Mini Classic
New AJS bike on the scene
John Newman
Hands up all those who remember the lovely lines and the booming exhaust note of the AJS 7R?
For those who are not of the era, the 7R was a 350cc overhead cam racing bike that anyone could buy and nickname the 'Boy Racer'. It distinguished itself in short circuit racing, at GP and TT level too. When available, they now change hands for tens of thousands of pounds.
The original AJS company was incorporated into Associated Motorcycles in 1938. A company dominated by the Matchless brand. It was during this era that the 7R came into being, and was built between 1948 and 1963. Associated Motorcycles itself closed in 1966. Part of the demise of the British motorcycling industry.
AJS still exists as a company. But since the late nineties, it has sourced lightweight bikes from China. Concentrating on 50cc – 125cc machines, and recently adding a 250cc to the range. But AJS' new 125cc bike, Cadwell, while not a replica of the 7R, invokes the era of short circuit and cafe racer style bikes.
An interesting move as there are a whole number of 125cc bikes that have, in a way, caught up with the new licence regulations. Offering young riders bikes that look bigger and are designed to resemble their larger cc counterparts. It would be welcome if the new '7R' captures the imagination of today's 125 eligible riders.
Comments
- 02/08/16 - My AJS is 5 years old and has never let me down, not one bit.
- 02/08/16 - I love it
- 02/08/16 - If the price is right it will sell well
- 02/08/16 - Where's it made China
- 02/08/16 - Saw one last week very smart
- 02/08/16 - Going to treat myself
- 02/08/16 - Looks like a virtual copy of the old Honda GB500, or it's lesser brother the XBR 500.
- 02/08/16 - Them ybr engines are getting everywhere
- 02/08/16 - What cc is it
- 02/08/16 - looks more like a Honda engine mate
- 02/08/16 - Nice
- 02/08/16 - Looks good. But I haven't seen one in the flesh yet..
- 02/08/16 - Looks ok. The original is in my "Dream Garage"
- 03/08/16 - Looks like a 'built-down-to-a-price' cheap Chinese copy.
- 03/08/16 - Nice it looks just like a Royal Enfield
- 03/08/16 - If it was a 500 I'd be tempted...
03/08/16 - Or even a 350.
- 03/08/16 - looks good but prom Chinese
- 03/08/16 - Would have been better as a 350 single like the original or a 500 but if it gets the younger generation into biking and not being d**k heads on 50 & 100cc scooters or crossers it won't be a bad thing.
- 03/08/16 - It's not doing AJS justed ,why didn't they make there own engine ,the rest of the bike is ok but the engine lets it down.
04/08/16 - Rest of the bike is a rip off of a Royal Enfield GT
- 03/08/16 - I remember a local guy rode an AJ 7R on the race tracks he also had a Greeves Silverstone.
- 03/08/16 - They need a 350 to appeal to the A2 licence market. Handsome little bike though
- 03/08/16 - That is a looker, there looks to be room for a bigger engine in that frame, 250/400 ?
- 03/08/16 - Chinese with the rip off copied Honda engine made of inferior material
- 03/08/16 - Pretty little thing. Hope it's as good as it looks and sells well
- 03/08/16 - Raced an original back in the day.
05/08/16 - An original Chinese 125?
06/08/16 - No, a genuine 7R during the 60s
- 03/08/16 - Be nicer with a bigger cc, such as 250 or 350
- 03/08/16 - Nice and old school
- 03/08/16 - Whats the price of these?
- 03/08/16 - Just trading on a famous name
- 03/08/16 - Nice style, but needs to be a 350 or 500...
- 03/08/16 - Stick a 500 in it and I'll be over...
03/08/16 - Have a look at a Royal Enfield GT. This is basically a rip off but the GT is a 500 single
- 03/08/16 - Looks good up til you look at the engine
- 03/08/16 - Nice
- 03/08/16 - The Chinese only build s**t if that's what you ask for. BMW and Suzuki have had engines built there for years. Let's hope this is built to a decent spec as it looks really pretty.
- 03/08/16 - silver one looks better. best built baby bike to come out of china yet. im head mechanic at a dealers with an AJS franchise amongst others. if you badged that as a yamaha and bought it in in a yamaha crate i'd have no reason to doubt it. scary good compared with the s**t they were building 5 years ago.
as jeremy clarkson said, they've come from tuk-tuks to bmw 5 series clones in 5 years, where will they be in another 5?
