AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Hi all 😎 firstly thanks for letting me join this wonderful page, having classics in the past (Triumphs) I'm looking for something different, so I'm now looking at getting a 53 AJS 16MS, what should I be looking for on these is there any known faults/ problems with these bikes? How reliable are they and what sort of price should i be looking at.

Many thanks
David 👍🏻

Welcome. the AJS 16MS or Matchless equivalent G3LS are pretty forgiving bikes, they will not give startling speed or acceleration but will run for ever. As with any 60 year plus bike reliability can be variable but I have driven one to Milan and back, two up. As for price how about looking at the club shop, Kettering Classics available through the home page.

clive wrote:I have driven one to Milan and back, two up.

And so have I, but not two up.
And since you're too modest to post a pic here of you en route to Milan I'll do it.......
and so's not to leave out the missus........

Welcome to the club David.
There's lots of info here and in magazine articles.
Have a read of this guide:

http://archives.jampot.dk/editorial/Roa ... 5-1966.pdf

A bit more here:

http://archives.jampot.dk/technical/Spe ... _1982).pdf

Also a Real Classic article on the post war 500 AJS and Matchless singles which apart from engine capacity and tank badges are the same as the 350's.

https://www.real-classic.co.uk/2020/05/ ... 0-singles/

Thanks Sprids. In truth it crawled the last mile up to the Grand St Bernard's pass in first gear. I subsequently took the 350 engine out and installed a 500 as I found it a bit underpowered for two up touring. David you will need to consider how you are going to use the bike. I still bumble around on my 350 Matchless rigid and find it quite sufficient for solo travel long distance (or did in earlier years before I was seduced by rear suspension). If you are going to use it 2 up and you have many steep hills nearby you might want to go for a 500 single.

clive wrote: In truth it crawled the last mile up to the Grand St Bernard's pass in first gear. I subsequently took the 350 engine out and installed a 500 as I found it a bit underpowered for two up touring.

Underpowered, Clive? Nah, surely not. I can't think why.....................(you must've known this pic was coming )
Just to reassure David, before riding to Milan with all camping gear on my '54 G3LS I had a faultless two month 2,400 mile camping trip through France to Spain and Andorra, making only two oil changes. The 350 Heavyweights just plod on and on.

Oasist1980 wrote:so I'm now looking at getting a 53 AJS 16MS

Welcome to Jampot land David. That's what I bought (from Kettering as it happens) nearly 4 years ago when I returned to motorcycling after a 40 year gap.

Nowhere near as adventurous as Clive and Spriddler, I just bimble around the smaller roads and lanes of Beds, Herts, Bucks and Cambs, sometimes on my own and sometimes with mates, absolutely magic!

Having done ~8500 miles on it now that works out at about 35p a mile and I've lost track of the number of smiles per mile but it's absolutely brilliant.

Take your time finding a good one (unless you want a project of course) at the right price, you'll love it.

Alan

SPRIDDLER wrote:

clive wrote:
Underpowered, Clive? Nah, surely not. I can't think why.....................(you must've known this pic was coming )

I feel a bit like the straight man setting up the comic with the punchline! Incidentally that photo has appeared so often I am not surprised the website storage fills up so quickly

clive wrote: I feel a bit like the straight man setting up the comic with the punchline!

It's Lockdown Fever, Clive. I've too much time on my hands.

Incidentally that photo has appeared so often I am not surprised the website storage fills up so quickly

Yebbut, when I resized it to save server space I couldn't get all of you in.