The Engine That Wouldn't Die

The Engine That Wouldn't Die

ROUNDUP

AS A TYPE. MOST COMPETITION motorcycle engines are as perishable as puppy love, but the Matchless G50 has proven itself to be an important exception. About 220 of these high-revving, sohc wonders were built in England between 1959 and 1962; their endurance has been such that today they form the backbone of historic 500cc roadracing in Britain and elsewhere. (See “Oldies but Goodies,” Cycle World, August, 1987).

The demand for this classic single-cylinder powerplant remains so great, and prices of original exampies so high (a complete G50powered racebike can cost $35,000), that British engineer Mick Rutter has begun building G50 replica engines externally identical to the original except for contemporary magnetos and carburetors. The only changes to the Rutter Engineering G50, as the new engine is called, are metallurgical in nature and were made in the interest of further increasing reliability.

The first customer engine completed four laps around the 37-mile Mountain Course at the Isle of Man without a problem last September during the Manx Classic GP. and Rutter has commenced series production to satisfy the more than 200 engine orders he's already received. Says Rutter, “The response to what began as more or less a part-time project has exceeded my wildest dreams. I've closed down the rest of my engineering business to concentrate on the G50 engine.”

Although Matchless replica frames are readily available, Rutter says he isn't interested in fabricating complete G50 motorcycles. But as soon as he catches up with the demand for the G50 engine. Rutter does have plans to build a replica of the Seeley Condor, a now-coveted, limited-production roadbike, last made in 1971. that used the Matchless engine. -Alan Cathcart