The AJS Model 16 was a British

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

made by

Associated Motorcycles Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) 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 i ...

at the former

Matchless Matchless is one of the oldest marques of British motorcycles, manufactured in Plumstead, London, between 1899 and 1966. A wide range of models were produced under the Matchless name, ranging from small two-strokes to 750 cc Four-stroke cy ...

works in

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London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

Development

The rigid framed AJS Model 16M 350 cc single was developed in 1945 from the military

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 ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

motorcycle. Well proven in war service, the 350 cc single remained in production selling large numbers to the civilian market well into the 1960s. Simple and practical, the Model 16 needed minimal maintenance and was very economical—ideal during

petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...

rationing. The company also produced an almost identical motorcycle under the Matchless name as the ''Matchless G3L''. The only difference between the two was that the Matchless carried a magneto at the rear of the cylinder barrel, whereas the AJS magneto was at the front. In 1953, the Model 16M was modernised with a dual seat replacing the saddle and rear pillion seat. In 1956 the

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gearbox was replaced with a new four speed unit of AMC's own design and in 1957 further improvements included replacement of the outdated generator with a crankshaft mounted Lucas alternator. The leaky pressed-steel primary drive cover was replaced with an alloy casing.

AJS Model 16MS

Neither AJS or Matchless opted for plunger type rear springing, and the Model 16 retained a rigid rear frame until 1949, when pivoted rear suspension controlled by hydraulically dampened spring units designed and made by Matchless became available. The difference was indicated by the S (for springer) designation.

AJS Model 16MC

The rugged and reliable AJS Model 16 was ideal for the increasingly popular sport of

motorcycle trials Motorcycle trials, also known as observed trials, often called simply trial/s (with or without the plural "s"), is a non-speed event on specialized motorcycles. The sport is most popular in the United Kingdom and Spain, though there are participan ...

. Gaining a C (for competition) designation, modifications included upgrading the frame to a welded duplex tubular frame with an engine cradle to reduce weight and redesigned exhaust and footrests to improve ground clearance. In 1957 it was further redesigned to increase clearance from . Hugh Viney led the AJS works team in the post war years and won the challenging 1947

Scottish Six Days Trial The Scottish Six Days Trial is an internationally recognised Motorcycle trials competition, which has been running since 1909 (with breaks for the two world wars) making it the oldest motorcycle trials event in the world. Motorcycle riders from al ...

on an AJS 16MC at his first attempt—then repeated the achievement the following year and made it three in a row in 1949. In the 1950s this record was beaten by another AJS Works Team rider Gordon Jackson, who won the ''Scottish'' Trial four times.

AJS Model 16C

In 1964 the AJS Model 16C was launched with a completely redesigned 348 cc engine in which the pushrods were housed in cast cylinder barrel 'tunnels'. The 16C also had a Norton-designed geared oil pump to improve lubrication.

AJS 16 Sceptre

To boost US sales the AMC marketing team rebranded the ageing export Model 16 with the new name ''The Sceptre'' with new metal tank badges and steel flywheels instead of the old cast iron ones. The compression ratio was also raised to 9:1 and the competition also Norton designed geared oil pump was also fitted as standard.

References

{{reflist

External links

1953 AJS Model 16MS review

1962 AJS model 16 Sports Road Test (Motorcycle Mechanics 1962)
Model 16 Motorcycles introduced in the 1940s