless was updated with a spring frame (swingarm) rear suspension in 1949, becoming the G80S. The suspension was a vast improvement on the bouncy rigid rear end but wheel travel was limited. AMC had adopted Velocette's twin-shock swingarm rear suspension design for its top models. Vertical shock absorber units were introduced in 1949. The initial "Candlestick" shocks held only 50 cc of SAE 20 weight oil. Leak prone, they were replaced by the "Jampot" shocks in 1951,[2] and by Girling shocks in 1956. In 1957, AMC switched from Burman gearboxes to their own make. The leaky pressed-steel primary chain-case first appeared on AMC machines in the 1930s. In 1958 an alloy cover primary chain-case became available. Engine: The motor was released with a compression ratio of 5.9:1, because of the poor quality fuel available in the United Kingdom immediately after the Second World War. In 1949 the hairpin valve springs were back, after the use of conventional coil valve springs in wartime engines. By 1951 the G80 had an alloy cylinder head and the barrel fins now went all the way to the base on competition models. The compression ratio was increased to 7.3:1 in 1956. Low compression meant that it was easy to kick-start and was more flexible at low revs. The earlier long stroke version might not quite reach 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), but it could trundle along at less than 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) in top gear. It also gave good fuel economy. Model variations: The 500 cc "long stroke" G80CS was produced from 1951 through 1955. In 1956 it was replaced by the shorter stroke, larger bore models that used the same numeric codes. The bore of these early G80CS's was 82.5 mm (3.25"), while the 1956 through 1966 “short stroke” (final version) models had a bore of 86 mm. The C is for Competition (Scrambles) and the S for Suspension (not a rigid rear frame). Matchless also made a 600cc version of the G80 called Typhoon. The bore was increased to 89mm while the stroke was increased from 85.5mm to a whopping 96mm. 125 bikes were reportedly made and almost all of them were sold in the USA. There was a road model with lights and a competition model without lights. The engine prefix code was TCS on these bikes. Engine numbers usually start with the year of production, followed by model designation, and completed with the production number of the motorcycle. Les Harris Matchless G80: Launched in 1987 by motorcycle spares businessman, Les Harris, a new “Matchless G80” single was released powered by an Austrian Rotax 4-stroke, single over-head cam (SOHC), 500cc engine. Components from Italy such as front and rear Paioli suspension, Dellorto carburretor, Lafranconi silencers and Brembo disc brakes were used whilst, harking back to his licence-built Triumph Bonneville T140s, the frame doubled up as the oil tank. German components included the Varta battery and Magura switchgear. The model was offered in colours of silver, black or metallic burgundy. Although electric start and twin disc brakes were options, priced at £2700 (£500 more than a Yamaha motorcycle of similar specification), this was not a successful machine and production ended by 1990. The History of the Matchless Motorcycle Company: Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models were produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins. Matchless had a long history of racing success; a Matchless ridden by Charlie Collier won the first single-cylinder race in the first Isle of Man TT in 1907. In 1938, Matchless and AJS became part of Associated Motorcycles (AMC), both companies producing models under their own marques. During the amalgamations that occurred in the British motorcycle industry in the 1960s, the Matchless four-stroke twin was replaced with the Norton twin, ending a long history of independent production. By 1967, the Matchless singles had ceased production. History: 1921 Matchless Type H 1000 cc The first Matchless motorcycle was made in 1899, and production began in 1901. Matchless was the trading name of Collier & Sons, the father Henry Herbert Collier and his sons Charlie and Harry. The Matchless tank badge was a winged "M". Like many motorcycle manufacturers of the time, they had started as bicycle manufacturers.