AJS Silver streak
WHAT IS IT?
A prewar, competition spec, rigid-framed roadster GOOD POINTS? The ride and feel are excellent, and the engine is a gem. And that styling ... GOOD POINTS? The brakes aren't exactly earth-stopping , and original part finding will be a challenge.
COST?
Basket case: £2-3000- Oily rag runner : £7-8,000 Concours £13,000
IT WAS MY FIRST RIDE OUT SINCE LOCKDOWN TWO months earlier, a round trip of 80 miles or so on my modern, monoshocked, upside-down-forked Husqvarna with the big fat tyres. I was going to see Mike Larcombe's 1938 AJS 250 Silver Streak. This is not a shiny all over concours AJS, but it is still rather lovely to look at. The 250 and 350 Silver Streaks are, Mike says, very similar: "It's quite a useful bike and I don't think there's a great deal of difference between the 250 and 350.
"I think that unlike a lot of bikes the 250 was a sleeved down 350, rather than the 350 being a bored out 250. That's one of the reasons it's so nice to ride. It's quite light, lighter than the average bike from back then, and 50-60mph is no problem at all. Handling is very good. We've got this one running on total loss electrics, just draining the battery, with the magneto providing the sparks. All the electrics are in the hole on the petrol tank."
Introductions over, it was time to take it to the road. The Silver Streak hadn't been
