Stormer Trail Bike

[John Wakefield]

The AJS Stormer engine, a derivative of the Starmaker is one engine that does not appear to have been used in Greeves specials. A week or so ago I spotted this AJS Stormer trail bike near my house & had a chat with the rider about it. Apparently he bought it already converted as a trail bike from a Stormer scrambler. It struck me as being a neat little job. I asked what mods had been done to engine to make it more suitable for road use. Apparently only a smaller carb & upping the gearing. The engine itself has not been modded & is still on its stock compression. The only problem for road use is lighting, with no lighting coils conventional lighting is not possible, so the owner has fitted LED lights & direction indicators that run from a battery above the front head lamp. He said it will last several days without re charging, but the headlight is not strictly legal & is really only a 'bobby dodger' to get you home if darkness falls. I am sure lighting coils could be fitted to solve the problem, in fact I believe at one time there was a Stormer enduro (no doubt Brian Catt can fill us in).
So has anyone considered using the Stormer engine in a Greeves? parts are still available from Fluff Brown & according to the owner of the Stomer pictured he can supply new complete engines.

[Brian Catt]

Very interesting! Electrexworld list CDI ignition with lighting optional for Stormer and Starmaker engines, but I'm not sure how the Enduro versions lit up. When I get time, I'll see if I have any pics of them to see what timing side cases were used that might give some clues.

[stormer254]

John, if the chap wants I have several sets of windings with lighting coils as well. As for in a Greeves frame, that's a ME surely

[John Wakefield]

John, if the chap wants I have several sets of windings with lighting coils as well. As for in a Greeves frame, that's a ME surely

Thanks for that if I see him again I will get his name & phone number & pass it on, he lives near Royston. He seemed quite happy with the set up as he did not use the bike much at night. As for the ME this had the original Starmaker large finned engine in vertical position, the Stormer engine would need different engine plates to fit in the inclined position, but I am sure it would fit. Just struck me as making a good replacement for ageing Villiers & Greeves units. With the lighting coils it would be ok for roadsters as well, & probably a better bet that the Villiers 37A with Challenger top half.

[dave higgins]

Transplanting a stormer unit into a trail/enduro would be fine, but from a scramble point of view, they are no use as they are not pre 65 complient.
Seem to be quite competitive in the pre 74 class though. dave.

[stormer254]

There is no real difference between a Stormer and a Starmaker motor, it is only tilted as that is how AJS chose how to mount the engine. It is also why by the early 70's they were no longer really competitive

[John Wakefield]

A bit like the Villiers 9E in a James road bike where it was mounted vertically. Like the Starmaker it (to me) always looked better sloping forward.

[scott151]

Sorry to correct you John, but James like Francis Barnett never fitted the 9e engine to their road bikes or competition bikes, because at the time they were forced to use the piatti designed AMC engines.

They did however use the 10e motor with an upright barrel after all the complaints about the crappy AMC lump, they also swapped the comp bikes back to villiers power around 1962

Scott

[John Wakefield]

Yes of course they re numbered it 10E but it was essencially a 9E with James branding

[pluscab]

starmaker in roadster

I can show you one in a roadster frame, if the file is OK. It is a trials engine so I only have 6v direct lighting coils, which rectified to 12v is barely enough to get back from the (pub) club at night. Keep meaning to get extra coils wound. The Starmaker was also listed as a road engine with 12v lighting but never seen one.

[John Wakefield]

There is another with an owner near Royston Herts (has been featured in LL) but has not been on the road for some time. Again these are the original wide finned Starmaker engine I wonder if anyone has fitted the later Stormer engine inclined asin te AJS

[Brian Magee]

The 10E is identical to the 9E except for the clutch and flywheel covers which have the design on the sides tilted to 90 degrees with the barrel.
They were fitted to James and Francis Barnett.

Brian.