Developed in 1958 specifically to capture the potentially lucrative US market, the AJS Model 31 (and its ‘sister’ bike, the Matchless G12) was produced by Associated Motorcycles at the former Matchless works in Plumstead, East London.
The AJS Model 31 CSR designation officially stood for Competition/ Sport/ Road but it was dubbed the ‘Coffee Shop Racer’ by its rivals.
With its distinctive 2-into-1 'Siamese' exhaust system and upgraded camshafts, the CSR was a high-performance motorcycle, and won the prestigious Thruxton 500 endurance race in 1963.
Production ended in 1966.
AWD 721 B has matching engine and chassis numbers and is in fine running order, having been carefully looked after by the vendor and by previous owners.
The vendor purchased the bike in 2012, from a previous owner who was then Secretary of the Vintage Motorcycle Club.
It’s in largely original condition, although the previous owner added Boyer electronic ignition and a twin-carb upgrade. There’s no evidence that the bike has ever been ‘dropped’.
The engine was professionally rebuilt some 4500 miles ago, by the previous owner, and the vendor estimates that he has only done around 800 miles on it since purchase.
He owns other classic cars and bikes and is selling this one to create space, as he doesn’t often use it.
The paperwork includes the original green logbook, a facsimile of the original workshop manual (plus a CD copy), previous tax discs, and a certificate from the AJS and Matchless Owners Club verifying the bike’s factory records.
Visually the bike looks to be in excellent condition, with no marks or dents.
It has recently been fitted with new tyres, a gel battery and a new seat. There are few signs of the bike’s age and it’s clearly been carefully looked after throughout its life. nqZyjgI8HEgunvi52pIaiCUSXc6N6nmPF4BB3GQ3.jpeg645.68 KB
The Mechanics
AJS sports engine with twin-carb upgrade
Norton/AMC running gear
Dove anti-sumping/ignition cut out.
The bike starts readily and, in the vendor’s words, ‘makes a lovely noise’.
He assures us that it rides beautifully, but he admits that speedometer runs ‘a bit slow’. The bike has had a number of upgrades to make it more usable, including Boyer electronic ignition and a Dove anti-sumping ignition cut-out.
This is a fine example of a classic British bike, and one that can hold its head high at any classic event.
Mechanically sound, and with a few discreet upgrades to its original spec, it’s a usable bike that promises the new owner many miles of riding enjoyment.
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