The last missing part to finish the restoration of my G3L is a pillion seat but I understand that original ones are almost impossible to find.
I have one that looks very similar but it is a rigid one without the vertical springs on the rear side.
I think that this one can be modified to get the same apearance as an original one.
Does someone have a picture of the pillion seat frame as fitted to contract S2604?
Thanks,
Peter
email (option): peter.siroen@planet.nl
Matchless seems to have used two similar types of pillion seat on the G3L. One of these two variations is the one that can be seen in the Matchless catalogue picture above. This one has a simple front bracket and X-shaped bottom rails.
The second variation is quite similar to the first one, with the exception of the bottom rails, which are O-shaped, and the front bracket is now triangulated.
I am currently tooling up to make a replica of these Matchless pillion seats (also used on some Royal Enfield WD/CO and some Ariel W/NG contracts).
Jan
email (option): wd.register@gmail.com
Yes this large bum pad. But it's captioned as probably a pre production type. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Mine has this type. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
The large bum pad is indeed seen quite often on war time photographs of G3L motorcycles. Other makes used them as well, but around late 1942 this foam filled type of pillion seat was replaced by a sprung type pillion seat. Each motorcycle manufacturer seems to have had his preferred make and model... Most wartime (1942 onwards) Matchless pictures show the types from my first posting. But I have seen some exceptions:
BSA style pillion seat:
Norton style pillion seat:
These non-Matchless style pillion seats on Matchless motorcycles are quite rare. I wonder if these were "field repairs"...?
Jan
email (option): wd.register@gmail.com
Hi guys,
This pic from C11102 quite clearly shows a bum pad-
The parts book for this contract lists this as W14G3L-EQ241, as does the book for C12632 and C12633.
The parts book for S1050 shows that later rear sprung open framed seat, with the same part number!
Cheers, Mick.
email (option): mick@motorbikemike.org.uk