1950 Montgomery Greyhound JAP 500 Manual

Description

So, I’ve got this 1950 Montgomery Greyhound JAP 500 that I’ve been holding onto for years. It’s a real gem — one of those rare models that actually made it through the decades with a bit of soul and some solid history.

The Montgomerys started in Bury St Edmunds back in the early 1900s, originally making sidecars, but quickly shifted to motorcycles. Survived a big fire in 1925, moved to Coventry, and then started building larger bikes using engines from Anzani and JAP. The Greyhound range became a bit of a mess — different engines, different frames — but this one’s got a clean 500cc JAP OHV engine, a 4-speed Albion gearbox, and Druid girder forks.

It was restored properly in 2012/2013 by Sammy Miller, and I found it with a full set of photos from that restoration and even a feature in Classic Motor Cycle Magazine from 2013. Numbers are correct, and it was in running order when I bought it — just needed a bit of basic recommissioning before it can go back on the road.

It’s UK-registered with a current V5C, though it was previously registered overseas. There’s a safety belt pretensioner in there too — not a big deal, but it’s there.

I’m not selling it for a huge sum — it’s £18k — but it’s one of those bikes that just feels right in your hands. I’ve kept it well, minimal use since I got it, and it turns over with good compression.

It’s going to be part of the Iconic Motorcycle Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show in Birmingham on Sunday, 9th November. The auction is happening at the NEC, B40 1NT.

I’m not sure how much it’ll fetch, but if you’re into rare, solid British bikes with a bit of history — this one’s worth a look. Just a bit of work before it’s ready to ride again.

It’s currently stored in Harpenden, Hatching Green.