Robust AJP appeals as an all- rounder
It’s not often a brand- new marque launches in New Zealand, and you’d expect a bit of song and dance about it. But Portuguese off- road specialist AJP slipped more quietly into the country than initially planned, after an initial launch delay while a stronger lineup was confirmed, then a shipping snafu that put another spanner in the works, preventing the bikes arriving in time for the riding season just past.
That combo meant bikes hit showroom floors just as the weather has all but the staunchest riders putting their feet up for winter.
But those staunchest riders are the ones who might want to take notice.
Forget race- honed whippersnappers after speed and style; AJP’s bikes are as likely to appeal to farmers after a decent all- rounder, something that’ll tour the farm OK, take in a trail ride, and come summer access enduros; something rugged that’ll also appeal to a farmer’s sharp eye for bang- for- buck.
Or at least that’s the feedback we got from a two- time International Six Day Enduro veteran and multiple enduro champ, now retired from racing, used to Manawatu farming conditions, and prone to evaluating a bike as much for its strength – and how well it’ll take to being leaned against a bank while you deal to some task – as for its outright speed and acceleration.
He had an advance ride of the PR5 250 Extreme and PR4 240 Extreme ahead of the full press test programme that should cover the complete range of bikes we’ll get here.
They’re all sourced from the Portuguese manufacturer, the AJP brand named for its founders – Antonio and Jorge Pinto – who ran a workshop prepping off- roaders back in the 1980s, and then constructed their own bikes.
Clearly they knew what Portuguese enduro racers needed, for AJP machines won five Portuguese titles on the trot in the years leading up to the new millennium.
By 2003 the bikes were being exported, and they’re now sold in the UK, Japan and Brazil – and from 10 dealers here, including Mabey Motors in Pahiatua, and Scott Newton Motorcycles in Shannon.
They’ll be selling the PR3 240 MX Pro, a smaller- sized bike designed for height- challenged adults or youngsters and using a 233cc, 14.7kW, 18Nm single- cylinder engine. It’s a lightweight, tipping the scales at 89kg and with an 840mm seat height in part courtesy a smaller, 19- inch front wheel, and retails for $ 6495.
Stepping up, there’s the PR4 Enduro Pro and Extreme, both weighing 105kg and with a 920mm seat height – but a low centre of gravity thanks to an AJP quirk, which puts the airbox and battery up where the fuel tank should be, while the down low.
Both get Sachs rear suspension and adjustable Marzocchi forks.
The Enduro Pro’s priced at $ 6995, the Extreme costing $ 8995 with fully adjustable rear suspension, a performance muffler and larger brake discs.
The PR5 tops the range and gets the 249cc engine, with 20.2kW and 23Nm and a six- speed transmission in place of the other bikes’ fivespeed. The tank holds an extra half a
seven- litre
petrol
tank’s litre, at 7.5 litres, and the PR5 models tip the scales at 115kg and stretches your legs to 950mm above the dirt.
The street- legal Enduro with adjustable suspension costs $ 8995, and the Extreme gets extra goodies like Marzocchi forks and retails at $ 9995.
I’m told the PR5 Extreme is a slow revver, but brisk enough if you wind the rpm out. Our ISDE vet’s personal preference is for bigger motors so he may be biased, but he says the fuel injection delivers smooth re- sponse and the motor’s torquey enough and delivery tractable – not perhaps a racer’s ideal characteristic, but when combined with ‘‘ decent, plush’’ suspension, likely to please most ordinary riders.
‘‘ The rear felt harder than the front, but the action works well, the brakes are decent, and because the fuel is held where the airbox normally is it feels quite light.’’
He likes that the fuel tank is semiopaque too, so you can see at a glance how much fuel you’ve got. As for the PR4, he says performance is comparable to Honda’s CRF230, but with the jetting over- rich on the bike he sampled, he figured it’d be better with a bit of fettling.
He reckons the PR5 would make a great trail bike for someone seeking something cost effective, and sufficiently self- aware not to feel the need to pay for the upper edge of the performance envelope.
Both bikes feature a frame and swingarm that looks ‘‘ big and chunky and seriously overbuilt’’ but he reckons the PR4 should get the nod for farmers. It’ll suit a wider range of rider size he reckons, and, ‘‘ As it’s quite comfortable if you’re not going too fast and it’s air- cooled, it’d make a good hill- country farm bike, where you don’t want something with radiators as you want to step off often and just lean it on the hill.’’
Our ISDE veteran suggests many Kiwis go for the highestperformance bikes to emulate their heroes, though few boast skills that’ll really stretch those bikes. They’d be better off paying a little less for something that may not be quite as fast, but arguably delivers a broader range of skills and what looks like a more robust build, something to better suit the average Kiwi’s riding habits and environment.
AJP looks as if it fits the bill; it’ll be interesting to see whether those first impressions follow through once more of them hit New Zealand’s hills and paddocks.