It is hard to believe in this day and age that Britian was once capable of producing such quality products as this motorcycle.

You and Mr Stevens should be rightly proud of this beautiful piece of British engineering. Fantastic.

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Phil! Best wishes

Now that's a pillon(ow) seat! I'm not surprised at the excellent start. If the 441 special that a customer brought into the shop in the trunk of his car would start, this lovingly built AJ will have no trouble!

Outstanding! Nothing sweeter than a big thumper.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Robert. Glad you enjoyed the video. There is another one coming soon of a longer ride that I hope you will enjoy. It was tremendous fun. Best wishes, Mike

Brought back a lot of memories. I worked as a motorcycle mechanic in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1966 when I was going through Aviation Mechanic school at Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa. Our shop dealt in Nortons, Motoguzzis, Bultacos and Ducatis. A 1954 AJS 500 single came in as a trade in and it was offered to me by the shop owner in trade for a Suzuki 250 Scrambler I was riding at the time. I thought it would be a good upgrade in ccs, so took the deal. I remember having to use the compression release on that bike due to very high compression, and if it kicked back it would literally lift you up or hurt your leg! The headlight was a joke as was the electrical system. No battery and it all ran off the magneto. Rev it up and the light brightened, and at low rpm it was too dim. I got my first ticket on that bike because I didn't have any rear view mirrors! But it was a fun bike to ride and the sound of the motor was like music!l I wish I had that bike now.....

One of my favorites, along with the Matchless Typhoon. Great color on that AJ . It sounds great. Thanks.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Hi Julio, thank you very much for your note. I hope you will enjoy the upcoming video on Sunday morning of a ride on this great bike. Best wishes, Mike

@R90scj

Жыл бұрын

I have a black 61 Typhoon in street trim and dream of owning a 19s to keep it company.......~~=o&o>........

@juliojames5986

Жыл бұрын

@@R90scj Toss in a G9 and a G12, etc, while dreaming…..👍🏻🏁

your workshop is immaculate!!

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Dana! It looks a little different behind the camera 😉 but I do try to keep the work area tidy. Best wishes, Mike

My brother had one in 1966 and it was a hard start. Beautiful machine.

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Joseph, chairs, Mike

Love these old thumpers

Oh that is such a sweet bike! Make the owner an offer he can't refuse!

What a nice looking bike! and it really suites you! 👍🏍🏍👍

@TheMightyGarage

5 ай бұрын

Thanks John, I really enjoyed working on that bike. In some ways I regret not buying it as it was a good deal. Oh well, perhaps there will be another single in my future :-) best wishes, Mike

What a beautiful old AJS and what a great starter.

Amazing bike! having a 16MS 1953, good to see some other AJS rolling!

@TheMightyGarage

8 ай бұрын

Many thanks, yes I had a 16 MS from 1954. I loved that bike. Unfortunately I had to sell it when we moved to the USA! I still miss it :-)

Gold ... Sweet ..Danny Australia ...Gold

Beautiful machine Mike , I've had 2 similar in style 16MS 350cc ' 55 models and they in my opinion , one of the finest machines ever to leave the British motorcycle industry and utterly reliable and when set up well could be almost started by hand !.If you wanted to demonstrate just how beautiful and comfortable a British bike can be - this is it !.

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree more! Thanks a lot Roger for your great comment. Best wishes

@skippmclovan1135

Жыл бұрын

So true . .

Magnificent

First kick? :) Wow. Great job Mike!

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Many thanks Michael. That was a great moment 😀 I love it when the bikes burst into life like that 😀 Best wishes, Mike

What a beautiful machine Mike. I laughed out loud at the ‘looking dark over Bill’s Mother’s’ comment - I haven’t heard that here in England for a long time, and I bet your Oregon friends just shake their heads - ‘what’s he on about?!’, hahaha! I’ve off now to watch all the earlier AJS videos. Cheers!

Nice! I really liked that first kick start! Heading to Hillsboro this week for a visit to my daughter and son up your way. May give you a shout.

