@@PeakMotorcycles What about the engine? It looks like chinese to me. Nothing wrong with assembling bikes in China, but I stay away from chinese products.
@@PrimoStracciatella I think they are made in China, or at least assembled there. The 125 kick start is the old YBR motor. The new water cooled 125 and 250, I’m not sure. It is hard to avoid though, when pretty much everything with a chip, and in particular a lot (most?) phones are reliant on Chinese manufacturing. May I ask if your concerns are based on quality or politics?
@@PeakMotorcycles Made in China is way different than assembled in China. Almost everything is assembled in Asia, as lomg as the quality control is done by a western manufacturer I have no problem. I owned Honda bikes assembled in Thailand, never a problem. But I know about the quality of chinese-made products and have learned my lesson the hard way. Unfortunately there are lots of chinese bikes on the market with well-known western brand names from the past which aren't worth the admittedly low price. I also have political concerns but don't want to get into that since this is a video about motorcycles.
The Scrambler looks quite nice. Add a engine bash plate and a 350 to 450 cc engine and I would be interested in seeing if I could get it across the pond. The AJS emblems and shirts looks very nice as well. Good Job Megan.
Absolutly fabulous André, thank you so much for showing us AJS - what an interesting brand with some very appealing models. Very impressed with Megan, her knowledge and passion for past and current AJS models is outstanding.
It's generally better when other people talk about the bikes. I get that a lot. 🤣. She was great, and the bikes look fun. I'd quite like to try the 250 so when winter is over I'll seek out my nearest dealer and see if I can have a play.
Interesting to see AJS offering a 250. There is an 'older Gentleman' in my area who rides a yellow Cadwell and another who has a black model with a matching open face helmet.... very cool.
Thanks Neil. I think they look great, though I'm not sure I'm quite ready to go back to a 125 yet. (I learned on a modified DT125 which was fun but had a tiny power band, and then rode the bike my wife learned on, a YBR125 Custom, which was a mere 9.9hp and that felt underpowered for a gentleman of my, er, health!? 🤣 The 250 seems a bit more practical as a runaround, especially if it's well priced and looks that good.
@@PeakMotorcycles The closest to AJS (as a 250) is the Mash Black 7. It uses the old Suzuki GN250 lump. AJS fans have been crying out for a 250 for some time now. I'm glad that AJS have listened.
@@Armadacon thanks. Do you know if that is Euro5 compliant? I asked what the 250 was at the stand yesterday (Friday) but they weren’t able to confirm. I’ll try again today. The same GN perhaps? I’ll have a closer look.
@@PeakMotorcycles I'm pretty sure that the new 250 Ajay's won't be using the GN lump. The givaway is the cylinder head. The original Suzuki GN250 had the tacho take-off on the side. The modified China version had this take-off blanked off with a plug. This plug is missing from the AJS. Thus suggesting it's a different engine. I suspect the China managed to make the GN engine Euro 4 compliant (Fuel injection, rather than Suzuki's carb). However. We're now on Euro 5 and Euro 6 is waiting in the wings. So a different engine was needed. At least AJS has been forward thinking in this respect.
What a lovely looking little bike, nice to see the old names being given new life, let’s hope they are reliable enough with a decent dealer network incase anything goes wrong.
I love to see this. Yes, I’m from the “old days” and we used to call this make “All Junk and Scrap” but I still had a few. Can’t wait to see a “7R “ rebirth.
🤣 Thanks! I love that and it’s funny what you remember, also bike choices that don’t make any real sense, except to you at the time. I’m sure I have a few of those. A 7R rebirth would be epic but I can already hear the ‘it’s not like the old one’ comments ringing out 😁
I owned an AJS 600cc single cylinder motorcycle in 1959. I called it "the popper." It was powerful BUT it could be a problem to get started. Top quality hill climber.
Thanks Norman. That sounds like a fond memory. The current AJS 125’s with the YBR engine still have a kick start but I think they were the only new bikes at the show that did, though they also have an electric start and I expect are a little easier to start though less adept at hill climbing!
They are an old company who had various owners over the years. It’s still UK owned and until now have done a variety of 125’s. The new liquid cooled 125 and the 250 look quite interesting.
Me too, though I’ll be interested to see how the new 250 is priced. The old air cooled 125’s were under £3k. I expect there will be a slight uplift for the water cooled, and again for the 250’s, but if under £4k, I expect I’ll have one! #n+1 😁
@@PeakMotorcycles Yeah the 250 would be much better with water cooled, a lot of the manufacturers are going off air cooled to fall in line more with the emissions I guess, yes a price hike is guaranteed but for a few grand, they aren’t much money in reality to play about with. Great channel and learnt a lot from your vids. Cheers 👍🍻
The first red Cadwell is beautiful! They’ve really detailed them nicely and I hope they succeed. Some larger capacity engines would be well received. I don’t mind the old names being resurrected and who cares if they’re not “authentic “. They’re not allowed to make them according to the old ways due to modern safety and emission requirements.
Absolutely! Though also not everyone likes the same thing. I think these look great, the new 250 in particular and I’ll see if I can ride one when they are ready.
As of today 19th August 2023 they still haven't put the new (Ajs 250 Dessert scrambler on sale!! What's happening Ajs???? I'd like to buy one, please put on market as said in this promotion!!!!
I know. It was due late spring or early summer. I can only assume it wasn’t ready, better to wait and get it right than launch early and have problems. Better for them, not you. Or me. 🤣
It was great to see them there. Also good to see the support and presence they had from the AJS & Matchless Owners Club. There’s a few folks on here complaining that they aren’t ‘real’ AJS motorcycles, which is a shame.
People have been asking for a 250 for a long time! Huh! I would be asking for something large enough to move my 100kg frame around. It could be an air cooled single to But I am certain Euro 5 makes it harder to do that. Needless to say, I would ask AJS for a 650 single or a 750 vertical twin.
Euro5 causes all sorts of problems. I guess a 250 is a step in the right direction. I’ve ridden 125’s with 12-14hp which move my 100kg+ 🤣 frame around, though not quickly, and even the 9.9hp YBR125 would get me to 60mph, and even 70mph on a flat road with a good wind! I’d like to think that any 250 would do 70mph a lot easier, and while it won’t be doing rapid overtakes, it should still have a bit of poke at lower speeds. I guess we’ll see what happens and maybe there will be a larger capacity bike down the line?
This are AJS in name only . They are basic Chinese generic 125 & 250 cc old Brit style cafe racer ‘s sourced ten a penny from Chinese factory’s & badged accordingly depending on U.K. importers requirements . The likes of AJS ,Lexmoto ,Sinnis or other importers do not manufacture these bikes ,they are just importers rebadging Chinese names & punting them out . Nothing wrong with that as long as they are honest & don’t put too much of a mark up on them .& can guarantee back up & reliable fast parts supply ,similar to Chinese produced Japanese brands .
Cost of production is a key thing I guess… and when the quality isn’t there, it doesn’t work. If it is, then it makes a lot more sense. Maybe when fuel hits $10/gal then a lightweight 250 will become a more desirable runaround. I can’t wait to try the 250 next year.
Just like Benelli or Fantic, AJS is a brand name bought by Chinas as a way to enter the wider market. Saying the bikes have "heritage"is a bit of a stretch. That being said, the 250 scrambler is a looker, and probably a good budget buy. From what im aware of, the engines are based on old Suzuki GN250 , so reliable if they have used good metals.
It is a UK company and not owned by China. They do buy engines in, but these have come from various sources including Rotax and the YBR engines in the euro4 125’s. Royal Enfield, BSA and Norton are different in that they are all now owned by Indian companies. Though for them, the brand is still in the home country, it's not a new thing.
It's the mutt,mash and herald brand's that use the gn125 and 250 engine's. The 250 ajs shown on this video has a completely different engine. I could be wrong but it looks like a newly designed engine. Perhaps mr peak motorcycles can find more about it tomorrow 🙂
The 250cc Desert Scrambler is a good move. It's a cracking looking bike but some road testers got a top speed of 55mph for the 125, which is just naff.
I guess it must be a lower power 125. I think that’s about the same as the Honda Super Cub 125 which has 9.9hp. I’m hoping the new water cooled 125 is a bit closer to the 15hp limit and the 250 closer to if not above 25hp. I’m guessing that it might be something like the Zongshen unit that Fantic put in the 250 Caballero which makes 28hp and will do 95mph. We will find out in the next few months.
