UPDATE: This bike has been SOLD. Enjoy the pic though! :)

Ok, so it’s been through the Ebay mill and thankfully it emerged without too much fuss. Definitely not the place to sell a bike like this! So now it’s back in the real world, I still don’t really know what this is worth, so make me an offer if you’re interested. Just get in touch using the message form at the bottom of this page.

For sale is a rare Harris Matchless G80 with electric starter and dual disc brakes at the front. These were the ‘special’ versions and very few were made and is considered a collectors item. A recent (boxed) machine without the electric start and duel discs recently went for €7900!

This example is in really nice condition. No rust. All chrome is in excellent condition except for a little pitting on the rear of the headlamp. Fresh MOT and 10 month’s tax. It’s ready to ride, it’s great fun and it’s sure to bring a smile to your face.

About the Harris Matchless G80: Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles with the first models manufactured in 1901. The Harris Matchless G80 comes from the stables of the late Les Harris, a hugely respected British bike maker, known for resurrecting the Triumph Bonneville as well as the Matchless motorcycles in the 1980′s. He is often referred to as the “saviour of the British motorcycle industry”. The Matchless G80 has a long history stretching back to 1949 and Les bought the rights in 1988. The resulting Harris Matchless G80 is what you see on this listing. Most were kick-start only but some (as this one does) had twin disc brakes up front and an electric start. They were based on hand-build frames and a single cylinder 494cc Rotax air-cooled engine.

The specs:

• 1988 Harris Matchless G80
• First year of registration, 1988 (F plate)
  
• 500cc single cylinder 4-stroke
• Single overhead cam engine
• Black with gold detail
• 5 speed manual
• Chain driven
• Electric Start
• Dual disc brake front, drum rear
• Power 33Bhp
• Mileage 6500
• Taxed, Mot, V5 present
  

The bike basics:

• Here is a video of it starting – STARTING THE MATCHLESS
• Everything works
• It has 10 months tax and a new MOT (until July 2011)
• The engine is a 4 stroke, air cooled, single overhead cam with light alloy crankcases, cylinder barrel and head.
• It has the electric starter (a real godsend!)
• It also has a kick-start for the brave and patient
• Performance wise, it’s really quite nippy. With your elbows in and a fair wind I suspect it’ll get up to 80-90mph.
• It’s black with gold trim
• All ‘bright work’ is in fantastic condition and polished
• Rims are original and un-tarnished
• Mudguards are also original, un-tarnished and have no slits or cracks
• The exhaust is original and makes a great noise
• Tyres are in great condition
• Seat is also in excellent condition, no rips and trim is all present. Matchless logo on back is a little faded though, but to be expected.
• It takes proper leaded petrol (via Dellorto 36mm carb) so ideally needs a cap full of fuel additive in each tank of unleaded (available at all petrol stations)
• The toolkit is present and the tools are the originals. There’s a spare spark plug thrown in too.
• It’s very light and easy to move around, especially if you find modern bike a bit of a handful.
• It’s recently had a new crank case gasket and full oil change, so no oily drips on the floor.
• It’s very light (150kg) and easy to move around, especially if you find modern bike a bit of a handful.
• It was built when bikes were bikes… it’s simple to work on and a great introduction to classics without all the oil and bother.
• It’s always been garaged and is only used on dry days.
• I do have the original owner’s manual (supplied) but it has seen better days after getting damp. I do have all manuals on a CD-ROM.
• I also have some basic leather throw-over panniers which I will include in the auction.

So why am I selling it?
I rode it precisely 161 miles last year and think it’s time for someone else to love it.

What needs a bit of TLC?

• The rev counter tends to get a bit over-excited past 4000 revs. Not really investigated it but may provide a sunny Sunday’s tinkering.
• The rear shocks could do with a service/refresh at some point.
• Could do with a little fetteling or carb tweak maybe as it’s not been ridden much.

Payment and important stuff …

• If you have any questions, please contact me by leaving a messaging (I will keep these private) or on O777O 918913.
• Cash on collection
• Bike will not leave my garage until all money is cleared.
• Strictly no canvassers
• Buyer collects unless by express agreement otherwise

And here are more photos …

Yes folks, it’s finally gone live! Those that know the in’s and out’s of this one will know what I mean.

If you’re a fan of the ’80s A-Team then this is for you. It was created to raise awareness of the A-team TV episodes that are available on iTunes.

So download it NOW, IT’S FREE!!! Then get to work creating your backing sound effects, shaking your iPhone to make machine gun sounds and ‘lobbing it’ to make a grenade. There are a bunch of voice samples and the original ’80s intro sequence from the TV show as a bonus.

I love it when a plan comes together!

