Possible new stablemate

A man approached me at Riding Into History, and asked if I'd like another Matchless to go with my G15CS.

His Uncle passed away a couple months ago, and his Aunt needs to sell his G80, supposedly bought new.

The Aunt will be back home in a few weeks, at which time I'll run up to central Florida and possibly purchase the thing. Nephew only knew it as a G80, but he sent me about 20 pics. Here's one:



'61 G80CS, 4900 miles, complete and apparently unmolested. Even the battery cover is supposed to be in the garage, with the tool kit and owner's manual. If the bike is as good as the pics look, it'll be put in running order and preserved, with regular excursions. They're only original once. 8)

Hi Bill,
What a super machine to add to your stable especially the condition. I am envious!
Best wishes to you,
Regards,
Paul.

+1

Make sure you register your interest. You dont want it to go to a passerbye for $100

When I was at the Bathurst races in about 1963, a couple of guys had those sixties alloy Matchless singles. I think they are a most beautiful bike, and I believe the bottom end is the pressed up G50 type. I've always kept my eyes open for that model machine, however I've never seen one for sale. I was at a race meeting at Broadford about ten years ago and saw a motor in the back of a utility truck. They are pretty useless as an historic racer, the timing chest is a dead giveaway that they don't fit into our period 3.
If you don't have the money at hand to buy it, - borrow, it is worth it.

I'm surprised you've said it is a 61 model, I always thought they were 1963 as Australian delivery. My problem is that I was at the Bathurst races in both '61 and '63. If you've got a decent side on photo of the whole bike, would you please post it ?

not one of those 600 cc Typhoons ??????????? looks good whatever .

Definitely a 1961, as the engine is stamped 61/G80CS/xxxx

The only pic sent of the entire bike is old and fuzzy:


The rest of the pictures are like the first one, taken at fairly close range inside the garage. Here's one of the primary:


In the above picture, one can see the toolbox, which was a tubular thing with a hinged lid like a gas cap and is bolted to the rear engine plates above the transmission. The brake pedal looks very similar to my G15, and the footpegs are rigid. Folding footpegs came a bit later, '65 or '66.

The history books say the oil tank was swapped to the left side for 1961.

http://classicandcompetitionmotorcycles ... s-1961.jpg
http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/wp-content ... 60x570.jpg

One of those is slightly more authentic than the other...

Very nice. My friend, Perry Gerhart, who passed away a number of years ago had a '61 G80CS. There seem to be a lot of '61 G80CS' in this country. I had a '66 which had the Norton style oil pump. Really fun bikes for fire roads and field riding plus good handling on the street. The G80CS' are rarer and much more expensive to buy than the run of the mill gray porridge like my 350.

Hope you can get it. You'll find a single cylinder bike is a whole different animal to ride. It's all about momentum. You try not to back off the throttle for the turns.

Russ

Update on the G80CS:

I did acquire the bike, but it had to be kept in a friend's warehouse until ten days ago, when I brought it home.

The bike was actually purchased new in 1961 by a friend of the man who passed away. This original owner sold it to this man in the winter of '61-'62. Mr. Barrett had the bike until his death in 2014, and I bought it from his widow. (He courted her on the bike in '62-'63, and they were married 51 years when he died). The bike was purchased in Connecticut and lived in Rhode Island until about 1978, when the Barretts retired to Spring Hill, Florida (near Tampa). Mr. Barrett rode the bike occasionally, until around 2001, when he was stricken with Parkinson's disease. The bike's last registration expired in 2002.

The son and nephew started it for Mr. Barrett around 2005-06, and in doing so, dismantled the lighting switch (he was wheelchair-bound by that time). It had not been started since, but appears ready to run if properly sorted.

I have rebuilt and re-wired the switch and am going through the bike, rear to front, giving her a good cleaning, changing fluids, re-greasing, changing the inner tubes, rebuilding the carb, and getting her ready to start in the near future.

If things go flawlessly, I should be able to start up on Thursday, Jan 29. Whether or not, the bike will be at our big local show on Jan 31, looking like the cherished beauty she was, alongside my G15CS, Ranger 750, and 850 Roadster.

If anybody reading this is in South Florida, the show is in Dania Beach, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, and has become an impressive meet.

Lovely bike ,Congrats!

speirmoor said:

Lovely bike ,Congrats!

Click to expand...

+1.... :mrgreen: