1968 250 two stroke racer .

[ken platt]

Have an American mag 1968 with a picture of a AJS 250 racer .
Two stroke . piston port single , redesigned Starmaker engine , changed transfer and exhaust ports , exhaust system .
Max power 32 BHP at 8,4000 , 1and1/2 inch carb , 6 speed box , all metal diaphragm multiplate clutch , two petrol tanks .
Weight with faring 198 lbs , Top speed 120 MPH . Very nice looking bike .

Anybody ever seen one ? .

[arthur lewthwaite g50d]

ken i would imagine this would not be factory machine as after 1965 the only effort in racing i know the factory were doing was peter williams production racers and building a few g50 engines,the race shop was virtually finished,i can ask tom mortimer if they worked on anything two stroke before he left the factory in 1964,should think this was possibly a private venture.can put up a picture for us to see arthur.

[Nige Collier]

It will be the based on the AJS Stormer  moto x engine? 1968-1974

[Steve Adlem]

Ask Dave Frost, he has a 250 AJS Racer......of that period....


Saw it when I bought a caravan from him late last year...

[ken platt]

Arthur ,
                These were FACTORY bikes, not private .

[Colin Wilkinson]

In 1966 Peter Inchley finished 3rd in the 250 TT on an AJS behind the works Hondas. A new frame was built by Reynolds in 1967 fitted with Italian forks and front brake, Inchley getting 35bhp at 8500rpm, but then the management decided to concentrate on the AJS Y4 scrambler.  Info from British 250 Racer, by Derek Pickard.
 So I assume that would be the bike featured. Apparently the Peter Inchley bike is somewhere near Preston.  Colin

[Paul'Invacar'Atkins]

I'm fairly sure that the Peter Inchley bike was owned for many years by Andy Molnar (Preston)and again I'm fairly sure I saw him actually on it at Mallory Park some years back. I've since been told he had not got it any more? What a ride from Peter in that TT. Superb everything,riding, preparation, presentation and reliability. When I hear the current IOM hierarchy say the 250 race has been canceled as there are no 250s that will complete four laps anymore it makes me bloopin  ANGRY. If an old fool like me can get a nail round there as a 20yr old then there must be hope for ALL.  The frame was a copy of a water cooled  TSS Bultaco I think. Nice job too.

[Andy Guy]

I think a replica of the bike was sold for very little a couple of years ago. It was sold by a crmc member but it wasn't Andy. Would be a great project but again the availability of a 5/6 speed gearbox makes it a bit of a non starter. New cases and heads are available.

[arthur lewthwaite g50d]

ken ajs went bust in 1966 as associated motorcycles,they were then taken overr by manganese bronze under the then dennis poore,manganese bronze made ali car wheels in rochester,kent,they renamed the company norton villiers and started making competition bikes using star maker engines and badging them as ajs,my though being amc had not produced this bike before they went bust,the mention of peter inchley on a star maker engined bike i though was for villiers themselves but the reason for this is that the norton name of manganese bronze was tied in with the use of villiers engines to produce bikes using the names they aquired in setting up norton villiers which later became norton villiers triumph,these racers were not made by the original amc company.

[Ray Guyver]

Just joined this forum,so I appreciate that this subject was raised some time ago. However, I feel that I can clear up the mystery of the AJS 250 racer that never went into production. I believe that two were built, one of them being damaged beyond repair. I owned the other one for a while and sold it back to Peter Inchley years ago. If this hits the mark with previous members,happy to share further info/photos etc. 

[Dave Frost]

I have an emailed picture from Ron Gardner when he was testing one of his carburettors on a works AJS, I think its at Brands Hatch. Rider was William Stephenson, uncle of current member Ian. Haven't got a date for it. My own AJS is based on a Y4 and has a Gardner carb, 6 speed Villiers gearbox plus a few of my own developments, a work in progress. It was bought from Cumbria where it had been stored in a container for many years. Nick Brown at AJS told me that several of these non works bikes are known to him.