Robert's 1967 Matchless G80CS
Many of the last batch of these winning competition scramblers went from the London factory to California. This one was bought by a New Zealander from Adrian's Cycles in Moncton around the time the new owners Norton changed it from a 500c.c. single to a 750 twin. When parts were no longer available in the 1970s, the owner left it in his Sussex N.B. hay barn, and returned home.
It waited for decades until the new owners offered it to me.
That is why it only had 4,696 miles on it.
By 1999, there were so many still thumping, that the missing exhaust system, and 6 volt battery box were once again being made.
It made all the difference to this fine machine that Mark Smith could replace the missing carburetor with a suitably large Amal, send me two different shop manuals, a parts list, the proper tank badges, and give me the phone numbers of two other Nova Scotians who loved this model.
The game was on! Superb quality made the restoration enjoyable and satisfying.
When it first chuffed back to life, I didn't know the valve lifter lever turned it off. It is a perfected war time design, with a magneto, and spark advance lever.
Cycle World's 1967 road test said "Reliable, handles well, reasonably fast." They described various assemblies as "tried and true, unbreakable, smooth, and perfection".
Now it has 5,424 miles.
Cheers,
Robert
