AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Hi to all again, i am now a fully fledged member of the club, joined the spares discount scheme also, so ready to start spending shortly, next job is to contact Roy with regard to a dating certificate for the project, have his contact details, thanks again to all replies in previous post, no doubt will be in touch again shortly when i get myself stuck, regards.

Welcome to the club.

Thanks for the welcome,
Spoken to Roy, unfortunately, i have a mis-match, G2 frame, Mod 14 engine, same year mind, now have to decide between obtaining AJS frame or G2 crankcases, as most of the tinware is missing i don`t suppose it matters which way i go, there are some G2 crankcases on ebay, i think same year, no AJS frames at present, as a club covering both marques, is there a preference between the two? regards.

I wouldn't worry; go with the frame and build a Matchless G2. There are only cosmetic differences between G2 and Model 14 engines of the same year.
It's common for Lightweights to be a mishmash of bits - if you've got the same year for the frame & engine then you're off to a pretty good start!

Also, off the wall but I found it incredibly difficult getting my AJS model 8 (the 350 version of your bike) insured. Most standard insurers have the Matchless equivalent (G5) on their systems but mention Model 8 then they either won't insure it or the premium is mega expensive. I dreaded insurance time as it was the same every year. The example was Bikesure who would insure it for £400 when the G5 was £84!! no matter how much I tried the stress that it is EXACTLY THE SAME BIKE apart from the badges (similar to Morris/Austin etc in the 70's.) Needles to say I told Bikesure when to shove their quote and both of my bikes are now insured with Peter James, the best and cheapest insurer out there in my opinion. SO FROM MY POINT OF VIEW BUILD IT AS A MATCHLESS!!

I'd keep the bike as a G2 because that's the frame you have already. Roy would be able to advise on getting it registered on an age-related plate with an AJS engine from the same year but I suspect it should be possible. I'm sure there are plenty of bikes running round with a mismatch of frame and engine because all it takes is a notification to the DVLA of a change of engine.

Regarding insurance, it's best to go to a company that specialises in classic bikes as they are more understanding of our bikes and how we want to use them. There are several who advertise in the Jampot magazine and I'd be surprised if they had a problem with a M14 AJS. they will each offer something different in the policy. For example, when I first started riding, I insured through Carole Nash (when Carole still owned the business) because she would give me unlimited mileage and business use on a classic policy which, at the time, Footman James wouldn't. Peter James hadn't set up his own business then. Talk to or email them direct and don't rely on an online quote if it doesn't appear to give you what you want.

Yes, a thumbs-up from me for Peter James. I've got both my bikes on a single agreed value policy with them. Excellent service, they were one of the few insurers who didn't run away screaming when I told them my AJS was "modified"...

At you stage of the build and the cheapness of engine cases, i would get new cases and build a Matchless.
Same happened to me. I Always thought i had a matchless G9 until Roy dated it for me and it turned out to be an Ajs model 20 frame. 60 years of bodging!

At least you found out early

It all depends on what you want to do with the bike. If you want to build it and sell it in the future as a whole AJS or M, you need the appropriately numbered parts which are I believe, one section of the frame, one crankcase half, and middle section of the gearbox case. Other than the badges, almost everything else is interchangeable between the two marques of the same age. However, if you only want a working bike, as long as you can get it registered, just about any part will do.

I missed this question from your earlier post.

as a club covering both marques, is there a preference between the two?

Matchless is best, especially red ones. Everyone* knows red is a faster colour. That's why so many Ferraris and Ducatis are red.



*poetic licence

The frame is a part of your bike which has a part number. Lets say the bike is a 1960 Matchless G2 bare frame is pt.no. 042861, same pt. no. for 1960 AJS M 14. That frame is correct for an AJS or Matchless. It could have been used for an AJS or a Matchless. Same with all the other parts of your bike, unless colour / badge makes it AJS or Matchless. There is only two other parts that can be confirmed started life as an AJS or Matchless. One being the engine part, the other the frame part, that got stamped with its own machine number. If your frame was used to make a Matchless but now has an AJS engine, you are not likely to find the Matchless engine bearing the number that matches the frame number when the bike was first assembled. You cannot prove what any of the other parts on the bike may have been used on. If the bike is built with all the correct parts to match the marque year and model of the engine. The bike would appear to be correct. Even the frame would be correct. It could have been used to build as an AJS or Matchless.

Not so sure about colours making a bike go faster, however. Back in the 50's you had to fit a British Racing Green colour plug lead to make the bike go faster.