by Alain Marin

These are photographs of my great uncle, Paul Aazin, and his 1931 AJS S3. Paul was an engineer at the University of Montreal and an avid motorcyclist. Decked out in the full regalia of the day: leather-flying cap, goggles, and leg gaiters, he toured much of Canada. These tours included a visit back home to his parents' farm in Haywood, Manitoba, and a ride out to British Columbia. That was quite a feat considering the treacherous roads of the day. His wife, Marie, also rode with him on many occasions. The bike was a rare AJS S3 that featured a 500 cc v-twin mounted across the frame. It had shaft drive, and the cam chains ran outside the cylinders. Very few were built by AJS before they were bought out by Matchless.

M.M.M.