Matchless G45
Matchless G45 500
.Introduced duringthe 1950s, the Matchless G45 gave the private entrant an opportunity to beinvolved in motorcycle Grand Prix events. In post-war racing the 350 7R AJSbecame one of the most popular of mounts for the aspiring TT rider.For those who wished to graduate to the 500cc category, the option was generallyrestricted to the Manx Norton or for the more adventurous, perhaps the GrandPrix Triumph. With the release of the G45 Matchless to the private owner in1953, the racing fraternity saw it as a worthy competitor to the trusty Norton.Its engine was a derivative of the G9 roadster; suitably modified. With such apedigree for good-handling and reliability, it seemed to be the basis for athoroughbred racer.The G45 first appeared as a prototype at the 1951 Manx Grand Prix, where it wastaken to a worthy 4th place behind three Nortons. The bike's first conspicuousvictory was the 1952 Senior Manx Grand Prix. Soon the G45 began appearing at theIsle of Man and at mainland events, and by all accounts its performance was on apar with a standard Manx Norton.At the 1953 Senior TT, eleven G45s went for the start and four reached thefinish line, the following year brought a similar scenario, with 10 finishersfrom 14 starters.In 1955 Matchless fielded an official works team for the Senior TT; with DerekEnnett registering the best-ever G45 result with his 6th place. Total productiononly ran to less than 100 examples; and in 1959 it was superseded by the 7R'sbigger brother, the Matchless G50.The Matchless G45 is by far one of the mostvisually attractive race machines ever produced and is certainly a rarecommodity in today's classic bike market.