Hello all. I just bought this Ariel Red Hunter from a nice gentleman in Indiana. it is a VH, but it has alloy fenders and open chain guard, and no headlight nacelle. It also has a Sargent seat.
serial number is APR 5924
engine number is AMB 972
number on tax disk is AMB 972
It was imported at some point. If you're looking for this bike, it's in safe hands. I'd love to know how it ended up with these particular modifications though!
Attachments
Danilo Gurovich
Marine City, MI USA 1957 Ariel 500cc
1961 Matchless G12 CSR
1966 Matchless G80s
1968 Moto Guzzi V700
2006 Royal Enfield Bullet
2019 Royal Enfield Interceptor
a Couple of modern Vespas
Frame looks to have been modified at the back with a different mudguard (fender!) mounting, the headlamp brackets look a bit BSA-ish with a 'billet' alloy(?) speedo panel (haven't seen it done that way before, but why not?!), the open chainguard might be from the factory as (I think) the fully-enclosed case was actually an option.
The Sargent seat doesn't look very different to the standard one, maybe more/better foam as well as different stitching)?
And a late-type alloy barrel - I wonder if the engine has some internal mods as well!
(With admin hat on - moved to 'Members' Bikes' as we know where it is...)
'55 Huntmaster, '56 VH, ' 51 VH, '62 Arrow, '80 R100RT, '00 Sprint ST (now with a new Arrow project, and just now those 4-stroke Ariel parts can't even make one running bike...)
The Sargent seat is extremely comfortable. Somebody made this to cover some distance. The speedo mount looks to be fabricated by someone that really knew what they were doing.
I've been waiting on a front brake cable to come in (ordered from Draganfly on 6/16), and it came in today (Feked shipped and I got it to MIchigan in three days!). Changed the rear tire to the correct size 3.25 Avon (was a 4.10 backthere, centre stand was somewhat useless)
It fires and runs, we'll see today how it performs. I don't think it's worth restoring to original. During its life it got a lot of interesting mods, and I'd rather like to keep it in that spirit -- I did a Parilla 250 like that, and it was a great bike, even if it "did" weigh less than me.
Tonight we ride!
Danilo Gurovich
Marine City, MI USA 1957 Ariel 500cc
1961 Matchless G12 CSR
1966 Matchless G80s
1968 Moto Guzzi V700
2006 Royal Enfield Bullet
2019 Royal Enfield Interceptor
a Couple of modern Vespas