59 G12 Hello

Information relating to the Matchless G12 or AJS Model 31 650cc twin
Fearn80
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Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2022 2:32 am
Location: Norfolk England

59 G12 Hello

Post by Fearn80 »

Hi To All

Thought it was about time I said hello. New forum and club member. Wasn't really sure where to post a hello thread so thought I'd pop it here.

I bought a 59 G12 a couple of months ago... It was advertised on the jampot website as it goes.

Lovley old bike with a nice bit of history... It seems to have possible spent it’s whole life in east Sussex.... Original registered in Hastings May 59.
NDY 358 if anyone knows of it.

The previous owner in Newhaven had the G12 for nearly 20 years.

I got one of the certificate’s from the club which confirms the 3 main components are original which is nice.... And the mag dynamo and mechanical reg are all stamped 59 as well.

However like triggers broom several bits have been replaced and painted over the years. As to be expected.

I’ve put about 50 miles on it trundling around the lanes of south Norfolk.... but its obvious a few things need looking over and despite my best efforts to avoid a project.... I’ve already started spending :)

Hardly any oil in the left fork made things a little bouncy.

The archives and forum are a great source but i do have a couple of things I could do with advice on but I’ll save for another post.

Anyhoo.... All the best
Andy Fearn
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dave16mct
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Location: LANCASHIRE UK

Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by dave16mct »

Welcome to the forum and club. Good choice of bike, G12 De-luxe. Very nice condition.
Dave.
g80csp11
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Joined: Mon Jan 01, 1990 12:00 am
Location: WEST SUSSEX UK

Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by g80csp11 »

They say the 59 G12 , was one of the best .
One of our section has one with a side car fitted, great looking bike
Welcome to the club
SPRIDDLER
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Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by SPRIDDLER »

Welcome, Andy. Lovely looking bike.
We had a very active rider and leading member of our Sussex section for very many years. He lives (lived?) in Newhaven but had to stop riding a while ago due to the inevitable creaky joints and we lost contact with him. Long shot I guess, but the previous owner wasn't a Michael (Mike) Dean, by any chance?
'There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood............'
Fearn80
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Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2022 2:32 am
Location: Norfolk England

Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by Fearn80 »

Hi and cheers

I'm new to British bike's tell you truth.... Been busy trying to change gear with the brake and vice versa.... To be fair its the 1 up 3 down my heads been struggling with. Still a few quiet miles should be ok.

Always thought the amc bikes are handsome machines especially with the deep mudguards and level dual seat. Nice line to them.

I'm going to try my best and keep the work to a minimum.... I have a bad habit of getting carried away with projects.... :)

I don't believe he was a previous owner spriddler... Although anything is possible...

I have tried to make contact with one chap who's details came with the paper work he seemed to own it during the 90s and his daughter has been in touch via email and he’d like to have a chat about the bike... which would be great.

I'd love to find a period picture of bike. Would certainly add something to the experience.

There are 4 names in the old buff log book the longest owner is a gent called Rodney Brian Green of St Leonards. Not sure if he may have been a club member.

Cheers
Andy
Yves.Astein
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Location: Germany

Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by Yves.Astein »

Hi Andy,

Welcome. I also have a 59 G12. I love the Bike and yes, they are always a more or les project. No matter what 😊 you could have bough a 2020 Honda Hornet, that would be no project, bit missing the character.

The 59s are a bit special, when it comes to pistons and I believe also Conrods. They are in between engine design changes for just that year. So keep that in mind, in case you ever have to work on the Engine.

Other then that, have fun riding. And make shure to stay a member of the club. People are really nice and very helpful when ever you have questions!!!

Yves
SPRIDDLER
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Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by SPRIDDLER »

Andy, if you haven't found it in the Archives there's this article of year-by-year changes for the Twins. There's a lot of info on the '59 models........

https://www.jampot.com/article_read.asp?id=20
'There is a tide in the affairs of men
Which taken at the flood............'
Fearn80
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Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2022 2:32 am
Location: Norfolk England

Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by Fearn80 »

Cheers again
Yeah.... Yves..I must admit half the fun for me is the tinkering.

I have made the mistake with cars and bikes before of investing so much time... I then worry about actually using them :)

I'll check out the link.... The archives is a great resource but i don't think i spotted that. Its almost too much info on there.

And
Fearn80
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Location: Norfolk England

Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by Fearn80 »

Hi to all

Just thought I’d follow up my original post for those who might be interested.

So I made contact with the 4th owner of NDY 358. Me being owner 6.

It was a bit of message in a bottle to an address i found in one of the documents.

To my surprise I got a phone call from a nice chap in Hastings.
He bought it off the 3rd owner, who’s name is on the original buff log book... Rodney Green a gent who he worked with at the time in Hastings on the Bin lorries.

So the story is....It was originally sold by a Kings of Oxford dealer in Hastings in 59 then had 2 owners until 63 when it was purchased by the 3rd Rodney .. He kept it on the road until 69 when it was propped up in a shed, where it stayed until the mid 90s when the chap i made contact with bought it.

He got it back on the road with new wheels, levers plus exhaust. He also did a garage brush paint job on the frame and tin ware. Runs and brush marks included. :) He never touched the engine apart from a new head gasket which was blowing. So its possible that it has original pistons and un-ground crank?

He admitted that motorcycles weren’t really for him and he did only a handful of miles. He reckons it had about 19k on the clock in the 90s

I did ask him if he replaced the Speedo which he said he hadn’t .... So it is possible that the 23k miles is original.

Unfortunately he didn’t have any old photos of when he did the work which is a shame.

He sold it 03 and the next chap had until earlier this year when i bought it. He did about 4k mikes according to MOTs in his ownership.
16682634543111128547523547505563.jpg
So there you go a little uneventful story of NDY 358.



cheers

Andy F
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Andy G
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Re: 59 G12 Hello

Post by Andy G »

Well I for one think it's great to track the story of any bike, however mundane. Keep it with the docs and add your history for the next owner!
Bombling contentedly around rural Aberdeenshire
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