MATCHLESS G3/L Army (1941-1947) Specs, Performance & Photos

Matchless is one of the oldest British motorcycle manufacturers. It was founded in 1899, the same year the company's first bike was officially built. The company became famous mostly thanks to the 750cc models Silver Hawk and Silver Arrow but also thanks to its long history of racing.

In 1931, Collier & Sons, the company's real owner, decided to buy AJS, another motorcycle firm included in the Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) founded in 1938. AMC was a large company started by the Collier brothers, including Norton.

One motorcycle in their range was the Matchless G3/L Army, which, as its name suggests, was made for the British Army during the Second World War. The company produced around 80,000 G3 and G3/L units. The G3/L was the most popular motorcycle used during the war because it used a Teledraulic suspension system instead of a girder front fork.

The bike had features like a round headlight up front, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, a single sprung seat, a luggage rack on the rear, a single exhaust system with a silencer mounted on the right-hand side, a center stand, and wire-spoke wheels.

Regarding power, the 1941 Matchless G3/L Army had installed a 344cc two-stroke single-cylinder air-cooled engine at its core that delivered 16 hp with a peak force at 5,200 rpm.