RIDING THE AJP PR7 RALLY BIKE: THE WRAP

Mark Berg of Central Powersports Distributing drove out from Texas last week and left us with a wild, diverse group of test bikes for upcoming issues. There was an electric trials bike, two Italian dual-sports and a few Spanish two-strokes. But the craziest of them all is the AJP PR7. We’ve only caught glimpses of this bike in recent years. Jeff Schlagel up in the Pacific Northwest was the AJP importer for years, but he recently sold the business to CPD, which also handles Rieju, SWM and Electric Motion. Mark just couldn’t stand the idea of someone selling weirder bikes than him.
So what’s a PR7? If you were around in the days before Husqvarna was purchased by BMW (and subsequently by KTM), you might remember a bike called the TE630. It had one of the last motors to be designed by the Italian engineering team before they were all dismissed. If you really look closely, you can see some similarities that go all the way back to the original Husqvarna 510 of the ‘80s. That was the most advanced off-road four-stroke of its time.

The AJP PR7 has a suggested retail price of $11,499

These days, the PR7’s motor is a 600cc DOHC four-stroke with Athena/GET fuel injection. It has a hydraulic clutch and a six-speed gearbox. The frame is like nothing else on earth. It has a steel steering head bolted to cast aluminum side beams. The fuel tank is located under the seat and it uses Sachs suspension, front and rear. All the components have a very high cool factor. The exhaust system is a downswept titanium Doma with a carbon-fiber end cap and the brakes are Brembo. It has a fairing that looks like it could have come right off Ricky Brabec’s Dakar bike and two radiator fans. Stock equipment includes wrap-around handguards, an aluminum skid plate and a coolant overflow tank.

The primary instrument is a tablet that syncs with your phone.

One of the hardest parts about testing a bike like the PR7 is figuring out where to test it. If the Sonora Rally was next up on the calendar, we would take it straight there. As it was, the timing was right for the 24 Hours of Glen Helen. We didn’t officially enter it in the race–that would take a team of riders, a trailer of spares and a world of commitment. The PR7 was the perfect chase vehicle. It carries 4.5 gallons of fuel and has plenty of room for tools and parts.

Mark Tilley on the AJP PR7.

First of all, the elephant in the room, if you can pardon the imagery, is the bike’s weight. All that bling and rally equipment doesn’t make for a lightweight bike. The PR7 weighs over 400 pounds with a full tank. How much over? We don’t know. That’s as high as our scale goes. It’s more or less irrelevant, because 5 minutes on the bike tells you more about its intended purpose than 10 pages of specifications. It’s just too much motorcycle for a closed course, even one like the 24-Hour.

The bike is actually as narrow as a typical 450 motocross bike. The seat height might even be a little lower. When you start riding, though, it’s clear that it doesn’t like low speeds. There’s just too much mass there. The faster you go, the better it gets. In fact, the PR7 is more powerful than almost any off-road race bike. The motor is downright amazing, especially when it comes to low-end. It’s not motocross power, though. It has thick, smooth torque like four-strokes had in the olden days. The powerband starts early and ends early with deep, rumbling pulses rather than a shrill buzz. The 600 doesn’t rely on RPM to make its point, and that’s emotionally satisfying if nothing else. Unlike the four-strokes of the past (we called them thumpers, remember?) the AJP is clean and civilized. It doesn’t cough, backfire or flame out. It really does combine the best of both worlds.

As the24-Hour went on,the whoops got bigger and bigger with every passing hour. The PR7 has about the best fork that Sachs offers. It has 48mm tubes with a closed cartridge and the piggyback shock is fully adjustable. Both ends were super cushy when the course was smooth, but they were quickly overwhelmed. The rear, in particular, is too soft for truly rough terrain. Can it be beefed up? We don’t really know. When you’re talking about a 400 pound bike, most suspension shops will be in uncharted territory.
We hope to get to know the bike a little better before Mark returns with something even weirder. There are no rallies on the calendar right now, so we might have to make up our own. The test will appear in the January, 2024 print edition of Dirt Bike.

2024 NGPC SERIES

The 2024 National Gran Prix Sheddule is out! For next year, remember to sign up for contengancy. All the major O.E.s are involved. It’s free money–if you plan on racing anyway, that is.

