A café racer that ticks all the boxes for style, AJS could be on to a winner here. Can you be a ton-up boy on one of these? Well, it is still a 125cc...

Pulling up to Holt Motorcycles to pick up our test bikes (including the Modena that Brett was reviewing) we had our first look at two classic stunners from an iconic British brand. AJS has been around for years - but was among the first to outsource their manufacturing to China in search of bringing quality bikes to the UK market at a reasonable price, while also keeping their ideas in line with their past. So, if you’re looking for a café racer that is true to British Heritage then the Cadwell Clubman will definitely grab your attention.

At first look, the Cadwell Clubman is clearly a café racer, so it’s all about the incredible style, but was there more to it than meets the eye? We thought it looks the part, but will it perform…

Style is king for the Cadwell Clubman, and it has plenty of it. You really do feel like the coolest kid in town with all the looks and double-takes you get whilst riding around - not bad for an entirely standard 125cc.

The tank and paint finish looks great in the sleek black and gold finish - but it is a fingerprint magnet, so be ready to keep on top of cleaning. On close inspection, some of the finishing and plastic parts (brake light housing for one) do show the lower price point – but I’d straight away look at aftermarket parts myself, whether it’s AJS OEM parts or eBay specials!

So it does show some minor flaws, but there are other nice touches of detail to really balance it out, such as the engraved AJS logo on the fork clamps - a huge positive for me. Some other parts really add to the classic style to remind you this is a modern take on a classic: the stainless steel exhaust, spoked wheels, kick starter & classic dash cluster. Plus the exhaust note from the stainless steel pipe is exceptional as you find the higher revs; from a low flutter to a raspy growl with higher revs.

There are also a few extras with the Clubman edition: USD forks, twin rear shocks with oil reservoirs, side racing-number-holders, a clubman padded seat with white piping and true clip-on handlebars. Extras that - included at £300 more - do well to give more character to the Cadwell café racer.

The 4 stroke air cooled motor is admittedly small, yet getting off the mark feels good with decent torque (no indicated values) with max power sitting at around 9.9BHP at 9000rpm. There is a balance shaft to decrease unwanted shaking from the single-cylinder engine, something I found that works well to keep the ride nice and smooth.

Just don’t get one of these expecting to be blown away by the raw speed and power, you’ve got the dedicated sports bikes in the 125cc category for that (but with far less style!). The engine does the job, and there isn’t a noticeable drop off in power until you get past 40, and for a bike that can just about reach the lofty heights of 60, that’s not too bad! No sign of the ton-up boys here for speed, but you can just about match their style cruising around town.

Don’t get me wrong, back roads are a load of fun on this - the balance shaft really does keep the bike feeling responsive and controlled on the road with little to no vibrations at low-mid speeds, and this is a bike where keeping the revs high and in the sweet spot gives you the most fun. All in, it really felt at home on some twisties. As the Clubman is only 113kg wet, with a matching short wheelbase at 1330mm, you can throw it around with confidence in the responsive yet firm ride.

The AJS Cadwell Clubman 125 can reach top speeds of 60mph.

Perhaps the best part of this bike for me is the very solid and reliable 5-speed gearbox, clicking into gear is easy – and you can find neutral first try, every time! Thanks to the light clutch as well, it’s so easy to ride especially for newly passed CBT riders. The power delivery is gentle enough and the gear ratios are all tuned in well.

The brakes work exceptionally well, at the front there’s a huge single disc with a single disc at the rear. The Cadwell Clubman is Euro 4 compliant, meaning there is CBS which does a great job to inspire a lot of confidence in stopping the machine. The levers are really solid and reactive.

Now, that may be a silly comment on the face of it, but the front lever and foot pedal are built to feel extremely robust and responsive, and when you press down on the foot brake the brakes are instantly there for you – no desperate pressing to find where this brake pedal starts working with a corner rapidly approaching!

When it comes to suspension, the USD forks and twin rear shocks look the part, but the ride is what I like to call 'café racer firm', in that if you go over a leaf you definitely notice it, but it’s not so bad that you can’t get on with it. Think of the suspension on a sports bike or car; it’s firm for a reason.

