Hello
I'm in france and I 'm restauring an G3L matchless, Is it possible to identify the bike (date history) an know what was the original tank number?
The bike has an contract number plate and an engine and frame number
Frame 60159 engine 41/G3L 26032 contract 294/C732/S2604 31.
Thanks for help.

email (option): sylvain.harle50520@orange.fr

Hello Sylvain,

Framenumber 60159 should have had C number C5480459, the engine is from another bike/contract.

At this moment I cannot look up anything in the Matchless Key Cards, maybe next year when all is digitalized.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike@welbike.net

Contract S2604 was scheduled for delivery at 1600 per month, commencing November 1943. it seems reasonable to assume that frame no. 60159 was delivered around December 1943 / January 1944.

Your engine contract is much more complicated as it was divided between the Royal Army Service Corps and the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and were fitted with both Lucas and Miller electrics. It is no longer possible to tell what went where. Date is likely to be the second part of 1941.

HELLO
Thank you for this interresting informations, nice to have the tank "c"number, and his construction date , is it possible to know in what division the bike was used? I would like to make correct markings.

Thank you again
Sylvain

email (option): sylvain.harle50520@orange.fr

Sadly, Sylvain, there is almost no chance of identifying the machine's history. This link to Rob van den Brink's Norton site gives some detail on why it is so difficult.

http://www.wdnorton.nl/Individual_motorcycle_history.htm

Your bike was certainly built in time to have been taken to Europe in 1944 so you can easily choose any unit from 21st Army Group. That said, motorcycles no longer displayed 'formation' signs (such as divisional markings) by this time.