Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125699
.. M 1 o en " ~. ~ By Bob Sanford As almost everyone knows, the sport of mo tocross is growing by leaps and bounds in this country. From_a very small beginning some five QX six years'" ago, interest has soared to the point that it is now probably the largest sp"ectator and participant motorcycle sport in the United States. This last weekend, for instance, 8 out of the 20 listings in the Cycle News calendar were motocross events. And along with this growth has come the introduction of a new breed of machinery; tough and dependable, but ligh t and fast; machines build to take on the toughest of obstacles with the greatest of ease. One of the new breed is AJS, who introduced the 250cc Y40 Stormer last year, and then came up with 370cc (Y50) model just one year later. If you've heard of Jim West or Doug Grant, you"ve, of course, heard of these machines. A couple of weeks ago, Mike Jackson, the Norton Villiers stateside rep resell, tive for AJS, invited a couple of us out to Saddleback Park to- give the two Stormers a try. It was hardly a conclusive test, as we were unfamiljar with the Dikes and were o.nly aboard for a short while. But we did learn one thing: Both bikes are easy to handle, comfortable, fast machines, that can hold their own among the best of competition. Unfortunately, one of the rtrst things you experience with the machine is one of its few bad points: Simply stated, it's a beast to start. However, those more familiar with the bikes didn't have the same difficulty we neophytes had, and after going through the proper starting procedure, managed to get it running after several kic ks. From there, it was a matter of getting used to the shifting, which, for me, was located on the "wrong side". It wasn't long, however, before I was almost feeling at home on the 250cc ma chine, as I began to approach comers at about half the speed that Jim West would negotiate the same obstacle. Surprisingly, the machine seemed to have a sense of its own and, contrary to my own machine, gracefully slipped around turns, in spite of the bungling efforts of its ,rider. Z ~ w Z W ...J U > U Jody Nicholas was also on hand to try the pair of Storme~. MANUFACTURERS SPECIFICATIONS AJS STORMER Y40 ENGINE BORE STROKE B.H.P, COMPRESSION RATIO MAXIMUM TORQUE GEAR RATIO CARBURETOR IGNITION WHEELBASE SADDLE HEIGHT WEIGHT GROUND CLEARANCE FUEL CAPACITY As my confidence began to build, I started to notice a few of the things that were "making this such all, enjoyable ride. The handlebars seemed quite proper and weu easy to reach, as were the spring loaded footrests. The saddle was comfortable and easily absorbed what was left of the smaller bumps after being handled by quite adequate front and rear suspension systems. And the clutch depressed easily, allowing quick shifts between the Ajay's four gears. Next, I jumped aboard the 370 model, essentially the same bike but with a bigger engine. Quite frankly, I was more than a little apprehensive, as I remembered the tales I'd heard about this machine only being suited for the "Expert rider". . I don't know whether or not it was my prior experience aboard the smaller macqine that helped, but, for whatever reason, the Y50 and I immediately became friends ("Whoa, there, 01' Y50. That's a boy. Nice Y50"). I sort of felt like the little girl, VelVel!im "National 4th - 1:1 3rd - 1.255:1 2nd - 1.66:1 lst- 2.53:1 32mm Amal Flywheel 55.5 in. 30 in, 218 Ibs. 9.5 in. 2 gal. • Y50 2 cycle, single cylinder Same 68mm 68mm Over 25 11.1 22 Ib/ft at 57 SO 83mm 68mm Over 30 11.1 28 Ib/ft at 5500 Same Same Same Same 34mm Amal Same Same Same 221 Ibs. Same Same Velvet", knowing that my steed wasn't going to do me wrong if it could possibly help it. Indeed, it was torquey and amazingly quick to respond to the slightest twist of the throttle. But once you got used to its idiosyncrasies, it produced a peace-on-earth feeling very seld~m equaled ~mong motocross machmes. Contrary to the earlier dire predictions, I liked the Big Brother better than its Y40 counterpart. Even more than the Y40, this machine seemed to anticipate every bump, curve and berm and perform exactly as it should. As mentioned earlier, this test was somewhat short, inconclusive, and conducted by someone who is hardly an expert on the comparative characteristics of the various motocross machines. In fact, it really wasn't a test. But I will say this much: When I get ready to purchase my next bike which will be shortly - the AJS 370cc Y50 Stormer will receive very serious consideration. • _ _.l