Matchless mistakes

I read and thoroughly enjoyed the Matchless twin article in the latest issue but would like to make a few observations. The Speed Twin wasn’t the first parallel twin bike, not even among Triumph’s own models – it had the Val Page – designed 6/1 from 1933, but many other parallel twins came earlier. Scott offered its two-stroke from as early as 1908, for example.

You mention a 180-degree crankshaft, but I think the Matchless was conventional British 360-degree crank. A 180 crank is what’s fitted to the Honda CB72, with pistons rising and falling alternately.

Lastly, you refer to a Rocket Gold Star, but wasn’t this a BSA model? Perhaps you meant ‘Coffee Shop Racer’, the nickname of the Matchless CSR? These are only small points; excuse me making them, as the article was a very interesting read.

Robert Gunn.

Thanks Robert for highlighting this for readers – the last thing we want to do is confuse potential owners – and sorry for the errors. Truth is, I simply forgot the 6/1 and never even thought of the Scott, or others. I know the crank is a 360-degree item yet still wrote it incorrectly. But the Rocket Gold Star reference was intimating that the CSR model was Matchless’ rival to the RGS – Matt