This was our first Matchless motorcycle build: "Bomb Thumper." It was completed in 2005, and is basically a 1948 Matchless 500cc single with slight engine, paint and exhaust modifications, and the addition of "le mans" style bars. When we acquired it in 2004, the bike was in original, unrestored condition, and was pretty rough after sitting in a shed on a farm in Oregon for many years. The obsessive-compulsive owner had retained the original owner's manual, spare lights, tool kit and multiple parts, making the bike a rare find. He had driven the motorcycle weekly, around the farm, for many years. He actually acquired the motorcycle in, what at the time was, an "even trade" for his Indian motorcycle. The owner of the Matchless had beaten him in a race in the California desert in 1953. The owner's family sold the bike after the owner, who loved the bike dearly, developed Alzheimer's disease and crashed it into his woodshed. Before his disease progressed to a severe state, he was smart enough to cover most of the vehicle's parts in thick grease, preventing rusting of the parts while the bike was stored in his shed. We felt honored to bring this bike back to life.
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