Associated Motor Cycles
Encyclopedia
Associated Motor Cycles was a British motorcycle
manufacturer founded by the Collier brothers as a parent company for the Matchless
and AJS
motorcycle companies. It later absorbed Francis-Barnett
, James
, and Norton before incorporation into Norton-Villiers
.
was added in 1937 from Imperial Chemical Industries
. The name of the Matchless Motor Cycles
company was changed to "Amalgamated Motor Cycles Ltd" in 1937 and "Associated Motor Cycles (AMC)" in 1938. AMC was not a manufacturer in its own right, but rather the parent company of a group of motorcycle manufacturers which included Matchless, AJS
, Norton, James
, Francis-Barnett
, Sunbeam
and others.
In 1939 a 495 cc AJS V4
was built to compete against the supercharged BMWs then dominating racing. The bike was a water-cooled and supercharged. In 1939 the dry-sump V4 was the first bike to lap the Ulster Grand Prix
course at over 100 mi/h. It weighed 405 lb (184 kg). Its top speed was 135 mi/h. Then the Second World War intervened. During the War, Matchless manufactured 80,000 G3 and G3L models
for the armed forces.
AMC sold the Sunbeam name to BSA
in 1943.
, followed later by the acquisition of James
in 1951. In 1949 the first Matchless/AJS vertical twin (500cc) was produced, later to be joined by 600 cc and 650 cc vertical twins in 1956 and 1959 respectively. On the racing front AMC were fielding the AJS Porcupine
(500 cc forward-facing parallel twin), the AJS 7R
(32 bhp, 350 cc OHC single), the Matchless G50 (a 500 cc variant of the 7R) and by 1951, the Matchless G45 (500 cc vertical twin). The AJS Porcupine had been designed for supercharging, before the rules changed ending supercharged racing motorcycles, but even so, Les Graham won the 1949 World Championship on an unsupercharged AJS 500 cc Porcupine.
In 1951 AJS development engineer Ike Hatch developed a 75.5 mm (3 in) bore x 78 mm (3.1 in) stroke, three valve head version of the 7R making 36 bhp. It was called the AJS 7R3, and was Ike's response to the Italian multi-cylinder racers. They did well enough in their first year, not as well the second. For 1954 Jack Williams, the works team manager, developed the bike further, lowering the engine in the frame, and making some tuning changes that gave 40 bhp @ 7800 rpm. It immediately won the first two rounds of the World Championship and took first at the Isle of Man TT. These were factory specials, but one has survived, and a second has been reconstructed from spares. In 1953 there was a Clubman range of Matchless/AJS 350 cc and 500 cc singles, and the production model Matchless G45 500 twin became available.
In 1952 further extended the empire by taking over Norton. 1958 saw the introduction of unit construction 250 cc AJS/Matchless machines. From 1948 competition models of the singles were produced which gave the company some memorable wins.
AMC withdrew from the world of works and one-off road racing at the end of the 1954, with the death of Ike Hatch, and in the face of fierce competition from the other European bikes. Instead of works specials, AJS and Norton would make the production versions of the Manx Norton and the standard two valve AJS 7R, for privateers.
In 1958 the Matchless/AJS road bikes were joined by a 250 cc and in 1960 by a 350 cc for a lightweight series of singles.
In 1960 leading light Bert Hopwood
resigned and joined Triumph at Meriden
. That same year AMC posted a profit of a just over £200,000, not so good compared with BSA's £3.5 million. Then in 1961 they posted a loss of £350,000. With the closure of the Norton plant at Birmingham in 1962 and the merger of Norton and Matchless production, the future was beginning to look rather bleak. In the sixties, with sales declining AMC made the commercial decision to focus on the Norton twins and the Matchless/AJS singles but they were not to be successful and the factory ceased production shortly afterwards.
