Best of British - 1955 AJS model 20 500cc twin - Startup and ride around Trondheim, Norway
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- A short sunday ride on my original and unrestored 1955 AJS model 20 500cc twin. This actual motorcycle is featured in Peter Howdle's book 'Best of British'.
Lovely. There’s something about watching/listening to an old bike riding to lovely scenery. Much more pleasing than a modern sports bike. Thanks for the upload.
Beautiful bike on wonderful roads, great video 👍👌
Beautiful bike and great sound recording, thanks! My oldest brother rode one in the early seventies.
Nice bike sounds great
What a beauty that bike is.
Great road, lovely steel, thanks for sharing.
Gorgeous bike, sounds fantastic. You have a much better centre stand than my Model 8 has! Trondheim looks very inviting too.
When asked by AMC to review this model in the 1950’s, the great Bert Hopwood commented that it would break the company as it was very unlikely to break down and therefore they wouldn’t sell any spares.
They actually achieved a test of completing 100 miles around an oval track in one hour (meaning a continuous speed of 100mph for 1 hour) on the 600cc twin without failure of the engine. Quite a sales pitch at the time. A lot of bikes were flat out doing the Ton.
The record was set at the MIRA track near where I live by Vic Willoughby in 1958 on a G11CS which he allegedly rode from and back to his home some 80 miles away after completing the ride.
@@andrewgent5887 And fortunately I own a 58 30CS and G11CSR in recognition of his achievement.👍
All I can say is I’m very jealous, two beautifully designed and engineered motorcycles.
Nice. Smooth running machine.
sounds like a new everything ..just great smooth ..
Belle balade dans une région elle aussi très belle
Gorgeous bike
Wow, what a sweet ride. Makes me wonder why it wasn't AJS twins weren't the ones to last at least into the 70's like BSA, Triumph and Norton.
The problem was that they had put a ban on providing test bikes to the media because some journo gave them a bad review. They preferred to let their success in road and rally racing do the talking. But it bit them on the butt because the general punters were not buying competition bikes.
Fun Fact. AJS was acquired by the Colliers (Matchless) in 1931. Making both under the name Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) from 1938. They later owned Francis Barnett and James, smaller commuter bikes like the BSA Bantam. In 1952 AMC acquired Norton. (Not the other way around). In 1962 the Norton Factory at Birmingham was closed and all Norton manufacturing was done at Woolwich and Plumbstead. AMC was later acquired by Manganese Bronze Holdings when they went bankrupt in 1966, choosing to cease production of AJS/Matchless in 1968. In 1969 the Norton Commando was released, but having been designed and built in the AMC factories with their staff, I like to stir up the Norton faithful and tell them it's really a Matchless with Norton badges. 😂
@@coolhand1964 thanks Luke! Well told. I didn’t know any of this.
@@donparker1823 I have a G9, G12, G15 and a P11. (Maybe a G45 if I win the lotto). So you might say I have a passion for AMC bikes, or you might say I need counselling. 😅😂🤣
@@coolhand1964 I get it. My wife is pretty sure I’m mentally ill with respect to my mania for motorcycles.
@@donparker1823 My wife said you can have as many bikes as you want, as long as I can have my perfect kitchen and garden. That's when I knew she was a keeper. 👍
I had a 1952 Matchlass clone of the bike G9I I Was 17 at the time so it seemed great. I like to think that the exhaust note was more mellow! It had a three-bearing crankshaft. and this centre bearing was often blamed for the excessive vibration that reached the hands!
it had a three-bearing can k
Le bruit est fabuleux.👍👍👍
Gleder meg til sommeren når jeg ser dette : )
Jeg også Geir 😊
I bought a 1956 AJS 500cc,and my mate bought a triumph Tiger 110.And i wish i too bought a Trumpy?!
Great bike & video. Many thanks. Quick question: are the bullet shaped pilot lamps on either side of the main headlight useful for anything? All I can think is that they were used for parking lights, but suspect that they would drain the battery quite quickly in that role.
They are just for looks I guess 🙂
About 10 years before my time. What is the small lever on the left? A choke? I thought the carbs would have ticklers. And a twin wouldn't have a decompress lever. Thanks. Beautiful machine.
Ignition timing (advance/retard) on the left. Choke on the right.
reminds me of my bsa 500 twin. I want. an ajs after hearing and seeing this. well done!!!where was this taken at? I'd love to ride there!
It’s in Trondheim, Norway.
lovely bike, sounds so good. Have you done any work on the engine ?
irker som koswlig tur.....var du Globe på MCsiden ?
Very sweet machine