Something for the weekend

[bigduke6]

Although waiting for conformation on certain bits, Its not a Military Bike but same meat different gravy, it left the factory black instead of Khaki.

Been looking for a Matchless WD G3L for some time but some prices and the stories behind them are a bit errrr.... well just not my cup of tea.

To be honest any Military bike would of done or post war (one or two years after) but there is something about the Matchless that has always appealed to me, browsing the net as one does seen this and struck a deal, its a 1947 Matchless G3L , its been restored to a point but not the full monty, very rough in some areas but its what I was after plus it runs.......
Plan was to finish it as a WD bike but think I,ll get it back to somewhere close to how it was in in 1947, it will give me a bit more insight of what to look for on a WD Matchless, must admit after firing it up the Grin factor was with me all day. After having Japanese bikes all my life and a Ducati it was like learning to ride again foot brake and gear selector on the opposite side.....

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[CINDERS]

Now all you need BD is the HRD Vincent Black Shadow to park next to her and all your Sundays would be complete.......

[mrclark303]

Very cool looking bike Geoff, great buy, well done. I would be very tempted to go to for an olive drab WW2 finish!

I can hear that superb engine note just looking at the picture...

[bigduke6]

Very cool looking bike Geoff, great buy, well done. I would be very tempted to go to for an olive drab WW2 finish!

I can hear that superb engine note just looking at the picture...

John, still undecided buts its tempting, need to swap the yokes first to be correct for 47, its a catch 22 at times as a few WD bikes I,ve seen have been rebuilt to the gunnels, the only thing correct is the frame...... unlike some spending all there life with the Army that have been repaired just the same as anything else so updated or obsolete parts been replaced with new ones etc (not one for the rivet counters)

Good news is may have the opportunity to buy an Ex WD one in near future which is basically as it left the Army and hasn't had a stainless nut and bolt kit added..... Just happy to plod along with it and get some knowledge, like yourself few things from the toy cupboard have to go, but if we didn't sell to buy the cupboard would be bigger than the house.

[Flying10uk]

Was 1947 the first year of production for civilian bikes from Matchless, post-war; with this being one of their first post-war bikes?

[bigduke6]

Was 1947 the first year of production for civilian bikes from Matchless, post-war; with this being one of their first post-war bikes?

I believe they were producing the G3L from July 1945 for the civilian market..... think after 47 some changes were made, but the basic hard tail continued for a good few years.

[bigduke6]

Now all you need BD is the HRD Vincent Black Shadow to park next to her and all your Sundays would be complete.......

I'd need to sell everything for one of them Cinders, I,m really looking for a WD bike then go from there, this one will be a learning curve.

[CINDERS]

There is a chap who has a Harley Davidson WWII bike that goes to the Cannington arms fair each year its a nice rig complete with a deact Garand or Thompson cannot remember but it was all there looked really great.

[mrclark303]

like yourself few things from the toy cupboard have to go, but if we didn't sell to buy the cupboard would be bigger than the house.

Yep, trouble is I don't want to sell anything Geoff ... taking the 1903A4 out for an airing on Wednesday to try and talk myself out of selling it...

[henry r]

beautiful bike bd6. please keep us posted.

as an aside, does anyone know what sort of motorbike the Australian MP's in singapore during ww2 rode? i did ask my grandfather once, but i can't remember the answer. his bike was a fairly important part of his ww2 story.
my grandfather Ralph, had just got back from a 48hr convoy escort duty on the malayan peninsular when a call came in about a fight in a brothel. he was the only one still in full uniform so he volunteered to deal with it. on the way there cruising at 50mph he overtook a truck slowing before the intersection at a factory, thinking "no-one ever comes out of the ###### factory now" only to be T-boned by a truck coming out of there. he ended up with multiple breaks to every major bone from his pelvis down. luckly they sent him off on one of the last hospital ships out before the surrender. he was in a cast from the chest down for 6 months, ended up with one leg an inch shorter than the other, one foot 2 sizes smaller and was pensioned off as a TPI in his 50's as he couldn't work anymore but it saved him from changi and the thai - burma railway.