Some models were "parts bin specials" put together at the request of the American dealers. The Americans were desert racing, so Berliners sent AMC an example custom bike using a Norton 750 motor in a G80CS frame, and asked them to build them some. This was the last Matchless motorcycle, the 748 cc G15 which was also sold as the AJS Model 33' and as the Norton P11. The G15 was produced up until 1969. A Mk2 version was sold in Britain from 1964.
Matchless/AJS built predictable handling, comfortable, well-made, reliable and economical motorcycles, for their day. Unfortunately such attributes were not enough to keep them in business. Continuing poor sales led to AMC becoming part of a new company, called Norton-Villiers in 1966.
A modern version of AJS has been established, and, although based in Britain they now import cheap Chinese bikes. Various models bearing the old AJS style logo have been rolled off production lines and the modern AJS website promotes the idea that it is the very same company. Unfortunately the modern bikes are renowned for poor performance and are reported to be unreliable and badly built, the most renowned of these being the EOS, a harley davidson-esque 125.
had driven the British motorcycle industry into a precipitous decline. In 1966 AMC collapsed and was reformed as Norton-Villiers
under Manganese Bronze
. This only staved off the problems for a little while and Norton-Villers eventually went into liquidation in 1974. Norton was reformed with financial assistance from the British government as Norton-Villiers-Triumph (NVT) actually incorporating the majority of BSA
s motorcycle concerns but omitting the BSA name for Triumph. In part due to a labour dispute, NVT later went into receivership in 1974.
CC 199cc (12.2 cu ins)
Stroke 72.8mm (2.866 ins)
Bore 59mm (2.3228 ins)
Rebore +.015", +.030"
Comp. Ratio 8.5:1
Ign. Timing 5/16" before top dead centre
Breaker Gap .012"
Plug Gap .018" to .022"
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
manufacturer founded by the Collier brothers as a parent company for the Matchless
Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins...
and AJS
AJS
AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England, company A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by Matchless, Associated Motorcycles and Norton-Villiers on...
motorcycle companies. It later absorbed Francis-Barnett
Francis-Barnett
Francis-Barnett was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1919, by Gordon Inglesby Francis and Arthur Barnett, and based in Lower Ford Street, Coventry, England,...
, James
James Cycle Co
The James Cycle Co Ltd., Greet, Birmingham, England, was one of many famous British cycle and motorcycle makers centred around the English Midlands, particularly Birmingham...
, and Norton before incorporation into Norton-Villiers
Norton-Villiers
Norton-Villiers was a British motorcycle manufacturer formed in the 1960s following the collapse of Associated Motorcycles. With the general decline of the British motorcycle industry it was combined with the remnants of BSA to form Norton-Villiers-Triumph....
.
History
AJS had been bought by Matchless's owners, the Colliers, in 1931 and SunbeamSunbeam (motorcycle)
Sunbeam was a British manufacturing marque that produced bicycles and motorcycles from 1912 to 1956. Originally independent, it was ultimately owned by BSA...
was added in 1937 from Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries
Imperial Chemical Industries was a British chemical company, taken over by AkzoNobel, a Dutch conglomerate, one of the largest chemical producers in the world. In its heyday, ICI was the largest manufacturing company in the British Empire, and commonly regarded as a "bellwether of the British...
. The name of the Matchless Motor Cycles
Matchless
Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models was produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc four-stroke twins...
company was changed to "Amalgamated Motor Cycles Ltd" in 1937 and "Associated Motor Cycles (AMC)" in 1938. AMC was not a manufacturer in its own right, but rather the parent company of a group of motorcycle manufacturers which included Matchless, AJS
AJS
AJS was the name used for cars and motorcycles made by the Wolverhampton, England, company A. J. Stevens & Co. Ltd, from 1909 to 1931, by then holding 117 motorcycle world records, and after the firm was sold the name continued to be used by Matchless, Associated Motorcycles and Norton-Villiers on...
, Norton, James
James Cycle Co
The James Cycle Co Ltd., Greet, Birmingham, England, was one of many famous British cycle and motorcycle makers centred around the English Midlands, particularly Birmingham...
