It was Jack Emmott, an ex-AMC race mechanic who decided to develop the 500cc Matchless engine for Speedway. He had got the idea whilst acting as a machine examiner at West Ham Speedway...
The AJS Mototrial Club was founded in 1928 by the late Mr. Frank Part. He wrote letters to several AJS owners of that period in Adelaide and organised meetings, mainly socially oriented. Although many early club outings consisted of a touring nature, it wasn't long before competitive events became understandably very popular. Of these, road trial events suited most members, with the club running its first trial in 1930.
It’s easy to see the Rickman brothers influence in the design of the frame. The G85 was a duplex design with lightweight forks, machined front hub, magnesium rear hub, and as many lightweight fiberglass and aluminum components as possible utilized. Though Matchless claimed 291 lbs, actual weight was nearly 320 lbs, much heavier that the 2-stroke competition.
