how was your vacation with Ariel? Send me a photo.

[paul.jameson]

Spot the similarity between the wickerwork panniers on the green VB and those on my green Square Four. The Slovakian Branch is an inspiration to those of us in the UK.

[Karol Burger]

I love the smiles on the faces of people riding old motorcycles. Only the Ariel brand can offer you this. Motorcycles are not too expensive to break the family budget, but they have a great community of fans and that is the most that any thing can give to a person. Great people, dedicated to a common hobby. Smile, joy and experiences.

[simon.holyfield]

I love the smiles on the faces of people riding old motorcycles. Only the Ariel brand can offer you this. Motorcycles are not too expensive to break the family budget, but they have a great community of fans and that is the most that any thing can give to a person. Great people, dedicated to a common hobby. Smile, joy and experiences.

Whilst I'm not sure that 'only the Ariel brand can offer you this', Karol has really captured what it's all about!

[paul.jameson]

Hopefully not the last run of the season but quite possibly the last in decent weather. I rode up to Dolfor, near Newtown in Mid-Wales today to give a copy of Cheval to the people who provided the material for my article in the latest edition. It was about 75 miles in each direction in weather which couldn't have been better.

[dave.owen]

Out on my 27 with a larger group which included 26,27 and 28 Ariels

[Karol Burger]

it seems that autumn is favorable for motorcycle riding this year. You will still enjoy the sweet rays of the sun and enjoy Ariel. In November, we all have our unfinished projects waiting for us.

[markus.nikot]

Racing an very old Ariel

[TonyBaxter]

Sorry these pictures are not particularly artistic, or even interesting, it's the best I can do. In May I attended the Vintage Revival at Montlhery in France, an excellent event that is held every two years. Montlhery, as I'm sure most of you know was the French equivalent of Brooklands, but is still complete and used as a test track by UTAC, a specialist auto testing organisation.
I go with Brooklands museum, we take a number of bikes both from the museum, and others owned by team members. It's always exciting to get a run around a banked track, even on something as slow as Tommy Meeten's 172cc Francis-Barnett long-distance record breaker! I rode that there a few years ago, as well as the ex-Jenks' Norton Inter and an ABC 400. To be honest, the F-B and ABC didn't go anywhere up the banking!
This year, due to the post-COVID situation, and Brexit uncertainty about taking non-road registered bikes abroad, the Brooklands contingent was very much reduced. I think just four bikes, 1904 Peugeot, 1932 BSA B31-2, 1938 Triumph T80 Freddie Clarke recreation and a Triumph T70/L2-1 hybrid that was built, and is ridden, by a chap who looks after the late John Surtees bikes.
We also had another Brooklands chap from the car team, bring his 1900 Phebus three-wheeler, like a DeDion Bouton.
I decided, being a little short of cash this year, to take the Ariel, and plod my way slowly down to the hotel near the track, just south of Paris. Little did I know just how slowly! Long story short, got to the tunnel check-in two hours late, but that was ok. Spent several hours plodding along fairly quiet back roads and minor routes towards Amiens. Disaster struck, when after less than halfway to my destination, the bolt in the primary holding the back of the chain case to the engine, came loose and tried to destroy the chain and sprockets. At first I didn't realise what the problem was. I removed the dome and found everything loose, so tightened it up and tried to carry on, only realising shortly after that there was still a problem. I ended up outside a Brico Marche, (that's my holiday picture ).
Anyway, I finally got on my way, but as it was now evening I did the last three hours on the motorway, which in France are unlit, with a headlight bulb that barely threw a shadow of my front mudguard on the road immediately in front of me. I don't know how I made it to the hotel in one piece, but make it I did.
The event went well, I only rode in the final parade, as my bike is post war, and so not event eligible. I did get to passenger in a 1914 Newton for a few laps though. The parade is a free for all, and I made sure I was in first place for a couple of laps! I haven't yet found any video or pictures on the 'net, but I'm hopeful. The last picture is me grinning before that ride. We cheated coming home, the bike got a van ride to Calais, and I only had to ride back to Surrey, still took me nearly four hours though!
I'll try something better next year

[TonyBaxter]

Help moderator, can you reverse that please?

[admin]

Help moderator, can you reverse that please?

A trial....
Downloaded, rotated 180 in viewer and re-saved.
I'll see if I can actually replace the pic in the original post when I've got more time - it involves some careful digging around under the bonnet.

Edit - replaced the upside-down pic in landscape format (the second pic) and its 'thumbnail' .
Removed the rotated copy from this post (but it's left both the actual files in the file system, grrrrrrrr.... )
The sideways ones are a different problem. More research needed to see if there's a fix apart from re-sizing.

SG