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11-25-2016 10:05 AM |
A motorcycle post on my day off
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Here are some pics of my 1955 AJS 18S. Joe Stevens was a bicycle make in England when his 4 sons joined him and built their first motorcycle in 1897. The name 'AJS' itself are the initials for one of the sons, Albert John Stevens, but really nothing of fact is known why he was chosen. It is a known fact that he went by the name 'Jack'. By 1902 they were producing their own engines and by 1909 had a line of production motorcycles. They have a long history of high quality and dependability. One of the first motorcycles to use hydraulic, alloy forks, a rear suspension and then full width hubs. All chassis points of movement have grease fittings. This particular model was the first to have automatic advance on the magneto. It was also the first year for the Amal monobloc carburetor.
We imported this one from Holland in 2000. It has always been a Dutch bike. The black NL plate is original to the bike and I have the parchment registration from 1955 matching the bike to the plate. The bike itself should be black. I have been collecting some odds and ends, including a complete decal set and plan on refurbishing the entire bike. It is a great rider and conversation piece. There is a spares club in England that remanufactures many of the parts to original specifications using modern metallurgy so while the cases are rare most of the rest of engine and gear box internals are readily available.
I took these pictures one day at Virmond Park in Mequon Wisconsin on the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. It was a nice April day.
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