No schedule I'm afraid. I bumped into the AJS guys at EICMA last November and asked that very question. They said that due to a downturn in the motorcycle market, they had had to put launching new models on hold. It's not just making, distributing and selling the bikes. There's also the parts distibution, training dealers and making sure that the service is in place, so a big task to get something new set up, and a big financial risk in the current climate.
I think for too long bikes have been getting faster, more powerful, more complex and more expensive. While they do have a place in the market, I do think you can have nearly as much (if not more?) fun on something that is slower (but not slow), less powerful, simple and economically priced. For a 4000 mile tour around Europe, I'd pick my R1250GS over my Scram 411. For an afternoon tea run around the Peak District, with a max speed of 50mph, I'd rather take the Scram and actually ride it than take the BMW.
I have a BMW R1100s and I can honestly say that I have never ridden it at more than about a third of it's capacity and I am sick of dodging speed cameras. I have more enjoyment riding my F650 GS. Who wants to be riding on the limit all the time?. AUS.
That would be good if it is. I asked at the show but they either didn’t know or weren’t able to say as it was a pre-production prototype. I guess we’ll find out in a few months.
Correct. The liquid cooled one is new, and done to meet emissions requirements. It also has a bit more power, but we shall see what that means in practice.
Just to correct a few posts here, AJS are NOT cheap Chinese bikes with a British badge, AJS has never been in foreign hands. Formed in 1909, merged with Matchless in the 1930's and in the 1970's the brand was bought by a couple of Brothers in Hampshire who comtinued to produce spares for the existing bikes. The company is STILL based in Hampshire and are now producing these bikes. They are British designed and British built and carry Yamaha engines (the 125 cc have YBR125 engines - a bike known to be almost bomb proof). Like all Yamaha engines, the building of them is undertaken in a factory in China, but if having a Chinese built engine makes a "Chinese bike" then Yamaha must also be Chinese? In fact most Japanese bike manufacturers get their engines built in China nowadays. I have a AJS Tempest Roadster 125 and it is by far the best bike I've ever had (my last was a YBR125 by the way). It's light, but not so much you get blown all over the place, leans well, nice thick tyres keep you stable and you can easily hit 60 on the flat as long as theres no headwind. Its also fuel injected so starts cold first time all the time. The only (possible?) downside is getting into conversations with men of a certain age asking about your bike and telling you their stories of the AJS they or a relative once owned. By the way, i am not affiliated with AJS motorcycles in any way, im just a proud and satisfied AJS owner.
Thanks, and it’s always great to get proper owner feedback. Unfortunately some folks have made their minds up without ever riding, owning, seeing or understanding the history or what’s behind them. I bumped into the owners at EICMA and said hello. I did ask them about the water cooled 250, but that is on hold for now due to a downturn in the market. Fingers crossed things turn up in the future. Thanks again and ride safe!
I like the red&gold paint job on the caddy,motor looks lil wonky in cheap asian silver,but a simple couple of cans of matt black eng enamel,and you wouldent even pick that bike as a lil 125cc,would make it really look the goods in my opnion,scambler look good too,i got a thing for retro scrams no matter where there made,that bike looks pretty fine
@@PeakMotorcycles Yes, I think a good quality priced right retro bike would do well. But bring in retro bikes that you can ride. Café bikes don't really do well here with our open spaces. We need more of a set up and beg riding style. With a decent gas tank size. 350-650 or so singles would be nice. I would love to see a panther 650 clone.
Downturn in the market. I bumped into them at EICMA and asked about it. There’s been an overall slowdown in sales across the industry and the costs of introducing a new model at the moment are not sustainable. It’s not cancelled, just on hold, but until things improve it won’t be back on.
Don’t seem to get 150’s here. The learner limit is 125cc and less than 15hp, so for a long time it was that and then 500cc+. Does a 250 satisfy a primal need? If so, which one?
@@richardwilson6392 there are some great vids on YT, of “riders” crashing bmwRR’s. Some bought the matching leathers and everything. (I guess it’s the cheapest way to own the marque, before their 310, and scooters came out, anyway?). I’m of the “more fun to go fast on a slow bike”, crowd. Litre bikes are fun, (but I’m not sure if I remember all the pac-man patterns, so a cb400 would do me). I’ve enjoyed trying the different engines. Triples sound good?. I miss 2t’s a bit. Nice and light. I have a few bikes left in me, I hope.
@@PeakMotorcycles I had a Chinese 150 (gn125 clone, but water cooled). With the vac system taken off (1/2 done when I got it, not running), it did the 140kph on the clock ok. (Geared right, it would do the ton). I wish we got Asian market stuff in Oz (Kawasaki estrella, and cuties like that). Really, I still have good hand/eye co-ordination, but there is not much margin for error on a 100hp bike, let alone 200. I’m still on the lookout for a ts185, (I love the smell of 2t in the morning). Still made I think, (were a few years back, anyway, in Mexico?). Truly a world bike, (they tow a trailer with 15 paddy workers in the phillipines😆). Stay safe, having fun, and getting there.
Great for whom? It is the way of things I’m afraid. Manufacturers from KTM to BMW have engines manufactured in China and it’s not that unusual. Even Apple have been making iPhones and MacBooks in China for years and that doesn’t seem to bother people. Free world is also, a bit subjective… do you mean the US or somewhere else?
It would be a better replica if the cylinder was truly vertical. Then it would look more British. I know it makes more space for the carb but…….just sayin.
The brand? Pretty much, and there’s been a certain degree of handoff through the continuous ownership. The bikes, yes, you’re right, but then, no one else is selling bikes that they used to either 😉
I just want a British classic scrambler without major electronics, about 75hp and under 400lbs. Semi knobbies, and aluminum, little plastic as possible
Something like the CCM Maverick with the stage 1 ECU is 70hp and is 310lbs with no electronics, and only aluminium (and a bit of carbon fibre), would that do?
@@PeakMotorcycles Oh yea! Too bad they’re not in the US or I woulda bought one. I got a Triumph Scrambler 1200XE but I wanted a CCM Maverick more. My scrambler is tall and heavy…450lbs? But it’s fun too
I like the look of the first one with the bright aluminum engine. Very little flat black. But the tube type tires are a fatal flaw. I have a Honda 250 in the U.S., and it has tube type tires. I have spent nearly $1000 on towing bills because of flat tires during the last 5 years. That would not have happened with tubeless tires. A flat with tube type tires means a tow truck. I would like to see a 650 that looks like that, with tubeless tires. I'm assuming it's made in China.
I have tubed tyres on a few bikes, including my Ducati 800 and CRF300 Rally. Perhaps I've been lucky, but I've not picked up a puncture yet. I do have slime in the tubes on the CRF, so perhaps that's saved me, and another product I've heard good things about, but haven't tried, is Bike Seal. I think it's difficult to get a good enough seal on spoke wheels (unless they have the end of the spokes in the outer edge of the rim like BMW's, but I think this also makes them more expensive. For now at least, I think it's tubes only on these and similar bikes.
Been riding 50 years nearly, never once been towed, still riding a bike on tubes, f650 GS, done 10k around UK and Eu, now in the Balkans, learn to fix your own bike.
Je suis désolé mais je ne sais pas. J'espère qu'AJS pourra vous le dire. Les nouveaux sont conformes à la norme EU5, donc on pourrait le penser. Je suis sûr que si vous demandez à AJS, ils vous le diront.
I had a bit of a look to find some absolute results and they appear to be hard to find. Some mention of the Goldie being ‘one of the most successful’ and a list of accolades for the Greeves, but nothing definitive to say one or the other or the AJS. I’m not disagreeing with you, but I am interested in seeing how any of these descriptions are arrived at.
Wy are these being called ajs, its a chines bike that is a copy of an old 70s or early 80s japanes engined bike made with infireor matereals that will start to rust and fall apart after a very short time out in the british weather, the only thing that is oringal is the name, the same as triumph who promote them selves as an origanal brand but are most defanatly not as they whent out of bisnes and sold the name.
I’m always interested to hear experience from owners. Do you have an AJS or know someone that does? They seem well priced and look good for the money. I appreciate that that’s only half the story. If they are fun to ride, are reliable and last, then even better, but that is best judged by the owners. I quite like some of the new Triumphs, but clearly not to everyone’s taste. They also have a two year warranty, backed by UK dealers. May I ask how short ‘very short time’ is? If within two years, perhaps the warranty gives folk some peace of mind?
@@PeakMotorcycles Peak, my question was about the content. Were is it made? I ask because AJS capitalises on a Great British brand, I'd like to know were it all comes from.
