It was a 212 mile trip for me yesterday and I was largely happy with the performance of the bike, aside from a fairly bad oil leak from the rocker gasket - I have an aluminium one on order from Draganfly so we will see how that goes.
Always a worthwhile journey, particularly when my step mothers home made cakes are on offer!
The bike is beautifully smooth, agile and really rather lovely to ride, if a touch more fatiguing on smaller roads than the swinging arm single or twin.
1948 Square Four
- robjameson
- Holder of a Silver Anorak
- Posts: 900
- Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:36 am
- Location: Rolleston, Staffordshire
- Contact:
Re: 1948 Square Four
Rob Jameson
AOMCC Member Number 4068
1957 Ariel VH
1954 Ariel KH
1948 Ariel 4G with 1920's Ariel Sidecar/Triumph Chassis
AOMCC Twin Spares Organiser
AOMCC Member Number 4068
1957 Ariel VH
1954 Ariel KH
1948 Ariel 4G with 1920's Ariel Sidecar/Triumph Chassis
AOMCC Twin Spares Organiser
-
- Holder of a Golden Anorak
- Posts: 1532
- Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2011 4:52 am
- Location: south coast NSW Australia
- Contact:
Re: 1948 Square Four
Very nice Rob. hope you now get many hours of enjoyment riding it.
David
David
- robjameson
- Holder of a Silver Anorak
- Posts: 900
- Joined: Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:36 am
- Location: Rolleston, Staffordshire
- Contact:
Re: 1948 Square Four
Following my recovery from Scotland, progress was slow, partially owing to the fact that I got home on the Saturday and flew to New York the following day to celebrate my 40th birthday with my wife.
When I eventually got back to looking at the bike, I went over all of the obvious things, carburation, compression, timing and everything else I could think of.
I got to the point where I was very lucky to get the bike to fire on all 4 cylinders, and if I could it had no power. All routes pointed to a faulty magneto, so having discussed the Thorspark system with various members at the summer rally, I decided to order one.
It took a while for me to fit, because I wanted it hidden away, and then I got to the point of timing it, to find that my timing strobe was broken!
I sourced a replacement and got to the point where I was happy, although I only managed a quick run up the road to the pub.
I decided to test the bike properly at a vintage club run, but sadly after 20 miles riding, the misfires returned and I had an intermittent complete loss of power. The bike had also blown the fuse I always place in line to the battery, which I thought was curious.
I had made a fundamental mistake when I fitted the Thorspark - when I fitted it, because it comes with its own earth, I decided the extra earth I had put on the magneto was no longer required (bear in mind that I am a professional at this, so this was a particularly stupid thing to do).
Earth reinstated, and there we go, no more fuses blowing - until I kick the engine over. I eventually found that the backing plate of the Thorspark unit was catching the magneto when spinning, causing the blown fuse. I took the required amount of material away from the backing plate and it seems to be fixed. I haven’t had chance for a test ride yet though.
My assumption is that the earthing of the backing plate was causing an intermittent lost spark, paired with a poor earth. So far, square four ownership is doing what I wanted it to, teaching me an awful lot about them.
When I eventually got back to looking at the bike, I went over all of the obvious things, carburation, compression, timing and everything else I could think of.
I got to the point where I was very lucky to get the bike to fire on all 4 cylinders, and if I could it had no power. All routes pointed to a faulty magneto, so having discussed the Thorspark system with various members at the summer rally, I decided to order one.
It took a while for me to fit, because I wanted it hidden away, and then I got to the point of timing it, to find that my timing strobe was broken!
I sourced a replacement and got to the point where I was happy, although I only managed a quick run up the road to the pub.
I decided to test the bike properly at a vintage club run, but sadly after 20 miles riding, the misfires returned and I had an intermittent complete loss of power. The bike had also blown the fuse I always place in line to the battery, which I thought was curious.
I had made a fundamental mistake when I fitted the Thorspark - when I fitted it, because it comes with its own earth, I decided the extra earth I had put on the magneto was no longer required (bear in mind that I am a professional at this, so this was a particularly stupid thing to do).
Earth reinstated, and there we go, no more fuses blowing - until I kick the engine over. I eventually found that the backing plate of the Thorspark unit was catching the magneto when spinning, causing the blown fuse. I took the required amount of material away from the backing plate and it seems to be fixed. I haven’t had chance for a test ride yet though.
My assumption is that the earthing of the backing plate was causing an intermittent lost spark, paired with a poor earth. So far, square four ownership is doing what I wanted it to, teaching me an awful lot about them.
Rob Jameson
AOMCC Member Number 4068
1957 Ariel VH
1954 Ariel KH
1948 Ariel 4G with 1920's Ariel Sidecar/Triumph Chassis
AOMCC Twin Spares Organiser
AOMCC Member Number 4068
1957 Ariel VH
1954 Ariel KH
1948 Ariel 4G with 1920's Ariel Sidecar/Triumph Chassis
AOMCC Twin Spares Organiser
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