HARRIS MATCHLESS G80

When the G80 model is mentioned, most CBG readers will think of the postwar single-cylinder Matchless. It had the generic ‘jampot’ rear suspension and is perhaps the perfect example of the British ‘thumper’ single. Yet there’s another G80 that may not spring quite so readily to mind...

After the British industry’s amalgamations in the 1960s, there were only Matchless singles produced until 1967, with the AMC concern folding, shortly to be followed by the rest of the British bike industry. Almost. I say ‘almost’ as there were a few embers glowing in the fireplace of British industry, including a certain Les Harris, who was continuing the build of Triumph Bonnevilles – the T140 version – under licence between 1985 and 1988 after the Meriden factory closed in 1983. It was clear that Harris wanted to expand his operation, obviously aware that the Triumph deal had a limited lifespan, and he set up the new Matchless Motorcycles company in 1987.

With the name in place, and with a supply of chassis components already set up with the production of the Bonnevilles, Harris launched a new G80, complete with a Rotax powerplant, which stayed in production until 1990.

Being shortly after the British bike industry had collapsed, when early Japanese bikes were just starting to be referred to as classic, and before the world had a chance to even start thinking about UK-built bikes having metric fasteners (god forbid!), this period was always going to be difficult for a small volume manufacturer or a bike that – to all intents and purposes – relied on the tradition of big singlecylinder, classically-styled motorcycles.

Strangely, given that the Harris bikes were built in the UK (Newton Abbot in Devon, to be precise) and how the current climate has welcomed all manner of ‘British’ machines with open arms – think about the recent Royal Enfield twins that have broken sale records, the new BSA Gold Star, and smaller machinery such as the 125cc AJS despite, or maybe because of, the fact they’re built in foreign climes – the Harris G80 wasn’t received with as much joy as could have been hoped.

The irony cannot be missed that if the G80 was launched right now, it would quite possibly be a success (current emissions regulations permitting, of course).

Some of the parts used on the new G80 were exactly the same as those used for the last of the Bonnevilles. This made perfect sense given that not only were the supply chains in place, but also that the Harris store cupboard already had stock, with various bits of the rolling chassis and the seat base (!) being the same. But the new Matchless was powered by an Austrian Rotax four-stroke, being a single overhead cam (SOHC) engine of 500cc capacity. Aside from the Italian-made frame (which held the engine oil within its tubes), other components came from Italy included the Paioli suspension’s front forks and steeply-angled rear twin shocks, the Lanfranconi silencer, a Dell’Orto carb and Brembo disc brakes. Other components, such as the Varta battery and Magura switchgear, were sourced from Germany, with the Austrian engine making for quite the European union.

However, being priced at £2700 (about

£500 more than other motorcycles of similar specification), this was not a successful machine and production ended by 1990 with an alleged

850 units made and sold. Consequently, while they’re not common, they do appear fairly often in auctions and on online sales listings.

Aside from the usual black, the G80 was also made in a glorious burgundy and an unusual silver. The classic good looks were brought together by designer Brian Jones and do have a certain style reminiscent of older British singles, perhaps with a hint of Sanglas 500 thrown in…

It’s a style perhaps a little too mainstream for potential purchasers of the late 1980s, but that bench seat, the time-honoured fuel tank shape and the conventional arrangement speedo/rev counter clocks, idiot lights and ignition haven’t aged like so many other machines from the period. You only have to look at the designs of modern bikes such as any Royal Enfield or several Triumphs to see that the look brought by the Harris G80 is still in vogue.

Despite the range of high quality components used, it did seem to get the reputation of being something of a parts bin special, a somewhat unfounded and cruel moniker for a bike built with some of the best parts available; nowadays it’d probably be referred to as having ‘premier parts for a boutique feel’, although it’s perhaps

“Some of the parts used on the new G80 were exactly the same as those used for the last of the Bonnevilles, which made perfect sense given that not only were the supply chains in place, but also that the Harris store cupboard already had stock.”

better viewed as a good-looking commuter and back lanes blaster rather than something to be parked in a corporate office…

The single overhead cam Rotax engine was a popular choice for companies outsourcing a single cylinder powerplant. As well as by Harris’s Matchless operation, Bolton boys CCM, it became the MZ factory’s first four-stroke once the two-stroke engine design had been sold to Turkish manufacturer Kanuni, as well as the military bikes built by Armstrong/ Bombardier (that were also badge engineered as Harley-Davidsons despite originally being an SWM model, built in Milan)... among others. The Austrianbuilt engine was available in different capacities, from 350cc to 600cc, and the compatibility of the different versions means that lots of spare parts are available, second-hand and new. The same can be said for other components, with the likes of Brembo, Lafranconi and Paioli being well-catered for.

The oiling system needs to be primed each and every time the oil is changed, and not everyone remembers to do this – or does it competently. If the engine sounds a little like a bag of spanners, don’t let the owner’s excuse of it being a rattly camchain fool you. It’s not. Partly because the Rotax has a cambelt hidden behind the left-hand engine cover that makes for an easy(ish) belt change. A more likely issue is that of the sprag clutch, which is easily heard when turning the engine over if there’s a problem.

As a European unit-construction engine, it’s a left foot gear-changer, with one down and four up, and the lowly power output has the side effect of a beautifullylight clutch action. All of which sounds terrifically convenient, but you have to get it started first.

That air-cooled Rotax engine has an ergonomicallychallenging left-hand side kick-starter, but for those folk who weren’t happy with either having to use their left foot in such a way, or weren’t comfortable with standing to the left side of the bike and kicking with the conventional (stronger) right leg, there was the option of having an engine fitted with an electric starter, such as that fitted to CCM models.

Despite the fact that the Rotax engine has a little window in the cam cover that shows a white section when the piston is at top dead centre, it doesn’t really help much, especially once the glass in that port has got stained and the white section of the cam correspondingly dirty. Try as I might, I have found no record of how many of the G80s that left Les Harris factory were fitted with the electric foot.

There was also the option of twin front discs, although one would have thought that a single

Brembo caliper biting on a 250mm disc would suffice in stopping what was a relatively lightweight machine.

Thanks to the fact that the engine (and derivatives thereof) was fitted to so many different bikes, spares availability is good, with parts available from Rotax itself. And as the engine has also proved popular in Supermono racing, and is still very competitive in flat track dirt racing both in the States and in the DTRA race programme here in the UK, there are also lots of tuning parts available.

Despite only making about 35bhp as standard, the engine can be reliable at more than 60bhp, making for quite a flighty little machine!