Matchless G50 classic racer could be an ideal Goodwood contender

Looking to go classic motorcycle racing in 2015? Built by a well-known marque specialist, this 1960-specification Matchless G50 could be your winning ticket to ride…

Lighter than a Manx

The 500cc Matchless G50 was developed in 1958 by Associated Motorcycles (AMC) at the former Matchless works in London from the highly successful 350cc AJS 7R. Approximately 180 factory G50s were made up to 1963. A race-winning package in the late Fifties, the G50 was lighter than its main competitor the Manx Norton, and as result was often more competitive on tighter, short circuits.

Featuring the frame number ‘GBLW’ (George Beale Light Weight), this example features a CSR engine, the type originally fitted to the street-legal G50 CSR. The CSR was produced by Matchless for homologation purposes so that it could race in the AMA series in the USA. According to the seller, the machine is in good condition, requiring only light recommissioning after a period of long inactivity. The bike might make an ideal contender for Goodwood's Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy race.

You can find several Matchless motorcycles in the Classic Driver Market.

Bardot’s iconic Riva will cross the block at Lake Como

The 1959 Riva Super Florida owned by movie starlet Brigitte Bardot is one of two Riva speedboats due to be auctioned at the upcoming RM Sotheby’s sale at the Villa d’Este Concorso d’Eleganza, Lake Como, Italy.

A gift from her former husband

Named by the famous French actress as ‘Nounours’, hull no. 341 was purchased from the Italian boat maker at the Monaco Boat Service branch in 1959 on behalf of Bardot’s former husband, film director Roger Vadim. It was later presented as a gift to Bardot, who regularly moored it at her St Tropez villa, ‘La Madrague’. Presented with an pre-auction estimate of €80,000 - €120,000, the fully restored vessel is featured in countless books and magazines covering Bardot’s career and presents a fantastic opportunity to own an iconic piece of 1960s Cote d’Azur ‘jet-set’ history. Built by Riva Carlo at his Lake Iseo yard, Rivas are renowned for their beautifully hand-crafted wooden decks and hulls, range of powerful engines and exquisitely trimmed interiors.

Not one, but two Rivas

A second Riva, hull no. 652 ‘Shaheen’, a Riva Aquarama Special previously owned by Sheikh Hamad-al-Thani, Emir of Qatar is also being offered at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on Lake Como, Italy, 23 May. A sought-after series II Aquarama Special powered by two V8 Riva 350 engines, ‘Shaheen’ is named after a species of hunting falcon found in the Middle East. The vessel was always kept in Switzerland, however, and benefits from its original Swiss registration documents. The present owner has spared no expense in maintaining the boat, which was extensively restored by RAM Sarnico between 2003 and 2005. Estimate: €350,000 - €500,000.

Augustin Sabatié-Garat, specialist at RM Sotheby’s, said: “In recent years we have had the privilege of presenting numerous interesting and valuable classic boats at auction, and the two Rivas on offer at Villa Erba are two very fine examples indeed. Both herald from the Italian lakes, so it is wonderful and highly appropriate to bring them back to Lake Como to be sold.”

Photos: RM Auctions

The Classic Driver Market also contains a wide range of luxury speedboats.

What not to miss at the 73rd Members’ Meeting

With so much going on, wandering aimlessly around the 73rd Members’ Meeting means you’ll miss out on some of its most extraordinary, ‘only at Goodwood’ moments. Here are the 10 spectacles you really should make time to see…

Sibling shoot-out

Handicap races at Goodwood date back to the Golden Era – Stirling Moss chasing two-wheel World Champion Geoff Duke being a memorable example. However, this year’s Meeting will see a single-marque showdown between a Mercedes-AMG F1 car (happily, a V8 example), the new Mercedes-AMG GT road car, and the legendary ‘Rote Sau’ 300 SEL, the latter driven by Jochen Mass. The staggered starts have no doubt been finely tuned, so it's just as well that IWC is in charge of timings.

High-speed demos

One of the highlights at last year’s 72nd Members’ Meeting was the high-speed demonstration laps performed by Group C monsters, which were bracketed by a pair of Ferrari F40 safety cars. This year, not only do grids of McLaren F1 GTRs and ‘high-airbox’ F1 machines join the endurance legends in the parade lap roster – but there will also be a notable absence of pace cars. Considering the competitive nature of the drivers in action, this could get very interesting…

Pre-1967 Porsche showdown

Interest in early Porsche 911s seems to snowball year on year, and 73MM will see them given their own race in the form of the John Aldington Trophy. The grid is formed of pre-1967 cars, so there will be a refreshing absence of ducktails and Martini liveries. Only the purest, 2.0-litre SWB cars have been invited, so the level playing field will promote fierce competition between the drivers – one of which is Porsche legend Richard Attwood.

Grid walks

Members’ Meetings provide a better opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with your heroes (whether man or machine) than the Festival of Speed or Revival and, for the first time, spectators will be allowed to wander round the grid, getting closer than ever before. The grid walks will take place on three occasions across the weekend.

When darkness falls...

