Original registration details

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BrendanDavis
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Original registration details

Post by BrendanDavis »

Hi
I am a new(ish) joiner on the forum and I have a 1953 Ariel VHA which has been off the road since the late sixties. The bike is complete but needs a lot of work to put back on the road. It has an original Belfast Registration no on the number plate which I would like to recover if possible. Can anybody advise me where the Registration Archives for Belfast are held ( Pre DVLA) as I would like to try get a certified copy of the details and hopefully recover the original registration number which has never been on the DVLA records. Any help would be much appreciated. Brendan.
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Roger Gwynn
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Re: Original registration details

Post by Roger Gwynn »

The people to help with that are the Kithead Trust https://kitheadtrust.org.uk/ireland but it doesn't look hopeful for your number. DO you have any documentary e=vidence to tie the frame number to the registartion. DVLA instructed the local offices to destroy the vehicle records once they had been computerisd, some offices did this but many passed the records to their county record offices or similar.
Roger Gwynn, Membership Secretary, curator of the Machine Register and the works drawings. Director of Draganfly Motorcycles, Craven Equipment and Supreme Motorcycles mostly retired.
BrendanDavis
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Re: Original registration details

Post by BrendanDavis »

Hi Roger,
Many thanks for the prompt reply. Unfortunately I do not have any old documents relating to the bike. I believe ( possibly incorrectly ) that the original records were archived in Belfast and that it is possible to get a certified copy of the archive relating to the registration number and frame number once they are correct and exist. This might facilitate recovery of the original number. What I am hoping for is that somebody may have an email address or contact details on where the records are stored. The bike has been in the family nearly 50 years so I do intend to get it back on the road. Recovery of the original registration would be a bonus however I can always use an age related number.
BrendanDavis
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Re: Original registration details

Post by BrendanDavis »

Hi Roger, on reading your reply again I see you have provided me with what I need. Thanks again.
ian williams
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Re: Original registration details

Post by ian williams »

hi brendan:
if bikes been in family 50yrs maybe you have photos of bike going back in time with a family member on it and also a long shot but something showing a tax disc date if you could find a photo with that showing , you never know .
if you are still able to access the old garage/shed where bike was kept and there is still stuff in there then have a look through the cupboards and tools etc .

put it this way i have a 1922 carfield flat tanker and i got it out of a barn on my dads freinds farm back in the 1980s , and some years later dad got an e mail asking if he had the bike , then he was told by the new owners of the barn [who were converting it ] they had found a tax disc holder and disc in it from 1932 for the bike and would he like to have it , he rode the bike up there and picked it up but at same time told them some history about it and also about the farm and the barn along with its use in WW2 , a fair exchange !! .

if you run youre frame and engine numbers past the club archivist they may have something in the records that shows the reg number against it if you are lucky , i had one such bike an ariel arrow 697AOH and by sheer chance came up with its reg number against the log entry plus it was used as a press demonstration bike when the sports arrow was first mentioned as coming out , it has now gone to a good home and being restored and did get its reg number back due to being of such historic interest .

you might even be lucky to find you could have its original NI number back anyway with just a few old and new photos of it and a dating cert from the club .

evidence for authenticity can come in many forms , you can but try .

ian

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paul.jameson
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Re: Original registration details

Post by paul.jameson »

Belfast registration records are at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland, 66 Balmoral Avenue, Belfast, BT9 6NY, Tel : 01232 251318.
Paul Jameson
35 LG (project), 37 RH500, 52 ex ISDT KHA, 54 KH(A), 75 Healey 1000/4.
Former Machine Registrar & Archivist, General Secretary and Single Spares Organiser (over a 25 year period).
Now Archivist (but not Machine Registrar), Gauges and Clocks Spares Organiser.
BrendanDavis
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Re: Original registration details

Post by BrendanDavis »

Hi Ian,
Many thanks for the suggestions which I will pursue, you never know what might turn up as I have a number of potential sources. I love the story of your Flat Tanker by the way a lovely motorcycle and it's nice to have a link to it's past history. Kind regards, Brendan
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Re: Original registration details

Post by BrendanDavis »

Hi Paul,
Many thanks for providing the contact details where the Belfast records are held. I will get in touch with them to see if they have details of my registration and bike. I have a number of avenues to pursue now and with a bit of luck one of them might produce a result. Kind regards, Brendan.
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