@@imjinriver641 AJS is a British brand and is still under British ownership. The bikes are designed in the UK and manufactured in China. The parts come from different places, but some are also made in China. The engine in the air cooled 125 is the Yamaha YBR125 engine, though I understand that this is manufactured under licence in China. As to how much content, I suspect quite a lot, if not most. The components that are bought in such as tyres, spark plugs, ECU, ABS controller, brake pads, filters etc. may come from other countries of origin. I hope this helps. It seems to be a popular business model these days, with the likes of KTM and Apple outsourcing some or all production to China where the costs of production are lower and the supply chain is well established.
@@PeakMotorcycles Peak, thank you for your time responding. I know that Triumphs makes their bike in Thailand, and even Brazil, but the brain work/design is in the UK. I am looking to start biking again after 20 year break, and the constant in advice given is start small. I don't need the power of a big Triumph, so I am looking for a much smaller bike. That AJS badge is Golden!!
@@imjinriver641 I think there is a lot of fun to be had from riding a small bike. I have a CRF300 and a RE Scram 411 myself. Both under 30hp and they are great fun to ride. I also have a CT125 coming which has less than 10hp. None of them will be winning drag races, but for riding around the Peak District they are a lot of fun. A different experience to my R1250GS, but that’s not a bad thing. All the best for getting back into biking! 👍
Best avoid them then. Though would you prefer that the brand was shut down and died like so many other brands that didn’t survive Japan working out how to make good, fast, well designed and economically priced motorcycles?
The brand is British, and doesn’t have Chinese ownership. The bikes are (I think) made I’m China, with the 125’s using the YBR125 engine. I suspect this is down to cost of production.
All we need now is for the British government to purchase British made bikes again after throwing them under a bus when we joined the EU and they started purchasing BMW's. The police and military should now be only buying Made in Britain motor bikes.
What would be a made in Britain bike for the police that they could buy? I had one of the last 2014 Speed Triple 1050R’s before they added the electronics package. Mine was a British bike, with Swedish Ohlins TTX suspension, an Italian Arrow exhaust and Pirelli tyres, German PVM wheels, Bosch fuel injection and ABS. I guess the frame and engine block was British, maybe, though I’m not sure where the steel and aluminium came from… it was assembled at Hinckley though.
@@PeakMotorcycles If more people supported British companies the factories would move here. All the government has to say is we will buy British bikes but the components have to made in the uk. The government killed off our market and they should now be instrumental in rebuilding our motorcycle industry.
All these old British names being use on Indian bikes doesn’t fool me just give them a Indian name the same with MG cars they are not MG they are Chinese
@@robertlangley1664 nothing really, it’s a US brand and company that manufactures it’s products in China because it’s cost effective to do so. AJS is a UK brand and company, who also chooses to manufacture products in China as it’s cost effective to do so. Your initial comment suggested that it was just a name on Chinese made bikes. That’s like an apple iPhone, just a name on Chinese made phones. MG, like Benelli, is different in that it was a failed brand that was bought by a Chinese company. I don’t think the same can be said for AJS or Apple.
@@robertlangley1664 they'd cost double or more the price if they were made here. And that would mean fewer sales and no range expansion, followed by going out of business.
Where are these made? I'm guessing China. I bought a brand new Mutt Hilts 125cc in August. £3,500 or there abouts. Supposed to be made in China and Birmingham. My guess is that all they do in Birmingham is put the front wheel on. Looks great and fun to ride. However, it's heavy and unreliable. Been to the dealership twice. Crap to be honest. These look lovely but I can't help but think they'll be pants too! It's a bloody shame. I do hope AJS make better bikes than Mutt do. 😪
I think your guess is correct. Can I ask what the unreliable problem was? I know the bikes are simple, but if there’s still problems, that’s not ideal. I guess there’s some things that should just work. I had a look at the Mutts at EICMA, and like you said they look nice. A shame to hear of the problems. Of the AJS’s I liked the look of the 250 and would be interested in trying one when they are available. That said, I know someone who recently bought a KTM 390 Adventure and in the end gave it back due to a water leak into the dash. Apparently ‘they all do that’…
@@PeakMotorcycles indicator failed. Ignition coil, computer. All electrical. I'd steer clear of Chinese if I were you. I know big brands are made there but they have very strict quality control. If it's Chinese owned, it's probably cack! I learnt the hard way. Take a swerve mate.
@@jez6208 thanks and good to know. Electrics are annoying and you’d think that should be easy enough to get right. You might expect it on a 10 year old bike that’s lived in the damp of the UK but on a new bike regardless of where it’s from, that shouldn’t be as bad as what you had.
How many small new bikes are going to be marketed with old British names? It’s starting to seem a little ridiculous. Royal Enfield is the only true heir to the throne, and triumph comes close. The rest are just pretentious.
If the engine is from China and its called Lafan its a pile of s##t we have them here in Thailand very poor quality engine would not give one parking space 👎👎
@@PeakMotorcycles Air cooled 250 bud , the metal used is like re- cycled coke tins real poor quality steel and tolerance issues in engine thrown together no torque wrench used hundreds blow up here ever day they are a throw away engine
Which market? Learners in the UK are limited to up to 125cc only so they are perfect for that. I have a R1250GS and a CB1000R, and I’d be interested in the 250 scrambler. I quite like riding a small displacement bike, as you really have to ride it and it is a lot more engaging to do so. Even a 125 can hit 70mph, and it’s easy for a 250. The national park where I live has a 50mph limit, which some of my other bikes will do in first. I think it’s more fun to ride a small bike fast than a fast bike slow, but as ever, other opinions are available. This just happens to be mine 😉
These bikes are too small for regular people to use. We don't weigh 89 lb like a Chinaman. We are not the skinny kids we were in high school so we wish we were. A 250 dirt bike that I can see because you're not going to go very far or very fast. But a 125 or 250 single low powered chinese-made street bike would blow its guts traveling down I-75 all day. Now I have my little BSA 250 singles and I ride them around all day but I ride them down two lane Country Roads and not down interstate highways. Now in England the roads are barely wide enough for two motorcycles never mind two cars they have speed cameras everywhere having a big bike that can go toward miles an hour serves no purpose there. A 250 commuter bike or want to use in the winter to keep the salt off your good bike that I can see. I just hate to see you guys getting all google-eyed over a British name on a Chinese motorcycle and it doesn't matter if the office is in England that's the only English people they employ. My British bikes were made in England by British workers who have to pay for a house and utilities and food for their kids and everything else. They made a living working at those factories. And when you retired you got a pension. They used all English parts that put more English people to work. British bike in the old days was all British the way a German bike was all German and Italian bike with all Italian a Harley was all American and a jackpike was all Japanese. There was no question of the country of origin it was obvious. Stop looking in your rose colored glasses and stop crying in your tea. The British motorcycle industry hasn't been around for 50 years plus. Putting British names on Chinese motorcycles is not going to bring it back. You want a British motorcycle by the real thing.
@@frankmarkovcijr5459 except they all went out of business as people stopped buying them. Too expensive, unreliable and the quality wasn’t there. It was fine when there was no alternative, but as soon as Japan sorted out price, reliability and quality all those UK manufacturers that couldn’t went out of business. I get the nostalgia, but to look at those bikes that no one wanted in the 70’s also requires some rose tinted spectacles. As for ‘regular people’, that’s your opinion rather than speaking on behalf of them. A 250 will easily do 70mph, some 125’s too. I guess they aren’t for you, which is fine, it’s your choice and your opinion. From the level of interest in small capacity bikes, especially sub-400cc, I think for some they are a perfect size. I’d have one.
