I love bikes, but let’s be frank, cyclists commuting through London on recumbents are really embarrassing. Like those people who do offroad riding on unicycles. You know who you are. Stop it.

Anyway, if you ride a Tron Legacy bike backwards, I think you could get away with it…

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 …

Just bought a Giant Omnium track bike and looking to get a set of road wheels. Now, being a bit of a designer, ye olde boring black and silver rims just bore me to death. Seems the British only like black and silver so I’ve got to get them custom built. My local bike shop, Bike & Run in East Finchley (who incidentally, have some right nice bikes in their new showroom!) are lined up to build ‘something’, just got to decide what colour. Luckily, Velocity do a range of bonkers colours (I already have orange ones on my MTB) so just a case of Photoshopping my bike with a few options and choosing.

Thought I’d share the results just in case it helps you decide your wheel conundrum too. I guess I should make this in flash some day so you can change the colours yourselves and change the frame colour. Maybe one day I’ll get the time…

I’ve uploaded the .PSD layered file here if you want to add your own frame in by hand. Just open the file in Photoshop, select the rim or hub layer and change the Hue/Saturation (Apple+U or CTRL+U on a PC).

(And yes, I know I’ve made the rear wheel radial too… just saved a bit of Photoshop time)

My job may be digital but I love nothing more than being up to my elbows in spanners and oily rags. “Come the Revolution” every bloke should know how to strip an engine, do an oil change and reset the cam timings… right?

Thanks to the guys on the forum at Real Classic I managed to unstick the clutch of my new plaything, a 1988 Harris Matchless G80 (the one with electric start and twing front discs). Those who know me would know this is not my usualy taste in bikes, but it was entrusted to me by a sadly departed ‘old boy’, so I’m giving it a good home in his honour.

So, like a kid with a new toy, I couldn’t wait for the new clutch case gasket to arrive so I assembled it anyway just to ride it up the road and back (yes I know the sprocket cover is still off). Very cool sound. Nice ‘fut, fut, fut’ from the 500cc Rotax single. Lots of people stopped and chatted. Annoyingly, I’ve got to take it all apart again to fit the new gasket, but at least I know the drill now. Will take some photos of the procedure to help any other poor soul doing battle with a Rotax 504 E strip down.

Anyhoo, a few pics to show you what it looks like…

Spent a couple of hours making our voices felt this evening in a mass demonstration against Westminster Council’s decision to charge bikes for free parking. They are the only council in the country, possibly the world and unfortunately, it’s all about money. It’s not so much the parking fee but also the over-zealous way they enforce it. Very grubby business but that’s Westminster Council for you.

It was an amazing event, really well run by NoToBikeParkingFees, MAG and the BMF to name but a few. There was a great atmosphere, the police were great and the public were very supportive (if not a little stunned at 1000 bikes revving and beeping their way past Parliament).

Of course, we’re all assuming the council didn’t give a second thought to the wishes of it’s subjects and will force through the bill. However, I feel this is just the start. And what a noisy, slightly smokey and passionate start it was. Axe the Tax indeed!

My father gave me a copy of “Motorcycle Scooter & Three-Wheeler Mechanics” a few years back and we both picked out the same machine as ‘the cool one’… a 1958 Gold Star. Weird how genetics work. Some of the ads are fantastic, so thought I’d share…

Nothing changes!

Corker Helmet

BSA 350 Star

Belstaff Ad

Triumph Thunderbird

Scramblers from 1961

Brands Hatch - Druids

Road Racers

Check out he last one

Cheer up Mr. Hammond!

Bond Minicar

Enfield Constellation 700

Messerschmitt Car

Bike Prices in 1961

Velocette Advert

Reliant and Halfords ad