Ironing out the niggling details....

In some regards, restoring a bike back to spec is easy.   By easy, I mean having definite guidelines and photographic references to follow.  Hard work?  Absolutely.  Once you have all the right parts however, it can be similar to building a life sized Airfix kit.

Building a custom bike or something from random parts can be much more challenging; Often the smallest victories yield the greatest rewards.

My latest victory was in the form of a tail light.  As trivial as it may sound, I could not find the right tail light/brake light for this build.  This had actually been driving me to distraction for the better part of two years.

I played around with a variety of different styles, finally settling on an original English made Sparto piece that I fabricated a lens for.

Close, but not quite.

It looked good and was very, very close to being right.  It just wan't right enough.

Back to the drawing board.

My criteria was fairly straightforward.  I wanted something that looked period, flowed with the bike and was functional.  I also wanted something unique and lighter than the Sparto unit.   To make life harder, I didn't want a repop item from China or India.  There is a cheapness to these items that always seems to let the side down.

Cruising around on Ebay, I spotted something a little bit different.  It was an NOS Lucas light I had never seen before, a model VT31.  There wasn't much online about it, just that it was used on bicycles and mopeds primarily.  The asking price was low, so I took a chance.

Rather than fabricate a backing plate, I decided to modify something I already had.

The plate is most certainly a DIY item, I have no idea what the off-set drilled holes were for.

The first step was to weld some plate on the back to cover the holes.  I then welded some steel washers into the holes and removed the plate on the back.  Next, I lined up the light in order to drill the mounting holes.

Then a little filler and a bit of paint.

Front 

Side view

I am really happy with the way that this turned out.  It certainly checks all the boxes for me with the added bonus of having lots of character.  Although hard to see in the photos, the light is actually adjustable so I can fine tune when the rear mudguard is in place.

Until next time....

Weighing my options....

Now that I am firmly determined to complete the Matchless twin by spring, the time has come to put together the engine.

While I did a dry fitting last year,  I didn't thoroughly measure the crankshaft journals, camshaft lobes or check for 'Ovaling' in the connecting rods.  The motor seemed to be in decent shape when I tore it down; I naively hoped that after a good cleaning and check of the oil passageways it would go right back together and run!

I decided to forgo this flight of fantasy and do the job properly.

I started by looking at the connecting rods I had and weighed them in order to find a balanced pair.

The pair that came with the engine weighed in at exactly 12.84 oz each.  Numbers 2 and 3 weighed in at 14.53 and 14.29 oz respectively.  Lonely number 5 on the end came in at a whopping 15.03 oz.

Interestingly, all Matchless/AJS twin con rods from 1949 to 1964 have the same part number, 014134. In the course of my research, I found a valuable snippet from the Jampot forum which explains the differences.

Early Rods for '49-'51 had a thin 'H' stem section and less material around the small end

Series 2 from '51- Had a thicker 'H' stem section however material around the small end is unchanged.

Series 3 featured more metal around the small end.

Series 4 featured even more metal around the small end.

Series 5 featured the addition of the chamfered shoulders. 

These changes would reflect the heavier load on the rods as capacity increased from 500cc to 550cc to 600cc and finally 650cc. 

Looking at the lightest pair, I would assume they are Series 2 as the 'H' section seems the same as the heavier units.

The stock G9 Crankshaft Journals are 1.625" stock, mine come in at 1.615 according to my micrometer.   This means .010 oversize bearings, fortunately I have a NOS set.

As I went to fit the series 2 connecting rods, I found that one side would move freely and the other would bind.  I attempted to flip the orientation of the rods to see if that made a difference, however there was no joy.  I then fitted the heavier rods and all moved well without issue, however the bearings didn't sit very tightly in the conrods.  The orientation of the later rods is easy to determine due to a chamfer on the shoulder of the rod which needs to face away from the center of the crank.

I did look on the shelf and pulled out a later crank which fit nicely into a nice set of  '54 AJS cases
I had bought a couple of years ago.  These journals also measure at 1.615" however one side has suffered from exposure and is now rusty.

The earlier crankshaft

Later Crankshaft.  Note the corrosion on right journal side. It looked much worse before a bit of WD40 and scotchbrite.

 All hope is not lost though as I found a great YouTube video demonstrating cheap, easy and effective crank polishing.  My next job is to measure the connecting rods properly, save the crankshaft and see what can be put together.

Will it work?  We shall see.

Until next time......

Battery Box/Tool Tray build

I confess that I didn't get a lot done over the Christmas break, however I did manage to accomplish several small jobs.

