THE BIG PORT
This particular design is a wonderful example of early 19th-century super-sport machinery. The racing pedigree of AJS that instilled future generations with respect for the black and gold can be traced back to the enormous success pilots achieved on the well-founded AJS 350cc single SV. When the Junior Isle of Man TT raised the size limit to 350cc in 1914, the AJS motorcycle, which had grown to 349cc with four-speed gears and final chain drive, won first, second, third, fourth and sixth places. The market’s demand for the 350cc was immediate and so strong that the company was forced to expand, shifting operations to a new factory built around Graiseley House on the outskirts of Wolverhampton.

On 3 November 1916, the Ministry of Munitions prohibited the production of non-military motorcycles. AJS shifted to manufacturing munitions until, in early 1917, the Ministry received an order from Russia for military vehicles. AJS was given a contract to produce part of the order with its AJS Model D machine. This order kept AJS busy until Ministry of Munitions’ restrictions were lifted in January 1919.

When production of the 350 resumed in 1920, it was much improved. The side-valve engine was replaced by a new overhead-valve design that produced 10bhp. It also had internal expanding brakes and chain primary drive. Cyril Williams won the first post-war 1920 Junior Isle of Man TT race on his 350, even though he had to push the motorcycle home for almost four miles (mostly downhill) after a breakdown. In 1921, AJS took the first four places in the Isle of Man TT, and Howard R Davies bettered his second place in the Junior by winning the Senior on the same 350cc AJS, marking the first time a 350 had won the 500cc Senior TT race. In 1922, Manxman Tom Sheard won the Junior TT on an AJS, while G Grinton (also on an AJS) took second.

The 1922 machine was a classic design that would become famous as the ‘Big Port’ due to its large-diameter exhaust port and pipe (initially 1 5/8 inches, but this changed in successive years). The overhead valve 350 would be the mainstay of the company’s racing efforts until 1927, and the most popular sports motorcycle through the 1920s for the production team. At this time, the company produced a comprehensive range of other models ranging from 250 to 1,000cc. Each of these was generally given a model number, plus letter to denote the year of manufacture (for example, E meant 1924, F 1925, G 1926).

This particular example, arguably one of the most successful designs of the 1920s, was restored in 1964 after it was found fading away in a dump – such were the times. Once back on the road and in loving hands, the 350cc became a well-known machine within the club scene, participating in the annual post run (Taupo to Napier) for many years. Finished in the iconic black-and-gold AJS colours, this rare beast foreshadowed over half a century of competitive success.