Matchless Silver Hawk

Matchless Silver Hawk is a Bert Collier designed[4] motorcycle produced by Matchless for 1931 and introduced at the 1930 Motorcycle Show at Olympia, London as their range-leading luxury model. It was one of two up-market four-cylinder machines introduced during the 1930 Show season from two manufacturers; the Silver Hawk whose production would last less than four years[5] and the Ariel Square Four, whose production lasted until 1959. Other British manufacturers produced 4-cylinder machines in small quantities in the 1930s, including Brough Superior's Austin-engined BS4 (11 built 1932-34) and the prototype Golden Dream (2 built in 1938).

Matchless Silver Hawk
ManufacturerMatchless Motor Cycles (Colliers) Ltd, Plumstead Road, London
Production1931-35
ClassStandard
Engine592 cc (36.1 cu in) OHC[1] 18° V4[2]
Top speed80–85 mph (129–137 km/h)[3]
TransmissionFour speed Sturmey Archer Gearbox
Wheelbase56 in (1,400 mm)
Fuel consumption75–80 mpg‑imp (3.8–3.5 L/100 km; 62–67 mpg‑US)
RelatedSilver Arrow

Description
Silver Hawk from 1931 showing close up of hand gear change from the National Motorcycle Museum (UK)

The Silver Hawk's 592 cc design was a development of the Silver Arrow and shared a similar frame design and cycle parts, as well as the monoblock 26 degree V[6] with a one-piece OHC head concept. The single bevel-gear overhead camshaft ran across the cylinder head and four bores with special air cooling housed two pairs of cylinders at 26 degrees to each other. A single carburettor fed all four induction valves through a cross shaped induction that produced an uneven feed. Coil and dynamo ignition was driven by skew gearing from the camshaft-drive vertical shaft. A dry-sump oil system was supplied from a steel tank at the base of the front-down tube, bolted to the engine's crankcase. The engine was flexible, however, and could be started by hand and run in top gear most of the time. This was an important factor for the hand-operated gear change.[7]

In the sales literature Matchless described the Silver Hawk as unquestionably the most fascinating machine to ride that has ever been built. It combines the silence, smoothness and comfort of the most expensive motor car with a super-sports performance. On top gear alone the machine will run from as low as 6 miles per hour to over 80 miles per hour, while the acceleration given by the four-cylinder overhead camshaft engine in conjunction with the four-speed gearbox must be experienced to be believed.[8]

The main competition for the Matchless Silver Hawk in the top end 4-cylinder British luxury motorcycle market at the time was the Ariel Square Four, which was £5 cheaper, but 100cc smaller (in 1931). Manufacture of the Silver Hawk was expensive and sales were slow - the Hawk was discontinued in 1935.[8]

References
  1. Wilson, Hugo (1995). "The A-Z of Motorcycles". The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 124. ISBN 978-0-7513-0206-6.
  2. Duguid, G. D., ed. (1947). Internal combustion engines: a practical treatise on design and operation of piston engines for automobiles and aircraft together with an introduction to reaction propulsion. Odhams Press. p. 78. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
  3. Holliday, Bob (1974), Motorcycle panorama: a pictorial review of design and development, Newton Abbot, pp. 68–69, ISBN 978-0-668-03647-4
  4. "Matchless". Is-it-a-lemon Vehicle Histories. 31 October 2004. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2006.
  5. PracticalClassics Auction Description (Retrieved 21 October 2006)
  6. Hartley, Peter (1981). Matchless: Once the Largest British Motorcycle Manufacturer. London: Osprey. p. 113. ISBN 978-0-85045-404-8.
  7. Kemp, Andrew; De Cet (2004). Classic British Bikes. Mirco. Bookmart. ISBN 978-1-86147-136-9.
  8. "Matchless Model B Silver Hawk". Retrieved 19 October 2008.
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