Use ‘tank’ photo from top of page 14. Caption:
Les Graham on his AJS E90 at the TT grandstand. He pushed
it in to finish 10th in the Senior TT after his ignition quit while he was
leading by two minutes! To his right is Artie Bell, who was fourth on a Norton;
the rider smoking is Reg Armstrong (seventh on another AJS E90). Note the
baggy, two-piece leathers with belts and pockets. The right side of the E90 oil
tank appears to have been hammered in for more leg clearance. Photo courtesy
FoTTofinders.
Featured in the June 2019 Issue of Roadracing World:
“Before WWII broke out, Germany and Italy dominated
the 500cc European Championship
and Grand Prix races with government-subsidized,
multicylinder, supercharged machines.
“To remain competitive, AJS motorcycles created a
supercharged V-4, initially air-cooled, later watercooled. Although it created
a lot of interest, the V-4’s race results were disappointing.
“WWII brought a temporary halt to all forms of
competition but did not halt the creative minds of AJS designers. Various
engine configurations were considered: V-4, three cylinders, and a Parallel
Twin. Economics meant the Parallel Twin engine configuration was chosen.
“Joe Craig, Phil Irving, and Vic Webb worked in
secret designing and testing a prototype, supercharged engine. This featured
nearly horizontal, forward-facing cylinders with a gear-driven, Roots-type
supercharger above the gearbox.
“However, after the war the newly formed FIM banned
supercharging from the World Championship series due to begin in 1949. This
decision negated much of the development
AJS had done and forced hasty modifications to the engine
…
Caught out
by the changes in Grand Prix racing regulations, the engineers at AJS pushed
forward with their radical “Porcupine” engine design. After three
years of patient, step-by-step development, their efforts were rewarded with
the 1949 500cc World Championship. It’s all in the June 2019 issue of
Roadracing World!
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