Vic's Matchless on show
By Team TMX on 22nd Jan 17
Vic Eastwoods works Matchless scrambler from 1964 has been located, stripped and comprehensively rebuilt, and will be on show for the very first time at the Classic Dirt Bike Show at Telford on February 18/19, writes Alan Wright.
The prototype G85CS 500cc model superseded the G80 motor that Vic had previously campaigned, but this bike was specifically made just for Vic, lighter, smaller and lower to suit diminutive Vic's dimensions.
Ace rebuilder Mick Beech has been on the project for over three years. "We could not find a decent original rear hub as they were magnesium ones from the G50 road racing model and were all disintegrating.
"That really slowed the project down. I already had a production G85CS, so as we stripped the Eastwood model, we were amazed to find so many differences.
"Clearly a lot of effort had gone into the build, in a bid to beat the mighty BSA team to whom Vic had finished second in 1963.”
Now for the 1964 season Eastwood had a potent weapon. Regrettably for Matchless, so did BSA, for that was the year that Jeff Smith won his first world crown on the new 420/441cc lightweight.
At home in the UK it was the same old story as Vic again secured runner-up spot in the British series, with Chris Horsfield supporting him in third place.
Vic was also selected for the Motocross des Nations team that year, but leading the field into the first bend at Hawkstone, Vic clashed with Bill Nilsson in a big way. Neither man finished a race as Vic's footrest knocked out two of Bill's front teeth, and Bill's Metisse broke a bone in the back of Vic's hand.
The Matchless was supremely reliable, looked sophisticated and was certainly powerful, but quite simply it was still just too big, and certainly too heavy.
Vic acknowledged these facts and soon joined the mighty BSA team for 1965. For the next four years, he was runner-up in the British series, three times on BSA to Smith and Bickers and finally on Husky to the BSA of John Banks.
The sight of Vic on the big Matchless – often rumoured to be 600cc – was just a sight to behold, and as such Vic was always the crowd's favourite. Sadly, Mick never had the chance to show Vic his old steed as Vic was, and still is in a care home suffering from dementia. Sons Scott and Mark still run the business at Swanley, in Kent.
Alongside the G85 at Telford will be an example of the 250cc Matchless scrambler, introduced in 1956 on which Vic competed in the late fifties.
Just like its bigger brother, it was heavy and obsolete.
Put bluntly, it was what Vic learnt his trade on. But it was on the G85CS, that the great name of Vic Eastwood really came to the fore in the folklore of the golden era of motocross.Vic Eastwood's works Matchless scrambler from 1964 has been located, stripped and comprehensively rebuilt, and will be on show for the very first time at the Classic Dirt Bike Show at Telford on February 18/19, writes Alan Wright.
The prototype G85CS 500cc model superseded the G80 motor that Vic had previously campaigned, but this bike was specifically made just for Vic, lighter, smaller and lower to suit diminutive Vic's dimensions.
Ace rebuilder Mick Beech has been on the project for over three years. "We could not find a decent original rear hub as they were magnesium ones from the G50 road racing model and were all disintegrating.
"That really slowed the project down. I already had a production G85CS, so as we stripped the Eastwood model, we were amazed to find so many differences.
"Clearly a lot of effort had gone into the build, in a bid to beat the mighty BSA team to whom Vic had finished second in 1963.”
Now for the 1964 season Eastwood had a potent weapon. Regrettably for Matchless, so did BSA, for that was the year that Jeff Smith won his first world crown on the new 420/441cc lightweight.
At home in the UK it was the same old story as Vic again secured runner-up spot in the British series, with Chris Horsfield supporting him in third place.
Vic was also selected for the Motocross des Nations team that year, but leading the field into the first bend at Hawkstone, Vic clashed with Bill Nilsson in a big way. Neither man finished a race as Vic's footrest knocked out two of Bill's front teeth, and Bill's Metisse broke a bone in the back of Vic's hand.
The Matchless was supremely reliable, looked sophisticated and was certainly powerful, but quite simply it was still just too big, and certainly too heavy.
Vic acknowledged these facts and soon joined the mighty BSA team for 1965. For the next four years, he was runner-up in the British series, three times on BSA to Smith and Bickers and finally on Husky to the BSA of John Banks.
The sight of Vic on the big Matchless – often rumoured to be 600cc – was just a sight to behold, and as such Vic was always the crowd's favourite. Sadly, Mick never had the chance to show Vic his old steed as Vic was, and still is in a care home suffering from dementia. Sons Scott and Mark still run the business at Swanley, in Kent.
Alongside the G85 at Telford will be an example of the 250cc Matchless scrambler, introduced in 1956 on which Vic competed in the late fifties.
Just like its bigger brother, it was heavy and obsolete.
Put bluntly, it was what Vic learnt his trade on. But it was on the G85CS, that the great name of Vic Eastwood really came to the fore in the folklore of the golden era of motocross.
