1966 MATCHLESS 500 G85CS:
FROM PLUMSTEAD ROAD
BY TOM WHITE
The first Matchless single-cylinder motorcycle rolled off the assembly line in 1901. In 1905 Matchless began manufacturing motorcycles
using J.A. Prestwich V-twin engines, and by 1912 the
company was producing its first complete in-house
machine. In 1931 Matchless bought AJS and became a
powerhouse in British road bikes. The 1966 G85CS
(CS for Competition Scrambler) was designed to
compete against the new generation of lightweight
two-stroke motocross bikes from CZ, Husqvarna, Bultaco
and Greeves, but it had little chance of doing so with its
318-pound weight and its old-school design.
The G85 was a duplex-type chassis that borrowed
much of its design from the Rickman brothers. The light-
weight forks had been used successfully by Norton. The
front hub was machined to reduce weight, and a magne-
sium rear hub was standard. Even the 318-pound weight
was light when compared to the previous Matchless G80
CLASSIC IRON
108
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