Featuresprofiles on over 100 bikes from the united states, britain, germany, italy and japan, encompassing over 90 years of motorcycling history. The classics from 1907 to the present by john carroll motorbooks international hardcover 192 pages. I must make a mention of steve mills excellent book a. Start the motorcycle companys history marked the acquisition of joseph mitchells fourcylinder engine. The story began in 1897, when the stevens brothers first began their interest in motorcycles, though the first ajs was not marketed until 1909. The history of a great motorcycle grant, gregor on.
The authors have also included many of the other british twostroke engines available in the period, such as alpha, amc, anzani, excelsior, jap, rca and royal enfield. Founded in 1910 by the stevens brothers in wolverhampton, the company produced wellbuilt touring and sporting machines for the next 20 years. At ajs we know only too well how important it is to backup a. Harry stevens supported his father and began to study with him. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used.
Ltd, from 1909 to 1931 the stevens brothers began their. Dating your ajs or matchless motorcycle matchless clueless. The first motorcycle was produced in 1912 and like ajs and other manufacturers they offered a wide range of motorcycles to the public. Mar 16, 2020 the cadwell brings the british history of ajs to the affordable chinese range. Every issue delivers exciting and evocative articles and photographs of the most brilliant, unusual and popular motorcycles ever made. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records. With dealer backup and an unlimited mileage, warranty, feel the benefits of low cost motoring by riding an ajs motorcycle or scooter.
However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. After 1931 the only true ajss were the racing 7rs, porcupines and the ajs four. Ajs 350 1954 maintenance manual and instruction book pdf. The chinese motorcycle with a rich british heritage bikesure. Mar 28, 2017 the ajs 7r was introduced in 1948, and was almost immediately nicknamed the boy racer. There are 1 ajs motorcycle left in the uk with an mot. The history of the ajs stormer is intertwined with the villiers engineering company as least as much as with the ajs motorcycle company of old.
Bacon outlines the history of the matchless and ajs and uses archival photography to illustrate his stepbystep guide to renovating and restoring these bikes. Although the 1956 ajs 18cs was basically an offroad competition machine what would now be known as a motocross bike in england, the used 18cs that john bought in 1958 on his return home from military duty was set up as a road bike, as apparently were all 18css imported to the u. Villiers everybodys engine is a wonderful, informative piece of british industrial history. Its 216 pages and chapters cover the whole company history in remarkable detail. Motorcycle cyprus classic motorcycle museum nicosia. Ajs technical literature national motorcycle museum. The chinese motorcycle with a rich british heritage. Visit the online shop to purchase a black and white photocopy of the original manual for the motorcycle you need. Details about ajs the history of a great motorcycle book by gregor grant b4l.
It would go on to be become one of the most successful overthecounter racing motorcycles for sale in england at the time, and even today almost 70 years later the ajs 7r is a dominant force in the world of vintage motorcycle racing. The first matchless motorcycle was made in 1899, and production began in 1901. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by matchless, associated motorcycles and nortonvilliers on fourstroke motorcycles till 1969, and since the. Ajs was the title of cars and motorcycles produced by the english company a. From triumph motorcycles in america is an interesting tale of how the first triumph. The following items are currently for sale on ebay. Some ajs motorcycle manuals pdf are above the page. Ajs motorcycles is a famous british brand with more than a century of racing and manufacturing history behind it, today dealing. Ajs motorcycle logo history and meaning, bike emblem all you need to know about ajs logo.
Ajs albert john stevens ranks right up there with the likes of norton. Matchless parts for sale usa paul mercer is a participant in the ebay partner network epn, an affiliate advertising programme which enables websites to earn fees by advertising and linking to ebay. Dec 21, 2018 ajs was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the wolverhampton, england company a. This british machine has quite a history, and is a favorite to many collectors of. Unfollow matchless motorcycles to stop getting updates on your ebay feed. Ajs and matchless postwar singles and twins by matthew vale. At ajs we have an exciting range of affordable geared mopeds, scooters and motorcycles for sale to riders with a provisional licence and cbt, am, a1, a2 and a category motorcycle driving licences. At a time when most other manufacturers were going to unitconstruction, ajs produced this single, which retained a separate gearbox.
See more ideas about ajs motorcycles, motorcycle and vintage motorcycles. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Books about ajsmatchless motorcycles british cycle supply. Its mechanical roots dated back to the models of 1935, though improvements had been implemented in the intervening years. Motorcycle classics is americas premier magazine for collectors and enthusiasts, dreamers and restorers, newcomers and life long motorheads who love the sound and the beauty of classic bikes.
The bike was won at the 1930 olympia motorcycle show by the owners fatherin. The cadwell brings the british history of ajs to the affordable chinese range. Ajs motorcycles select a year to get your new or used ajs motorcycle pricing and values. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931 the stevens brothers began their career at the. Ajs values and pricing youre looking for and with over 40 years of knowledge about motorcycle values and pricing, you can rely on kelley blue book. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931 the stevens brothers began their career at the stevens screw. We have a dedicated team of, knowledgeable staff who provide customer support and arrange the distribution of spare parts. Ajs motorcycle history motorcycle news, motorcycles for.