@@PeakMotorcycles I have a fleet of BSA 250 singles. They are fun and enjoyable bikes and a lot more reliable than their reputation. I changed the fluids check the points and check the valve lash adjust the primary chain if needed and that's all you do. They're cheap and cheerful and parts are readily available. My C15 with a 250 motor in it runs two up 65 miles an hour in Florida all day with throttle left over. It's also the only bike I've ever leaned over far enough to grind the peg. The companies were mismanaged into the ground. When they start to have problems with Lucas electric they should have gone to Bosch. The people who built Triumph and BSA mourned the death of the company that their family had worked for for Generations. Don't forget before you had cars you walked to work. At many of the British manufacturers you had Fathers and Sons and grandfathers who worked at the same company. I have ridden my Triumph as my everyday commuter bike for over 20 years. I keep up with the maintenance on it at any parts that are 40 years old and give out well a 40-year-old part wearing out I have no problem with. By 250 single dirt bike are more than fine for the dirt. And I keep up with all of the guys on their water cooled wonders. I tell them I'll wave at them as I watch The Paramedics peel them off a tree that they hit at 100 miles an hour. I have nothing per se again motorcycles made in China I think the new 1200 Evolution Sportster that the Chinese came out will be a great bike and give a lot of people the privilege of enjoying and evolution Sportster which I have one with 400,000 miles on it on the original engine. But I have real British bikes that are pretty the only thing British about the new ajs is the name. Went poor took over AMC he closed matchless and ajs down that destroyed the livelihoods of over 1,600 dealers. People who were enthusiasts of the motorcycle club members Etc and they started a shop because they liked the bike and the brand and they got royally screwed and lost everything. The British would enlarge an engine until it was not reliable anymore because it was pushed too far. Did Norton 500 twin was just intended to be a temporary engine until they can build something better and they never had the money to build something better and they kept building it and just enlarging it from 500 to eventually 8:50. But like all the other manufacturers that enlarge their 650 twins larger they had major problems like crankshaft breakage which ajs matchless and Norton had. Horrible warranty claims bankrupted the company. Norton used cheap parts in their engine that turns around and put them in the ass in the form of warranty claims. Like many people I started out on a little Japanese bike. But I find these new bikes not to be cheap at all. I just got to see 15 with 6,000 original miles from estate sale with a alloy tank delivered to my house is all the paperwork for $500. I have the real thing for the 10th of the price of a retro bike. I'm sure people will find a use for the little ads 250s and 125 but if I put my ass out of 125 and try to run it on the highway I don't think it would go 70 miles an hour and I think it probably puke it's guts out before too long.
After being too expensive if you look at the road test of the British bikes in the late sixties and seventies like in Cycle World magazine you will see that a bike like a BSA 441 Victor is the same price as a Honda 305. Through the 19 60s and early '70s before they came out with the crap of the oil frame debacle BSA and Triumph were selling every motorcycle that they could construct. When they came out with the 441 Victory they did not think it would sell too well but it sold out 2 years in a row. If the company goes out of business and closes their dealerships it's kind of hard to buy a motorcycle. The BSA dealers were livid that their brand was canceled. BSA and Triumph got along as well as Harley and Indian which is not. If Triumph was a separate company they would have come out with the quadrant and that would have been a great selling motorcycle while they would have been shielded from the BSA collapse as well as the troubles at Norton.
@@PeakMotorcycles Yeah. Famous and historical marquees that shaped an industry reduced to simulacrum marketed by Chinese companies are not my cup of tea. I love lots of different things, including a wide variety of motorcycles over the course of history. Owned, raced , restored, persevered and loved hundreds.
@@wef.rubbish4714 wow. My 2014 R1200GS LC snapped a cam chain after two years and 3 months (all serviced by a main dealer to the states schedule) and needed a new engine for £8000, out of warranty, and it was made in Germany. You can’t trust anywhere these days! (In fairness to BMW, when I asked if they thought this was reasonable to replace a properly serviced engine after a couple of years and 25k miles, they did agree to do the work as goodwill, despite being out of warranty)
THESE BIKES ARE NOT CHINESE! AJS remains a British Company (based in Hampshire) and have never been in foreign hands. They are British designed and built and carry Yamaha engines - yes these engines ARE built in China, but so are the engines found in Yamaha bikes, so if you are going to consider that this makes it a "Chinese bike", then you must also call Yamaha a Chinese bike! I have an AJS Tempest Roadster and it is the best bike I have ever owned. Light, responsive, starts cold first time every time, leans well and easily hits 60 on the flat (as long as there is no headwind). As I said AJS are British bikes with the added bonus of Japanese engines which means you don't need to have the engine on the kitchen table every week! These modern AJS's are consistently getting good reviews (a quick Google will easily find them from respected bike magazines etc.) Accurate criticism is fair enough, but make sure your facts are correct.
Great to see AJS growing and producing more models and not just 125s. Its especially satisfying as they are still a fully British owned company.
not Chinese?
They are British owned. They do some production in China, but are not a Chinese company or Chinese owned.
@@PeakMotorcycles What about the engine? It looks like chinese to me.
Nothing wrong with assembling bikes in China, but I stay away from chinese products.
@@PrimoStracciatella I think they are made in China, or at least assembled there. The 125 kick start is the old YBR motor. The new water cooled 125 and 250, I’m not sure. It is hard to avoid though, when pretty much everything with a chip, and in particular a lot (most?) phones are reliant on Chinese manufacturing. May I ask if your concerns are based on quality or politics?
@@PeakMotorcycles Made in China is way different than assembled in China. Almost everything is assembled in Asia, as lomg as the quality control is done by a western manufacturer I have no problem. I owned Honda bikes assembled in Thailand, never a problem. But I know about the quality of chinese-made products and have learned my lesson the hard way. Unfortunately there are lots of chinese bikes on the market with well-known western brand names from the past which aren't worth the admittedly low price.
I also have political concerns but don't want to get into that since this is a video about motorcycles.
The Scrambler looks quite nice. Add a engine bash plate and a 350 to 450 cc engine and I would be interested in seeing if I could get it across the pond. The AJS emblems and shirts looks very nice as well. Good Job Megan.
Maybe the 450 single from the Fantic Caballeros and others might find it’s way into that frame eventually. You might have to wait a while though!
I’m going to get one for my midlife crisis next year. Reminds me of my ss50 I used to ride when I was a kid.
I think you can have a midlife crisis every year, for a few years, if you apply yourself! 🤣
Unlike other retro-named bikes that have outrageous prices, these bikes are extremely affordable. I like their looks too.
Absolutely. I look forward to the 250 getting to market. If that’s 120kg and 25hp and under £4k that would be a great runaround!
The diameter of that pipe, makes it sound good, (before it runs out of steam , kinda thing).
Absolutly fabulous André, thank you so much for showing us AJS - what an interesting brand with some very appealing models. Very impressed with Megan, her knowledge and passion for past and current AJS models is outstanding.
It's generally better when other people talk about the bikes. I get that a lot. 🤣. She was great, and the bikes look fun. I'd quite like to try the 250 so when winter is over I'll seek out my nearest dealer and see if I can have a play.
@@PeakMotorcycles Not at all, you do a fabulous job and the reason we all follow the channel. A play on the 250 sounds brilliant 😃👍
I believe it's Megan Brown, Fluff Brown's daughter. So it should come as no surprise that she knows so much about the brand and history.
@@Armadacon she is. It’s in the blood.
WELL DONE MEGAN!
She should probably do all the videos. I think that would be best!
The AjS cafe racer looks spot on.
Indeed! And for the price I think they are great.
Interesting to see AJS offering a 250. There is an 'older Gentleman' in my area who rides a yellow Cadwell and another who has a black model with a matching open face helmet.... very cool.
Thanks Neil. I think they look great, though I'm not sure I'm quite ready to go back to a 125 yet. (I learned on a modified DT125 which was fun but had a tiny power band, and then rode the bike my wife learned on, a YBR125 Custom, which was a mere 9.9hp and that felt underpowered for a gentleman of my, er, health!? 🤣 The 250 seems a bit more practical as a runaround, especially if it's well priced and looks that good.
@@PeakMotorcycles The closest to AJS (as a 250) is the Mash Black 7. It uses the old Suzuki GN250 lump. AJS fans have been crying out for a 250 for some time now. I'm glad that AJS have listened.
@@Armadacon thanks. Do you know if that is Euro5 compliant? I asked what the 250 was at the stand yesterday (Friday) but they weren’t able to confirm. I’ll try again today. The same GN perhaps? I’ll have a closer look.
@@PeakMotorcycles I'm pretty sure that the new 250 Ajay's won't be using the GN lump. The givaway is the cylinder head. The original Suzuki GN250 had the tacho take-off on the side. The modified China version had this take-off blanked off with a plug. This plug is missing from the AJS. Thus suggesting it's a different engine.
I suspect the China managed to make the GN engine Euro 4 compliant (Fuel injection, rather than Suzuki's carb). However. We're now on Euro 5 and Euro 6 is waiting in the wings. So a different engine was needed. At least AJS has been forward thinking in this respect.
What a lovely looking little bike, nice to see the old names being given new life, let’s hope they are reliable enough with a decent dealer network incase anything goes wrong.
I hope so. They have a couple of dealers near me, and offer a two year warranty, so you’d think that would cover any initial issues.
I love to see this. Yes, I’m from the “old days” and we used to call this make “All Junk and Scrap” but I still had a few. Can’t wait to see a “7R “ rebirth.
