['As an ex DR I feel I should put in a good word for the M20 I don't remember anyone
hating them I just loved mine. I was a DR with 42nd Artillery Field Reg with BAOR
1950-1952. I had 2 m20 in my care you didn't have a choice of bikes and I did like the looks of a G3L but never rode one. I was never let down on the road surviving a few slides on wet cobbles. On the gun ranges I thought it went well in the sand Most of the convoy work was at 30mph but they did get thrashed in the sprints we had between DRs at times when no one was in charge.I think the G3Ls were to slow to enter! My bikes I think finished up in Korea the Reg moving there in 1953. On demob I bought a 500T Norton but never looked back at the m20 as being inferior which no doubt it was.']
What a pleasant change to hear someone praising the M20...
I've had mine for nearly 40 years and it fails so rarely that I can't actually remember the last time it broke down...Definitely not since before the 55th. anniversary of D day...
In that time it's done a lot of miles including many trips to Normandy(ridden there and back) and numerous other events as well as hacking about locally and the occasional holiday..It's been used on and off road (I even entered it in a pre 65 trial!), on motorways and has been treated pretty hard on many occasions...
It certainly isn't the best of the bunch in a battle of theoretical specifications on paper, but I'd bet mine against any of the other WD machines in a reliability test....over any distance...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
I've had my M20 for over 31 years and it's definitely my good old faithful favourite.
I've just been out on another 20 mile test ride on my G3 and I must say, it's a joy to ride. But I'm still not happy with the carb. I gave up yesterday on the carb that Martyn re conditioned for me, there's definitely a fault with it somehow. I've installed a nearly new carb that I bought from Burlen (Amal) a few years ago for my M20 (suitably jetted for the G3). But I'd also given up on this carb because you can't even begin to tighten the flange nuts before the slide nips up. I've had to leave the nuts quite loose and hold them with loctite. I should have returned it to Burlen back then but Martyn found me a NOS body which I built up with all new parts, and that carb has been working fine on my M20 ever since.
I bought my G3 15 years ago (already restored) but I've had issues every time I've dared to use it and I keep addressing the issues as they arrise. It was also hand painted and apart from the frame, I've re-spayed it. With hind sight I should have done a total strip and rebuild
Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
I always argue for full rebuilds if you want to do reliable miles over long periods of time...
Once you've checked out and properly returned the bike to as close to the original tolerances etc. as you can they are remarkably reliable.
You are also then aware of the general condition of everything and can keep track of when remedial work is needed as things begin to wear....
I did over 55,000 miles on my B33 before having to do anything other than routine maintenance on the engine, gearbox and transmission...I had to replace a points end bearing in the mag at that point....Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com