1925 Motorcycle - but what is it?

[VintageBike]

Can anyone help Phil Wood identify the bike in this photo of his grandfather James Edwin Wood.  He died in 1925 so the bike cannot be any later than that, also Phil has been told by DVLC that UK 9082 was only issued from 1925 till 1931 so it has to be 1925.  Ideas please....!

[cardan]

I wonder is there some confusion re the date? Saddle tank, twist-grip throttle and sloping motor seem to point to nearer 1930 than 1925? The rear-mounted maggy with external bosses on the timing cover, vertical valve chest finning, left side front brake... perhaps a side-valve sloper AJS of around 1930?

Leon

[m3bobby]

I lightened the pic up in photoshop and it is a AJS R4/6/8 or 9. Its hard to tell because you cant see much of the engine but everything else matches. The lights look like they may have been carried over from a previous bike (as also is the number I guess) and the speedo must be an extra add on.

[m3bobby]

Further playing with the photo revealed vertical fins on what looks like the cylinder head. If the sidevalve R4 and 9 had vertical head fins, this would narrow it down a bit more.

[TriSpec]

Registration 1930. About June/July.

Peter C.