🤣 Thanks! I love that and it’s funny what you remember, also bike choices that don’t make any real sense, except to you at the time. I’m sure I have a few of those. A 7R rebirth would be epic but I can already hear the ‘it’s not like the old one’ comments ringing out 😁
My first bike was a BSA Bantam, a smaller 2 stroke. Never got it to run. The nickname for BSA was
Biggest Sh#t Available..lol
@@telcobilly mine was a James 197 Captain , swapped it for two bantams, then a BSA C15, then Greeves Scottish, and on and on 😂
A good 7R or a G50 made properly at the right price would conquer the world. G12 CSR etc.
well you know what I mean 31 etc.
They look good and have a sensible front mudguard that does what it's meant to do.
Absolutely. I think they look great and are well priced.
I owned an AJS 600cc single cylinder motorcycle in 1959. I called it "the popper." It was powerful BUT it could be a problem to get started. Top quality hill climber.
Thanks Norman. That sounds like a fond memory. The current AJS 125’s with the YBR engine still have a kick start but I think they were the only new bikes at the show that did, though they also have an electric start and I expect are a little easier to start though less adept at hill climbing!
This isnt an AJS though. Its a cheap Chinese clone of a Honda with an AJS badge on it.
I’ve never heard of AJS bikes, but they look nice.
Meghan did a great job of telling us about them.
They are an old company who had various owners over the years. It’s still UK owned and until now have done a variety of 125’s. The new liquid cooled 125 and the 250 look quite interesting.
I’m tempted for an AJS and now the water cooled is coming out that’s great news, for the money, another toy for the garage. Love a 125.
Me too, though I’ll be interested to see how the new 250 is priced. The old air cooled 125’s were under £3k. I expect there will be a slight uplift for the water cooled, and again for the 250’s, but if under £4k, I expect I’ll have one! #n+1 😁
@@PeakMotorcycles Yeah the 250 would be much better with water cooled, a lot of the manufacturers are going off air cooled to fall in line more with the emissions I guess, yes a price hike is guaranteed but for a few grand, they aren’t much money in reality to play about with.
Great channel and learnt a lot from your vids. Cheers 👍🍻
Excellent paint
They do look great 😁
The first red Cadwell is beautiful! They’ve really detailed them nicely and I hope they succeed. Some larger capacity engines would be well received. I don’t mind the old names being resurrected and who cares if they’re not “authentic “. They’re not allowed to make them according to the old ways due to modern safety and emission requirements.
Absolutely! Though also not everyone likes the same thing. I think these look great, the new 250 in particular and I’ll see if I can ride one when they are ready.
AJS: now there's an old name. Looks good on the side of the tank.
It is. I guess there’s not much of the old bikes in there other than the brand, but then, that doesn’t matter for many.
Nice set of vids Andre I've watched them all interesting to see something abit different 👍
Thank Phil
Bikes will always be changing, in all brands, as long as they never change that beautiful "AJS" logo, done in gold lettering. AUS.
It is great to see the brand still going with the ongoing family connection even if they’re not made here entirely any more.
I hope this brand would come to Indonesia 🙏🏻
Not sure they supply outside the UK at the moment but we shall see.
As of today 19th August 2023 they still haven't put the new (Ajs 250 Dessert scrambler on sale!! What's happening Ajs???? I'd like to buy one, please put on market as said in this promotion!!!!
I know. It was due late spring or early summer. I can only assume it wasn’t ready, better to wait and get it right than launch early and have problems. Better for them, not you. Or me. 🤣
I was there at the NEC it was really cool
It was great to see them there. Also good to see the support and presence they had from
the AJS & Matchless Owners Club. There’s a few folks on here complaining that they aren’t ‘real’ AJS motorcycles, which is a shame.
It’s a shame none of these bikes shown as future bikes have came into existence
They exist, but there has been a downturn in the market which has put the watercooled 250 on hold. One day it’ll be here.
@@PeakMotorcycles even the water cooled 125 has been stopped
How fun! Bring back the utility and smile factor!
Definitely!
People have been asking for a 250 for a long time! Huh! I would be asking for something large enough to move my 100kg frame around. It could be an air cooled single to But I am certain Euro 5 makes it harder to do that. Needless to say, I would ask AJS for a 650 single or a 750 vertical twin.
Euro5 causes all sorts of problems. I guess a 250 is a step in the right direction. I’ve ridden 125’s with 12-14hp which move my 100kg+ 🤣 frame around, though not quickly, and even the 9.9hp YBR125 would get me to 60mph, and even 70mph on a flat road with a good wind! I’d like to think that any 250 would do 70mph a lot easier, and while it won’t be doing rapid overtakes, it should still have a bit of poke at lower speeds. I guess we’ll see what happens and maybe there will be a larger capacity bike down the line?
AJS, looks a lot like the JPS cigarette packaging, from the 80’s?.
It does. That black and gold seems to be a popular choice!
This are AJS in name only . They are basic Chinese generic 125 & 250 cc old Brit style cafe racer ‘s sourced ten a penny from Chinese factory’s & badged accordingly depending on U.K. importers requirements . The likes of AJS ,Lexmoto ,Sinnis or other importers do not manufacture these bikes ,they are just importers rebadging Chinese names & punting them out . Nothing wrong with that as long as they are honest & don’t put too much of a mark up on them .& can guarantee back up & reliable fast parts supply ,similar to Chinese produced Japanese brands .
Love the scrambler...want one. But doubt they will be for sale in the USA. China builds some awesome motorbikes now...
Cost of production is a key thing I guess… and when the quality isn’t there, it doesn’t work. If it is, then it makes a lot more sense. Maybe when fuel hits $10/gal then a lightweight 250 will become a more desirable runaround. I can’t wait to try the 250 next year.
Nice bike. I like this srambler with 250 cc.
I think they look great. I hope they go as well as they look.
Just like Benelli or Fantic, AJS is a brand name bought by Chinas as a way to enter the wider market. Saying the bikes have "heritage"is a bit of a stretch. That being said, the 250 scrambler is a looker, and probably a good budget buy. From what im aware of, the engines are based on old Suzuki GN250 , so reliable if they have used good metals.
It is a UK company and not owned by China. They do buy engines in, but these have come from various sources including Rotax and the YBR engines in the euro4 125’s. Royal Enfield, BSA and Norton are different in that they are all now owned by Indian companies. Though for them, the brand is still in the home country, it's not a new thing.
It's the mutt,mash and herald brand's that use the gn125 and 250 engine's. The 250 ajs shown on this video has a completely different engine. I could be wrong but it looks like a newly designed engine. Perhaps mr peak motorcycles can find more about it tomorrow 🙂
@@bally632 I was going from info from a few years back, you could be right, getting an old engine through Euro 6 would be a challange.
AJS is British owned.
@@racheltaylor6578 thanks Rachel. I shall edit my comment 👍
The 250cc Desert Scrambler is a good move. It's a cracking looking bike but some road testers got a top speed of 55mph for the 125, which is just naff.
I guess it must be a lower power 125. I think that’s about the same as the Honda Super Cub 125 which has 9.9hp. I’m hoping the new water cooled 125 is a bit closer to the 15hp limit and the 250 closer to if not above 25hp. I’m guessing that it might be something like the Zongshen unit that Fantic put in the 250 Caballero which makes 28hp and will do 95mph. We will find out in the next few months.
Bring it to the states
😁
AJS 😍😍😍
Do you get them where you are?
@@PeakMotorcycles No we don't. (Only vintage bikes). But they look really swell and makes so much sense to launch 125/250s in India.
When is the 250cc coming? It's been more than a year now, I really want to buy one.
No schedule I'm afraid. I bumped into the AJS guys at EICMA last November and asked that very question. They said that due to a downturn in the motorcycle market, they had had to put launching new models on hold. It's not just making, distributing and selling the bikes. There's also the parts distibution, training dealers and making sure that the service is in place, so a big task to get something new set up, and a big financial risk in the current climate.
Like the 250 trails bike.
It looks great! I look forward to trying one.
They certainly look good value to me.
They do. I’m looking forward to the production versions of the 250 coming soon!
Really nice looking bike. Pity they didn't make a 500cc.
Maybe it will come in time? I am looking forward to seeing the 250 when that lands.
i really like that ajs scrambler. i`m starting to look into smaller bikes like these for the same reason of tired of tryna maneuver bigger bikes
I think for too long bikes have been getting faster, more powerful, more complex and more expensive. While they do have a place in the market, I do think you can have nearly as much (if not more?) fun on something that is slower (but not slow), less powerful, simple and economically priced. For a 4000 mile tour around Europe, I'd pick my R1250GS over my Scram 411. For an afternoon tea run around the Peak District, with a max speed of 50mph, I'd rather take the Scram and actually ride it than take the BMW.
