Gremlins GALORE
This inoffensive Matchless bitsa has been the cause of much soul-searching and heartache. It belongs to Jimmy, owner of Ye Olde Hotel in Leuchars, a famed establishment which hosts the Scottish Classic Motorcycle Club’s monthly meetings and classic motorcycle gatherings. When Jimmy isn’t pulling pints for thirsty bikers, he can usually be found bouncing around the East Neuk coast on this recently acquired G80. Only a year ago this 1958 G80 belonged to our mutual friend Iain, who sadly lost his life to a sudden illness. It was his family’s wish that Iain’s much-loved classics would find new homes with club members. Coincidentally, Jimmy was searching for a British single and naturally jumped at the opportunity to home Iain’s handsome AMC machine.
Several years earlier, beer-infused chat at Ye Olde Hotel had resulted in the birth of our gang’s ‘classic singles tour’, a midsummer weekend organised by Iain. It was unanimously decreed that this annual extravaganza would in future be dedicated to Iain’s memory. But just days before our departure, Iain’s old single played up one evening, leaving poor Jimmy stranded without power or lights. Following the G80’s rescue Jimmy dumped the single with me, and the lads gently pressured me into sorting the electrical fault prior to our singles excursion to Scotland’s west coast. Given his G80 had no power or lights Jimmy, to his credit, had already fitted another battery. But this too had expired with use, and Jimmy was now fretting about the coming trip. Jimmy had other classics he could bring along, everyone wanted Iain’s old bike on the ride, given its emotional importance.
This, then, is a tale of electrical woes and how (not) to sort them. I hope you’ll enjoy this True Detective story. Who knows, my ineptitude as an electrical sleuth might save valuable time in tracing and rectifying bewildering electrical faults on your own P&J…