One of these items was the construction of a battery box for the G9 project.  The 1955 frame is a unique one in a few different regards, one being the off-set side mounted battery placement.

Rather than look for an original, I decided to make my own with some scrap lying around.  The box is a little oversize in order to accommodate (small) tools and mountings for my exhaust (more on that next post).  This will also give me more leeway when I eventually buy another battery.

It is always a pleasure to make my own parts, no matter how primitive they may be.  This is the freedom that comes with building a (mild) custom bike rather than a concours restoration.

I wasn't able to take pictures during the welding/cutting/grinding phase, but you get the idea.

The box has since been coated in black chassis paint, the strap came from a discarded Bell & Howell Filmo camera.

Until next time.......

Merry Christmas!

I wish all of you the happiest of Christmases,

Safe riding in 2020! 

Until next time......

Joseph Lucas and the Temple of the lost spark

As mentioned in my previous post,  my mixed-bag '58 suffers from something of an identity crisis.
A 350cc with a 500cc barrel and piston and a half-finished magneto conversion.

After much dithering and back and forth, I ultimately decided to return the bike to stock ignition.

This decision was made due to not having the correct timing covers (mine are AJS branded) and not having the correct magneto.  I do have a Fairbanks Morse FM that gives off spark, however it will need some work to adapt.  Further to this, the FM lacks an advance and retard control.


Finding the correct magneto in decent shape is also a challenge.  They usually range anywhere from $100-300 (and up) and buying one is a something of a gamble.  These units are fifty to seventy years old at this point and inevitably worn out.  A rebuild means several hundred more;  Money well spent for certain, but certainly money I don't have to spare at the moment.   Points and condensers are cheap and plentiful.  I have several NOS Lucas sets sitting in my parts bin ready for use.

I managed to find the correct inlet cam and timing covers on Ebay;  The wiring harness came from feked.com.

As an aside, this will be my last order with Feked;  The company and products are fine, however shipping is horrendous and I am always hit with exorbitant customs fees.  


The missing piece is the Auto Advance unit and plate, known as unit  CA1A in the Lucas catalog.

I figured that being a Lucas unit, it would be easily attainable and very likely used on many different makes/models.  I was incorrect!

If you do a google search or eBay search, almost nothing will come up.  Even the individual components yield no result.   I was able to find out that the CA1A was used on three separate bikes;  The BSA C12, Royal Enfield Clipper and the Matchless/AJS single(s).

I spent countless hours scouring articles and forums, looking for answers or substitute units that could be utilized.   Nothing.

Fortunately for me,  I found a photo reference on Hitchcock's website.  They are the leading provider of all things RE in the world.  I received a prompt reply stating that there are no substitute units that can be used, however they would search for a used set for me.

Considering that the coil ignition singles were on the market for eight years, it's a little surprising there aren't more of these about.   I can only hope that means that many of these bikes live on and are seldom broken up for parts.  That would be a ray of sunshine reaching through a cloud of unobtanium.

Until next time.......

Matchless G3 assessment and a rather large surprise!

After playing with the new matchless single for a month, an update and initial assessment is quite overdue!

Let's start with the good.

Unlike almost everything else I have ever bought this bike is 95% complete.  This is a huge help as I want it back together within a few months rather than a few years.  The engine has excellent compression and turns over freely.  This, combined with the other pieces I have accumulated will make this a much less expensive project.

Now the Bad.

When I say 'bad' it really should be taken with a grain of salt.  If I didn't have the aforementioned parts at hand these line items would certainly be a pain.

-The rear wheel.  I am not sure what has been done to the rear wheel,  it turns freely (decent bearings) however the spindle cannot be removed due to rusted on components.  In addition, the wheel is coated in some sort of silver paint (complete with grit) that paint stripper won't remove.  I'll get tough with it later.  For now, I have a spare wheel ready to go.

-Front forks.  The lowers have hairline horizontal fractures.  Looks like someone landed quite hard!
Enter spare set of forks.

-Front Wheel.  Has a bent rim but very good for spares.

-The Frame.  The swing arm was junk, with an agricultural repair.  The bushings were incorrect, forcing me to carefully cut through said bushing to remove it.  I picked up the swing arm from the other '58 frame we acquired and switched it out.

The left side of the frame also had some extensive damage.  I was able to do a primitive but clean enough repair.

The first step was to bend the piece straight with heat and leverage.

The 'open wound' was beyond straightening.  I cut off the excess fold and
found some material to replace it.  I also sandwiched some steel in between to
 strengthen up the piece.  