I have a BMW R1100s and I can honestly say that I have never ridden it at more than about a third of it's capacity and I am sick of dodging speed cameras. I have more enjoyment riding my F650 GS. Who wants to be riding on the limit all the time?. AUS.
Awesome! Make them in a 450cc and ship them to the USA! $4000.00 USD. As a former member of the British Iron Assn. I would buy one for sure!!
I’ll ask. I’m sure they will. I think that’s how it works 🤣
Looks like a Honda CBR250R engine on the 250s. I wonder what the new water cooled 125 is holding?
That would be good if it is. I asked at the show but they either didn’t know or weren’t able to say as it was a pre-production prototype. I guess we’ll find out in a few months.
@@PeakMotorcycles can’t wait. I genuinely cannot see AJS developing a new engine, they’ll use tried and tested.
The second AJS you showed us looks to be liquid cooled and so its a completely different engine rights to the one with the kick starter, right?
Correct. The liquid cooled one is new, and done to meet emissions requirements. It also has a bit more power, but we shall see what that means in practice.
Just to correct a few posts here, AJS are NOT cheap Chinese bikes with a British badge, AJS has never been in foreign hands.
Formed in 1909, merged with Matchless in the 1930's and in the 1970's the brand was bought by a couple of Brothers in Hampshire who comtinued to produce spares for the existing bikes. The company is STILL based in Hampshire and are now producing these bikes.
They are British designed and British built and carry Yamaha engines (the 125 cc have YBR125 engines - a bike known to be almost bomb proof).
Like all Yamaha engines, the building of them is undertaken in a factory in China, but if having a Chinese built engine makes a "Chinese bike" then Yamaha must also be Chinese? In fact most Japanese bike manufacturers get their engines built in China nowadays.
I have a AJS Tempest Roadster 125 and it is by far the best bike I've ever had (my last was a YBR125 by the way). It's light, but not so much you get blown all over the place, leans well, nice thick tyres keep you stable and you can easily hit 60 on the flat as long as theres no headwind. Its also fuel injected so starts cold first time all the time.
The only (possible?) downside is getting into conversations with men of a certain age asking about your bike and telling you their stories of the AJS they or a relative once owned.
By the way, i am not affiliated with AJS motorcycles in any way, im just a proud and satisfied AJS owner.
Thanks, and it’s always great to get proper owner feedback. Unfortunately some folks have made their minds up without ever riding, owning, seeing or understanding the history or what’s behind them. I bumped into the owners at EICMA and said hello. I did ask them about the water cooled 250, but that is on hold for now due to a downturn in the market. Fingers crossed things turn up in the future. Thanks again and ride safe!
I like the red&gold paint job on the caddy,motor looks lil wonky in cheap asian silver,but a simple couple of cans of matt black eng enamel,and you wouldent even pick that bike as a lil 125cc,would make it really look the goods in my opnion,scambler look good too,i got a thing for retro scrams no matter where there made,that bike looks pretty fine
Thanks! I think they look great. I’d be interested to try the 250 when it’s available.
Some more bikes we will never see in the USA. Along with the new BSA gold star.
Aye, sorry about that... Is there much of a market for a 250cc/250lbs bike in the US?
@@PeakMotorcycles Yes, I think a good quality priced right retro bike would do well. But bring in retro bikes that you can ride. Café bikes don't really do well here with our open spaces. We need more of a set up and beg riding style. With a decent gas tank size. 350-650 or so singles would be nice. I would love to see a panther 650 clone.
I could go for a 250 but have never seen one in Canada.
They aren’t anywhere yet. Only launching next year I think.
are they in Australia
Hi Laurie, I don’t think so, but you could drop them a note to see if they have an importer.
Todays Date 21st February 2024 Ajs Still haven't put )Ajs 250cc Dessert scrambler) on market for sale! What's Happening Ajs????
Downturn in the market. I bumped into them at EICMA and asked about it. There’s been an overall slowdown in sales across the industry and the costs of introducing a new model at the moment are not sustainable. It’s not cancelled, just on hold, but until things improve it won’t be back on.
@@PeakMotorcycles Thanks for letting me know! I Guessed similar 👍🙂
piękne Motocykle 😍😍
Yup, they look good.
Wow. didn’t notice displacements climbing ever higher, to satisfy, some, primal need. What is an fj900 now?.
Ever ridden a 150, at 100%?. 😂
Don’t seem to get 150’s here. The learner limit is 125cc and less than 15hp, so for a long time it was that and then 500cc+. Does a 250 satisfy a primal need? If so, which one?
Yes
@@richardwilson6392 ah, a litre bike man. New bmw has 209 hp (use traction control, or that’s for pussies?).
@@richardwilson6392 there are some great vids on YT, of “riders” crashing bmwRR’s. Some bought the matching leathers and everything. (I guess it’s the cheapest way to own the marque, before their 310, and scooters came out, anyway?).
I’m of the “more fun to go fast on a slow bike”, crowd. Litre bikes are fun, (but I’m not sure if I remember all the pac-man patterns, so a cb400 would do me). I’ve enjoyed trying the different engines. Triples sound good?. I miss 2t’s a bit. Nice and light.
I have a few bikes left in me, I hope.
@@PeakMotorcycles I had a Chinese 150 (gn125 clone, but water cooled). With the vac system taken off (1/2 done when I got it, not running), it did the 140kph on the clock ok. (Geared right, it would do the ton). I wish we got Asian market stuff in Oz (Kawasaki estrella, and cuties like that). Really, I still have good hand/eye co-ordination, but there is not much margin for error on a 100hp bike, let alone 200. I’m still on the lookout for a ts185, (I love the smell of 2t in the morning). Still made I think, (were a few years back, anyway, in Mexico?). Truly a world bike, (they tow a trailer with 15 paddy workers in the phillipines😆). Stay safe, having fun, and getting there.
It would be great if the engines were made in the Free World!
Great for whom? It is the way of things I’m afraid. Manufacturers from KTM to BMW have engines manufactured in China and it’s not that unusual. Even Apple have been making iPhones and MacBooks in China for years and that doesn’t seem to bother people. Free world is also, a bit subjective… do you mean the US or somewhere else?
Ajs250 available in kerala?
I don’t think so. UK only unless there’s an importer for India?
It would be a better replica if the cylinder was truly vertical. Then it would look more British. I know it makes more space for the carb but…….just sayin.
I’m sure it’s as it is for a reason, but yes, what you said 😁
they havent been around for years you mean
The brand? Pretty much, and there’s been a certain degree of handoff through the continuous ownership. The bikes, yes, you’re right, but then, no one else is selling bikes that they used to either 😉
I just want a British classic scrambler without major electronics, about 75hp and under 400lbs. Semi knobbies, and aluminum, little plastic as possible
Something like the CCM Maverick with the stage 1 ECU is 70hp and is 310lbs with no electronics, and only aluminium (and a bit of carbon fibre), would that do?
@@PeakMotorcycles Oh yea! Too bad they’re not in the US or I woulda bought one. I got a Triumph Scrambler 1200XE but I wanted a CCM Maverick more. My scrambler is tall and heavy…450lbs? But it’s fun too
I like the look of the first one with the bright aluminum engine. Very little flat black. But the tube type tires are a fatal flaw. I have a Honda 250 in the U.S., and it has tube type tires. I have spent nearly $1000 on towing bills because of flat tires during the last 5 years. That would not have happened with tubeless tires. A flat with tube type tires means a tow truck. I would like to see a 650 that looks like that, with tubeless tires. I'm assuming it's made in China.
I have tubed tyres on a few bikes, including my Ducati 800 and CRF300 Rally. Perhaps I've been lucky, but I've not picked up a puncture yet. I do have slime in the tubes on the CRF, so perhaps that's saved me, and another product I've heard good things about, but haven't tried, is Bike Seal. I think it's difficult to get a good enough seal on spoke wheels (unless they have the end of the spokes in the outer edge of the rim like BMW's, but I think this also makes them more expensive. For now at least, I think it's tubes only on these and similar bikes.
Think i would invest in a pump and tyre levers .
Been riding 50 years nearly, never once been towed, still riding a bike on tubes, f650 GS, done 10k around UK and Eu, now in the Balkans, learn to fix your own bike.