, Francis-Barnett
Francis-Barnett
Francis-Barnett was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1919, by Gordon Inglesby Francis and Arthur Barnett, and based in Lower Ford Street, Coventry, England,...
, Sunbeam
Sunbeam (motorcycle)
Sunbeam was a British manufacturing marque that produced bicycles and motorcycles from 1912 to 1956. Originally independent, it was ultimately owned by BSA...
and others.
In 1939 a 495 cc AJS V4
AJS V4
The AJS V4 started out as a prototype air-cooled V4 road bike, but became a water-cooled and supercharged racing bike.-The 1935 Olympia Show bike:...
was built to compete against the supercharged BMWs then dominating racing. The bike was a water-cooled and supercharged. In 1939 the dry-sump V4 was the first bike to lap the Ulster Grand Prix
Ulster Grand Prix
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle road race that takes place on the Dundrod Circuit near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe...
course at over 100 mi/h. It weighed 405 lb (184 kg). Its top speed was 135 mi/h. Then the Second World War intervened. During the War, Matchless manufactured 80,000 G3 and G3L models
Matchless G3/L
The Matchless G3/L is a motorcycle developed for use by the British Army during the Second World War, when Matchless manufactured 80,000 G3 and G3/L models. The G3/L became one of the most popular motorcycles used during the war, as it was the first to replace the unforgiving "girder" front forks...
for the armed forces.
AMC sold the Sunbeam name to BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
in 1943.
Post war
Post-war landmarks start with the production of Matchless/AJS 350 cc and 500 cc singles, developed from the legendary war-time Matchless G3 produced for the Army. In 1946 Freddie Clarke joined AMC as Chief Development Engineer after a row with his former employers, Triumph and in 1947 AMC absorbed Francis-BarnettFrancis-Barnett
Francis-Barnett was a British motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1919, by Gordon Inglesby Francis and Arthur Barnett, and based in Lower Ford Street, Coventry, England,...
, followed later by the acquisition of James
James Cycle Co
The James Cycle Co Ltd., Greet, Birmingham, England, was one of many famous British cycle and motorcycle makers centred around the English Midlands, particularly Birmingham...
in 1951. In 1949 the first Matchless/AJS vertical twin (500cc) was produced, later to be joined by 600 cc and 650 cc vertical twins in 1956 and 1959 respectively. On the racing front AMC were fielding the AJS Porcupine
AJS Porcupine
-Racing history:The motorcycle was originally designed by AJS to be supercharged, as were a number of pre-war racing bikes, but the FICM banned supercharging in 1946. The motor was then worked on to allow it to perform without a supercharger...
(500 cc forward-facing parallel twin), the AJS 7R
AJS 7R
The AJS 7R was a 350 cc racing motorcycle built from 1948 to 1963 by Associated Motor Cycles, also known as the ‘Boy Racer’, first won victories for the factory, and then went on to win races for privateers when made generally available from 1954....
(32 bhp, 350 cc OHC single), the Matchless G50 (a 500 cc variant of the 7R) and by 1951, the Matchless G45 (500 cc vertical twin). The AJS Porcupine had been designed for supercharging, before the rules changed ending supercharged racing motorcycles, but even so, Les Graham won the 1949 World Championship on an unsupercharged AJS 500 cc Porcupine.
In 1951 AJS development engineer Ike Hatch developed a 75.5 mm (3 in) bore x 78 mm (3.1 in) stroke, three valve head version of the 7R making 36 bhp. It was called the AJS 7R3, and was Ike's response to the Italian multi-cylinder racers. They did well enough in their first year, not as well the second. For 1954 Jack Williams, the works team manager, developed the bike further, lowering the engine in the frame, and making some tuning changes that gave 40 bhp @ 7800 rpm. It immediately won the first two rounds of the World Championship and took first at the Isle of Man TT. These were factory specials, but one has survived, and a second has been reconstructed from spares. In 1953 there was a Clubman range of Matchless/AJS 350 cc and 500 cc singles, and the production model Matchless G45 500 twin became available.
