I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Information relating to the Matchless G80 or AJS Model 18 500cc Heavyweight.
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Rob Harknett
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by Rob Harknett »

To conclude, until machine numbers prove the bike's identity. UYG could be the bikes original reg. no. 1958 being the date it was first registered for civilian use. The machine numbers may also prove the bike to be one of those 12 G80's of the 1940 WD contract. It would be great if this proves to be correct. The chances of one of those bikes surviving is slim, to the extent of not even considering one has survived. Please keep us informed, I for one would be very interested in the bikes history, in particular, if it proves to be ex WD.
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sjr
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by sjr »

I have UYG on a bike recently imported from the States.
It happens to be 1955 but reimportation reg's are not necessarily specific to year of course.
Are we sure this bike is not an import?
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by G15 Roy »

sjr wrote:I have UYG on a bike recently imported from the States.
It happens to be 1955 but reimportation reg's are not necessarily specific to year of course.
Are we sure this bike is not an import?
The reg number UYG will just be an age related number and not much more.
Roy
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Rob Harknett
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by Rob Harknett »

G15 Roy wrote:
sjr wrote:I have UYG on a bike recently imported from the States.
It happens to be 1955 but reimportation reg's are not necessarily specific to year of course.
Are we sure this bike is not an import?
The reg number UYG will just be an age related number and not much more.
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As stated earlier UYG is a 1958 Yorkshire west riding number used between Feb. 58 to Mar. 58, I cannot find proof that any numbers that suffixed UGY were not used and later used as age related numbers. A 1958 UYG number could had been transferred to an older or newer vehicle.
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G15 Roy
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by G15 Roy »

As stated earlier UYG is a 1958 Yorkshire west riding number used between Feb. 58 to Mar. 58, I cannot find proof that any numbers that suffixed UGY were not used and later used as age related numbers. A 1958 UYG number could had been transferred to an older or newer vehicle.

The UYG numbers were used at some time last year as age related why I do not know but they were.
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Rob Harknett
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by Rob Harknett »

As Glass do not state the last numbers used, should they had not come to an end Roy. There is always the possibility some were left over, and later used as age related. Measham register of index numbers did state the last numbers used, if they did not use all. But they seem to had stopped their publications circa 1955. Last I have is 4th edition 1954/55. As the Yorkshire west riding records are archived with the Kithead trust, if anyone wants to check when their UYG reg. no. was issued, they can. Or they can check Glass Books, perhaps late 90's onwards to see when UGY was re introduced, but that would not mean much unless they give the first numbers that went with UYG when re introduced and used as age related numbers.
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Colin F
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by Colin F »

There seems to be a bit of confusion here :headbang:


There are 2 runs of UYG numbers, UYG 123 and 123 UYG.
According to my Glass's Index (1965 edition, last of the old format) Notes UYG 123 being issued in 1958 (no mention of an end number which is usually the case if there were any unissued) 123 UYG range was never issued. So these are the ones that have been used for age related numbers.
The original post does not mention which range the number is in so it is either a 1958 registered bike or an age related plate.

If it was a military bike and passed into civilian hands in 1958 it would be issued with a registration current at that time.
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Rob Harknett
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by Rob Harknett »

Colin F wrote:There seems to be a bit of confusion here :headbang:


There are 2 runs of UYG numbers, UYG 123 and 123 UYG.
According to my Glass's Index (1965 edition, last of the old format) Notes UYG 123 being issued in 1958 (no mention of an end number which is usually the case if there were any unissued) 123 UYG range was never issued. So these are the ones that have been used for age related numbers.
The original post does not mention which range the number is in so it is either a 1958 registered bike or an age related plate.

If it was a military bike and passed into civilian hands in 1958 it would be issued with a registration current at that time.
The latest index registry book I have is 1995 ( not Glass, its one the reg. no. dealers use, goes back to 1903.) UYG had not been reversed by 1995.
Yorshire west riding went on from UYG, to VYG, WYG & XYG so ending that series, So I assumed UYG would had gone to UYG 999. I also assumed we are only considering UYG as a prefix to numbers. No mention of an end number Colin, but there is mention of a start and end date/month. If a series is still in use on the book publication date , on end date/month is given.
Just another thought. If I had a Matchless G80 1940 or 1955 and an old 500 cc Matchless UYG 123 tax disc. Could I had claimed that reg. no. for the bike, with just that old tax disc, before the recent changes preventing the use of an old tax disc as evidence to re claim a number? This could explain how some bikes get a reg. no. that does not agree with date of manufacture. I have a 1955 G3/LS with GKM the V5 came with the bike back in 1985 when I brought it. GKM was 1940/1941. How did my bike get that number? I can only assume, at the time GKM 671 was not on the road when all registrations went to Swansea. So was given to my bike as a re allocated age related number. This would also be the reason for the UYG age related numbers Roy has discovered. Perhaps I was lucky I got the original number ABM 714 back for my 1936 AJS via many old tax disc's, ( and two inspections from DVLA Chelmsford. ) I was lucky AMB 714 had not been re allocated, so got it back. I think we can agree, although Glass books etc. cannot confirm all numbers that are age related. Those that are not confirmed, must be numbers re allocated, from vehicle's not " registered on the road " when Swansea took over. So Roys findings of machines with age related UYG numbers are in fact what we could term as " re allocated age related numbers"
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by Richard Mills »

In case it's of any help in confirmation of what has been said before, I have recently bought a 1958 motorcycle which had just been given an age-related registration of 550 UYG.
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Re: I have a feeling I'm in the right place...

Post by Matt Durkin »

Right guys... Im back.... you are are aware that my Dad passed away recently, mid restoration and I have promised I will finish it, one way or another.

I have been to my Mums today again, and got some photos, but I do have to apologise so much for the war rumour... I have remembered what Dad told me and had it confirmed by the reg number I have photographed for you today, It was in fact used by Ugandan military or police. There is also a sticker on the left side of the plate, possibly some form of foreign tax sticker stating Uganda.

Here is the number plate. UYG 230

(can anyone help with informing how I post pics up here please?)

I also have a few photos and hopefully a video of the bike both in its pre restoration state and currently as it stands at the moment.

Im turning to you guys for a bit of guidance in the right direction as to model so I can get on with the loom next please.

Im very humbled at your interest in the bike, or at least origins.

Kind regards, photos and a short video to follow, bear with me, Im not over-savvy with computers :)
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