@@mikehurley5052 Older manufactured tubes are reliable on bigger tyre sizes. Most tubes available now are poor quality Chinese brands
@@mikehurley5052 There is a lot more to carry to fix a tube than to plug a tubeless tyre
Where are they made?
Well you ever come back to the U. S. Market.
Not sure. You could ask them? Not sure they will reply on here though.
250cc scrambler, AJS is listening to people, simple air cooled 4T engines, what's not like.
Indeed. I look forward to trying one.
The green they should call it the green hornet. 🙂
😁
Far to clever
Merveilleux y a-t-il un vendeur en France ?
Je suis désolé mais je ne sais pas. J'espère qu'AJS pourra vous le dire. Les nouveaux sont conformes à la norme EU5, donc on pourrait le penser. Je suis sûr que si vous demandez à AJS, ils vous le diront.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️Beautiful!!
👍
For a new name, what about Cadwell LC
😁 I’ll be back there tomorrow and will mention it. If they do, well done!
The yellow AJS scrambler was NOT the most successful scrambler ever. What about GREEVES? What about the BSA Gold Star?
I had a bit of a look to find some absolute results and they appear to be hard to find. Some mention of the Goldie being ‘one of the most successful’ and a list of accolades for the Greeves, but nothing definitive to say one or the other or the AJS. I’m not disagreeing with you, but I am interested in seeing how any of these descriptions are arrived at.
I do know that the red air-cooled 125 is a Suzuki engine, build in China. Quite reliable and easy/cheap to repair and maintain.
I found ✌ 37000 Tours
Not sure what that means but well done.
Any ajs bikes dealers in kerala
Probably best to ask AJS.
Wy are these being called ajs, its a chines bike that is a copy of an old 70s or early 80s japanes engined bike made with infireor matereals that will start to rust and fall apart after a very short time out in the british weather, the only thing that is oringal is the name, the same as triumph who promote them selves as an origanal brand but are most defanatly not as they whent out of bisnes and sold the name.
I’m always interested to hear experience from owners. Do you have an AJS or know someone that does? They seem well priced and look good for the money. I appreciate that that’s only half the story. If they are fun to ride, are reliable and last, then even better, but that is best judged by the owners. I quite like some of the new Triumphs, but clearly not to everyone’s taste.
They also have a two year warranty, backed by UK dealers. May I ask how short ‘very short time’ is? If within two years, perhaps the warranty gives folk some peace of mind?
How much content is Chinese?
How do you define content? Design? Manufacturing? Components? Branding? Company ownership? And may I also ask why you are asking?
@@PeakMotorcycles Peak, my question was about the content. Were is it made? I ask because AJS capitalises on a Great British brand, I'd like to know were it all comes from.
@@imjinriver641 AJS is a British brand and is still under British ownership. The bikes are designed in the UK and manufactured in China. The parts come from different places, but some are also made in China. The engine in the air cooled 125 is the Yamaha YBR125 engine, though I understand that this is manufactured under licence in China. As to how much content, I suspect quite a lot, if not most. The components that are bought in such as tyres, spark plugs, ECU, ABS controller, brake pads, filters etc. may come from other countries of origin. I hope this helps. It seems to be a popular business model these days, with the likes of KTM and Apple outsourcing some or all production to China where the costs of production are lower and the supply chain is well established.
@@PeakMotorcycles Peak, thank you for your time responding. I know that Triumphs makes their bike in Thailand, and even Brazil, but the brain work/design is in the UK. I am looking to start biking again after 20 year break, and the constant in advice given is start small. I don't need the power of a big Triumph, so I am looking for a much smaller bike. That AJS badge is Golden!!
@@imjinriver641 I think there is a lot of fun to be had from riding a small bike. I have a CRF300 and a RE Scram 411 myself. Both under 30hp and they are great fun to ride. I also have a CT125 coming which has less than 10hp. None of them will be winning drag races, but for riding around the Peak District they are a lot of fun. A different experience to my R1250GS, but that’s not a bad thing. All the best for getting back into biking! 👍
Is they made in the Workers Paradise of China? In which case examine your conscience before buying.
It is. Though do you know where the device was made with which you made that comment? If that was also made in China, would you do the same? 😉
@@PeakMotorcycles Thailand, thats where my laptop was made. It may have Chinese components but I can't avoid that.
Owning a genuine Matchless G80...
I find this an insult to the original plumsted products!
Best avoid them then. Though would you prefer that the brand was shut down and died like so many other brands that didn’t survive Japan working out how to make good, fast, well designed and economically priced motorcycles?
AJS scooters are they a having a laugh ?
🤣 it sells well though!
Hey man, if it has two wheels & a motor, count me in! Brakes optional.
@@savage22bolt32 🤣
Another Chinese brand????
The brand is British, and doesn’t have Chinese ownership. The bikes are (I think) made I’m China, with the 125’s using the YBR125 engine. I suspect this is down to cost of production.
Better built bigger engine next time.
They’ve only made 125’s of late, so a 250 is double that. I know it’s not big, but for their current market it’s a step up.
All we need now is for the British government to purchase British made bikes again after throwing them under a bus when we joined the EU and they started purchasing BMW's. The police and military should now be only buying Made in Britain motor bikes.
What would be a made in Britain bike for the police that they could buy?
I had one of the last 2014 Speed Triple 1050R’s before they added the electronics package. Mine was a British bike, with Swedish Ohlins TTX suspension, an Italian Arrow exhaust and Pirelli tyres, German PVM wheels, Bosch fuel injection and ABS. I guess the frame and engine block was British, maybe, though I’m not sure where the steel and aluminium came from… it was assembled at Hinckley though.
@@PeakMotorcycles If more people supported British companies the factories would move here. All the government has to say is we will buy British bikes but the components have to made in the uk. The government killed off our market and they should now be instrumental in rebuilding our motorcycle industry.
They look like chinese bikes but they have lovely tanks on them .
There’s at least half a compliment there!
All these old British names being use on Indian bikes doesn’t fool me just give them a Indian name the same with MG cars they are not MG they are Chinese
Apple iPhones too I suppose?
@@PeakMotorcycles what that’s got to do with old British bikes
@@robertlangley1664 nothing really, it’s a US brand and company that manufactures it’s products in China because it’s cost effective to do so.
AJS is a UK brand and company, who also chooses to manufacture products in China as it’s cost effective to do so.
Your initial comment suggested that it was just a name on Chinese made bikes. That’s like an apple iPhone, just a name on Chinese made phones.
MG, like Benelli, is different in that it was a failed brand that was bought by a Chinese company. I don’t think the same can be said for AJS or Apple.
@@PeakMotorcycles ok I get it but the only British about them is it’s name and for it’s a shame they are not build in the UK by British workers
@@robertlangley1664 they'd cost double or more the price if they were made here. And that would mean fewer sales and no range expansion, followed by going out of business.
A.J.S ....????????????????ARF !
Is that good or bad?
@@PeakMotorcycles similaire aux "mash" francaise ou aux bullit ,..;bref de ma merde chinoise ! rien d A.J.S la dedans !!
Where are these made? I'm guessing China. I bought a brand new Mutt Hilts 125cc in August. £3,500 or there abouts. Supposed to be made in China and Birmingham. My guess is that all they do in Birmingham is put the front wheel on. Looks great and fun to ride. However, it's heavy and unreliable. Been to the dealership twice. Crap to be honest. These look lovely but I can't help but think they'll be pants too! It's a bloody shame. I do hope AJS make better bikes than Mutt do. 😪
I think your guess is correct. Can I ask what the unreliable problem was? I know the bikes are simple, but if there’s still problems, that’s not ideal. I guess there’s some things that should just work. I had a look at the Mutts at EICMA, and like you said they look nice. A shame to hear of the problems. Of the AJS’s I liked the look of the 250 and would be interested in trying one when they are available. That said, I know someone who recently bought a KTM 390 Adventure and in the end gave it back due to a water leak into the dash. Apparently ‘they all do that’…
@@PeakMotorcycles indicator failed. Ignition coil, computer. All electrical. I'd steer clear of Chinese if I were you. I know big brands are made there but they have very strict quality control. If it's Chinese owned, it's probably cack! I learnt the hard way. Take a swerve mate.
@@jez6208 thanks and good to know. Electrics are annoying and you’d think that should be easy enough to get right. You might expect it on a 10 year old bike that’s lived in the damp of the UK but on a new bike regardless of where it’s from, that shouldn’t be as bad as what you had.
How many small new bikes are going to be marketed with old British names? It’s starting to seem a little ridiculous. Royal Enfield is the only true heir to the throne, and triumph comes close. The rest are just pretentious.
