Inclined to success

If ever a case needed to be made for ‘racing improving the breed’ then the AJS range for 1930 could be offered up as proof. The company had been seen to take almost 100 records in competitions at the tail end of the 1920s and the lessons learned from the stresses and strains on machines being put to hard use were to benefit the range, even if the intended market didn’t give a jot about racing or competition. Armed with information on wear and tear and its effects on components, the design team could make improvements to models, which AJS did. With eye-catching details such as inclined cylinders, twin port heads on ohv models and a subtle black with gold lining finish, the new motorcycles certainly stood out. But beauty is only a surface veneer and the automotive world has seen any number of pretty things with no substance. Thankfully, AJS not only made good looking machines but the designers had taken note of the engineers’ findings and these new models were robust and faster too.

“As each component was brought up to spec it was fitted in place