I seem to have acquired a garage full of post-war 500s. They all do a very similar thing in a very similar way. I don't really know how that happened. If you can afford more than one bike they are supposed to have different roles. Sporting, touring, offroading, etc. My favourite riding bike is my 1957 AJS Model 20. It handles well, brakes well, starts easily and if you get down to it then 90mph will come up on the speedo on a good day. It is a bike that is very difficult to fault.
Another AMC bike also sits in the garage. An unrestored 1949 Matchless G80 with the short-lived candlestick rear suspension units. This, like the Model 20, also handles well, brakes well and starts fairly easily. It is not so fast, but has that indefinable charm of a softly tuned big single. I took it to Spain last year and had a great time with the Moto Piston lot. The