For those of you who have never met or dealt with Rob Jones before let me tell you about my experience. This actually starts many months before I met Rob, many months ago I decided through what I later termed my ‘living will’ that rather than leave my best two mates some beer money, should I go before them, I would buy each of them a classic British motorcycle for their 65th birthdays, which both happen to fall this year 2022. Whether this turns out to be gift or a curse only time will tell. However, having spent months trying to find a couple of suitable steeds and having suffered umpteen disappointments I came across Rob quite by chance. One of my friends or victims birthday was fast approaching in March and I happened to find a suitable looking AJS 350 which was reasonably priced on Facebook marketplace, I later realised that it was also advertised on Car & Classic but I hadn’t spotted it and of course it was also on his website but at this stage I had never heard of Rob Jones Classic Motorcycles. I contacted Rob to see if it was still available and on later chatting with him about it and explaining to him what I was trying to do the manner in which he dealt with my enquiry was nothing short of first class. There was no hard sell or any other bullshit just, what later proved to be, an honest appraisal of the bike and the offer to send video of it running and to answer any questions that may arise. Suffice to say that with my living in Cornwall and the bike being located in Manchester distance purchasing is always fraught with potential hazards, that said the conversations I had with Rob about this particular bike left me in no doubt that I was dealing with a genuine ‘enthusiast’ and as it happened, with my mate living in Lancashire, the location of the bike proved to be very convenient. 

The price was agreed and subject to seeing it in the flesh I arranged to collect the bike from Rob in March, I was not disappointed, indeed it was a lot better than he had described, not a show bike you understand as that was not what was wanted but an honest machine in very good used condition, or as they say a lovely patina, the sort of classic bike that you are not scared of using and getting it dirty, exactly what was required. It was a very enjoyable purchase, tea was provided as was the opportunity to take look at some of the other rather gorgeous bikes he was selling or working on. Rob even helped me to put my collapsible trailer together and load the bike, not once but twice because as it happened I was so impressed with the bike and the man I was dealing with that I bought another AJS of him, a 500 twin this time, this one being for my other mate who lives in Somerset. This was collected a couple of days later and was then delivered to a rather bewildered mate on my way back to Cornwall. There was a problem with the 500 in that the dynamo decided to call it a day and having messaged Rob to see if he had any ideas I was again impressed with his attitude. Rob just asked that it be removed and sent to a chap who he deals with and that he would cover the cost, you cannot ask for more and as it happened I didn’t have to ask as Rob just offered to arrange to have it repaired. If you are looking for a good classic bike and a good, decent and honest person to buy it from then do not overlook Rob Jones, from my experience with Rob I have no hesitation in recommending him, in fact I have been so impressed in my dealings with him that I have just asked him to find a third bike, for me this time, I’m confident that I will not be disappointed.

Phil Hobson
Cornwall

April 2022