The fuel tank is 11.2L and is estimated to give 118mpg – but something that is difficult to measure considering no fuel gauge and limited dash.

Again though, it’s that exact classic “limited” style the Clubman is trying to emulate – the café racers of old wouldn’t have moaned about missing such luxuries as a fuel gauge! The dash has the basics covered with indicators, engine light, high beam and fuel warning lights – the dual, backlit marked clusters give you the basic info clearly.

Oh, also, when we finished our first ride of the two brand-new AJS bikes my odometer was reading 48 miles, but Brett’s was 29 miles… How can that be, if we both started on brand new bikes? Yep, that’s right, the odometer on the Cadwell is in KM! So watch out for that on future MOTs and second-hand listings.

The AJS Cadwell Clubman 125 weighs in at 113kg (wet).

That nicely moves me on to the comfort and ride quality – being 6’4” I struggle to find any 125cc that I really feel at home on.

Comfort wasn’t the greatest for me (6’4”), sat as far back in the 740mm saddle as I could. With the footpegs placed surprisingly forward and clip-ons quite low on the top yolk, I was riding around like an origami crane – though probably had a lot to do with my size!

But it works, and once I got used to the riding position I was happily riding around for a couple of hours at a time with no problem. Sometimes style does come at a price!

In my opinion, the wheels are a good size with a 110/70-18 at the front and then a 130/70-17 at the rear that helps to provide a stable ride that’s planted on the road – no sign of the old ‘bike tyres’ here.

The Cadwell Clubman 125 is the flagship of the Heritage range from AJS, and for a grand total price of £2,699, you get a very capable café racer out of the box. It’s only £300 more than the standard Cadwell, and you get those exclusive extras I mentioned earlier. Well worth the investment in my eyes.

The Clubman really captures the 50s and 60s era, where riders would modify their bikes into what we all know as the first Café Racers – but does it all out of the box for you.

Day-to-day use of this bike will be absolutely fine for the average rider. If your ride will consist of city/town riding and back road blasts, you’re in for a treat. The Clubman has aspects of a perfect low-end learner motorcycle with style. The great gearbox, gentle power delivery and good responsive brakes really are positives here. Plus, there is a centre stand (also a side stand) so maintenance tasks are no problem.

Consider though, if you live in a place where this bike will be required to spend a lot of time at max speed on A roads or dual carriageways, you may not get to enjoy it to its full potential. It’s the back roads, towns, and cities where you’ll find the Cadwell Clubman 125 come to life – and this bike is really at home going from one café to another on a Sunday afternoon, funnily enough.

The more time I spent on this bike, the more I fell in love with it – which is just as well because the promo blurb says “you WILL fall in love with the Cadwell.”

Whilst I wasn’t expecting to be underwhelmed by the ride on this machine, I’m surprised by how many boxes it does tick for me. The more I rode around on this Cadwell Clubman, the more I wanted to keep on going. So, if there was a bigger version with a 250cc engine I’d probably be off to the nearest AJS dealer to find out more… (hint AJS).

Speaking of which, huge thanks to AJS for giving us the Cadwell Clubman to test for a couple of weeks. Also huge thanks to Jamie & Holt motorcycles, who assembled both of the AJS bikes for us (Brett’s Modena 125 which was on review also)! It’s a lovely little shop down a pretty tasty backroad, so head on down there to see what he has in stock if you’re in the North Norfolk area – there are also some other incredible roads in those parts if you fancy it!

• Sleek and beautiful styling 
• Very affordable and accessible
• Ticks a lot of boxes!

• Wish it had ABS as standard 
• Isn't comfortable for the taller rider 

Engine	124cc, 9.9 bhp, 4-stroke, OHC, air cooled, single cylinder
Fuel tank	11.2L
Brakes	Front and rear disc (CBS)
Suspension	Front: Upside-down telescopic fork Rear: Swingarm
Seat height	740mm
Weight	113kg
Max speed	60 mph

If you have your very own AJS Clubman, or perhaps another motorcycle you need to insure - make sure to get a motorcycle insurance quote direct with Lexham!