africanjon Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 Does anybody have any experience with these bikes? I have an opportunity to pick on up and would love any opinions. I would not use for trials but rather as a round town bike to run errands on. Cheers Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan wellback Posted May 24, 2014 Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 Hi, the designation g80 means the motor left the factory as a 500, cs means competition with rear suspension. have you seen it ? could have started its life as a scrambler. as its almost 60 years old the chances of it being different from factory spec is quite high! A few pictures would help to identify things. as for riding,i enjoy both road and comp models. all parts available,with a good club scheme for the really rare ones. if the price is right for you, fill your boots and enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
africanjon Posted May 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 Hi Stan, Current owner thinks it was the scrambler version, he has the jampots, and the light was added. Not pristine but could be a fun bike to ride? He did mention that the oil once flooded the cylinder head, he did not realize there was an adjustment for that. He added a small brass valve in line to adjust the oil. Otherwise it has good compression and starts easily. Am torn between this and a 65 Tiger cub. Decisions, decisions! Jon 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gautrek Posted May 25, 2014 Report Share Posted May 25, 2014 image.jpg Hi Stan, Current owner thinks it was the scrambler version, he has the jampots, and the light was added. Not pristine but could be a fun bike to ride? He did mention that the oil once flooded the cylinder head, he did not realize there was an adjustment for that. He added a small brass valve in line to adjust the oil. Otherwise it has good compression and starts easily. Am torn between this and a 65 Tiger cub. Decisions, decisions! Jon HHHMMM lets see this or a Cub. Well thats easy. Why would any sane person buy a Cub? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
africanjon Posted May 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 I am all ears but what does sanity have to do with it? It is either a 60 year old bike or a 50 year old bike! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gautrek Posted May 26, 2014 Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 Its either a very nice sought after bike which will be lots of fun to ride. Or a Cub which was poor when it was new and hasn't got much better over the years. Or to put it another way a nice 500cc single to plod around town on or a 200cc single you will have to thrash the nuts off to be anywhere near safe in modern traffic. Its no contest 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon v8 Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 A 500 Matchbox or a horrid Cider tub - No contest ! The Matchless is a far better bike,the main reason being that the engine wont insist on trashing itself every ten minutes.Tiger Cubs are nice in shop window displays,but hard work to keep going,even worse in a hot climate... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 (edited) Hi, When I was in the Royal Air Force (having swapped from National Service to short term regular so that we could be married) and returned from a two-year stint in Cyprus I wrote to BSA to ask about a Gold Star, to Triumph to ask about a Trophy and to AMC to ask about a G80CS, all with changes to the standard spec. BSA and Triumph wrote back and said 'buy a standard' then do what you want with it. AMC passed my request to Hugh Viney, who wrote to me to say I could have it assembled absolutely to my own spec provided it used parts from existing models - but if I wanted anything different to the catalogue spares, then they would make it for me at cost in the Comp Shop. I ordered a G80CS with a slightly lowered compression ratio (compression plate fitted under the cylinder) wide ratio gears, Q.D. lights, dual seat, pillion footrests, trials tyres, etc. which was sold to me through Kings of Oxford with a personal note from Hugh Viney saying that my spec was almost identical to the works ISDT spec and similar to the spec. used by the Rhodesian Police! Mary and I did over ten thousand exhilarating miles on the bike - including several solo runs up the M1 motorway when it was first built and finished at Crick when I was on a course at Uxbridge and Mary went for a break to stay with her parents near Rugby. Each run up the new motorway was over ninety miles, there were no speed limits in those days and I spent just under the hour each time! We went to the very first Dragon Rally on it and left after ten minutes to climb up Snowdon and camp just under the summit........... We swopped the G80CS for a Panther when we needed to add a sidecar, which our first daughter was just over a month old when she went in it for the first time.......... Try that with a big-end massacring Cub. Deryk Wylde Edited May 28, 2014 by laird387 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davetom Posted May 28, 2014 Report Share Posted May 28, 2014 Great story of differing attitudes to customer service Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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