AUS SX THIS WEEKEND

Supercross season never ends! You can watch round two of the Australian supercross series Friday night by clicking the image. Round One in Adelaide was a huge night for team HRC Australia, Froth Honda Racing’s Dean Wilson (SX1), Boost Mobile Honda Racing’s Max Anstie (SX2), and Repco M9 Honda’s Parker Ross (SX3) took out their respective class honors in a tightly contested opening round of the FOX Australian Supercross Championship.

KC FOUNDATION EVENTS

 

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The Kurt Caselli Foundation is dedicated to improving the safety of off-road and motocross events across the nation. With an annual safety budget of $120,000, we support various safety initiatives that can be found on our website. This November, we are supporting 11 races/events across 12 organizations in 6 states across the nation!
Together, we ARE making a difference for the better in our motorcycle community — THANK YOU to our wonderful donors and partners who value the safety of riders and racers!
View to the Google Calendar here.
Subscribe link: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/
If your race/event is not listed, please reply to this email and/or apply for 2024 support now at https://www.kurtcaselli.com/safety-support.

Organizations who use TKCF course markers should follow the course marking guide to ensure a properly marked course. The KCF is not responsible for course marking.

Adventure Rally & Camp presented by Honda

Support Provided:

  • Provided on-site 1-hour daily First Aid skills seminar with AHA certified, Riders 1st Responders instructor
  • Onsite KCF booth and raffle support

 

 

AMRA (Arizona Motorcycle Riders Association)

Support Provided:

  • An in-depth course marking guide and instructional video.
  • Course marking materials including pink directional arrows, dangers, road crossing, and course merge/split signage.
  • Medical Feather Flags (indicates medical staff location)

 

Endurocross Series

 

November 11 – Redmond, OR

November 18 – Reno, NV

Support Provided:

  • Caution Flags & Racing Flag Set

OMC (Owyhee Motorcycle Club)

Support Provided:

  • An in-depth course marking guide and instructional video.
  • Course marking materials including pink directional arrows, dangers, road crossing, course merge/split signage, and orange directional arrows for youth.
  • Course Worker Safety Vests
  • Caution Flags

UMORA (Utah Motorcycle Off-Road Racing Association)

Support Provided by TKCF:

    • An in-depth course marking guide and instructional video.
    • Course marking materials including directional arrows, dangers, road crossing, and course merge/split signage.
    • Donated PCI Race Radios to enable race personnel to communicate with LESAR medics for faster response time in medical emergency situations

CAT (Central Arizona Trials)

Support Provided:

Moto 4 Kids 

Support Provided:

    • KCF Flagging video created for Moto 4 Kids
    • Donated PCI Race Radios communications to enable track personnel faster response time in medical emergency situations
    • Racing Flags (Checkered, Black, Medical Cross, Blue, White, Red, Green, Yellow Flag)
    • Caution Flags
    • Course Worker Safety Vests for staff and volunteers
    • Medical Feather Flags (indicates medical staff location)
    • Orange banner/track tape

AMA District 38 x OTB Racing MC

Support Provided:

    • Donated PCI Race Radios to enable race personnel to communicate with LESAR medics for faster response time in medical emergency situations
    • Sweep/Medic Vest for safety personnel – First Responders’ safety items packed into a WLF Enduro Pack Vest complete with a PCI Two-Way Radio.
    • Sweep/Medic Bag for safety personnel – First Responders’ safety items packed into a carrying bag
    • Course marking materials with specific signs suitable for D38 (Pink Directional Arrows and Blue Danger signs).
    • An in-depth course marking guide and instructional video.

AMA District 37 Youth Series

  • November 18 – Spangler Hills OHV – Ridgecrest, CA (in conjunction with Lost Coyotes MC)

Support Provided:

    • Sweep/Medic Vest for safety personnel – First Responders’ safety items packed into a WLF Enduro Pack Vest complete with a PCI Two-Way Radio.
    • Course marking materials with select markings applicable to youth races: Orange Youth Directional Arrows, Blue Danger Markers, Course Merge/Split Markers, Road Crossing Sign, Race Mile Markers
    • An in-depth course marking guide and instructional video.

 

 

SRA Series @ Glen Helen Raceway

Support Provided by TKCF to SRA:

    • Racing Flags (Checkered, Black, Medical Cross, Blue, White, Red, Green, Yellow Flag)Caution Flags
    • Course marking materials with select markings applicable to SRA races: Pink Directional Arrows & Orange Youth Directional Arrows
    • Orange banner/track tape
    • An in-depth course marking guide and instructional video.

Support Provided by TKCF to Glen Helen Raceway:

See you next week!

–Ron Lawson
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