AJS is British and not Indian or Chinese owned. As for Royal Enfield, I agree they have got their act together now, but it was a long time coming.
@@PeakMotorcycles All correct, but the new AJS doesn’t have any connection to the old.
Pretentious?…..I think they should do well.
@@critterIMHO Coming soon, Vincent 125.
@@mikehurley5052 😂😂😂
If the engine is from China and its called Lafan its a pile of s##t we have them here in Thailand very poor quality engine would not give one parking space 👎👎
Is that the 250? Or the water cooled 125?
@@PeakMotorcycles Air cooled 250 bud , the metal used is like re- cycled coke tins real poor quality steel and tolerance issues in engine thrown together no torque wrench used hundreds blow up here ever day they are a throw away engine
Nothing to do with AJS whatsoever.
Could you explain?
These bikes are to small for the market
Which market? Learners in the UK are limited to up to 125cc only so they are perfect for that. I have a R1250GS and a CB1000R, and I’d be interested in the 250 scrambler. I quite like riding a small displacement bike, as you really have to ride it and it is a lot more engaging to do so. Even a 125 can hit 70mph, and it’s easy for a 250. The national park where I live has a 50mph limit, which some of my other bikes will do in first. I think it’s more fun to ride a small bike fast than a fast bike slow, but as ever, other opinions are available. This just happens to be mine 😉
These bikes are too small for regular people to use. We don't weigh 89 lb like a Chinaman. We are not the skinny kids we were in high school so we wish we were. A 250 dirt bike that I can see because you're not going to go very far or very fast. But a 125 or 250 single low powered chinese-made street bike would blow its guts traveling down I-75 all day. Now I have my little BSA 250 singles and I ride them around all day but I ride them down two lane Country Roads and not down interstate highways. Now in England the roads are barely wide enough for two motorcycles never mind two cars they have speed cameras everywhere having a big bike that can go toward miles an hour serves no purpose there. A 250 commuter bike or want to use in the winter to keep the salt off your good bike that I can see. I just hate to see you guys getting all google-eyed over a British name on a Chinese motorcycle and it doesn't matter if the office is in England that's the only English people they employ. My British bikes were made in England by British workers who have to pay for a house and utilities and food for their kids and everything else. They made a living working at those factories. And when you retired you got a pension. They used all English parts that put more English people to work. British bike in the old days was all British the way a German bike was all German and Italian bike with all Italian a Harley was all American and a jackpike was all Japanese. There was no question of the country of origin it was obvious. Stop looking in your rose colored glasses and stop crying in your tea. The British motorcycle industry hasn't been around for 50 years plus. Putting British names on Chinese motorcycles is not going to bring it back. You want a British motorcycle by the real thing.
@@frankmarkovcijr5459 except they all went out of business as people stopped buying them. Too expensive, unreliable and the quality wasn’t there. It was fine when there was no alternative, but as soon as Japan sorted out price, reliability and quality all those UK manufacturers that couldn’t went out of business. I get the nostalgia, but to look at those bikes that no one wanted in the 70’s also requires some rose tinted spectacles. As for ‘regular people’, that’s your opinion rather than speaking on behalf of them. A 250 will easily do 70mph, some 125’s too. I guess they aren’t for you, which is fine, it’s your choice and your opinion. From the level of interest in small capacity bikes, especially sub-400cc, I think for some they are a perfect size. I’d have one.
@@PeakMotorcycles I have a fleet of BSA 250 singles. They are fun and enjoyable bikes and a lot more reliable than their reputation. I changed the fluids check the points and check the valve lash adjust the primary chain if needed and that's all you do. They're cheap and cheerful and parts are readily available. My C15 with a 250 motor in it runs two up 65 miles an hour in Florida all day with throttle left over. It's also the only bike I've ever leaned over far enough to grind the peg. The companies were mismanaged into the ground. When they start to have problems with Lucas electric they should have gone to Bosch. The people who built Triumph and BSA mourned the death of the company that their family had worked for for Generations. Don't forget before you had cars you walked to work. At many of the British manufacturers you had Fathers and Sons and grandfathers who worked at the same company. I have ridden my Triumph as my everyday commuter bike for over 20 years. I keep up with the maintenance on it at any parts that are 40 years old and give out well a 40-year-old part wearing out I have no problem with. By 250 single dirt bike are more than fine for the dirt. And I keep up with all of the guys on their water cooled wonders. I tell them I'll wave at them as I watch The Paramedics peel them off a tree that they hit at 100 miles an hour. I have nothing per se again motorcycles made in China I think the new 1200 Evolution Sportster that the Chinese came out will be a great bike and give a lot of people the privilege of enjoying and evolution Sportster which I have one with 400,000 miles on it on the original engine. But I have real British bikes that are pretty the only thing British about the new ajs is the name. Went poor took over AMC he closed matchless and ajs down that destroyed the livelihoods of over 1,600 dealers. People who were enthusiasts of the motorcycle club members Etc and they started a shop because they liked the bike and the brand and they got royally screwed and lost everything. The British would enlarge an engine until it was not reliable anymore because it was pushed too far. Did Norton 500 twin was just intended to be a temporary engine until they can build something better and they never had the money to build something better and they kept building it and just enlarging it from 500 to eventually 8:50. But like all the other manufacturers that enlarge their 650 twins larger they had major problems like crankshaft breakage which ajs matchless and Norton had. Horrible warranty claims bankrupted the company. Norton used cheap parts in their engine that turns around and put them in the ass in the form of warranty claims. Like many people I started out on a little Japanese bike. But I find these new bikes not to be cheap at all. I just got to see 15 with 6,000 original miles from estate sale with a alloy tank delivered to my house is all the paperwork for $500. I have the real thing for the 10th of the price of a retro bike. I'm sure people will find a use for the little ads 250s and 125 but if I put my ass out of 125 and try to run it on the highway I don't think it would go 70 miles an hour and I think it probably puke it's guts out before too long.
After being too expensive if you look at the road test of the British bikes in the late sixties and seventies like in Cycle World magazine you will see that a bike like a BSA 441 Victor is the same price as a Honda 305. Through the 19 60s and early '70s before they came out with the crap of the oil frame debacle BSA and Triumph were selling every motorcycle that they could construct. When they came out with the 441 Victory they did not think it would sell too well but it sold out 2 years in a row. If the company goes out of business and closes their dealerships it's kind of hard to buy a motorcycle. The BSA dealers were livid that their brand was canceled. BSA and Triumph got along as well as Harley and Indian which is not. If Triumph was a separate company they would have come out with the quadrant and that would have been a great selling motorcycle while they would have been shielded from the BSA collapse as well as the troubles at Norton.
They look India made the quality is poor looking on the. Motor
Sad . just sad.
Not your cup of tea? (That’s fine of course, everyone like different things. It’d be boring if everyone liked the same of everything)
@@PeakMotorcycles Yeah. Famous and historical marquees that shaped an industry reduced to simulacrum marketed by Chinese companies are not my cup of tea. I love lots of different things, including a wide variety of motorcycles over the course of history. Owned, raced , restored, persevered and loved hundreds.
I had one of these Chinese ajs on road off road, the yokes rotted, the starter flywheel went wrong under 6000miles. JUNK DON'T BUY
Wow. Was that replaced under warranty?
@@PeakMotorcycles 4 years old out of warranty Chinese junk!!!
@@wef.rubbish4714 wow. My 2014 R1200GS LC snapped a cam chain after two years and 3 months (all serviced by a main dealer to the states schedule) and needed a new engine for £8000, out of warranty, and it was made in Germany. You can’t trust anywhere these days! (In fairness to BMW, when I asked if they thought this was reasonable to replace a properly serviced engine after a couple of years and 25k miles, they did agree to do the work as goodwill, despite being out of warranty)
THESE BIKES ARE NOT CHINESE! AJS remains a British Company (based in Hampshire) and have never been in foreign hands. They are British designed and built and carry Yamaha engines - yes these engines ARE built in China, but so are the engines found in Yamaha bikes, so if you are going to consider that this makes it a "Chinese bike", then you must also call Yamaha a Chinese bike!
I have an AJS Tempest Roadster and it is the best bike I have ever owned. Light, responsive, starts cold first time every time, leans well and easily hits 60 on the flat (as long as there is no headwind).
As I said AJS are British bikes with the added bonus of Japanese engines which means you don't need to have the engine on the kitchen table every week! These modern AJS's are consistently getting good reviews (a quick Google will easily find them from respected bike magazines etc.)
Accurate criticism is fair enough, but make sure your facts are correct.