JOHN FINGLAS SPEEDWAY STOCK BIKE

[Johnny Finglas]

We had noticed a couple of the forum members were discussing a bike built by John Finglas.
John built the bike 1959 and rebuilt the bike in 2001.
The bike was a rigid matchless frame circa 1949, heavily modified to give a suitable front fork angle and wheel base.
The engine started life as a G8O, it has home built steel flywheels and big end pin an 10 to 1 high compression piston. Porter pistons of Maryborough made the piston.
It has a screwed exhaust pipe nut, an inch and a quarter grand prix amal carburettor with a remote float bowl. The plastic tube wound vertically attached to the bottom of the carby acts as a reservoir when the bike is leant over. The spark plug has been relocated centrally in the combustion chamber. The 10mm spark plug seats on the end of the plug and not in the normal seating position, so it looks like the plug is not screwed in properly. There is only a 3/16 dia hole extending into the combustion chamber because there is not enough room between the valve seats. The fins have been taken off of the head and cylinder to make it run hot enough to use methanol (Shell A).

The engine has been repositioned so as to be in a similar position to most other dirt track bikes of the time.
The petrol tank is two matchless G80S tool boxes welded together. The quick action throttle is home made. The kill switch is a result of the modern work place health and safety. The best bit on the bike is the petrol cap.

[Hoony]

absolutely Beautiful Bike.

[KB171]

Great job building and restoring a piece of Australian speedway history,Well done 

[firko]

Really nice Matchy Fing. Did it have much success in its day?

[Curly3]

How cool is that, I remember hearing stories of the bike but that's the first I've seen of it.
Back in the day there were heaps of home built "Prototypes" like this but sadly most have disappeared.
Congratulations on preserving part of motorcycling history, awesome.

[Johnny Finglas]

Really nice Matchy Fing. Did it have much success in its day?

It was quite successful at the country tracks, Maryborough, Gympie, Toowoomba, Redcliffe, and the Brisbane Exhibition. In handicap racing it was usually on one hundred yards with the back marker on one hundred and twenty. It was an extremely easy bike to ride (or so John Finglas says) I haven't ridden it myself.

[shortshifter]

Love it!

[pancho]

 Great! What do you reckon Foss?

[JAP 454]

That is a freaking awesome bit of kit !!, a beautiful resto as well, Love the big Amal !!
Foss

[JAP 454]

Y'know, I may have even seen this bike race at the Ekka in 1967, I was up in Brissie, sort of had to get out of town for a while, and caught up with a girlfriend of mine and we went out for Satdy night, where else to but the Skids ??

On the program was listed Stock Bikes, never having been to the Ekka before, I had stupid visions of a sort of crash and bang thing like Stock Cars !!!!.

When their spot on the program came up, about 20 or so bikes came out , all sorts of Pommy iron and did they put on a show !! I was absolutely stoked , I can't remember much else but it was no place for the faint of heart, I can tell you, really top entertainment.

I do remember seeing Ron Johnson and swinger on their Harley skids outfit, what a showman !

Foss

[Tim754]

Gorgeous