In 1952 further extended the empire by taking over Norton. 1958 saw the introduction of unit construction 250 cc AJS/Matchless machines. From 1948 competition models of the singles were produced which gave the company some memorable wins.
AMC withdrew from the world of works and one-off road racing at the end of the 1954, with the death of Ike Hatch, and in the face of fierce competition from the other European bikes. Instead of works specials, AJS and Norton would make the production versions of the Manx Norton and the standard two valve AJS 7R, for privateers.
In 1958 the Matchless/AJS road bikes were joined by a 250 cc and in 1960 by a 350 cc for a lightweight series of singles.
In 1960 leading light Bert Hopwood
Bert Hopwood
Herbert "Bert" Hopwood was a British motorcycle designer. He helped with some of the most influential designs for the British motorcycle industry and worked for Ariel, Norton, BSA and Triumph.-Motorcycle design career:...
resigned and joined Triumph at Meriden
Meriden, West Midlands
-External links:*****...
. That same year AMC posted a profit of a just over £200,000, not so good compared with BSA's £3.5 million. Then in 1961 they posted a loss of £350,000. With the closure of the Norton plant at Birmingham in 1962 and the merger of Norton and Matchless production, the future was beginning to look rather bleak. In the sixties, with sales declining AMC made the commercial decision to focus on the Norton twins and the Matchless/AJS singles but they were not to be successful and the factory ceased production shortly afterwards.
Some models were "parts bin specials" put together at the request of the American dealers. The Americans were desert racing, so Berliners sent AMC an example custom bike using a Norton 750 motor in a G80CS frame, and asked them to build them some. This was the last Matchless motorcycle, the 748 cc G15 which was also sold as the AJS Model 33' and as the Norton P11. The G15 was produced up until 1969. A Mk2 version was sold in Britain from 1964.
Matchless/AJS built predictable handling, comfortable, well-made, reliable and economical motorcycles, for their day. Unfortunately such attributes were not enough to keep them in business. Continuing poor sales led to AMC becoming part of a new company, called Norton-Villiers in 1966.
A modern version of AJS has been established, and, although based in Britain they now import cheap Chinese bikes. Various models bearing the old AJS style logo have been rolled off production lines and the modern AJS website promotes the idea that it is the very same company. Unfortunately the modern bikes are renowned for poor performance and are reported to be unreliable and badly built, the most renowned of these being the EOS, a harley davidson-esque 125.
Decline
By the late 1960s, competition from JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
had driven the British motorcycle industry into a precipitous decline. In 1966 AMC collapsed and was reformed as Norton-Villiers
Norton-Villiers
Norton-Villiers was a British motorcycle manufacturer formed in the 1960s following the collapse of Associated Motorcycles. With the general decline of the British motorcycle industry it was combined with the remnants of BSA to form Norton-Villiers-Triumph....
under Manganese Bronze
Manganese Bronze
Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC is an engineering company based in Coventry, England. Since the sale of its components division in 2003 the company has only one operating division—LTI Limited, trading as The London Taxi Company—which manufactures and retails London Black Taxis.The London...
. This only staved off the problems for a little while and Norton-Villers eventually went into liquidation in 1974. Norton was reformed with financial assistance from the British government as Norton-Villiers-Triumph (NVT) actually incorporating the majority of BSA
Birmingham Small Arms Company
This article is not about Gamo subsidiary BSA Guns Limited of Armoury Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B11 2PP or BSA Company or its successors....
s motorcycle concerns but omitting the BSA name for Triumph. In part due to a labour dispute, NVT later went into receivership in 1974.
Products/Specifications
· AMC 20T (Taken from the James Captain L20 Manual)CC 199cc (12.2 cu ins)
Stroke 72.8mm (2.866 ins)
Bore 59mm (2.3228 ins)
Rebore +.015", +.030"
Comp. Ratio 8.5:1
Ign. Timing 5/16" before top dead centre
Breaker Gap .012"
Plug Gap .018" to .022"