Last year’s dusk race was the Sir Stirling Moss Trophy: an hour-long race that began as the light was starting to dwindle, and also incorporated a driver change for added drama. The drama was certainly there, with first place decided by a car length. This year’s equivalent is the Graham Hill Trophy, in which Aston Martin DB4 GTs, lightweight E-types and Shelby Daytona Coupés will fight into darkness.

1981 Spa front row

The front row of the Gerry Marshall Trophy will replicate that of the 1981 Spa race, with a thunderous, Bastos-livered Chevrolet Camaro Z28 lining up alongside an ex-TWR Mazda RX-7, the eventual winner. Another vibrant sight will be the Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 – the first Jaegermeister car ever to compete at Goodwood – along with a BMW 530i with UFO Jeans livery, and a Rover 3500 SDi in Sanyo colours.

Bonhams auction

Bonhams’ inaugural Members’ Meeting auction begins at 2pm on the Saturday, and includes cars of road, race and rally orientation. A particular favourite of ours is the ‘Bumble’ MG Magnette that competed at last year’s Revival – we’ve highlighted some other interesting lots in our auction preview.

Dealers become drivers

It’s not only famous racing pilots and well-heeled gentleman drivers battling it out for on-track kudos – many dealers are in action, too. Gregor Fisken is a returning entrant, as are William I’Anson, Desmond J. Smail, Martin Brewer of Runnymede Motor Co., and the Cottingham brothers of DK Engineering. JD Classics will also field three cars, and Bonhams’ Motor Car Specialist David Swig will drive in two different races.

Brum and games

The Members’ Meeting has an underlying theme of rivalry between the four Houses, and those GRRC Members who aren’t driving for their team will have the opportunity to score points in a variety of games. As well as traditional ‘School Sports Day’ activities such as egg-and-spoon races and Tug of War, you can also try duck-herding or a leisurely game of boules on the March Lawn.

Test your pitstop proficiency

We’ve all been guilty of sniggering at a pit-stop mishap. Now, karma has indeed come full circle, and is waiting for you to take up the challenge of showing your own timed tyre-changing skills (or lack thereof) on an F1 car. And you never know, an ex-F1 driver might be one of the baying bystanders...

Party time

For many, the Saturday night party is reason alone to make the trip to Goodwood. As well as spectacles such as fireworks, fairground rides and a cross-dressing nun who rides around on ‘her’ own mobile piano, you’ll also be rubbing shoulders with Lord March and most of the weekend’s drivers.

Photos: Goodwood / Rémi Dargegen / Tim Brown /Amy Shore / Classic Driver

BMW K1600 GTL CUSTOM PROJECT

At the Osaka Motorcycle Show, BMW Japan has just thrown the wraps off two extreme customs based on the K1600 GTL. That’s the range-topping luxury tourer, a road-going spaceship powered by a 1649cc inline six—and probably packed with more electronics than any other motorcycle on the market today.

Just two builders were chosen for these transformations, and both are legends in the Japanese custom world: Keiji Kawakita of Hot Dock Custom Cycles, and Kenji Nagai of Ken’s Factory.

The results are very different to the four machines we revealed a few months ago for theR nineT Project. They’re not ‘new wave’ or café-style customs: this is free-form building from two of the most radical and skilled craftsmen in the East.

Let’s take a closer look.

HOT DOCK ‘JUGGERNAUT’ The K1600 GTL is an imposing machine in its own right. Weighing 767 lbs (348 kg) fully fueled and almost 2.5 meters long, it’s a bike for experienced riders.

Kawakita-san has amped up the visual bulk, with completely new aluminum bodywork from nose to tail. Powertrain mods are restricted to a new airbox and custom-fabricated muffler: the engine already provides a wall of torque, and enough power to propel the K1600 to 200kph.

The exoskeleton effect gives a militaristic, almost steampunk vibe—helped by aluminum pipes following the contours of the new body panels and matt grey paint.

The engine cases have been refinished with an aging effect, which is carried through to the switchgear mounted onto custom bars.

Brass gauges on either side of the tank carry the name Herschel—a nod to the German-born astronomer who discovered Uranus in 1781 and joined the court of King George III.

We imagine it’s the kind of machine that would star in the upcoming movie Mad Max: Fury Road.

KEN’S FACTORY SPECIAL Kenji Nagai has opted for drastic surgery on his K1600 GTL, creating a low-slung dragbike stripped to the essentials.

The entire rear end of the frame is gone, and the front has been stretched and raked. There’s a custom-made billet girder fork up front, plus a one-off 23-inch aluminum alloy wheel hooked up to a custom 11.5-inch rotor.

Out back is a solid disc 20-inch wheel, suspended with a stretched swingarm and spectacularly illuminated by a LED brake light. It’s shod with 220-section Avon Cobra rubber.

The bodywork is the bare minimum: raw, curvaceous aluminum forms that throw the emphasis onto the massive frame spars and the equally hefty engine. Even the seat is aluminum—but this is not a bike for long distance touring.

It’s one of the most inspired styling exercises we’ve seen for years.

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via BIKEexif