We have a wide selection of books about matchless history, photo exposes, shop manuals, restoration guides and much more. View and download ajs 350 1954 maintenance manual and instruction book online. At ajs we know only too well how important it is to backup a complex product such as a motorcycle. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by matchless. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. This august, a 1954 ajs e95 porcupine vintage motorcycle will be on the block at bonhams. Ajs motorcycle logo history and meaning, bike emblem ajs motorcycles, motorcycle logo. Ajs was born out of the stevens familys black country screw factory at wednesfield, near wolverhampton in the british midlands. Ajs is one of the bestknown names in british motorcycle history. From clay tablets to ebooks, different forms of publishing have guided.
Aug 06, 2019 history, now reaching more than 98 million homes, is the leading destination for awardwinning original series and specials that connect viewers with history in an informative, immersive, and. Developed in 1958 specifically to capture the potentially lucrative us market, the last model 31 was produced in 1966. Heres hoping someone else with good taste will see that too. Ajs motorcycles of 1925 classic european motorcycles. Note that the information is not contained within the website and will open in a new window. The original factory was on villiers street in wolverhampton, but continued expansion required a move to a site of almost 18 acres on marston road in 1960. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. However, they also have an extensive history in north america and have been part of that continents motorcycling soul since long before world war ii. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. Ajs the history of a great motorcycle book by gregor grant b4l. This is a hard to find, out of print book on motorcycles.
Clyno would eventually move here to produce motorcycles and cars, sunbeam. Ajs matchless motorcycle workshop manuals and parts books from 1938 to 1964 singles and twins. For those of you not conversant with ajs history this year and model of ajs has particular significance in that its reintroduction and design changes served as the progenitor for all the great ajs 7r and g50 model matchless racers that. At the museum you can see motorcycles dated between 1914 and 1983, such as ajs, mv aqusta, matchless, norton, bsa, triumph, ariel, bmw, james, moto guzzi, royal enfield and not only. After this matchless and ajs generally shared models using different badging, although the ajs name was used for several unique racers. A history of the american biker and bikes 19472002. Ajs the history of a great motorcycle book by gregor grant. Ajs was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the wolverhampton, england company a. Ajs albert john stevens was a cornerstone in the history of the british motorcycle.
Lots of people charge for motorcycle service and workshop manuals online which is a bit cheeky i reckon as they are freely available all over the internet. In 1931 the financial problems that had dogged the company came to a head and ajs was wound up. You can do a vehicle history check via the uk owners club who have most of the original. We use testing houses such as snch, tuv, rdw and idiada for approval. Barry bought his ajs from a close friend in bicester, after the latter had been in a motorcycle accident involving a land rover, and his wife had said no more. After 1931 the only true ajs s were the racing 7rs, porcupines and the ajs four. With a year range in mind, its easy to zero in on the listings you want and even contact a dealer to ask questions. Haycraft book of the pitmans motorcyclists library seventh edition, 1950 a reliable guide for owners of a. Ajs is also an abbreviation for the american journal of sociology. The 1954 ajs motorcycle was a nearduplicate of a bike sold under the matchless brand. The history of ajs and matchless is no less interesting than that of triumph. Used tony for loads of jobs from blasting powder coating to wheel building.
Today ajs still exists in name and is primarily known for their road bikes, roadster, and custom cruiser motorcycles. Workshop manuals and parts books for ajs, matchless. The scrapbook series iv ajs matchless riders library. Ajs values and pricing youre looking for from 1974 to 1974. Ajs 6011 each classic transfers why do people abandon such beautiful things. Ajs was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the wolverhampton, england. All of the motorcycles are lovingly cared by andreas who. Stevens of wolverhampton 1910 to 1931, and later by amc. British motorcycles of the 1940s and 50s roy bacon published 1989 out of print try used books. But whats out there for the british biker looking for an affordable new bike with a little more history and heritage. Weve obviously got a fantastic history as a business, and i think the cadwell goes some way to helping new riders or people on a budget to access a bit of that british heritage, nick said. The first motorcycle was built in 1897, powered by an american mitchell engine. Today ajs still exists in name and is primarily known for their road bikes, roadster.
Book villiers everybodys engine british motorcycles ajs. The father of the founder of ajs joseph stevens sr. A detailed history of 50 marques, from ajs to wasp osprey collectors. The ajs model 31 was a british motorcycle made by associated motorcycles at the former matchless works in plumstead, london. Read unlimited books and audiobooks on the web, ipad, iphone and android. These stats wont show how many ajs motorcycle were made or sold but they do show how many ajs motorcycle are left on the road.
It has been an essential reference in the production of this history and is the only completely accurate book so far written that is solely dedicated to a. Like many motorcycle manufacturers of the time, they had started as bicycle manufacturers. Ajs was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the wolverhampton, england, company a. The national motorcycle museum has ajs instruction manuals for models manufactured in 1914 all the way through to 1980. The company was founded in 1909 and operated until it was taken over in 1931. For the motorcycles they brought in an overhead, chaindrive camshaft. Hes also handy with the old rotary burr, he tuned the barrels on my yr5 which is doing over 50bhp at the wheel. Nearly every motorcycle nut knows that triumphs are the most famous bikes to ever come out of great britain. To understand the importance of this 1954 ajs motorcycle, you have to go back more than 60 years, to the closing days of world war ii and the pent up energy within the british motorcycle industry to go racing again. The ajs 7r was introduced in 1948, and was almost immediately nicknamed the boy racer.