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The Matchless Model 7 is a British 'touring' 
motorcycle
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruisin ...
designed and made by Harry and Charlie Collier. Based on the proven 85mm x 85mm JAP
''Jap'' is an English abbreviation of the word "Japanese". Today, it is generally regarded as an ethnic slur.
In the United States, some Japanese Americans have come to find the term very offensive, even when used as an abbreviation. Prior to t ...
V-twin
A V-twin engine, also called a V2 engine, is a two-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration.
Although widely associated with motorcycles (installed either transversely or long ...
engine, the Model 7 had a two-speed transmission with a hub gear and an epicyclic
An epicyclic gear train (also known as a planetary gearset) consists of two gears mounted so that the center of one gear revolves around the center of the other. A carrier connects the centers of the two gears and rotates the planet and sun gea ...
gear for the low ratio, with a friction band clutch operated by a hand lever at the side of the fuel tank. Problems with unreliable belt drive were addressed by having two belts side by side, so when the first broke, the second would still work. The 770cc engine was started like a moped with pedals, and a small lever on the end of the silencer could be used to eject smoke and sparks. The paintwork was all done by hand in page grey with a forest-green panelled tank lined in gold pinstriping.
Matchless also produced a three-speed model that had a variable pulley and a moveable rear wheel, similar to the Zenith Gradua. Production was limited however, and after 1912 they concentrated on making their own engines until the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
stopped production.
References
Matchless motorcycles {{motorcycle-stub