AJS & Matchless Owners Club

I ordered some spokes from a vendor online, they were sent overseas to me here on the West coast of the US, delivery was quick enough. So far, so good. I'm angry because the front rim holes are smaller then the rear holes (.225" vs .250", according to the Spares List), but all the nipples I received are .250". The vendor's reply was (to paraphrase) "it's your fault, we've never had this problem before, too bad." So now, because I didn't call to double check, I can pay to have the rims drilled out to .250" (the vendor's suggestion) or buy more nipples that fit.

I'm annoyed with them but also annoyed with myself, since 1 phone call would have probably fixed this whole issue. Now I get to spend more money for something I have already bought. It's the first motorcycle I have refit, it's been hard to learn what I've learned so far (THANK YOU for this forum, it's been incredibly helpful!) and it's been a bit confusing. It's been busy in my life right now, and I didn't take the time to call and make sure everything was sized to my needs; lesson learned! (Sigh!)



My lessons: Do the research, make the call to double check the orders are what I actually need. And buy from the spares plan whenever possible, they have always gotten it right!

Thanks for letting me rant!

Why did not buy them from Chris Willis based in North Weald?

G15 Roy wrote: ↑Thu May 04, 2023 6:16 pm Why did not buy them from Chris Willis based in North Weald?

Being in California USA I guess he wouldn't be aware of Chris at a guess.

I've now added Chris Willis in North Weald to my handy list of vendors, a quick search shows www.williswheels.co.uk as the website. Thanks for that!

Growing up in the the San Fernando Valley (near Los Angeles), in my teens (late 1970s), you couldn't throw a rock without hitting a Triumph / MG / British motorcycle mechanic or parts store. Sadly, these guys have now moved on, and any auto parts stores left are chain stores that only carry "vanilla" products. The big loss is the years of knowledge the older mechanics had, that at 16 I didn't have time for, other than the minimum to keep my old MGB running for more than 3 months out of the year, between work, school, sports, girls, in no particular order... Even the few local second-generation mechanics I've found nearby say that, while their dads worked on AJS or Matchless bikes, they never have. They have always been "too busy" to try, but maybe since 2 out of 3 motorcycles I see are Harleys, my guess is that they would rather stick with what's familiar to them. So, correct, I was unaware of Mr Willis, until now.

Rebuilding this bike ('52 AJS 18S) has often felt like I'm working in a vacuum, with little outside information. Special tools and parts are realistically non-existent or financially out of reach (who is going to spend $50+ for a special tool to be used once in a very specific way? Probably not me! And no loaners within 500 miles). The one real oasis has been this forum. I've tried to not post unless I'm truly stumped, and have successfully used the search function to find information I need to know how to approach a problem ("opportunity"). For someone whose mechanical skills are a somewhat logical mind, a set of sockets & wrenches and a willingness to get oily, this forum's help has been invaluable! I've had the pleasure to exchange emails and speak with several other members, who have been nothing but patient, helpful and genuinely nice. It's been great! It'll be great as well to get all the pieces of my bike out of their boxes & off the garage shelves, and put together a single running bike!

Thanks, and all the best!

"Rebuilding this bike ('52 AJS 18S) has often felt like I'm working in a vacuum, with little outside information"...
I am surprised you say this as to the contrary I think we have a huge amount of information about our bikes available. I wonder if you have found "Christian's archives". They are not a club resource although many people have helped with sharing and uploading information. There are parts lists, owners manuals and books galore as well as technical articles. Well worth a few hours checking out what's there.[url] http://archives.jampot.dk// [url]

Thought I was clear, but maybe I was rambling: I haven't found any information local to me. The only "oasis" has been the club, truly an invaluable resource. The Spares List alone (found online via the club) has helped me incredibly; I've had 9 shipments of parts from the club store, it's been great, so easy. Shipping has taken between 5 days to 5 weeks to Southern California, though most of the delays have been at US Customs (note: larger shipments take more time). The forums have been really informative. I try not to post unless I'm stumped, since I don't want to bother anyone without looking at the articles and other literature available through the club.
All the best!