1966 Matchless G2 CSR JKH 80D

[gilburton]

I've just aquired this bike with lots of history and it appears to have had an older restoration although it has suffered a bit since then and has not been on the road for some years.
I have some paperwork which indicates it had a full bottom end rebuild by A. Gagg.
It was first registered in Hull and passed through different owners in that area to Boston then it ended up in Reading/Basingstoke.
It's still quite sound and solid and appears to be all there so my intention is to get it up and running rather than a full restoration.
I also have some evidence that it may have been known to the club.
At the moment I am a guest member BUT as I live in Kettering I've no doubt I'll be a full member before long and knocking on the door in Robinson Way once I assess what it needs.
It's my first AJS/Matchless as in my youth I was a BSA man (sorry for swearing }

[clanger9]

Welcome gilburton! I hope you like your new bike. I know I like mine and there are a few of us here trying to champion the Lightweight cause...

Unlike the Heavyweights that seem to be blessed with decent factory documentation and (mostly) plentiful spares, Lightweights are sometimes a bit of a guessing game.
So expect a bit of puzzling out "What on earth were they thinking?" while staring at three different versions of the truth in different workshop manuals. All part of the fun!

I'd definitely get it running first before you restore it. In my experience, there's not a huge amount of fun to be had from a box o' bits...

[Rob Harknett]

I have a 1966 G2CSR in its original condition. All I did was what should be expected, check oil, points, plug, carb, fuel tank. Clean if required. Connected a battery, it started and ran on, almost first kick. For many years the light weights have been neglected. So repro parts available are mainly for the heavyweights. S/H parts are still quite plentiful. Get to know your bike first, if you had a BSA C15 you will find the G2 CSR similar. If the bike needs to be re registered, it may be a good idea to join the club and immediately start to benefit being a club member. We could compare pictures as you progress in getting the bike sorted.
The Heart of England section of the club meets about 20 miles south of Kettering close to the A509 at Stoke Goldington. So not too far away for you to meet fellow club members when you join. You are sure to be welcome and get plenty of help from them.

[gilburton]

Thanks.
The previous owner has made a half hearted attempt to rewire it with a new loom but not a lot has been connected up so that will be the first task.
It has a great front mudguard in chrome but the rear is painted silver as are the wheels/headlamp rim. Maybe a case for alloy guards and put the genuine stuff in store??
I'm on holiday for a couple of weeks but after that I'll start to look at it in earnest. It came with points/condensor and resistor wire.
Main problem is finding out where everything goes but I'll get there as I have been riding since I was 16 and if you didn't learn how to repair your bike it didn't get repaired.
My first bike was a BSA C10

[gilburton]

Ok I've made a start on connecting the loom but some of the colours don't appear to match the original wiring diagram.
After a bit of research it would appear the new loom is made to fit a few bikes and misses out the resistor.
Does anyone have a diagram of the replacement loom whoever made it?
I haven't decided whether to convert to 12v and electronic ignition so no decision has yet been made about keeping the resistor and/or 6v.
All I want to do at the moment is to get the engine up and running so the more of the wiring I can connect the better as I shan't be running it for long so the resistor shouldn't come in to play.
Once I know the engine is basically ok I'll start to make it roadworthy and (hopefully) do something about the chrome that has been painted silver if I can find some cheap parts lol.
This won't be a full nut/bolt/paint restoration just enough to make it tidy and useable.
I've found out the last SORN ran out in 1991 so it has been languishing in a shed all these years.

[shifter]

Its nice to see another G2 getting brought back to life

[clanger9]

Hi Gilburton,

If you aren't too fussed about originality, then I'd definitely recommend 12v conversion. It's easy using a 3-phase electronic regulator and the wiring loom is much, much simpler because there's no need for the load resistor & emergency circuit. Mine produces enough charge to run a 55w halogen headlamp(!) and the battery is always charged.

Here are some photos of my setup. Not especially pretty (or original), but it works perfectly. Happy to send details...

[shifter]

I wouldn't mind the info to change my daughters G2 to 12 if you don't mind

[clanger9]

Sure! Here's a summary of a 12v negative earth conversion.

Parts list is:

- PODtronics 3 phase 12v rectifier-regulator (30-odd quid on eBay).
- YTX5L-BS 12v 4Ah battery (available everywhere, I prefer the sealed type)
- 12v coil (widely available, I prefer the ones with screw terminals)
- 12v horn (optional - a 6v one will still work)
- 12v bulbs. You can get LED ones on eBay for next to nothing. They are much brighter and use far less power.

Ammeter, points, condenser are all unchanged.

For wiring, connect the three yellow wires from the regulator directly to the three alternator wires (any colour). There is no need for any other connection to the alternator.
I mounted the regulator where the coil used to be (it fits straight on), and then mounted the coil up where the air cleaner normally is, as my bike doesn't have one.
The black wire from the regulator goes to earth. The red wire charges the battery via the ammeter.
The battery negative goes to earth. The battery positive line should have a 10A inline fuse as soon as possible after the terminal and then run to the ammeter. This is important, because a modern battery will happily output 80 amps or more - enough to start a fire if something goes wrong...
I found that the (bigger) battery didn't always stay put with the original rubber strap, so I made a steel strap to hold it more securely.
Make sure the coil is wired the right way around. Most are marked +/- (which is easy), but some are marked C/E and it's easy get it the wrong way round. If you do this, the spark polarity will be wrong and potentially cause a misfire and/or difficult starting.

I think that's more or less it.

The tricky part is in arranging/understanding the Wipac switches in the headlamp. I settled on using "I" for ignition and abandoned the "E" circuit (because it is no longer needed). I think I also arranged the switch to disconnect the regulator from the battery in the "O" position (to make sure there is no battery drain when parked up). I can dig out the connection details if anyone is interested.

Possibly worth the effort if you are doing a rewire: I get a nice fat spark, it starts first kick, it's always charged and I have modern lights. Not original, but at least I can use the bike on today's roads without too much worry...

PS: if you are thinking of using an LED headlamp, be warned there is all sorts of random rubbish out there. It took me a couple of goes to find one that worked properly and had a reasonable dip/main pattern. I found this one for about £15 that does an excellent job. It is super-bright, though technically not legal in the UK. I'm sure there are other suitable ones available, though I don't think any aftermarket LED lamps are currently approved for UK use. Me, I prefer to see and be seen...

PPS: that's a lovely-looking G2, shifter!! You should be able to hide all the 12v bits behind the toolbox cover as it'd be a shame to spoil the look with anything obviously modern.

[shifter]

Thanks clanger9
That sounds easy and not an expensive way to change from 6 to 12v I am not bad at doing mechanical/bodywork and I do straight forward joining of electrics but adapting/altering electrics is not my thing (fire scares me). But this looks like a job to be done with all the rest over the winter again thanks