[3] They produced a JAP V-twin powered bike in 1905, with one of the earliest swing-arm rear suspensions, coupled with leading-link front forks. Charlie won the inaugural TT singles race in 1907 at an average speed of 38.21 mph in a time of 4 hours 8 minutes 8 seconds. Harry did not finish in 1907, but won in 1909, and Charlie won again in 1910, bringing Matchless motorcycles to the attention of the public. Matchless made mostly singles, but they also made V-twins from 496 cc to 998 cc. They made their own engines from 1912 on. Matchless was not given a contract to make motorcycles for the army during the First World War. Peacetime production resumed in 1919, concentrating at first on V-twins for sidecar use, leaving singles until 1923. In 1926 Henry Collier died, and by 1928 Matchless was a limited company. In 1930 they launched a narrow-angle 400 cc V-twin called the Silver Arrow, designed by Charlie. The Silver Arrow was a side valve v-twin with 54 x 86mm dimensions and 394 cc. The two cylinders were set at 26 degrees within a single casting under a single head. The result looked odd, rather like a single that was too long, and with the exhaust emerging from the manifold at its right corner and the carburettor in the middle of the block on the left, the odd appearance was accentuated, and in 1931 they launched an (advanced for the time) 593 cc V-four, the Silver Hawk. The Hawk was designed by youngest brother Bert, who was now active in the company, and he was responsible for design right up to the War. In 1931 Matchless bought AJS from the Stevens brothers. Matchless bought Sunbeam in the late thirties, but Sunbeam was sold to BSA in 1943. After that the only "true" AJS models, as far as AJS enthusiasts were concerned, were the racing 7Rs, Porcupines and the pre-war AJS Four. The shared models were considered by some AJS fans to be only badge engineered Matchless models. In 1935 the Matchless/AJS hairpin valve springs made their first appearance. Matchless supplied engines for the V-twin versions of the Morgan three-wheeler from 1933 until Morgan production was halted by the outbreak of World War II in 1939. From 1935 on they were Morgan's exclusive supplier of V-twin engines. A dozen surviving unused engines were still in storage at the Morgan works in 1946 and were used to build a final batch of V-Twin trikes for a Morgan dealer in Australia. Matchless also supplied engines after 1935 to 1940 to the Brough Superior works. These engines were made to the specifications of Brough Superior and are not identical to similar engines used in Matchless motorcycles. The Brough Superior engines used a fork and blade rod configuration, cams ground to different specification, and larger ports in the cylinders or heads. AMC (1938–1966) Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) was formed in 1938, as a parent company for Matchless and AJS motorcycles. AMC later absorbed Francis-Barnett, James, and Norton. In 1941 Matchless motorcycles introduced telescopic front forks called "Teledraulic" forks, considered by some to be the first major innovation in front suspension in 25 years. During the Second World War, Matchless manufactured 80,000 G3 and G3L models for the armed forces. By 1956 they had eight models in their line up, but the number had dwindled in 1965. The G3L was the first to feature the "Teledraulic" front forks. Post-war landmarks start with the production of Matchless/AJS 350 cc and Matchless G80 500 cc singles, developed from the legendary war-time Matchless G3 produced for the army. Competition models of the singles were produced from 1948, which gave the company some memorable wins. In 1949 the first Matchless/AJS vertical twin, a 500 cc, was produced; later to be joined by 600 cc and 650 cc vertical twins in 1956 and 1959 respectively. On the racing front AMC were fielding the (supercharged) AJS Porcupine and the AJS 7R alongside the Matchless G50, a 500 cc variant of the 7R, and the 1951 Matchless G45 500 cc vertical twin. Even when supercharging was banned, Les Graham won the 1949 500 cc world championship on a normally aspirated Porcupine. For 1952, the first Model G45 twin with its 7R style heads came into being, the engine still recognisably G9-based but housed in a 7R AJS-based frame. This time Derek Farrant won the Manx Grand Prix at 88.65 mph. AMC put the G45 into production and it was shown at Earls Court in November. In 1953 there was a Clubman range of Matchless/AJS 350 cc and 500 cc singles, and the production model Matchless G45 500 