Thanks folks, So am now changing my tanks about, All tanks taken off to get the Autocycle muck out, so A Bloody BIG task, The G3 has a bigger and different tank It would have been nice to fit the metal'Ms to that tank but there are no holes,Lex has said many different tanks were fitted to the G3L so I will fit the Tank with metal Ms to my early G3L Andrew,h.

email (option): warbikes@gmail.com

Whilst Matchless tanks are being mentioned, I am on the look out for a large G3 one if anyone has one to sell? Holes or no holes!!

email (option): alistair@jimpeet.co.uk

yes Ron off that other forum.

you were concerned about my being concealed in bushiness.

I also bought a bent tail end silencer off you at Netley last year.

I hope you do not want a tank panel one, they get around 500 quid on ebay even rusty

IWM photo archive, image BM35554 taken on 22/06/45 shows two G3L's C5255476 and C5259304 with transfers on the tanks......taken in Egypt.......

Worth also noting that there are different versions of G3 and G3L tanks.....

With the G3 you got the panel and non-panel version, both having screw holes for the metal "M"s and a pair of holes either side for the knee grip plates.....

The first G3L's seem to have had a tank that lost the knee grip plate holes but retained the badge screw holes.......

At some point during the war a second pattern of tank was introduced that still had the badge screw holes but now had a single "knee grip plate" hole re-introduced either side.......these were for attaching the Vokes air cleaner straps rather than knee grip plates........

Then a third type appeared late in the war that lacked the badge screw holes when the transfers were introduced, but retained the single screw hole either side to attach the Vokes straps to.......

But the story doesn't quite end there.......a few years ago now I had a few G3L tanks in store, all a late type lacking the badge screw holes but retaining the single filter strap holes either side.....but on comparing tanks there were two distinct variations.....one type being a slightly different profile to the other and with a variation in the cutaway design beneath.........this puzzled me.......

But when I checked out a late-war G3L workshop manual and parts list, it noted that there were two different tanks in use that had a variation in the top profile, requiring the use of different wooden support blocks to mount the rear of the filter on the tank top..........

email (option): sjmwdbikemad@aol.co.uk

Thanks for that Steve. I hate it when Lex tells me my bike is wrong
I have that information on the two types of tanks in my maintenance manual. But never seen the 6150 spares list to which they refer. Also I'd like to see a description of how the filter hose connects to the carb. I gather you have to space the oil tank off....But it's all very tight for room. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Well there's the evidence Ron ! Thanks, saves me digging my manual out.....

I too haven't got that late spares list, but the workshop manual confirms two tank types (at least)........

The photo quoted earlier is a wartime shot and shows two G3L's from the right-front with (British) riders close-up.......both G3L's have had the headlights removed for competition work, one G3L having an early W/NG rubber-mounted handlebar lug welded atop the teledraulics in an almost upright position ! Both tanks are identical, bearing stencilled "C" numbers and "M" transfers below, NOT metal badges.........the "C" numbers should indicate the relevant G3L contract.......(photo mid-1945 in Egypt).......

All in all, the transfers may be deemed late-war production, the earlier metal "M"s predominating for most of the war.......

In my experience, the G3L parts list all use the drawings from the original 1941 contract, continuing to show (late war) among other things the early rear frame with "plates" at the rear, the peculiar speedo bracket, the odd fork lug, etc..........not to be relied on methinks.......

email (option): sjmwdbikemad@aol.co.uk

For what It's worth, my '48 G80 has metal winged "M"s but I have seen G3Ls and G80s with both transfers and metal "M"s on postwar bikes.

Rick

email (option): rick.howell@talktalk.net

Hi All,

Is someone also making the separated wins and M ?
If so can you leth me know??
regards,

Bram

email (option): bram@ockhuizen.com

Bram just cut the wings off the later winged "M"s and you have one piece already!

May have one lose wing emblem, will look next week.

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): welbike(at)welbike.net

Where can I get some metal eMs?

email (option): britool51@hotmail.com

Thanks for all the info about METAL eMS,thats cleared the air a bit,andrew.h

email (option): warbikes@gmail.com