05/08/16 - Those BMW clones crumple like a cardboard box in a crash
- 03/08/16 - The look and concept is great, just needs a proper engine. Start lobbying your government for a post Brexit scrapping of the pathetic 125cc 12bhp multi layer licence bulls**t. Back to 250cc 25ishBHP learner bikes from age 17.
- 03/08/16 - Just had a look at one in the flesh at All2wheelers in Dorset. They are a cracking little bike,good finish and the engines great, a brilliant way to start biking!
- 03/08/16 - looks lovely.the engine looks like the reliable Yamaha ybr125
- 03/08/16 - It's looks great for a 125, real classy for getting into biking.
- 03/08/16 - I like them there's a bike shop in Blackburn stocks them there very stylish
- 04/08/16 - Cracking little bike, built in China yes but many respected 125 bikes are built there, ajs are still a British company and still in the hands of the original family, I'm sure a 250 will soon follow.
- 04/08/16 - Far too small; also at least a twin. Got to see one last weekend, look's great, but need's to be bigger.
- 04/08/16 - I have just wet my pants I need this !
- 04/08/16 - Nice looking bike!!!!
- 04/08/16 - looks good for a small bike
- 04/08/16 - Looks nice, but i won't be buying a Chinese bike anytime soon
- 04/08/16 - Stunning
- 04/08/16 - I think it's great, they should do a 400 or 500cc one and it would tempt me
- 04/08/16 - I think it looks great, just a shame its a 125 cc
- 04/08/16 - A wasted opportunity.... They have missed the mark completely. Few kids will be interested in a retro cafe racer, and the born again's will want more cc. The engine looks lost in that frame
- 04/08/16 - looks tidy that
- 04/08/16 - It has the look, but has it got the go
- 04/08/16 - Stunning but why a 125? A 750 would've been lovely.
- 04/08/16 - Great pity that they didn't put a 500 cc single in it, otherwise a nice try
05/08/16 - In a 125 frame?
- 04/08/16 - There is absolutely no comparison between a 7R and this piece of Chinese engineered/UK assembled c**p!
- 04/08/16 - butt ugly!
- 04/08/16 - More rip off copies pathetic chinese s**t yet agen
- 05/08/16 - I remember people saying the same thing about Japanese bikes and look what happened to British bike industry
- 05/08/16 - My first bike was a 1955 350 cc AJS . I loved it . They are a beautiful piece of british metal . Still available for less than £4000 . A new 350 or 500cc would be great .
- 05/08/16 - It has the looks, but not the power. Trouble is, a bigger engine would bring the complications of ABS, water cooling, emissions, type approval, etc. It would draw comparisons with the Enfield 500, so it would have to be more powerful (not difficult...) AND the same price/cheaper. A tall order...
- 05/08/16 - I think its a well smart looking bike , shame about the cc , shame about Chinese
- 05/08/16 - The bike is built in China in Yamaha's factory. The engine is a Yam YBR125 unit. They have made some good bikes for years now, though some of the earlier bikes, those built 10 or more years ago had variable quality to go with dubious styling. They continue to improve and I suspect their prices will start to increase as or if they begin to become acceptable to 'true' motorcyclists
- 05/08/16 - Dont like it..its pretending to be what it is not....
- 05/08/16 - Oh yes! The 7R was an awesome machine, but this? not so sure. and what about the (Porcupine)?
- 05/08/16 - It's a tidy looking little Chinese retro styled 125. That's all it is.
To draw comparisons with a 7R is an insult to that great era. The link between the proprietor of this business and AJS is so tenuous it's in truth non existent.
AJS /:Matchless / Grreeves /Brough etc are history. Move on and create your own brand because for the price there isn't a lot wrong with the machine as a learner bike or for someone returning to it.
- 05/08/16 - The look and concept is great, just needs a proper engine.
Start lobbying your government for a post Brexit scrapping of the pathetic 125cc 12bhp multi layer licence b**ls**t. Back to 250cc 25ishBHP learner bikes from age 17...
05/08/16 - 16
05/08/16 - It's 16 for a 125 here in Ireland even now
- 05/08/16 - I used to have a 250 AJS and I love it was a good in the 1960.
- 05/08/16 - 350cc AJS with hammerhead tank. Yes!
- 05/08/16 - i really like it
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