Porcupine
7R (350cc)
The engine of the 7R is of a pre-war idea that was completely re-designed,
although most people remember it from post-war days. One of the first machines
to be fitted with telescopic forks and hydraulically damped rear suspension.
As always with the racing world, a steady programme of development ensued.
One of the main objectives was reliability - always a strong point on AMC
machinery. The reason for the initial building of the 7R was to provide a
good, steady and reliable racing machine that would be competitive for the
clubman racer in the 350cc class. Its' success in this respect earned it
the nickname of 'the Boy Racer'.
The road race engine and many of the frame parts were used by the Swede,
Bill Nilsson to win the World Motocross (scramble) Championship in 1957 -
the only time an overhead cam engine machine has achieved this.
The 7R is still used with some verve in todays Classic Racing.
G45
G50 (500cc)
This further development of the 7R involved some major re-design,
such as moving oil feeds from internal to external, a bigger bore, etc.
In the racing world it took over from the G45 twin, which although
never very successful did have some good wins. Once again reliability was
the AMC byword, which has been borne out over the years in both factory
machines and the private and special builders fields. The G50 is still a force
to be reckoned with in Classic Racing world-wide.
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