What a treat to hear that sound again! Mine was always an easy starter and I just love magnetos.So easy to work on and time.If I remember the timing was 1/2 inch BTDC with the counterweights wedged out for full advance.I used an old spoke in the plug hole as a guide to piston travel.Mine caught fire once because I tickled it too much and it backfired out the carb and whoosh.Good thing to have an extinguisher on hand! Brought back so many memories from the early 80's in N.Z.

Nice one Mike, love the comment bills mothers any one would think you came from England may be even suffolk 🤔😅

Hey-hey! First prod Mike! Well done! That's a beautifully proportioned bike. A classic!

just catching up with your videos Mike been a bit busy of late, that's a cracking little bike and a nice restoration, not overdone. God to see you haven't lost some English sayings " a bit dark over bills mothers " 😄

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

😀😀 Thanks a lot Gary. Glad you are enjoying the videos. That was such a lovely bike. It was a pleasure to work on it. Best wishes, Mike

That was very cool!

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Tom!

The low pressure, low volume plunger oil pump can make it seem like an age before the return flow appears at the oil tank, particularly if the bike has been sat for a while: 30 seconds is not unusual. If everything has been put back correctly and there is oil on the bits that move (from the last run) then worry not, flow will appear... Eventually. Lovely bike and video, thanks. (Matchless G3L lifelong owner.)

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much Ron! I really appreciate it. I loved working on the AJS. It was a pleasure. My Dad also had a G3L and I had an AJS 16MS when I was younger, so have a soft spot for these fine classic bikes. Best wishes, Mike

You've done a beautiful job bringing this AJS back to life!

Great stuff Mike. Thanks for sharing.

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

You bet Daniel. Hope all is well

Wonderful bike. Theses big singles, they are not the most powerful bikes, they are not the fastest but they are so nice to ride. Very good job, Mike. Congratulations.

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Salut Christophe! Thanks very much for your note. They are lovely bikes. Best wishes

Took me way back down memory lane watching that video. My first bike was a 1949 Matcless G80 (very similar to that lovely AJS) I remember the magneto drive sprocket came loose on the tapered shaft once and my brother (who was somewhat braver than I,) got the ignition timing somewhere near the mark by holding his thumb on the spark plug hole while holding the spark plug lead in his hand while I kicked the motor over. We kept rotating the sprocket on the shaft until he got a shock at about the same time as the compression blew his thumb off the hole! Love your videos!!!😀

@christidmas8367

2 жыл бұрын

I restored my one and had the owners manual and timed the mag to the recommended spot then did the points timing.So easy and reliable.

Wonderfull to watch and listen to! You, for good reasons, look like a very happy man. Gordeus bike, I realy miss mine.. ;o)

I was pretty surprised at that first kick startup too. That's rare on any machine from that era as I think we all know too well. Such a beautiful machine!

Suggestion that I saw on a dirt bike video for backing a bike down a ramp: Put the bike in 1st then use the clutch as a brake along with the front brake to provide 2 wheel braking. Works for me when I back my bike off the traylor. (Yes I know it's spelled wrong but that's how I do it!) Ronn

So nice and so well restored! Waiting for a little trip with on board cam now! Edit: oh, I saw in the comment there was one on the go, will look after that!

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks very much, yes there’s another video of a shake down right that I hope you enjoy. Cheers, Mike

@BlackSun3Tube

Жыл бұрын

@@TheMightyGarage I've seen it, one more very nice video, thanks for your work and sharing! here's the link, for eventual readers interested in: kzread.info/dash/bejne/mZeC0piPfNKWY6g.html

What a beautiful machine no wonder you fell in love with it😊 First time kick fantastic😊 I bought the 18s about 4 years ago but I struggled with the seat height The stands on these are not good not sure how good yours is but they need a bit of metal welding on the bottom pad .. love yours gorgeous 😊😊😊 Phil green Uk 🇬🇧

@TheMightyGarage

4 ай бұрын

Hi Phil, yes, I still think about that bike! I sort of regret letting it go, but it’s one of those things. We can’t keep them all :-) hope you have a great weekend.

