AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Hi all, I'd like to introduce myself, My name is Carlos, I live in Vilamoura, Algarve South Portugal. I restored a 1952 AJS18 in Cape Town South Africa, thirty years ago and fell in love with the machine,road it for many years and eventually sold it. Now after all this time, I've got the bug again. I am looking for an AJS 18 early fifties as a project but it is extremely difficult to find one in Portugal. I've seen a couple of AJS16M advertised, but prefer the 500. I believe it is possible to convert the AJS16M by replacing the head and barrel with an AJS18 head and barrel. Is it a proposition? What are the pros and cons?
Thanks, Regards,

500 parts would be more difficult to find.

Welcome to the club and the Forums, Carlos.
You are right; the 350's were often uprated to 500c.c. by changing the piston, cylinder, cylinder head, exhaust pipe and carburettor. If you look at the Parts Lists and Workshop Manuals you will see that apart from early bikes the 350 and 500 share the same parts except for the engine parts mentioned above. You will find the manuals mentioned by opening the link below. (Look under 'Books') :

http://archives.jampot.dk/

The 500 and the 350 engines have different balance factors which may produce more vibration when uprated to 500c.c. or it may just move the vibration band up or down the rev range. I believe quite a few people have uprated a 350 to 500c.c. but I cannot recall reading on this message board of anyone reporting unpleasant vibration.

You may know this but:
There are adverts for bikes for sale on this website.
Our International rally is being held in Portugal this May when there will be many AJS and Matchless bikes attending. See the rally advert and Facebook link on page 25 of the March Jampot magazine.
Good luck!

Hi, Thank you for your prompt informative reply. Regards.

carlos silva wrote:Hi, Thank you for your prompt informative reply. Regards.

HI Carlos will we be seeing you at the Rally in May?

Greeting from Taynuilt, Scotland Carlos and welcome to the Club