AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Further discoveries after an afternoon's tinkering for which all comments most welcome.

Firstly, it was an utter pig to start, until I realized one cylinder wasn't firing. Swappped out the new looking plug for an old one - and voila. Easy fix, but a new one on me...

Moving it off the main stand is perilous! It definitely moves away towards the offside when rolling off the stand, and when standing on the near side to roll it off the stand, I almost dropped the blessed thing! Clearly I need to be on the other side! Is this a "design feature?" My legs are far too short to roll it off the stand when on the bike!

Side stand is a nightmare. Flip up thing, which I think by moving the spring location hole, may be changed to stay down. No lug on it to operate with the foot when sitting aboard, so pretty useless at the moment I feel.

Oil weep from the mating face of crankcase and the large offside chaincase on the upper side. Nipped up the screws - wait and see next time.

Moving it on to the main stand also a pig. As ever, I guess there is a technique, but that tendancy for the bike to to lean out offside does not help. Once on the satnd, it looks pretty level though. Rear wheel is not free to rotate - which strikes me as odd.

Still looks very well though, and cannot wait for a nice sunny day to ride it.

Trouble with your centre stand, you may want to look at this thread:
http://www.jampot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=22384

Yes, moving the spring will stop the stand flipping up.
I've fitted a tang to my side stand.

The stand is designed to flip up when not in use. For your safety. Ride off with side that stays down, next left hand bend it digs in and has you off the bike. When taking the bike off the centre stand I always lean the bike towards me, This raises the off side leg off the ground. I have control over the weight laying towards me. If pushed off the stand with the bike upright, I could fall away from me. When going away from you, you may as well just let it go. There's no way you could pull it back, as you would also be leaning forward. The bike will just fall away from you. You get used to this. But if you have used only modern bikes with only a side stand that stays down, you would have got used to that.

The centre stand is obviously bent and twisted, moving away from you is a classic sign. Is this where I chime in and point you in the direction of the roll on roll off replacements that are available in the back of the Jampot mag?
eer eer whats going on here? Mind you its been quiet lately is the stock running out?

Chaps


Many thanks for the replies. Side stand modifications look good. Something like the tang would suffice - I hate the flip up aspect though. Just disaster waiting to happen if I lean on the offside inadvertantly when the side stand is down...

Main stand - yes - I appreciate it may be twisted or bent or the location is awry somewhere. I just wondered whether the lean offside when rolling off the stand was deliberate!

Oggers wrote: Main stand - yes - I appreciate it may be twisted or bent or the location is awry somewhere. I just wondered whether the lean offside when rolling off the stand was deliberate!

Nope, it's just the original stands are a piece of junk!!!! How the factory ever got away with producing them like that for so long is beyond me.

Oggers wrote:Rear wheel is not free to rotate - which strikes me as odd.

Hi

Do you mean:

It is on the ground when the bike is on the centre stand? - in which case the centre stand is either distorted or the bushes / stops are worn.

It is stiff? - pointing to rear brake adjustment or less possibly wheel adjustment / bearing lubrication.

The stand can be bent cold with the help of a lever and vice.

Regards Mick

I changed my sidestand to stay down. As has been pointed out, there is a safety aspect to this, but then there are many safety aspects to riding bikes in the first place. So far I've been awake enough to always flick it back up before setting off. As far as the centre stand is concerned, I genuinely believe that fitting one of the new stands as provided by an AMOC club member and advertised elsewhere has avoided the need to train as a power lifter, and also possible surgery.

Malc

Malc - Do you have details of the main stand you mention please - I have not as yet subscribed to Jampot....