Well Done Mike! Best Wishes from Floral Park, Long Island, New York.

What a handsome machine! She's eager, too! What an easy starter. I loved the big smile on your face when she fired up first kick! Well done! Too bad you have to relinquish it to its owner ;-)

Great starter Mike 👌 sounds great.

Congratulations Mike, on the rebuild and the one kick startup. Great looking and sounding bike. I can understand how you could fall in love with that bike. Cheers, Dan. 👍🇨🇦

Nice!

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot David! I just have one more video to come on this bike that I hope you will enjoy. Best wishes Mike

Good as new

Great work Mike ,what a stunning bike!

Can't say I like this bike but you sure have it tuned nicely. It starts wonderfully. I'm just not a fan of singles so it isn't the bike , it's me.

Great stuff Mike, this has been an enjoyable little 'get this one going again'. These old bikes were the go to work every day or home for the weekend for so many back in the day. I'm sure Vince is going to be well pleased with the result & hope to see him on it on a club meet/run real soon .. 👍 .. 🏍 atvb t ..

Will it start at the first kick ? Yes, of course ! 😉👍👍

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

😀 it did surprise me how easily it started 😀 Best wishes 👍

Hey,Mike,another beautiful project, with a “one-kick-only”-start,, great job! Manfred

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a bunch Manfred! I hope all is well

Bravo Mike...a job well done!

Wow that was cool

Lovely bike, well done Mike but no copper on the plug please. 👍🇬🇧

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alan. I appreciate the advice. Cheers, Mike

Thank you Mike. And happy Fathers Day my friend. 🌞🏍

Beautiful old bike and a dream to start unlike the BSA B33 500 single I used to own. The bike wanted to kill me and regularly fired my right leg skywards trying to bring the beast to life!

That was a very fine "check for spark", That turn over after stopping the fuel spill, then first kick, it sounds beautiful, those old single sound so good. Something about that big cylinder, piston sweeping the full of it. My old Ducati 250 was sort of like that. That bike is something special, just sounds so great. You really look at home on this bike, that smile says it all.

Beautiful bike, and it seems you have it running flawlessly. Well done!

Success! I love it when they leap to life after work.

TOP !

Hi Mike brilliant job again, beautiful looking bike..😊👍

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot Eddie! Hope all is well. I'm hoping to take a longer ride on the AJS soon and will be sure to take the camera 😉

@eddiebradford1571

2 жыл бұрын

@@TheMightyGarage brilliant stuff Mike, looking forward to it 😊👍

Nice.

Great job Mike, a joy to watch an expert at work and wow what a gorgeous bike. It's got me looking on 'Classic Motors' for one, cheers mate.

Great result Mike! All your efforts paid off.

She sounds sooo sweet 👍

those bikes are very confortable to ride, and the gear box is the best!! i have a 57 ajs 350 and it is lovely... just a great simple bike.

Sounds great!

Are you very happy man or what 😃 Nice sounding bike and what a looker, bet it won’t go home 😂 Have a relaxing week Mike 🍻👍🏻

Bravo mike!!!

What a beautiful bike to look at 👍

Hola tenga un hermoso saludo desde Cuba tengo una acá en mi país y no tengo piezas de repuesto para seguir montando hermosa máquina

Congrats Mike ! Lovely bike. 👍

Beautiful AJS but, I can hear, piston slap! Or is the timing on full advance? Hopefully once warm the noise will stop? If not: rebore + piston! Also I love those jam pots, very comfy, I had a 600cc twin years ago which had the same setup. Without a doubt it was the most comfortable bike I have owned. Lovely.

Un trabajo maravilloso saludos desde malaga españa

What a lovely bike, well done! My 51 G80S is a first cousin, but much louder in trials trim.

No, not jealous, not one bit.

Apart from those silly, fat in the middle NVT 70's grips and l think spark plug manufacturers now advise against anti seize on the threads, it looks and sounds great and has the correct pitch AMC transmission whine!

