Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

My WNG special will have no lights and I don't want a dynamo, battery or battery carrier on there.
However, I believe I am required to have a brake light and a horn fitted

I can fit something battery powered off a push bike for the horn.

For the brake light, I was thinking of using a rechargeable LED linked to the switch on the footbrake. I bought a pushbike light and opened it up but it's pretty much solid state and doesn't lend itself well to soldering in the brake switch.
I am currently thinking a rechargeable battery pack, maybe inside a hollowed out regulator, linked to an proper LED bulb (running total loss) but it seems overkill with all these really good LED bike lights out there ...

Anyone else tackled this ?

I had a DMW which had a brake light activated by a mercury switch. As you slow down the mercury flows forward and closes the contacts so the brake pedal isn't involved at all. Worked really well and would fit inside the hollowed regulator next to the battery. Available for around £15 or less on Ebay.

The horn is a legal requirement with or without lights. On a W/NG a bulb horn is quite legal
and probably louder than a period electric horn.

My understanding is that a brake light is only required if other lights are fitted.
Conversely, you may find that in fitting a brake light you are then required to fit all
the rest of the lights.

I've been riding three of my Ariels without any sort of lighting for 50+ years without any sort
of lights and with no trouble from the law.

blimey will ... I think you're right

I managed to find the legislation and it says that

Stop lamps are not needed for vehicles that:

- do not have front and rear position lamps
- have front and rear position lamps that are permanently disconnected, painted over or masked
- were first used before 1 January 1936


https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspect ... tion-4-3-1

I know nothing about your traffic rules but I have no brakelight on my ariel and if I want to stop I wave my right hand a bit backwards to show that I want to slowdown/stop its the same as going left or right with no turn signal lights, its allowed in holland although I must say that having a stoplight might be safer. People who are bussy with their mobile don't see you eitherway so I have been Lucky so far......Chris by the way I have lights on the bike and rearlight is a mt 110 so no room room for a double bulb

Similar - look at 5:35

Great movie although they all ride on the wrong side of the road of course.......

HI i would fit a stop light for your own safety with all these idiots on the road today i would a light and pu t a 6v led in it and make a rechargeable battery i run my bike lights with 6v led lights and i have side brake and head lights with no charging with a 6 amp battery and i can ride for hours with all the lights on so you running a brake light with a led and 4 AA 1.5 v batteries it will last for weeks before it needs recharging i done one on a off road bike a few years ago wen led first came out

Nice film, great bikes and cars too!
Br, Eero

I suspect a lot of road users don't understand hand signals at all these days. I don't think they are taught or tested on. Nev