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Ajs In Trials


laird387
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Hi,

I just couldn't resist showing you this attractive image, taken by Barry Robinson at the Ilkley Classic trial in May 2008. It shows Graham Lloyd with his very tidy original AJS 16C rigid during the Special Test in Brown's Wood at Dob Park.

We are including more images from this event in the new ORRe.

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-05862600-1403593286_thumb.jpg

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Hi,

Another of our images that have lost their identities - who is this AJS rider photographed by Mary Wylde in the 1995 West Riding trial, another of the events that we are including images of in the new ORRe magazine.

Enjoy.

(Thanks to Graham Howes who recognised this as Andrew Islip one of the lads from Huddersfield way. Deryk)

post-19290-0-23128000-1403594524_thumb.jpg

Edited by laird387
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Hi,

Another image seeking identification, who is this rider of the tidy AJS 16C in Cowling Beck in the 1995 West Riding trial, and I can recognise Ken 'Spindle' Morton with his bag of tools round his waist - but who is the other rider?

Photograph: Mary Wylde

Enjoy.

The rider on the AJS in the beck at Cowling is 'the other' Islip, cousin or maybe brother of the rider above, also came from the West Riding area around Huddersfield - might have been a Falcons member? Deryk.)

post-19290-0-90234300-1403613939_thumb.jpg

Edited by laird387
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi,

My good friend Ralph Venables had an AJS trials model which he always claimed was the last AJS ever made, in reality it was one of a batch 'claimed' from the receiver by Arter Bros. in Kent in partial settlement of outstanding payments owed by the factory. There was a complete batch of components waiting for assembly in the Comp. shop.

Arters assembled the batch and then sold them and Ralph Venables eventually owned one of them.

Sadly his claim that it was the last AJS trials machine could not be verified, because although all the components had been readied for assembly with matching frame and engine numbers already stamped on them, when the final two 'numbers' were assembled, the frames became separated from the motors, so one machine bore the last frame number and the other bore the last engine number.

The 'sister' machine to Ralph's was owned and ridden in trials for many years by Peter Ainley, who is seen on the machine in the 1995 West Riding trial, photographed by Mary Wylde.

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-43763600-1404850488_thumb.jpg

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Hi,

Sadly I don't know the name of this rider, spotted by Mary Wylde in the 1993 Talmag, but the sideways view of his drive side reminded me of the eternal problems we used to have managing to get a reliable seal for the primary drive case with the horrible 'T'-section rubber gasket and the aluminium clamp.

In the end most opted to soak the chain in the tins of lubricate that Halfords used to sell, but found they contained molybdenum sulphite that, if it got on the clutch plates made them slip badly, so then used just simple grease.

Enjoy.

(Ducman says: That is Geoffrey(Geoff)Cornes from Ashford/Kent. Geoff is a regular visitor to some trials here on the continent like the one in November in Mons/Belgium.)

Thanks for that - now I have seen the name I remember he did some of the Sammy Miller rounds that I organised, Deryk

post-19290-0-58247100-1405421334_thumb.jpg

Edited by laird387
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Derek,I gave up on those seals at about the age of 20.... Just used to squirt an oil can on the chain now and then. On my current Ajay I use an aerosol spray grease applied while the engine is running every few trials,seems to work very well and the clutch is top notch.

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Derek,I gave up on those seals at about the age of 20.... Just used to squirt an oil can on the chain now and then. On my current Ajay I use an aerosol spray grease applied while the engine is running every few trials,seems to work very well and the clutch is top notch.

Hi John,

A query from my riding days - what is an aerosol? - life is so different now!

Cheers

Deryk

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Took me back to spraying the petrol tank on my C15 with Dupli-Colour cans at the age of 10...

Pleased to say I didn't know what Anusol was ! Google had it in seconds.

John,

My motorcycling started in earnest when I was eight and my father sold his Royal Enfield twostroke that he used as 'ride to work' transport and bought a 1930's Ivory Calthorpe fitted with a Canterbury 'launch' sidecar.

