This 1925 AJS 350cc side-valve represents an evocative link to the earliest days of the British vintage motorcycling movement. Acquired in 1958 for just £5 (UK), it had spent nearly two decades slumbering in a barn alongside a Rolls-Royce, developing a hole in its petrol tank. Its first known keeper was Mr. Money-Kyre, and the machine’s survival owes much to that long period of storage, albeit in a barn with no roof!
AJS introduced its 350 cc side-valve single shortly after the First World War as a rugged, affordable machine for everyday use. The Stevens brothers, who ran AJS in Wolverhampton, refined the model throughout the early 1920s with stronger frames, better lubrication, and a more compact engine layout. These bikes earned a reputation for reliability and ease of maintenance and, in tuned overhead-valve form, went on to win TT races — giving the side-valve version a halo effect as dependable transport with sporting pedigree.
Restoration on this example was carried out on a shoestring at a time when the vintage motorcycle scene was in its infancy. Professional nickel plating was commissioned for key parts, while other components were brush-painted with Woolworths Velco enamel. Friends lent their skills to repair the punctured petrol tank with sheet steel soldered in place — a repair that has proven remarkably durable – and then hand-line the painted tank. The result is a machine that retains much of its period character rather than a glossy modern restoration.
Powered by AJS’s 350 cc side-valve single, the bike delivers a top speed of around 60 mph. The engine is coupled to a hand-change gearbox and a single-plate clutch, reflecting the mechanical simplicity of its era. Lighting was provided by an acetylene gas system fed by calcium carbide. At the same time, oiling is managed by a hand oil pump backed up by a secondary Pilgrim pump capable of supplying enough oil for five to seven miles at a time.
Mike Hawkins, who owned this bike for nearly fifty years, rode it to his workplace regularly back in the sixties and seventies. Performance and braking inevitably feel limited compared with modern machines, but in its day, this AJS represented reliable everyday transport. Today, this 1925 AJS 350 side-valve is more than a motorcycle; it is a living artifact of post-war austerity, early vintage motorcycling, and the hands-on dedication of its past custodians. It stands as a reminder of simpler times and the enduring appeal of British craftsmanship.
Guide Price: $10,900 – $13,100
Mike Hawkins talks about this motorcycle shortly before it was exported to the USA in 2008.