After the first weld and grind.

Shot from the side.

Shot from the top.

I then cleaned up the frame and brush pained with Chassis black paint, which I had used previously on the VW.  I should have bought semi gloss, but so it goes. 

The painted frame as it sits now. 

I did some massaging to the hind quarter of the frame which was also a bit bent.  I had a set of girlings from the GMH (Great Matchless Haul) of 2016 which were the right size.  The incorrect items were put in the spares pile.  

In my excitement, I went and ordered an exhaust pipe from Walridge.  To my shock, the pipe was far too small.  The little G3 was hiding a big secret.  It had been converted to a 500! 

As far as surprises go, this was a pleasant one.  Fortunately the too small pipe found a home on the AJS and I ordered another.   The other arrived and was about 1/32" too small.  The P/O had done some sort of modification that removed too much surface from the exhaust port.  What to do?  I thought of getting/making and adapter or filling some surface with JB Weld.  Fortunately, I took the head and pipe to a local muffler shop.  Initially reluctant as he thought the pipe would crack, the manager agreed to flare out the end to fit.  After a few attempts it was near a perfect fit.  I could see some stress marks and decided not to push my luck further.  With a good exhaust sealant, all should be fine.   Best of all, I was not charged for the work. 

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed something else unusual about the engine.  1958 models were originally equipped with a combination of  coil and points ignition and alternator to charge the battery.  The P/O modified the engine to run off of a Magneto while retaining the alternator.  Not the worst idea in the world as one can still run the engine with a flat battery.  

I can either convert to stock with side covers I found on Ebay or use an old Fairbanks Morse magneto to provide spark.  We shall see.  

Coming soon; Wheels, tank, seat and mudguards.

Until Next time! 

I've done it again....

Swap meets have become a weakness of mine over the last few years.   I get untold pleasure from rooting through bins and boxes and exchanging conservative amounts of money for rusty treasure.

I started the first day of my week off visiting the last CVMG meet of the season.

I was doing fairly well, securing a very good 3.25 x19 Dunlop K70, some handlebars, wrenches and a big box of AMC suspension parts (jampots and a set of Candlesticks).  Then the beaten up white pickup truck pulled up.

I immediately recognized the familiar shapes in the back,  a pair of singles (Matchless and AJS respectively) and a pile of parts.

The bikes were both rolling,  The AJS being an early model ('49 Model 16) and the Matchless a later one (1958 G3LS), identifiable by the larger, more square toolbox and oil tank. 


The cheerful owner mentioned the price for everything and the inner conflict began.  We chatted for a few moments and I politely excused myself before I could get drawn into the dark vortex of another project (or two).

I bumped into the owner twice more, who each time tempted me with a lower price;  I reluctantly accepted his card, repeating the mantra 'I will not call him, I will not call him, I will not call him...'

I spent the rest of the day and next in a sleepy, charming Ontario town not thinking about AMC heavyweight singles. 

Fortunately for me I had plenty to keep me busy, namely sanding down and repainting an otherwise lovely Honda Civic suffering from extensive clear coat issues.

As I sanded in the sun, listening to the 'Once upon a Time in Hollywood' Soundtrack (fantastic film by the way) my thoughts kept returning to the two forlorn singles.  Maybe I do have a problem, I thought to myself.

*I should mention that the G9 has not been forgotten,  I am waiting on some hardware and working out some rear wheel spacing issues.  Henceforth she will be referred to by her Christened name 'Mary Jane'.

By Wednesday my curiosity got the best of me and I called the owner of the bikes.  I was certain that someone had snapped them up;  This would put to bed the question of  'What if?' forever.

Surprisingly, they were still available.  "Damn it." said I over the phone line.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"Now I must help re-home them." was my response.

I knew my good (dare I say old) friend Chris had been toying with getting another bike project.
After 25 years of on and off persuading, he had finally come around to the idea of English Iron.

He and I had worked on some projects simultaneously over the years and did some flipping of bikes in the late 90's and early 2000's.  At one point we both had vintage Minis.  His was completed beautifully and sold off,  mine was sold off unfinished.

After a brief phone conversation and some google image searches,  He was in!

A few days later, we were off to the country to the seller's home/garage which resembled something from American Pickers.

Cash was exchanged, the bikes and parts loaded up.   It was apparent that Chris had his sights set on the '49.

Not needing two bikes, what would become of the '58?

Yes, she is sitting in my garage.  Thankfully I had just cleaned up and cleared some floor space!

A full assessment will be forthcoming.

Stay Tuned!