new Matchless CSR 650 and some question..

[maurizio66]

Salve,
few weeks ago I bought a CSR 650, from the documents is 1966 but probably 1965 as we have seen some similar pictures on a brochure, please if you can help me I have two questions ( for the moment...) one is about the colour of the bike in the pictures below, because I don't know if it's original or not, as I read 1965 could be cherry or tartan red, the second one is technical, this bike as been restored on the 2007 and then stopped for the previous owner for reasons of age, the engine start well and go up very easy, there is just some oil leak that we will try to fix, during a tour of about 100 km we noticed that sometimes horns and lights did not work but the bike runs regular and once we stopped to check the problem, after a while they start to work again, seem to be the problem appear when the bike is hot and disappear when became cooler, we have some experience on triumph engine, but is the first time with this wonderful bike and any suggestion from expert people like you could help,






Thank you, Maurizio

[Expat]

Hi Maurizio,
Sorry I can't help with your questions but your bike looks really good. Hope you get the answeres' you need.

Steve

[robcurrie]

Maurizio, I can't help regarding the exact colour, but your electrical problem could be the battery that is not charging properly. What does the ammeter show while you are driving? It could be bad contacts on the battery terminals or the light switch The electrical system will not affect the engine running because it runs on a magneto ignition.
It is a nice looking bike, best of luck in finding the problem so you can enjoy it properly.

Rob C

[saltbox alf]

Hi Maurizio, very nice bike. Electrical problems are often the same for most bikes. High resistance at a terminal, tired battery, corroded connections etc.
If it has not been run for some years the battery is the first thing to suspect as faulty.

ditto Robs points.

[SPRIDDLER]

Welcome to the Forums, Maurizio.
'Normally' the horn is wired direct from the battery and does not route through any switches except the horn button on the handlebars. It should still work when everything is switched 'off' and the engine stopped. If your bike wired this way it would suggest that if the lights and the horn stop working there is a bad connection from the battery to the frame - i.e. the battery 'earth' wire.

As far as the colour is concerned I think that the red on yours is a bit dull and should be more like the brighter red 'M' on your engine timing side cover, but I know very little about colours, having had only black AMC bikes.
It may be just the way the light is falling in your photos but to my eye the there seem to be different reds on the petrol and oil tanks.

[bjork]

Welcome Maurizio, that looks a very nice bike too! As Spriddler says it's hard to judge the colour by a photo but it looks pretty correct to me. The oil leaks should not be too difficult to fix and the electrics are the same Lucas parts that Triumph used as well.
There is a lot of information on this forum and in the archives. It's worth studying where the oil feeds and filters are, also where the crankcase breather is if you want to keep the oil inside.

[maurizio66]

I take a tour this afternoon and when horn and lights start to do not work I checked the battery and i have
12 volts and more when increase revs but following your suggestions i changed the battery with a new one and everything start to work again, i will check in the next days on the road after a checking of all connections even if the wire are like new.

I cleaned the oil filter in the tank oil, the filter behind the release valve and drained the sump where is fitted a magnetic filter and a small quantity of oil comes out, but i do not understand if I have to drain also the chaincase side and most important of all as you suggest as i have some small leak in the center junction of the case in the front side how can i check the crankcase breather system? May be the cause of leakage?

Anyway i found the torque spec and tomorrow i will retorque cilinder bolt and check the case as bolt seem to be lack of tight,
Thank you to you all for your help, Maurizio

[robcurrie]

The chaincase is separate from the engine, but the engine breather at the end of the crankshaft can breath engine oil into the primary case. If the bike stands unused for a while, like a week or two, oil from the tank can drain through the pump into the crankcase and eventually overflow through the roller bearing into the primary case. Because of this, I suggest that you use the same oil in the primary as you use in the engine. The oil level in the primary should be to just touching the chain. If it's any higher it gets splashed around too much and can spill out various holes.

The oil leak at the front of the crankcase might be reduced by retightening the bolts, if not you will have to live with it until the engine is out for a rebuild, when I recommend that you do the conversion to an o-ring for the oil gallery.

I'm holding thumbs that your electrical problem is now fixed.

Rob C

[JEAN-NOEL]

Hi Maurizio,
What a beautiful bike !
Just like mine I am restoring.
I think yours it's a 1965, with Zig Zag lining on fuel tank. 1966 (very rares) have "smouth" lining.
It seems to be original, with its "cigar" muffler.
Mine is slightly different : optionnal tacho, twin carb, 2 silencers, K2FR mag, and perhaps full speed kit. (I have to check camshafts to be sure).
My bike was first registered in France in 1965 february, but : engine & gear box seems to be 1964, and frame number don't match !
But in France, frame number is the same since 1965, and I own it since 1993.
I think the best way to do for you, is to join the Club, and get a dating letter.
Io parlo l'Italiano, se é piu facile per lei !
Cheers.

Jean-Noel

[jon w]

Gorgeous bike.

The lights and horn sounds like a ground issue. Have had similar on my CSR. Check the connection between the battery and the frame, the horn and the frame and the headlight and the frame with the handlebars at various points. If you have an ignition switch check this as well as they can give strange symptoms.