Matchless 1969 P11A Street Scrambler 745 cc 2 cyl OHV 3904

Matchless 1969 P11A Street Scrambler 745 cc OHV twin frame # 125913 engine # P11/125913

“Big, chunky-tyred wheels support a frame and power plant that really mean business. The tank clings leech-like to the frame and glows in Candy Apple Red. Below it run some of the most sensually curved exhaust pipes ever bent, feeding into skimpy, sawn-off barrel silencers. And the briefest of saddles offers seating at handlebars that pull back like the ears of a startled hare. The Norton P11 street scrambler is ready to go, and if you don’t get on soon, it’s going without you”. This quote is from the “Mix ‘n Matchless “article in the March 1992 issue of The Classic Motorcycle, that describes the P11 street scrambler. (A digital copy of this article is available)
It might be confusing at first sight, but the P11 can be a Norton or a Matchless, depending on the tank badge. In the final years of the Associated Motor Cycles company a bewildering assortment of badge-engineered hybrids were launched; for model year 1967 the Norton/Matchless P11 was presented. It was California Norton distributor Bob Blair who thought out the concept: based on the successes of the Norton/Matchless hybrids of earlier in the decade, he mounted a Norton Atlas 745 cc twin cylinder engine in a Matchless G85CS frame for the prototype. Made of 531 Reynolds lightweight steel, the power to weight ratio of the package was further accentuated by using a small alloy petrol tank and lightweight cycle parts. Blair had built up the prototype from parts he had in stock himself and had tested the machine thoroughly for six weeks in the Californian desert. Then it was shipped to Woolwich in England where it was turned into a factory production model. The P11 was exclusively aimed at the American market. Various versions were brought out: P11 (from March 1967), P11A (1968), P11A Ranger (1968/69) and the P11 Ranger 750 (1969). The last P11 models were produced in the final months of 1968. In all no more than 2,500 P11s were produced.
The 745 cc Norton Atlas engine has bore x stroke of 73 x 89 mm and a 7.5:1 compression ratio. The engine delivers around 55 hp @6,400 rpm. Carburation is by two Amal Concentrics and two Lucas coils provide the sparks. The gearbox has four speeds and instruments comprise Smiths 120 mph speedo and 8,000 rpm rev counter.

For someone having great fun on a P11 see: https://youtu.be/HtACxzZtqRA

The machine we present has been restored and comes with current Dutch registration. She came from Sweden some time ago, but was sold new in the U.S.A., as all P11s were.

A detailed photo report (approx. 30 photos) is available for every motorcycle on our website, which we send upon request.