👍👍👍👍👍🏍️☺️🌞

It didn't take long to crack the throttle a bit sportingly !!

Beautiful bike ,first kick awesome! will she be taking up residency? 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Nice bike I have 1955 Matchless G3LS virtually same bike but 350cc ,like the look of the earlier bike with separate tool boxes and earlier frame . Chrome tank looks good was it on bike or have you added it ? mine is just painted

@TheMightyGarage

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much. I love the G3L models. My dad had one and I always fancied one. The chrome tank on the AJS was on the bike when I got it. I'm not sure if it is original or not, but it's a great fit. It does look like it's original or perhaps a very old replacement as it is showing great signs of patina. Best wishes, Mike

The sprung swingarm AJS and Matchless singles from around 1950 onwards 'felt' very 'stable' bikes to ride, very 'safe' to the beginner. The BSA and Triumph full size machines did not feel like this to me. They 'felt' rather short and high, narrow, and 'wobbly-floaty' handling bikes. Sorry. That was my honest observation of them, from firsthand riding experience of them all. The Norton Featherbed full size bikes however DID feel good to ride. Surprisingly (to me) the installation of the pre-unit 6T Triumph engine into the Featherbed frame was a 'perfect' combination of riding 'balance'.. the Thunderbird engine sat a tad further back in the frame and perhaps that made for a more stable centre of gravity. Certainly the 6T engine, though a tad less powerful at the top end (despite Bonneville cams and twin carburetion) was a sheer delight to start, and was a smoother, more torquey engine, that gave less trouble and the 'vibration' that came from the original Norton 750 Atlas engine that had been in the bike (and that had 'shaken' itself to pieces in just two years). Even the 650SS version of that engine had a harshness to it that there was none of in the Triumph equivalent engine. Mr Ed Turner had designed a superb engine, whether the 500 Speedtwin or the 650 Thunderbird, they were just delightful engines. One always noticed with the Norton parallel twins there was a proclivity to blow burnt oil residue from the timing side (righthand) of the engine due to high pressure oil being feed straight from the adjacent oil pump right up under the piston. Perhaps a limiter here would have evened out that excessive oil feed to that part of the engine. These for what they are worth were my observations as a young first timer rider of all these machine types back in the heyday prior to the first of the Japanese big bikes appearing on the scene. One went then straight to the Kawasaki H1A 500 triple and received the fright of one's life . . !

Hi Mike it's become a ritual watching your vids at sunday breaky. What a great bike! Not sure it's a good idea to kill the engine using the valve decompressor though, it'll knacker the lever in the head. Keep up the content!

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Hi Nick, thanks a lot for your note. I appreciate it. Actually, that’s the only way to stop many of these bikes, by using the decompression lever. It’s possible to fit a kill switch to a Magneto, but this is how they came from the factory. Cheers, Mike

@nickdunhill7313

2 жыл бұрын

My mistake, sorry Mike. I have a repatriated Victor Special and it has an alternator/xener/rectifier and crucially an ignition switch. Says in the BSA manual do not.... Anyway thanks again for the content, I enjoy it greatly.

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

@@nickdunhill7313 No worries Nick. Thanks a lot for your note. Glad you like the videos ;) I should have more coming soon. We have finally managed to get a few rides in now that the summer has arrived 😉

😜👍🏍

G'day, Mike. Where are you from originally? The only time I've heard the 'Bill's mother's' saying is by people from the Midlands. I'm an ex-pat Yorkie living in Australia.

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Hehe, thanks Phil. I'm originally from Lancashire but lived in Yorkshire for a long time and my wife and folks are from Rotherham. It must have rubbed off on me 😉 Best wishes

The legengdari motor old

You keeping that one Mike?🤔

@bananabrooks3836

2 жыл бұрын

It's not his bike.

@TheMightyGarage

2 жыл бұрын

Hee hee, sadly I’m going to need to let this one go back to its owner. As much as I would love to have it, the mighty garage is now officially full :-)