Rare motorbike dating before WWI to go on display at future TT Gallery

A rare TT motorbike dating to before the First World War is set to go on display at the future TT Gallery at the Manx Museum.

Manx National Heritage says the 350cc AJS built in 1913 is one of the few surviving British race machines from the time prior to the war and belonged to Billy Jones of Wrexham, who competed with it in the 1914 Junior TT finishing in fourth place.

Manx National Heritage Curator for Social History, Matthew Richardson, says: "The era of racing on the Isle of Man prior to the First World War was one of the most interesting in the Island’s motorsport history. Riders were true pioneers, with no real protective equipment, primitive brakes and riding on roads consisting in many places of little more than loose gravel or rutted cart tracks.

"This 1913 AJS captures the spirit of that era perfectly, and we are enormously grateful to the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust for their support in helping MNH to acquire the machine for the Isle of Man’s national museum collection."

The bike was owned by a private collector in the south of England, and was acquired on behalf of Manx National Heritage by the British Motorcycle Charitable Trust.

Meanwhile, the new TT Gallery, which will chart the history of the great races from 1907 to the present day, is currently expected to open next year.