AJS & Matchless Owners Club

Brilliant, Clive I'll try that, thanks Cliff

Cjay59 wrote:And what is the "B" stamped on Sykes engine mean?

Who knows for certain why that may be. However I've read on one of the WD or AFS websites that some/most/many (?) bikes supplied in the 40's and 50's for military or civil use had a 'B' or an 'A' stamped on the c/case by the engine number. The 'A' stood for Amal cables and the 'B' for Bowden cables. No, and I also have absolutely no idea what relevance the type of cables had to the engine either but the website has a couple of photos of engines stamped with either A or B by the engine number.

SPRIDDLER wrote:The 'A' stood for Amal cables and the 'B' for Bowden cables. No, and I also have absolutely no idea what relevance the type of cables had to the engine either but the website has a couple of photos of engines stamped with either A or B by the engine number.

Perhaps it helped in the servicing department when replacing the cables to have the engine clearly indicating which type was fitted.

Here' the website referring to A and B c/case stampings, and a few more, e.g 'B/W' meant Base workshop:

http://www.matchlesswd.co.uk/engine-and-frame-numbers/

The B stamp on the engine number denotes a difference in the bearings fitted.

When I was machine dating officer I was told that the B indicated Bowden controls and I always thought that would be obvious and not related to the engine, so why stamp it on the engine.

Barry Robinson found the answer in one of the factory handbooks that explained the difference in the bearings fitted. Hopefully he will be along with the exact quote if he reads this.

Thanks Les. In which case the matchlesswd.co.uk website with the snipped info below needs correcting but I don't think anyone maintains it these days.

Sorry to resurrect this old thread but the question of what the B stands for which is stamped on the LH crankcase of 47/48 singles has cropped up again on a facebook site stating this stands for Bowden (presumably controls or levers). As I mentioned in a previous post F W Neill in "Matchless Motorcycles" states at Chapter V1, page 106. "Engines with B included in the engine number indicate a plain bush the latest type"