Good morning.
I wonder if I could ask for some help for a prospective purchase.
I haven't viewed the bike yet but I will next week, maybe someone will know the census number.
The bike is a Matchless G3L the chassis number is 20054 & the engine number is reported as LAK/188/56.
Like I say I haven't seen the bike yet the engine number seems a little strange. I think the owner says it's 1941.
Thanks for your help
Alwyn

email (option): Alwyndart@gmail.com

Alwyn 20054 is the 655th bike from 1250 under the first contract for G3L's in 1941 (C9506). I calculate the census number to be C4588829. The Engine number doesn't mean anything to me (Possibly post war?)

Here is a pic of one of those early G3L's. Ron



My own G3L frame is also from that first contract. Although the bike has morphed into a later war spec.

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

There was no constant checksum for contract C/9506, which means that census numbers for this contract can't be calculated. But from the KeyCards we know that 20054 originally had census number C4588687. This is the closest one that I find in my G3/L pictures:

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Typical!! Any news on 20399 in the key cards Jan? Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

That's really a great help, Chaps. I might have time to go and see it today and I'll take some pictures of the engine numbers, I didn't think that LAK/188/56 could be right, I wonder if 56 could be referring to the year. I know the machine has been in the same family for donkeys years. Jan do you have any idea from the key cards where it went after it left the factory?
Thanks once again for your help.
Alwyn

email (option): Alwyndart@gmail.com

I have a G3WO with frame number 8818 with G3WO engine number NIR/9/59 again agree must be a replacement engine

Sold in Ruddington on 15/09/1960. Please contact Lex if you want a hi-res scan of the KeyCard with your number. It is part of the history of this bike.

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Frame number 8818 is not in the KeyCards. It is the 1819th bike from contract C/7183, but unfortunately the census number can't be calculated for this contract. There were 3 census numbers blocks: 92889 - 93358 (470 numbers), 95889 - 96828 (940 numbers) and 934001 - 938590 (4590 numbers). Your census number must have been "somewhere around C93440". The picture below is the closest number that I can find:



And a better picture from the same contract:

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

Unfortunately I can't find your number in the KeyCards Ron. Number 20402 is in the list, this one had census number C4589077. But as explained, the numbers can't be calculated, so your number C4589174 will be very close.

email (option): wd.register@gmail.com

I can live with that Jan. My G3 is the same, not possible to accurately calculate the census number. I have a love/hate thing with Matchless!!

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com