The sidecar body was removed and placed under a tarpaulin in the back garden, and Dad built his own child/adult sidecar body with an ash frame, aluminium panelled bodywork and perspex windows, in which Mum and my younger brother rode. I rode on the 'bumb pad' sorbo rubber pillion mounted on the rear mudguard of the rigid Calthorpe.

That was our family transport for the next seven years or so, most years we went back to stay with our wartime friends in the Gower near Swansea - quite a journey in those days from Huddersfield to Swansea - plus annual trips to see the 'Illuminations' in Blackpool and Morecambe and regular weekend trips to visit family and friends.

One weekend we went to visit our friends in Owmby by Spital, just north of Lincoln - I was probably nine - and I heard Dad saying we must start home early because he wasn't sure which garages would be open after tea on a Sunday and the tank was low......

Ever helpful and wanting to be sure we got home I found a watering can and a tap in the garden and filled the petrol tank for him - happy with my good deed for the day.

The bike started readily as ever and we set off but within a few miles it coughed and spluttered and then stopped. The usual routine started, Dad whipped out the plug, that checked OK, spun the engine with the plug out - healthy spark! Next check the carburettor - could be a blocked jet - strange, as he removed the float bowl, carefully balancing it because he knew he was low on petrol and didn't want to waste any - it felt wrong.

As he spilled a little he saw the little globules of petrol in the bottom of the float bowl.........

I explained how helpful I had been and received a tongue-lashing I'll never forget at that Lincolnshire roadside. Out came all the tools, off with the petrol tank, carefully tilted to keep the petrol taps at the lowest point whilst the water was poured away and Dad reached the petrol floating on the top - all the while my Mum carrying on the scolding...

Dad got it going, then we limped home, free-wheeling down every slight incline to make the scant petrol last as long as we could - but it still ended with young brother Keith left sleeping in the sidecar as Mum, Dad and I pushed the last few miles home, arriving just after dawn was breaking. Shortly after Dad had to get his old Dawes pushbike out of the shed to ride the seventeen miles into his work in Leeds......

But that was just one weekend - there were others.........

Cheers

Deryk

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Hi,

Sadly I don't know the name of this rider, spotted by Mary Wylde in the 1993 Talmag, but the sideways view of his drive side reminded me of the eternal problems we used to have managing to get a reliable seal for the primary drive case with the horrible 'T'-section rubber gasket and the aluminium clamp.

In the end most opted to soak the chain in the tins of lubricate that Halfords used to sell, but found they contained molybdenum sulphite that, if it got on the clutch plates made them slip badly, so then used just simple grease.

Enjoy.

Deryk,

that is Geoffrey(Geoff)Cornes from Ashfort/Kent.Geoff is a regular visitor to some trials here on the continent like the one in November in Mons/Belgium.I did a few times the "International West kent Run",a vintage ralley for roadbikes with Geoff.Rode with him last year in Mons.

Mike

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If that is Geoff can't be sure I remember him and his dad Ray? from my days with the tenterden and district motorcycle club. 93 would be about the time when I stopped riding and am sure then he rode a matchless red tanked and winged M. once while spectating at a trial I sat on this bike whilst he inspected the section and couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of it compared to my then beamish.he was also kind enough to give me a manual for a 4 speed bultaco I had at the time which was much appreciated.

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Hi,

I'm pleased with the result of including some of the much older types of machines - there are frequently many responses to me through the contact details in my address line so I am responding with another view of a Matchless, again from the 1993 Talmag Trophy - and again I can't remember the rider's name - so any help greatly appreciated,

As ever, enjoy.

post-19290-0-04440400-1405626783_thumb.jpg

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Hi,

Over sixty years old and still going strong! The bike, that is, Brian Clarke certainly not that old! Brian was one of the more regular competitors in all of my trials championships.

Spotted by Mary Wylde in the Greensmith Memorial trial in 1995/6-ish.

Enjoy.

post-19290-0-58047600-1405838428_thumb.jpg

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