AMC ANORAK
Matchless – and AJS, for they were pretty much identical – sprang into the brave new world of the parallel twin with a machine which was bang up to date for its time. And they dodged the moneysaving tactic of converting their existing pre-war frames from rigid – no rear springing – into often clumsy plunger types, which were usually simply a lashup pretending modernity. Matchless’s first G9 500 came with a swinging arm right from the start. And it’s pretty good, by the standards of the day.
The engines themselves attempted to fix all the supposed flaws of Triumph’s original twin, the excellent-named Speed Twin. To this end, they included a central shell-type main bearing to better support the crankshaft and controlling both flex and vibration. And, to be fair, the engines are pretty smooth … but no more so than a contemporary Norton or BSA. Matchless also attempted to avoid the notable Triumph oil leaks by eliminating exposed pushrod tubes and external oil feeds, while at the same time fitting unstressed covers over the rockers, rather than separate rockerboxes. They also
– and Royal Enfield also did this – used separate castings for the cylinder barrels and heads; so the left-side head and barrel are separate from the right-side, but are joined together by a stout triangular head steady. And these engineering solutions combine with the early swinging arm frame to produce a ride which is recognisably distinct from contemporary twins from the other major Brit players.
As you would expect of a lowcompression, gently-cammed, singlecarb twin sparked by a magneto, these engines are easy to start. And they’re quiet mechanically, too – at least they should be. Some gentle rattles from the pair of big-finned all-alloy heads is acceptable, but tapping and clattering are warning signs of unhappiness within.
They’re also ridiculously easy to ride, pulling away from tiny revs and small throttle openings as easily as any big single. The clutch and gearbox are both Burman items on the earlier bikes, and these are robust and excellent, if a little ponderous. By the time the featured machine rolled off the Plumstead assembly lines, the box and clutch had been changed to AMC’s own excellent device, which was actually a development of the earlier Burman, pretty much.
It’s easy to form an opinion that Matchless’s fine 500 twin is less lively than, say, a pre-unit Triumph or BSA, but in fact it’s not. The AMC engines deliver similar power at lower revs than the Triumph, and are more like the Norton and BSA in the way they work, but it is sadly true to say that the later unit-construction 500 Triumphs are genuinely quicker off the mark … but only a little. Whereas Triumph’s unit twins were introduced with a light, compact and some would say flimsy frame, the Matchless G9 used the same rolling chassis as the 650 twin, and the seriously sturdy duplex device fitted to this 1961 example is no lightweight. But… it handles brilliantly, with steering on a par with Norton’s famous featherbed.
BSA also burdened their 500 twin with the same running gear as the 650s, with pretty much the same result.
On the road, the G9 is fast enough to cruise at 60-65, with handling to match, an excellently comfortable riding position … and brakes best described as ‘adequate’. They’re not great; as good as the Triumph, maybe not so good as Norton’s fine fullwidth device.
You sit upright, easily on control of everything, with great views, sounds, steering and bendswinging. The alternator electrics are very reliable, and this generation of machine boasts sparks supplied by a distributor, so no expensive magneto to rebuild. All in all, if you’re after a rewarding, reliable and responsive machine to ride, with an excellent owners’ club and fine spares availability, then give a G9 a whirl. And The One To Have? This one, the 1961, just about the end of the line, with few faults and considerable charm. Tell them we sent you…