AJS 990cc Side Valve V Twin 1934

[julieo]

Picture

[john.k]

The pics are good,and its a very nice bike.,Julio.

[mini-me]

Ladies & Gentlemen,
Pictures to follow. thank you all for your comments, some very helpful, others not! Further information to date this particular bike was exported to Argentina, where it was ordered through the AJS/ Matchless dealership at the time. I think you John.K has nearly got it right. I am told by the AMC specialist it was to compete against the Harley Davidson and the Indians at the time, especially for the Police forces, with a left-hand handlebar throttle. I will let you think about that for a while as I know the answer! I have resolved the problem with the wheel bearing, I have purchased them off the shelf. My problem now is getting the settings of the front forks, but I will follow the basic instructions from Percival & Webb unless anyone can point me in the right direction with measurements, again everyone's input and help is very much appreciated. I remind everyone that AJS & Matchless throw all their existing stock into the scrap merchants on the assumption that everyone was going to buy new motorcycles, that information is from a senior director at the time. He told me this just a few days ago.

I suggest the OP gets a copy of Fred Neills 1948 book of the AJS and reads page 28,


As the AMC factory closed 50yrs ago this senior director must be about 150yrs old, Denis Poore owner at that time died in 1987, the rest of the AMC board are long dead, who is this Methuselah of the motrocycle industry an why are ypu asking questions on here instead of consulting these 'expert' figures you have access to?

Then maybe they can tell you how it was I was making a living out of selling left over new old AMC spares up until 1984?

The bike I own was proveably ridden by one of the Collier brothers in 1938/9, next time I talk to god I'll ask him to give Charlie Collier a Nudge

[TGR90B]

If he was a senior director in 1949 he'd be getting on a bit (as of a few days ago}.

[33d6]

Yes, the same machines were sent our here to Australia, mainly the AJS rather than Matchless as the AJs with it's single front downtube frame survived our roads much better than the Matchless twin downtube version. It was also usually used as a workhorse with large sidecar attached as were many American machines. The 2A in American or 'Colonial' style as the factory called it competed directly with them. The very last batch made in 1940 went to Argentina. They were AJS in the US style.
There were no AMC Matchless/AJS dealerships here in my home state. The two makes were sold seperately by different dealers as if they were entirely different makes. I suppose it helped them sell more.
Sorry I can't help you with the AJS. As a vintage Matchless owner of many years I've long since learnt to avoid getting entangled in 1930's AJS as Matchless slowly discarded the old AJS factory designs to make them pure Matchless. It's just gets too messy for me. The minor changes from year to year drives me nuts. Better to stick solely to one of them and forget the other. I chose Matchless as that is what I started with.

Best of luck   

[john.k]

The Matchless name was sold off to whoever was making the Rotax engined singles in the 80s .....they discovered Austrian engine styling may have made for efficient cooling,but didnt gel with customers.And is now possibly owned by one of the tossers making mugs and T shirts....None of the Collier brothers had sons ,and the directors of AMC in the late 50s  were the sons in law,and Jock West,appointed to replace Charles Collier ....West had the ability peculiar to scots of rubbing everyone the wrong way,and he also hated yanks ,in particular yanks telling him what to do....As Group Sales Director,this caused some problems...As the sixties dawned ,profit turned to loss ,and the banks appointed directors ,displacing family members......Tis said (truthfully) Norton kept AMC afloat.,but all good things come to an end ,and they did when carpetbaggers moved in for the kill.

[Rex]

The Matchless name was sold to Harris (of Meriden Triumph fame) down in Devon if I recall correctly and they produced the G80.
Not a bad bike by all accounts but a pig to start on the kick-start.
Didn't AMC have a "we don't supply test bikes" policy at one time?

[john.k]

I just recalled ,the RACQ (auto club) have an AJS V twin outfit in the foyer of their building ,not far from me .....I ve seen it once ,many years ago when the then Triumph agents had it ,but it is a genuine RACQ patrol bike from the 1930s.....Must go and look at it..(Im not a member ,tho....my vehicles dont break down.)

[iansoady]

Didn't AMC have a "we don't supply test bikes" policy at one time?

I believe one of the weeklies published a slightly less than glowing test of one of their bikes and Donald Heather got the hump.

[mini-me]

silly considering the boost they got pre war from the weeklies.

as mentioned above, the AMC management were an odd lot, especialy after the last Collier brother died.

[Rex]

Julieo seemed to get on with them alright..

[mini-me]

   and today order of the large wooden spoon goes too,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[john.k]

The funny thing was that all the major factories had directors who hated motorbikes....Its said that the last Collier brother ,Charles ,had a fatal heart attack from the stress of finding out that Norton was bust ,and also in a shambles ,being run for the benefit of the racing department.

[mini-me]

Charllie Collier died at work ,at his desk, but I thought that was just before they bought Norton and its worn out machinery

I expect he is the senior director being referred to above.

Because of the factory history of my own bike, I am quite sure one of the last two Collier brothers would have taken it for a rest run at some time, so I like to feel I have a connection.  They were both known to pick a bike at random to go home on.
While they may not have had children,not so sure, there are relatives about.

Collier bros were probably the last motorcycle manufacturers to actually ride their product. Which is one reason I have kept my own 1938 bike for 55 years. It went back, inthe 1960s, to the factory to be identified, and when I went to work there a lot of the alloy went through the polishing shop for the traditional 20 players.

I never got to met any dead senior managment though,
What I do wish I'd scrounged was the notice in one of the lifts that had Colliers signatures on it, that would have helped with my vintage Ouija board when seeking advice.

[Morg]

I have a 1934 2 990  it came as a box of bits 40 years ago and was put away as a basket case as no money at time I started to rebuild it had suffered a major seize so new big ends rebore needed it has foot boards but no foot controls the lay out is as photo gear change right hand side of tank the gearbox has a plate on back think that's for speedo drive (drive missing)so am looking for any help on foot controls speed drive but the biggest piece is engine shock have sprocket but rest destroyed also no exaust  pipes any help please