Matchless Model X - First Ride!

This video shows my first ride out on my newly acquired 1937 Matchless Model X! I'd spent quite some time (a few weeks) getting her ready for the road after she had been off the road for a number of years, giving her a full service and sorting out starting problems (a faulty magneto) and now it was finally time to take her out for the first time! It was wonderful to ride such a wonderful machine for the first time, and although the engine suddenly developed a misfire and I had to cut the ride short and head home, I loved every minute of it! Girder forks R us!!

[@freemenofengland2880]

That backwards running speedo is delightful. "Sorry Officer, but my speedo runs backwards!" 😂😂

[@Lyingleyen]

What an incredible looking machine - no wonder you were excited!!! 😁😁

[@brucecooper7905]

Fantastic video! Thank you so much! THIS is what it is all about!

[@Chris.rooke150]

Thanks. 👍

[@martinowl]

What a great looking bike. Hope you can get it sorted easily.

[@kelbymusselman2920]

Awesome a

[@Chris.rooke150]

Thanks.

[@40indyuk]

Nice bike sure you've got the patience if sort it out, low on the list but irks me visually the fender skirts blacked out! would look more magnificent matched it the red

[@Cobra427Veight]

Maybe your carb ,as you would have more throttle on going up hill ,and less throttle coming home ,and it ran better less load and fuel required.

[@Chris.rooke150]

That's what I thought, which was why I was playing with the choke to try and richen the mixture - but it didn't work. TBH I think that it possibly was a sticking valve as I never encountered the problem again and apparently that had happened to the engine before - fatally!!!

[@keithgarland3404]

Sticking valves ?

[@Chris.rooke150]

It could well have been. I never really got to the bottom of the problem. Having checked everything but found nothing untoward the bike has run perfectly ever since! I did grease the valves before I rode it, but it's quite possible one was still sticking and has now freed up.

[@bargeutube]

“One who knows” told me to always add an eggcup sized dollop,of 2 stroke oil to each tankful of fuel as it acts as an upper cylinder lubricant and helps oil,the valve stems.

[@RobertNewton-fi4xj]

Speed running backwards freemenofengland2880 ???? Looks fine to me at a steady 40 to 50 mph starts from 0 and indicates up to a wishful 100 plus are you viewing in a mirror ?

[@Chris.rooke150]

It's a (beautiful) Smith's Chronometric speedo. That's the way they are - the usual clockwise rotation, but starting from the top, not the bottom. 👍

[@michaelfirth1075]

Bike looks great.😊

[@Chris.rooke150]

Thanks. 👍