twin became available. AMC withdrew from the world of works and one-off road racing at the end of the 1954 season, following the death of Ike Hatch, and facing fierce competition from the other European bikes. In 1958 the Matchless/AJS road bikes were joined by a 250 cc and in 1960 by a 350 cc for a lightweight series of singles. The Matchless G50 single-cylinder racer was made generally available for privateers in 1959, and competed against the Norton Manx. Though its 90.0 x 78.0 mm 50 bhp engine and top speed near 135 mph (217 km/h) were slightly down on the Manx, the lighter Matchless could take the day on tight and twisty circuits. In 1960 Bert Hopwood resigned from AMC and went to Meriden. That same year AMC posted a profit of a little over £200,000, in comparison to BSA's £3.5 million. That was followed by a loss of £350,000 in 1961. With the closure of the Norton plant at Birmingham in 1962 and the merger of Norton and Matchless production, the future was beginning to look rather bleak. In the sixties, with sales declining AMC made the commercial decision to focus on the Norton twins and the Matchless/AJS singles but they were not to be successful and the factory ceased production shortly afterwards. With the G15 line, AMC built on the merits of the G12 but there were numerous changes to frame, forks, swinging arm, primary chaincase, transmission, cycle parts and lubrication system. The P11 was the last line of bikes with bonds to AMC. It used a modified G85CS frame but there were stronger forks, completely new cycle parts (making some was rather costly), altered lubrication and modified primary chaincases, to mention a few. The G15 series was offered as 3 brands: Matchless G15 comprising G15Mk2, G15CS and G15CSR; AJS Model 33 comprising M33Mk2, M33CS and M33CSR; and last not least Norton N15CS (no Norton-branded roadster made as it would compete against the Atlas). The G15 series was produced from 1963 to 1969. They were initially for export only, but by 1965 these models were available in UK and Europe too. The Matchless G85CS used a 12:1 compression 500 cc with an improved bottom end, and a Norton gear-driven oil pump replacing the old reciprocating design that dated back to the 1920s.[8] The revised bottom end was introduced for 1964 and is shared by 350/500 roadsters and the 500CS (G80CS and M18CS), the engine of which was later adapted to the G85CS. The new lubrication system helped lubricating the big end and piston as well as the top end on the high-performance singles. The G85CS was further tuned for 1966, and received a new piston providing a CR of 12.5:1. An Amal GP carburettor was standard fitting, making the bike difficult to start. Maximum power rose to 41 bhp @ 6,500 rpm. Matchless/AJS built predictable handling, comfortable, well-made, reliable and economical motorcycles, for their day. Unfortunately such attributes were not enough to keep them in business. Continuing poor sales led to AMC becoming part of a new company, called Norton-Villiers in 1966. Norton Villiers (1966–1973) In 1966 Associated Motorcycles went bankrupt and was taken over by Manganese Bronze Holdings, who formed Norton-Villiers to oversee operations. At the time Norton was the only motorcycle marque in the company that was making money. There was a P11 series which comprised the following 4 models; P11 (1967), P11A (1968) and P11A Ranger (1968/69) and the P11 Ranger 750 (1969). It is believed that production of the G15 series was halted late in 1968 (model year '69) with unsold samples on offer through 1969. The P11 series carried on in production until the spring of 1969. The P11 was offered either as Norton or Matchless, but by heritage it is a Matchless bike. Les Harris (Businessman) (1987) A new Harris “Matchless G80” single was released in 1987 powered by an Austrian Rotax 4-stroke, single over-head cam (SOHC), 500cc engine. Components from Italy such as front and rear Paioli suspension and Brembo disc brakes were used whilst, harking back to his licence-built Triumph Bonneville T140s, the frame doubled up as the oil tank. The model was offered in colours of silver, black or metallic burgundy. Although electric start and twin disc brakes were options, priced at £2700 (£500 more than a Yamaha motorcycle of similar specification), this was not a successful product and production ended by the early 1990s. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE