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MATCHLESS G80 The classic British Single reborn?

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TRUE BELIEVERS IN THE GOSpel of the British bike may find cause for rejoicing: The famed flying M, symbol of Matchless-a grand old name in motorcycling founded in 1899 by brothers Harry and Charles Collier, and in production until 1969-once again graces the tank of a British motorcycle.

But can the reborn Matchless G80 lay claim to being a logical extension of the Collier Brothers’ line? Or might it be apocryphal, a hodgepodge whose authenticity as a classic British Single is open to question? So we asked ourselves when the

G80 you see here appeared in the Cycle World garage. Oh, we wanted to believe; we own BSAs, we’re happy with the thump of a Velocette and we’re thrilled with the torque of a Vincent. But when it came to the G80, we suffered from skepticism. And after several weeks with the bike, we’re no less skeptical.

Whether or not a buyer will be happy with the G80 will depend greatly upon how he defines the larger concept of “motorcycle,” and upon the amount of lucre he’s willing to fork over for a machine which matches his concept. Lucre first:

The 1988 price for the G80 was $4500; by press time, the ’89 price had not been announced. Our bet is,

it won’t be any cheaper, and we suggest that if it’s a Matchless you want, $4500 will buy a fully restored classic Matchless. If it’s a new English motorcycle you want, be aware that while the frame of this motorcycle and some of its associated bits are manufactured in England, its 500cc Rotax engine is built in Austria and much the rest of the bike’ componentry is from Italy. Thus, the G80 is no more a classic British Singh than the Honda GB500.

But if it’s a simple, basic, no-nonsense motorcycle you’re looking for, one which places no special emphasis on national origin, you’re in the right pew. With a dry weight of 362 pounds and a wheelbase of 54 inches, the G80 is a tidy, compact package; its seat height, at 31 inches, the narrowness of its fuel tank and chassis, and its low, narrow handlebar cause the bike to feel more like a moped than a motorcycle and give it a nimbleness, particularly at traffic-jam speeds, which can be great fun to exploit. The one fly in the ointment was a tendency on the part of the engine in our test unit to cough and die at traffic lights, a tendency which made us happy the robust Single’s kickstarter was augmented by an electric-start button.

When it comes to keeping up with faster traffic or cruising at sporting speeds, the G80 is more vintage than modern. Its very upright seating position was not to our taste, and its engine, though capable of freeway speeds, really seems better suited to plonking along backroads at a relaxed pace.

Thus the G80 may not be everybody’s cup of tea. But Matchless’ 13 U.S. dealers are hoping that it will fill the cups of the faithful few. And they just might be right.

Jon F. Thompson