I’ve been coming to North West Section meetings at The Bowling Green for over a year now – actually probably nearer two. I enjoy looking at the bikes and I’m slowly getting better at putting faces to names – The Alternative Rally Helped a lot with this. However not riding to the meetings and runs and in fact never having ridden a Matchless or AJS makes me feel like I’m missing out.
I’ve had some very welcome advice and encouragement from members and at the last meeting more than one person kindly asked how my bike (yes I do actually have one!) was coming along and I had to shamefacedly admit that I hadn’t touched it for months. This weekend I have given it some attention and made it look a bit “more like” and made myself feel much better.
This article is by way of an introduction until the day I rattle up to a run trailing smoke and with fingers crossed.
My Name is John Roddam I’m 58 in July 2015 and I live in Inglewhite north of Preston.
I’ve had motorbikes off and on since I was 17 and been an admirer of British bikes for all that time. I’m fairly practical but my mechanical skills and knowledge is limited. Of the various bikes I’ve owned I’ve never attempted a full restoration since the first, which was a Triton. It was complete but a wreck when I bought it when I was about 20 and it lived with me in pieces as I moved around the country during my early years in the RAF. I had loads of work done and got it up to a rolling chassis stage before I sold it.
As often happens, when you sell something it leaves a void which you fill by buying something else and so it’s been over the years.
In 2012 I started renovating a farmhouse property for my wife and I and our daughter and her family to occupy jointly. This is ongoing and has total priority over expenditure of time and money. As the money was rushing headlong out of the bank account I thought that if I didn’t get an old bike soon I’d never have one.
The VMCC Goosnargh run came right past our gate and that decided the issue so I started actively looking. I’ve always fancied a thirties bike or at least a rigid frame and single saddle set-up but with a budget of hundreds rather that thousands I wasn’t hoping for much but you never know your luck. I put out a speculative advert and got one reply – from Cheshire. The man had put away his bike in his parents outbuilding in 1982 when he went to university and it hadn’t moved since. 30 Years! His old mum was now selling up and things had to be cleared out.
The bike turned out to be a 1956 AJS 16MS. Not as old as I’d wished for but it was the only lead and being 1956 I can say it was created the same year as myself (I was born in ’57 nudge nudge wink wink).
This was the bike.
First in situ as per the previous 30 years.
Then dragged out
then trailered ready for home
then at her new place.
With the help of the club forum and members I began to take stock. Bits missing were:- Dynamo, battery, regulator, horn, side lights, chainguard, rear carrier. Non-standard parts were:- Mudguards, silencer, headlamp shell and switch.
The engine appeared to be seized and there were various bodges and frights waiting to be discovered.
I just don’t have the money, time or know how to make a full strip-down worth thinking about at present but I’ve tinkered and tickled her up in my own way and I hope to be able to get her going again soon. Roadworthy hopefully but definitely not one for the purists – so I’ll get my apology in now.
This is how she stands as of this weekend (7th June 2015)…
Problems still to overcome:- petrol tank needs sealing. The dynamo found for me by section member John Swarbrick needs reconditioning then a regulator, horn, battery and wiring loom sourced and fitted. The rear wheel bearings are non-standard parallel roller bearings and seized solid. The speedo gearbox has been worn through and ingeniously repaired but needs replacing. I’ve done some work on the top end of the engine and it’s no longer seized but the bottom end is an unknown quantity. The gearbox and clutch are also unknown territory.
So there she is – a tired old mongrel and realistically she’s not coming out to play this season – but please do keep asking!
Regards
John