I’m in day 1 of what’s turning into a very painful process with O2’s insurance sub-contracted call-centre, The Listening Company. The irony of their name will become apparent. I also note with irony O2′s new ‘PR’ campaign “Banishing the Narks and Niggles”… doing away with underhanded practices and cheating customers. Oh dear…

So, a short history. I’m a business customer with O2. I swapped from Vodafone to get an iPhone early 2009. My iPhone appeared with a big crack one day, March time maybe. I keep it in my back pocket and must have sat on and cracked it… or it was in bag and got trodden on. Either way, it didn’t look good. The metal rim split and the screen popped off. I snapped it back in and soldiered on with fluff a crumbs accumulating under the touch screen for a few months until  I figured enough is enough, let’s try that expensive insurance and get this sorted. At this point I should say I’ve been paying for insurance since 1997 and never claimed a penny. So this was my first time.

I call O2. All good. They transfer me to The Listening Company. 45 mins later, still on hold, now 6.25pm I give up.

Next day, I call O2. They put me through to The Listening Company. 25 Minutes later, “Fatima” picks up the call.

It went something like this:

Fatima: Did you drop your phone?

Me: Nope

Fatima: How it is damaged?

Me: It has a big crack in the case and the screen pops out

Fatima: How did this happen?

Me: I’m not sure exactly, it must have been in my pocket and I sat on it and has been getting worse over the last 4 months.

Fatima: Ok, so I’ve rejected your claim due to wear and tear. There is a plan you can buy…

No matter how much I questioned her on her reasoning for this wear and tear decision out of the blue, she wouldn’t give any information. I was expecting to have a few more questions, maybe even give a detailed description of what was wrong. But the “computer says no” Fatima had ruled. It seems “damage” automatically becomes “wear and tear” if you don’t do anything about it at the time. Clearly bonkers but the key point is that as soon a Fatima pressed the “no” button, that was it. She wasn’t authorised to unpress it. That was that. Doesn’t matter if you subsequently clear up the confusion… it’s done. On your file. Case closed.

I asked to speak to a manager. Fatima assured me there wasn’t one. After a little back and forth, she said, “If you don’t agree, you’ll have to take it up with my manager, I’ll go and get him”… silence… Me: “So you lied to me?”… Fatima : “No I didn’t. Please hold while I get him”.

So I speak to the manager who was perfectly civil and I explain what a model employee Fatima was but that I didn’t think she was helping the company’s image much. Manager explains that he will review the recorded call and let me know later in the afternoon.

Yep, you guessed it. Nothing happens..

Later that day, I call O2. They put me through to The Listening Company. 35 Minutes later, still on hold, I give up.

I’ll will update this post as and when it happens.

However, in the meantime, I thought I’d share some tips on what I’ve learnt during my first claim, other than never use O2′s insurance…
So, assuming you have insurance…

• The insurance is dealt with by a separate company whose sole job is seemingly to not pay out a claim wherever possible. The ‘wear and tear” clause seems to be their best friend.
• First, remember all calls are recorded and are used to settle disputes, so be nice but annoyingly specific when needed.
• Before you start the conversation, I’d suggest you agree very specifically that you want the operator to summarise the entire claim evidence verbally before they make an assessment to double-check that you are happy that the evidence you have given is complete.
• Once they press the ‘computer says no’ button, this can’t be undone and I assume the record stays on your file. Hence why it’s important to feel you had the chance to say EVERYTHING you felt was appropriate and they have repeated it back to you.
• Assuming your was dropped and cracked… if they ask you ‘did you drop it’, say yes. Go straight to claim.
• If they ask you how it got damaged, give it both barrels. Don’t give them any cause to try and call it wear and tear. Don’t lie (obviously) but it seems you have to be as blunt and dramatic as possible of jolt them out of automatically classing it as wear and tear. I.e. “It fell off the table and smashed”. DON’T say “I’m not sure exactly when it happened, I only noticed it last week, I think I may have knocked it but I do it so often, it’s hard to tell what actually cracked it”. You may be describing the same incident, but one will get a much easier path the other they will try and claim that as ‘wear and tear’ to get out of the claim.
• Don’t dither about the timing. It seems this is one of the main contributing factors to the ‘wear and tear’ ruling. So phone up as soon as it happens to avoid being suckered.

As I say, this is my first experience so maybe this is just how it is. Heaven knows how much I’ve paid for insurance over the years and it’s dawning on me just why the insurance sector is so well paid.

It seems I’m not alone either… oh dear. Average of 1.3 out of 5.

Still, look on the positive side, I did learn something today. The Listening Company is an oxymoron.

Just digging through my photos of the Goodwood Festival of Speed back from 2009 and came across this gem. Sadly Peter Fonda passed away earlier this year so this photo is even more poignant.

I note the heath and safety brigade have added indicators, a front disc brake and mudguards to the Captain America replica. Man, the 60′s were wild (so I’ve told).

And if you have no idea what I’m talking about… he’s the one at the back.