Hello All, I am trying to make the tank badges for the G3L. Mine is a 42 model and I hope that this has a single piece badge. I would e grateful if anyone can give me the distance between the 2 badge holes. I can make a proportional image to the exact specifications using this.
I have a very skilled tinker here who promised me to do a great job for me. I will update with the proceedings

Regards
Pratap

email (option): prataphenry@gmail.com

Henry, I have a very nice pair of single piece ally M's.
They were on my G3, but i've fitted the correct two part M's. I'll take pictures in the morning. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ron, just when did they go from the two part badge to the single pressing? and can you really tell the difference when they are on? I've seen replica single pressing badges for sale, but as far as I know, nobody is doing a new version of the two part badge are they?

Pre-war, Matchless fitted just the "M"s......then the wings were introduced as a separate item for attaching beneath........
All the wartime parts lists detail the 2-piece insignia only for G3's and early G3L's.......the pressed metal insignia were later deleted in favour of transfers.....
Little is known about the 1-piece cast alloy combined insignia seen on some G3's....the one Ron now has, formerly mine, was found in the UK (in bits) with the cast-alloy badges affixed to the tank....and from memory they appeared wholly original and not "foreign made".....I wonder if they were a very late pre-war part that was rapidly withdrawn after the outbreak of war once the shortage of raw materials, including alloy, began to bite...?

Remember that they have a compound curve, so not so easy to make.The replica ones sometimes need the screw holes fettling.

Hi Steve..'Long time no hear'..Hope you are keeping well...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I have a set of original one piece compound curved badges and wings on my 40G3. These are rusty as hell so I need to do the same. Centre to centre they are 1 5/8 inch. They are off the bike at the moment , so if needed I can photograph them.

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

hope this link works

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Well done Andrew. Nothing so fancy from me. These are the Ally one piece M's that Steve commented on. I was never sure how correct they are so opted for the two piece steel items. At first I only had the wings and a friend cut out some M's and we tried to form the compound curve with the aid of an old wooden bowls ball. But it wasn't very successful. These measure about 6" wing tips and just over 2 3/4" high.
Henry it would be a lot simpler to use transfers.
Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Hi all, latest research by Simon Warner suggests that transfers were only used postwar, and as Steve says, 2 piece badges were used on a couple of first G3L contracts.
Here a picture of the 2 piece badges.



Cheers,

Lex

email (option): Welbike@welbike.net

The basic shapes could be laser cut easily enough, but someone had better start thinking about a couple of press tools to complete the job...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

Hi guys,
I just picked up a pair of the MCA repros at a jumble, lightly blasted them to dull the chrome and screwed them on. Simples!-

Cheers, Mick.

email (option): mick@motorbikemike.org.uk

MCA repros? yes please? They look good. Who and where are MCA please?

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Hi Andrew, MCA are one of the big wholesalers in Aston, Wolverhampton. At one time they made parts for BSA and Triumph. Some of their parts are still made on the old factory tools. Any how, I order from them every two weeks. Email me direct and I'll put an order in for a pair for you if you like. The next order will be around this time next week.
Cheers, Mick.

email (option): mick@motorbikemike.org.uk

I think there is sufficient photographic war time evidence to prove that the later contracts used stencil badges despite what the parts lists say. it makes total sense as materials were in short supply. Any thoughts Lex?

email (option): tinley@btinternet.com

John, Stencil badges is possible, but have no pictures with transfers, or did we????

Think the alu. badges are something home made, have never seen anything like it!

Cheers,

Lex

email (option): Welbike@welbike.net

yes fair enough Rik. I know what you mean. Were they chrome though? Its tricky to know what they were originally. Thanks for the offer Mick. I will let you know if I want to go ahead. i take Riks point and will have a rethink.

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Andrew, You can take what I say with a pinch of salt, a lot of the time. It's only my opinion...and opinions are like....

I'm not a Matchless man but it looks like dull chrome on the reverse. The general pattern with these early war WD bikes is that parts which were bright chromed on civilian production were dull chromed.