Mossgreen - Collectors’ Cars, Motorcycles & Automobilia (#139MG) - Selected items... First raced by Jock West at Brands Hatch in 1948, it was a light and manoeuvrable overhead cam magnesium-cast engine in a duplex loop frame, similar in design to the AJS 500ccMotorcycle... Description: 1953 AJS 7R The sensational AJS 7R Boy Racer was made in England by Associated Motor Cycles from 1948 to 1963, becoming one of the most famous racing motorcycles of all time. Most of Britain’s successful riders of the 1950s and 1960s raced 7Rs during their careers making it a sought-after competitor choice with historic racers today. Its outstanding performance, historic racing significance and particularly good looks make this machine a highly-desired collector’s item. First raced by Jock West at Brands Hatch in 1948, it was a light and manoeuvrable overhead cam magnesium-cast engine in a duplex loop frame, similar in design to the AJS 500cc Porcupine TT machine also first ridden by West. That legendary machine had rear pivoted fork suspension controlled by a pair of Candlestick units and was equipped with AMC’s teledraulic front forks. Development throughout the course of the 7R’s production was under the auspice of AJS development engineer, Ike Hatch. In 1951, the rear suspension changed to Jampots and eventually evolved to a Girling unit in1957. As the bike’s performance improved so did the rider’s zeal and the brakes were upgraded accordingly to a twin leading shoe front brake in 1953; the wheel sizes went from a 21/20 inch combination to a pair of 19 inch rims. Hatch had enlarged the specifications on the factory works AJS 7R3s (1951) with a three-valve head as his response to the burgeoning Italian multi-cylinder racing competition. He died in 1954 and AMC withdrew from works racing that same year. Undaunted however, the team manager, Jack Williams, continued to develop the bikes further by lowering the engine position in the frame and increasing the output to 40 bhp. With these improvements the 7R won the first two rounds of the World Championship and won the Isle of Man TT. The AMC gearbox eventually replaced the previous Burman gearbox in 1958. Soon after and with fervent demand from privateers, AJS made a production version of the standard two-valve AJS 7R as well as the Matchless G50 500 cc version. Production ended in 1963. The early history of this machine is unknown but it is believed to have been brought to Australia in the late 1960s. The previous owner purportedly acquired the bike in 1993 and used it on the road for about 12 months followed by an engine rebuild. It was apparently raced for 10 years then mechanically overhauled and placed on the market. The current vendor acquired it in 2005 and further cosmetic works were undertaken. File notes accompany the sale along with other interesting 7R technical information. This beautiful AJS 7R Boy Racer would make an excellent dual purpose classic sports machine for road or track use depending on setup and tuning and an exciting addition to any aspiring collection. The sale is accompanied with a quantity of NGK B9EGV spark plugs and a tin of Ardenbrite metallic gold paint.