Newbie help.

Information relating to the Matchless G2 or AJS Model 14 250cc Lightweight
roger101
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Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 6:27 pm
Location: Vale of Glamorgan UK

Newbie help.

Post by roger101 »

Firstly hello to everyone,glad to be here.

I've recently purchased a AJS 14 which needs restoring but I need your help.
I have been able to find I believe the engine num which is 61/G29132 which from my understanding would indicate a 1961 Matchless G2 engine?
The frame number I can only find so far on the V5 as 18427.
I don't have the original log book so I'm a bit stuck as to what year the bike would be and before I buy replacment parts I'd like to get it right.
Also the bike is still in 6volt form and I wondered if it would be better to convert to a 12volt system?
Any help gratefully received.

Roger
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Janet
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Location: EAST YORKSHIRE UK

Newbie help.

Post by Janet »

Hello, I haven't got a clue about the bike but I wouldn't want you to feel totally neglected.

Regarding the 6v/12v issue, it's a matter of opinion. If there's nothing wrong with your system, why change it? If it's duff you might as well go for 12 volt. You'll see this discussed in an an earlier thread about riding in the dark.



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Tolly
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Post by Tolly »

You'll find the frame number on the G2 located on the head stock timing side, all lightwieghts are in this position. Hope this helps.
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Tolly
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Newbie help.

Post by Tolly »

P.S. If you join the club they have a dating service and also a spares section which has a good stock of lightwieght parts.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
good-hifi
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Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:14 pm
Location: OXON UK

Newbie help.

Post by good-hifi »

Hello Roger, my advice for what it is worth is get the bike up and running and roadworthy before thinking about conversion to 12 volts.

You'll need all your time effort and money just to have her running. Join the club and use the discounted spares scheme and get together a substantial shopping list before ordering or you'll pay fortune in shipping costs by ordering a part here and a part there.

I may be converting my 14 CSR to 12 volts but only after I have decided whether I shall actually be doing any night running or not. If I decide against it will not worth the cost.

BTW did you get it off eBay?

Cheers
Mick
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chris kelly
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Location: OSTERGOTLAND SWEDEN

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Post by chris kelly »

Hi Roger, Don"t want to contradict "Tolly " above except ,"in the best possible way " but in the "Bacon" book , Roy Bacon suggests that these numbers can be a problem.. but are found on the right side under the front seat area often on a seat lug. Apparently they never start with a figure "0".. and should not be confused with casting numbers on the steering head.Your V5 frame number 18427. seems to be somewhere between the ninth month of 1965 and the seventh month of 1966. Your five digit number matches the number of digits, that is five, for frame numbers for this model and nicely fits within the sequence. What the DVLA do is date the bike according to the frame year. So your bike would be ascribed a later year but would actually have a 1961 engine in it.You will no doubt find helpful the 1960 Spares List for Matchless G2, G2CS, in which you get an engine drawing ( I have this) and also , I have to refer to AJS now because thats what I have in front of me.. and bearing in mind the models were the same BUT had some differences.. (G o to the Roy Bacon Book for that..and get the one starting Matchless and AJS rather than the other way around. ) ... now my other Spares List for 1961 and 1962 , the ones I have in front of me ..are for AJS and state ,Supplementary List, To be used in conjunction with the 1960 Main List...parts shown in this list are confined to those that are dissimilar to the 1960 Models. So if we take it that the engines were the same, but you need to confirm this your self...then it does seem to me there were quite a few parts that were changed as listed in the 1961 Supplementary List .Hope this does not appear too complicated. Best wishes ,Chris.
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roger101
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Joined: Sat Sep 02, 2006 6:27 pm
Location: Vale of Glamorgan UK

Newbie help.

Post by roger101 »

Many thanks for everyones replies.
If the frame is ok in terms of numbers for an AJS 14 thats perfect.It is a shame that the engine is from a G2 but I understand those were identical? to the AJS.

I have joined the club and will be using the spares scheme to purchase any items. This is why I wanted to try to get a handle on the year of the bike before ordering bits.
I used to have an AJS 14 bike when I was growing up and my son found the one I now have of Ebay ( I struggle with new tech!)
It's a project between us I have the Roy Bacon restoration book but do find some sections difficult to fully understand.I'm about to get the spares lists also.
The 6v / 12 v issue was due to the fact that there are very few remaining wires on the bike and I was thinking of getting a new wiring loom.

Once again many thanks.
good-hifi
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Newbie help.

Post by good-hifi »

I've got four model 14 frames here and every one of them has the frame number to the right of the headstock. Seems Roy didn't know all his bacon...:)

Cheers
Mick
itma
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Newbie help.

Post by itma »

You do not need a new loom to convert to 12v
The production line at Plumstead ran anti clockwise, and what ever monkey was fitting bits worked from the RH side, so it makes sense that`d be where to find the number,
As I`ve said here so many times, don`t believe every thing you read, especially that written by `experts` mostly repeating someones elses typos from previous printings;
jim501
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Location: STAFFORDSHIRE UK

Newbie help.

Post by jim501 »

quote:

As I`ve said here so many times, don`t believe every thing you read, especially that written by `experts` mostly repeating someones elses typos from previous printings;



Very true. Itma was at Plumstead, I was at BSA. No doubt the same things went on.

A new model was probably last years model with a new paint scheme. It's frame/engine numbers could be a year wrong !

In the final years when the money was running out, old stock bits from the parts/service departments appeared on the production line.

I've seen batches of completed bikes fetched out of store and stripped and rebuilt into other models to fill orders and keep the lines rolling.

Suppliers of bought in parts changed regularly and modifications announced for a particular model year didn't just occur overnight. They used up all the old bits first. If your's was a slow seller the announced mod could have occurred a year later !!

With the new unit construction twins announced, the last of the pre-unit Stars, Shooting Stars, Falling Stars, Stars in their Eyes, Rockets, Super Rockets and Rocket Gold Stars were well intertwangled to use up stock !!

The info available to us comes from factory records but they usually didn't record all the day to day production line changes.

So what you've got may not be quite what you thought it was or what it ought to be and don't forget that in the last fifty years and fifty owners it's quite likely that most of it has been replaced with what was to hand rather than what was correct. Motorcyclists were very creative in those days !!

cheers
jim
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