AJS & Matchless Owners Club

What's special about the P11 apart from the looks of the high pipe model - its not that good on or off road (perhaps OK in the desert) and not that easy to work on, and vibrates its nuts off - just wondering?

I think you'd have to have one to get the full effect! What's special is subjective, of course, but for me, inter alia, the lightness, the raw power/acceleration/torque, the relative LACK of vibes actually in the Matchless frame compared to an Atlas, the looks as you say, and the simple fact that they are different from most other things. Not that good on the road, compared to a Featherbed or a twin-downtube Beesa of the same period, I probably agree (but tyres rather come into that too, along with the riding position). I don't have a desert to play on, but it's actually good fun on unmade roads, which I can play on, if you're a bit careful with the throttle. I'm sure there are a good few here who'll add their tuppence, or perhaps rather more! I like mine well, and would be hard-pressed to part with it. It's the fastest accelerating oldie I have got, and I reckon was pretty exciting for 1967. Cheers, Bill

Is the p11 lighter than a Commando - when I compared the weight of a bare frames the Commando was lighter.

I've had my 67 P11 for about 10 year now , and other than my first matchless (1946 G80L) it will be the last bike of my collection that I'd part with. only been on one beach on the Baltic coat on the way back from Poland and to be honest I'd not deliberately go on sand dunes again.
30,000 miles or more on road in this country and Europe ( actually lost count of the miles ).
Yes it vibrates , but not as bad as some of the 650's i've had.
Everyone to there own

g3lc500t wrote:Is the p11 lighter than a Commando - when I compared the weight of a bare frames the Commando was lighter.

The bare frame of a Commando may be lighter, but if you compare the frame with swing arm and engine plates in place, you'll find the Commando is a bit heavier. The P11 bolted in with the help of four aluminum engine plates, where the Commando used the steel cradle with isolastic mounts.

Comparing road versions, the Commando Roadster is about 40 lb heavier than a Ranger 750 (422lb v 381lb). When raced, P11s can be trimmed down to less than 340 lbs.

Met a man at Barber (Birmingham, Alabama) last year with a P11 that had always been a racer. He changed the rear wheel to a BSA conical so he could change sprockets, changed the front forks to Marzocchi, removed the battery and alternator, put on a Lucas magneto, and changed the fuel tank to a 1 gallon aluminum piece. Bike weighed 326 lbs in this configuration. Most of these changes were done over 40 years ago, the bike enjoys a life of vintage racing, and he kept the parts removed, so it can be changed back to stock if he ever wanted.
(rather than butcher the crank and primary, he replaced the alternator rotor with an aluminum spacer)

I have a Ranger 750 and an 850 Roadster. The riding position of the P11 is more comfortable for me, and the bike is a joy to run around town. The Commando is the bike for highway use - it'll ride for hours at 85mph with no complaint. The Ranger will do 85 (I've had it up to 95) but it feels like something's going to fly apart (nothing ever has, except my Renold primary chain, since replaced with a D.I.D.).