Singles v Twins

[EddieDay]

I am just in the process of buying about 70% of a 1953 G3LS and hopefully about 60% of a WD G3L. So I have started reading threads on the G3/M16 forum in preparation. The seller is trying to persuade me to buy a G9 which he says is complete except for a crankshaft. But I can't get enthusiastic about it.
This morning I was reading a thread on a G3 engine rebuild and saw this comment by Spriddler.

"Much of it passed down courtesy of the Forum Elders although some from my 35 years with my own 350 and 500 singles (I've never been interested in twins)."

I have owned many twins and singles but seem to have gravitated towards singles as keepers. I wonder why that is? Spriddler, if you read this can you explain your preference for the one lungers? I am sure that others have the reverse preference.

[clive]

I hesitate to call Spriddler a dinosaur (which of course he is) but I spent 32 years riding only AMC singles apart from a brief flirtation with a G12. Sold that back to the previous owner who had seller's remorse and it turned out my reason for selling, which was terrible vibration at speed compared to the singles; was due to a badly out of balance front wheel.
Roll forward to 2012 and retirement and I finished a rebuild of 1958 G11CS. What a revalation; it reminded me of the acceleration of the Triumph 140V I had before it was stolen and I got into older bikes. So much so I purchased a second G11CS in road trim last year (sadly currently having an engine rebuild after I broke the crankshaft following an oiling issue)
So my experience is the twins are more fun to ride but perhaps a little more fragile, whilst the singles tend to carry on regardless of abuse!
I still have both in my garage.

[56G80S]

My only twins were Triumph and BMW! The former was pleasure the latter pain.

However, Clive is right about the singles taking abuse. My more recent problems have been the consequence of all the very hard work and little maintenance the G80S had in the earlier years of my ownership plus the age of the machine.

I've often, over the last few years, thought of getting an AMC twin. I've been dissuaded by a few things:

- prospect of knowing nowt. I do know quite a bit about my particular single although nowhere near enough;
- increased weight (this is an assumption, the Matchless is about 410lbs) versus increasing age;
- cramped space, although I did find room for the Yamahahaha I no longer have a workshop home for the Matchless now.

Johnny B

[SPRIDDLER]

Spriddler, if you read this can you explain your preference for the one lungers? I am sure that others have the reverse preference.

Simple, Eddie.

I have a fascination for their rudimental historic and traditional design, their robust reliability and the feeling of foetal reassurance from the steady throb of long stroke engines when far from home.

Singles have riders, twins have staff.

[Yak]

I've often wondered why the club raffle bike is always a twin (and where it came from and who restored it). One conclusion is singles may be more desirable and/or harder to find and so are "keepers". My mechanical acumen is suitable to the simplicity of the single which is good, as I love thumping around the quiet roads here.
Ray.

[Reynard24]

I believe the reason for twins as raffle bikes is that they are seen as more desirable to the general public, the perception being that a twin = speed and will therefore generate better ticket sales than a “plodding” single at the bike shows that the Club attends.

[EddieDay]

Interesting views. I was not really conscious of reliability being a factor but now I think of it my singles never really let me down. Greeves, BSA, Honda, Yamaha and of now AJS. However some of my twins did - Triumph, Norton, Matchless. Although my BMWs and Ducati were reliable. Of course I hammered the twins more so I guess that was a factor.

[jackstringer]

Lol, Ducati...reliable...lol. A friend once said "At least with a Ducati you can fix the clutch at the roadside" which had an almost instant response of "With a Ducati you will have to change the clutch at the roadside".

I have too many motorcycles and most are singles but I do have 4 twins a R100GS PD and TRX850 x3[1] and they are great when they work but they are twice as much trouble as my singles. I even have a 4 but that is my uncles mk1 R6 race bike and hasn't worked since his crashed it in Spain a few years back.

[1] bought 1, it came with 2 spares.

[Mollbhan]

I have a 61 G12 and a 48 mod 18, the twin is faster, more comfortable and has a fantastic engine note right through the rev range, the 18 plods along nicely, is bloody uncomfortable being a rigid and I love the engine note when booting it hard uphill, both bikes totally reliable. Take your pick.

[g5wqian]

i have a twin 56 ajs model 30 , its great , you just have to twist the throttle and off it goes , brakes are quite reasonable compared to some other bikes ive got .

must admit that my getting older means kicking the twin over to start it is not so easy as it used to be and if you have an amc twin they just turn over with a "ffuff" and dont spin on the crank as you get with a single .

i have an ariel single and starting it is very easy using the decompressor and then a long swing on the kickstarter which makes the crank spin over easily with enough inertia to pass over top dead so it may fire up , so i guess ajs matchless singles are the same .

i would love a model 18 or g80 sometime .

yeah as someone previously said, i love the sound of both types but the single is great sounding going uphill .

must admit the ajs twin exhausts give it a good deep bass tone to it and it sounds so much better than those tinny bsa and triumph exhaust tones .

you gotta love a twin or a single .

cheers
ian .