66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Information relating to the Matchless G15 or AJS Model 33 750cc twin. This also includes the G15 Mk II and the G15/45
Don Madden
Member
Posts: 2882
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 1990 12:00 am
Location: USA USA

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by Don Madden »

I have one of the big chrome tanks used on the later models but it is on my 1962 G80. I will not sell it, only trade for the correct 1962, hopefully with the ugly "Kneeknocker" badges first used that year. The 1962 does not have the center rib & the knee area is flat, originally fitted with stick on knee pads. Cheers, Don.
Gerard Harrison
Posts: 72
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:45 am
Location: Nassau USA

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by Gerard Harrison »

My scrambles tank would certainly fund the better part of the cost of a proper tank on the open market considering the great shape it is in...some P11/N15/G15 restorer would snatch it up on eBay...I'll get there at some point...

but for now I'll go with using it on this project. If it looks disproportionately small on the final assembly...like a fat man under a small hat... then I will step up the efforts

I just received my oil tank heat shield panel and foot pegs and yokes from Walridge excellent repops of the originals..very pleased...dropping that shield off with the painter tomorrow so he can start work on the tinware

The entire rear sub-frame assembly is near complete, powdered with all bits loosely preassembled/fitted. So I have that unit on the side awaiting the rest of the machine

If it warms up a little after the holidays I'll get the motor out of the main cradle and get that framework out for blasting and powdering

Once I have a decent rolling chassis then I will plunge into the motor rebuild...I have found that if I invest in the cosmetics, electrics and frame and all first...then I can sustain my enthusiasm to complete the rest of the bike's combustion/transmission mechanics no matter how foul they turn out to be.

Sonny Defeo of the old Ghost Motorcycle family went spelunking into one of their secret catacombs of old British spares last weekend and emerged with a beautiful complete NOS 19 inch Dunlop hub and rim assembly for me as well as an excellent NOS 18 inch Dunlop WM3 that I can lace up to my rear hub

For the benefit of those unfamiliar, Ghost was one of the largest British bike and Ducati dealers on the US Eastern Seaboard back in the 1960's and 1970's...the family lives across town from me.

With basket-case restorations, personal experience has shown me that I go cold, psychologically, on a project if I start off with fixing a bad motor...I lose some sort of emotional momentum for the balance of the project...if I can look at the majority of the machine in a finished state, simply awaiting a power plant...well the last leg of the journey becomes quite easy

I realize that is not necessarily a rational methodology but it is the one that works for me....and since when did "rational" have anything to do with this kind of pursuit anyway?Edited by - Gerard Harrison on 21 Dec 2010 05:58:14 AM
User avatar
John Donne
Posts: 303
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2003 12:00 am
Location: SURREY UK

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by John Donne »

The P11 series had four different types. The P11, P11A, P11A Ranger, and the P11A Ranger 750. There was also 5 different oil tanks produced. 3 alloy and 2 steel, and 4 different types of battery covers, and also two ignition systems.
The G15CSR petrol tank would be similar or almost the same as the stock G12 twin. Remember AMC were going broke so they may have used a gas tank from their other range of twins. They also also would have used the small plastic winged badges, and not the knee knocker type but the gas tank would have been dimentialy the same as the stock gas tank. The G15 Mk2's frm 1964 to 1965 would have used those larger badges on their gas tank.
User avatar
John Donne
Posts: 303
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2003 12:00 am
Location: SURREY UK

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by John Donne »

As you know Sonny from Ghost Motorcycles that would be a very interesting conversation to have about the days they raced their G15CS's and their P11's on their local dirt tracks. There bikes were also featured on a G15CS sales brochure. Sonny would be some one i would really like to talk to about his days concerned with selling, racing, and repairing the P11 and G15 series of bikes.
Gerard Harrison
Posts: 72
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:45 am
Location: Nassau USA

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by Gerard Harrison »

John, Sonny is an encyclopedia of knowledge on the days when they competed with the British bikes....we talk a lot and he does mention the days they competed and the guys who rode the bikes for Ghost He competed extensively as you probably know. The first bike I turned-around 15 years or so ago was a Triumph Trophy basket he sold me....not knowing me from Adam at the time, he tossed that one my way to see what would evolve

After seeing (and selling) that Triumph when I finished, he gave me a 1967 P11 basket he had stashed away that he knew he would never get around to putting together....guess he thought my work was good enough to do it justice. He knows I am a sucker for British road and scrambles bikes and usually calls me when he comes across one that he has found that is worthwhile and that he personally would like to see done-up nicely.....like this damn CSR for instance

You are absolutely correct on the P11 oil tanks 3 patterns and two different alloys. The P11A Ranger is not a bike I am familiar with...I had always assumed it was a straight migration from the P11 solo to the P11A (with dual wedge seat/low-pipe) then directly to the Ranger( with the bread loaf seat and low pipes)...did not know there was a model bridging the P11A to the final Ranger

Here's a link to a photo you might like of a Ghost rider in action, Sonny gave me this at the time I was doing the P11 and I lent it to the site owner at this link, who has used it accordingly: http://www.vintagenet.us/phantom/index.html

Sonny is at motorcyclewrld@aol.com (no "o" in wrld) he is dealing mostly in BMW bikes and parts of late but as I said, when he comes across an old Brit that resonates with him he usually tries to enlist me into his wish to see it rehabilitated....he knows his suckers :-)
Don Madden
Member
Posts: 2882
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 1990 12:00 am
Location: USA USA

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by Don Madden »

Iron John in Canada is now reproducing the alloy oil tanks the fit behind the engine on P11s. He has just finished the prototype to proof the tooling. Cheers, Don.
Gerard Harrison
Posts: 72
Joined: Sun Nov 21, 2010 6:45 am
Location: Nassau USA

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by Gerard Harrison »

quote:
Iron John in Canada is now reproducing the alloy oil tanks the fit behind the engine on P11s. He has just finished the prototype to proof the tooling. Cheers, Don.



That is great news for the P11 restorers....I hope he has built up good reinforcement around the top-mount studs...although these days I doubt few folks are still flogging these bikes off road
Don Madden
Member
Posts: 2882
Joined: Mon Jan 01, 1990 12:00 am
Location: USA USA

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by Don Madden »

I don't know about the details although he has sent me pictures of the tank. He is now working on a stainless steel version which should be very strong. Cheers, Don.
User avatar
John Donne
Posts: 303
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2003 12:00 am
Location: SURREY UK

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by John Donne »

Which one of the three alloy oil tans for the P11 is Ion John now producing. The one with out the drain plug or reinforcing, the one with the oil drain bolt and side reinforciing, or the one with the oil filler i the same position as the steel one, but with a drain plug and reinforcing. I know that they all exsist as i have two of them, and i have seen the third which must be really rare.
User avatar
John Donne
Posts: 303
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2003 12:00 am
Location: SURREY UK

66-67 G15CSR 18 inch rims or 19's???

Post by John Donne »

There was a P11A Ranger before the P11A Ranger 750. The P11A Ranger ended at 126123 and the P11A Ranger 750 started at 128646. There was 4 brochures produced for the P11 series, and one shows the P11A Ranger. There is alot of cosmetic differences between them also. There was never a parts book produced for the P11A Ranger 750 as it used a different frame, and many other modifications, that used the 035 part numbers. I would like to contact Sonny as he may be able to contribute to my P11 book that i am trying to complete.
Locked