JAMPOT COVER PICTURE

[lawrence]

In fact I have made the decision not to download the January issue and wait for some better news in February!

That's a shame. There are three pics of modern retro bikes amongst the countless pics of old bikes and machinery. Plus you'll miss the pic of me in SEXY rubber-wear on page 8

[Andy51]

Chinese machines are very much built down to a price, which is what the market wants in the segment they are chasing. They can and do have excellent engineers and engineering - a few years ago they built an anti-satellite missile that took out a redundant satellite way out in space, so making a good small bike is well within their capabilities, but customers won't pay the resultant price. Andy

[spookefoote1956]

In fact I have made the decision not to download the January issue and wait for some better news in February!

That's a shame. There are three pics of modern retro bikes amongst the countless pics of old bikes and machinery. Plus you'll miss the pic of me in SEXY rubber-wear on page 8

No problem with modern retro, only scooters. Damnit the rubber's tempting though!

[Plugsnpoints]

Get a room you two!

[Cjay59_LAPSED]

If you want to know about the Brown family, have a look at my website, Chapter 50, FB (Fluff Brown) AJS, if you want to know the relationship the family has with AJS, they own the name, then read through the whole site.

https://ajsstormer.wordpress.com/2017/0 ... blog-post/

You will find they care a great deal about our marque, and they know a great deal about motorcycles, and Nick Brown will push the quality of the Chinese machines forward at every step, at every chance.

They are not a multi national making money on the back of our "Race Bred Machines", but a family company that has kept the AJS name alive.

Visit their own web site,

https://www.ajsmotorcycles.co.uk/

and you will see what they have achieved, judge wether you could have done the same!

I wouldn't buy a scooter, but my daughter might, and it's a long time since I got attacked by a Mod (my brother), I thought they where extinct.......

[clive]

In fact I have made the decision not to download the January issue and wait for some better news in February!

That's a shame. There are three pics of modern retro bikes amongst the countless pics of old bikes and machinery. Plus you'll miss the pic of me in SEXY rubber-wear on page 8

Thank goodness I skipped page 8.

[spookefoote1956]

If you want to know about the Brown family, have a look at my website, Chapter 50, FB (Fluff Brown) AJS, if you want to know the relationship the family has with AJS, they own the name, then read through the whole site.

https://ajsstormer.wordpress.com/2017/0 ... blog-post/

You will find they care a great deal about our marque, and they know a great deal about motorcycles, and Nick Brown will push the quality of the Chinese machines forward at every step, at every chance.

They are not a multi national making money on the back of our "Race Bred Machines", but a family company that has kept the AJS name alive.

Visit their own web site,

https://www.ajsmotorcycles.co.uk/

and you will see what they have achieved, judge wether you could have done the same!

I wouldn't buy a scooter, but my daughter might, and it's a long time since I got attacked by a Mod (my brother), I thought they where extinct.......

To clear this up before anyone starts thinking I dislike Chinese motorcycles, with particular reference to the AJS brand. I appreciate the hard work the Brown family have put into continuing the name of the company and introducing reliable machines at an affordable price. It would be hypocritical of me to put down their vehicles bearing in mind that my son's first bike was an AJS125e; the same bike that I'm now customising into a mock flat tanker.

However, I do not like scooters, never have done and never will. I am a motorcyclist who belongs to two motorcycle clubs none of which have "and scooter" in their names - thankfully.

Big love and a happy new year to everyone. Safe riding, whatever your choice of two wheels.

Chris

[SPRIDDLER]

If you want to know about the Brown family, have a look at my website, Chapter 50, FB (Fluff Brown) AJS, if you want to know the relationship the family has with AJS, they own the name, then read through the whole site.

https://ajsstormer.wordpress.com/2017/0 ... blog-post/

You will find they care a great deal about our marque, and they know a great deal about motorcycles, and Nick Brown will push the quality of the Chinese machines forward at every step, at every chance.

Re. Chinese bikes in general they have come a long way in the past 5 to 10 years with regard to quality although their early reputation for rusty bolts and brackets, dodgy electrics, liquorice sprockets, elasticated chains and rock hard tyre rubber will take a long time to die.
When looking for a new 250 to replace my two year old Honda 125 leaf-blower (the 'Grudge Special') there were only Chinese bikes that fitted my needs. I contacted about 15 trade sellers and visited half a dozen. Many of the so-called approved dealers of Chinese bikes that I have contacted were merely eBay box-shifters working from home or chancers operating from pop-up ex newsagent shops or similar who just assemble as best they can the crated kits from China with very little or no mechanical expertise or experience whatsoever and almost no spares or after sales interest.
I finally bought my Chinese 'Mutchless' from an old school dealer 110 miles away that was formed by the grandfather when he was demobbed as a despatch rider and the firm is now run by the grandsons, although he was still visiting the business every week. They upgrade many components - tyres, rear suspension units, sprockets, chain, brake pads, filters etc with regular branded items. They fitted my adapted brake and clutch controls without any ifs or buts in respect of the warranty (or charged for doing it). They have classic bikes on sale and their sales manager rides a Matchless 500 and regularly trials his AJS.
The quality of Chinese bikes has improved enormously but a lot depends upon a competent dealer.

[Plugsnpoints]

There has to be something ironic about this.

When my AJS motorcycles were new they gave the man (as it was always assumed that blokes rode motorbikes then) a handbook.


The handbook to my car which was built this decade, tells me how to drive it, how to add screenwash fluid and how to operate the 'wireless'. Then to run it in for a service every year.


The AJS handbook for my 1957 AJS is slightly different, it tells me what levers to move, and which one to prod to try to start it.


What the contents also contain are advice on when it won't start, how to adjust the tappets, when to change the oil and pretty much how to rebuild it from scratch with exploded diagrams to assist.


It had a guarantee of 6 months. If your gearbox (for example) played up in that the first few months it was the owners' responsibility to remove the offending part, box it up then send it back to Plumstead for them to decide if it was buggered! The best bit is the warranty didn't cover parts that were bought in-Smiths for the speedo, Lucas for the ignition/lights/charging system and Dunlop or Avon for the tyres etc. You were told to unbolt hem and send them back to the relevant addresses listed in the book.



I'm guessing most of us old geysers/geyseresses are more than capable of maintaining and rebuilding their aged AJS/Matchless, with occasional expert help. I dare say most of the bikes will outlive us.


The thing that would put me off buying a 'new' Ajay is the importer doesn't appear to have a contact number on the website- i.e. AJS UK. You are advised to contact the local dealer, which I'm also guessing is just a franchisee?


I don't care how people get about, on what, or in, just as they're ok to get on with.

[Cjay59_LAPSED]

Andrew, have you visited the AJS Motorcycles Ltd website, and had a look, and is your importer an authorised dealer?