Earlier this year the iconic British motorcycle brand Matchless went back on the drawing board. Now a production-ready bike has been wheeled out in Milan at the EICMA show.
Matchless went broke in the 1960s, but is now owned by Italian Franco Malenotti who has also revitalised the British Belstaff motorcycle clothing brand.
Now the Model X Reloaded appears to be about to do the same for one of Britain’s oldest motorcycle marques.
The motorcycle will be powered by an American-made 1916cc S&S V-twin engine.
It has a tank-mounted speedo, a large “Start” button and large tacho on the bars which can be adjusted like the seat and footpegs for a variety of rider sizes.
The bike is modelled along the lines of the classic G80, Silver Hawk and Silver Arrow. It has a solo seat, naked tail, chain drive, twin headlights, spoked wheels, leading-link forks, fishtail twin exhausts, double-sided swingarm and an underslung mono rear shock.
If Matchless returns, it will likely be as a bespoke limited-edition model, much like the new Hesketh rather than the bigger volumes of the new Norton. But it certainly shows a continuing interest in the old British brands.