Hymn to the 1928 Model C

[nevhunter]

You need to LUBE your Cam faced drive shock absorber AND the primary chain.. I've always called those "Period" Magdyno's, Monobloc.. The gear drive to the generator has no slipping clutch but a steel BIG gear driving a little fibre gear on the generator armature end. They LOOK nice it you get a good one. and the front engine plates are a lot stronger without the hole for the generator in them. Nev

[Julian Murphy]

I do like the idea of that little generator.

Interestingly enough I spotted this pair of 'his and hers' Matchless fitted with Alton generators, when parked up in the outside car park at the Newark Winter Classic Show.

Sorry to shame the forum with a picture of 'but its not an Ariel', but I was drawn by the build - Norton Roadholder forks, 21" front wheel, matching number plates, army issue appearance etc.

[will_curry]

There's a lot of effort gone into these. The coil ignition is from the last series of engines
and would have been paired with an alternator mounted in an alloy primary chaincase.
What made this setup memorable was that the stator was fitted inside the outer case
making it a 'blind' fit so getting the air gap between rotor and stator was a matter of
guesswork.

The drive for the dynamo or in this case the Alton was no better. There was a chain
drive taken from the engine sprocket and behind but very close to the primary chain.
The dynamo chain was tensioned by rotating the dynamo and was not an easy task
to get right.

No wonder I prefer Ariels . . .

The whole back end looks special, there's a Triumph-type tank rack, a sump bash-plate
and an upswept exhaust system. The bikes wouldn't look out of place in a 50s ISDT.

[Mick D]

Hi

Yes, lots of work and a nice result but not very much AMC.

The engines and gearboxes could be period, (though not the same one ), as could the teledraulic forks. No idea where the tanks, mudguards, rear frames and suspension comes from. Seems to be a lot of hand made components of pretty good quality. Wonder how the registrations were obtained.

Regards Mick

[will_curry]

They look like the original type registrations first issued by DVLA to vehicles that had lost their
identity for one reason or another. Years ago I had a KH with an 'A' registration like that which
had had its original registration sold off. A friend had a Triumph with a similar 'A' that had lost its
logbook and hadn't been put up on Swansea's computer.

885 was registered in 1959 and 449 in 1960 so neither would have had those 'A' numbers
originally.

I had wondered if the back ends might be Royal Enfield or possibly even a contemporary
swinging arm conversion kit.

[Mick D]

Hi

Thanks for the registration info, can't see them getting an age related plate nowadays for 'substantially modified' reasons.

The swinging arms are modified AMC ones, (one early in keeping with the half width hub and one later mated with the full width hub), the damper lugs have been moved forwards to suit the replacement rear suspension. The gearboxes are B52s which would not have been originally mated to the alternator engines, (they would have had AMC ones).

Regards Mick

[will_curry]

For no good reason, I'd thought the engines were the earlier type, pre-alternator
and that the coil ignition timing cases had been added. Did the drive-side mainshaft
get changed to suit the alternator? If it did and these are alternator bottom ends I
wonder how the transmission shock absorber is arranged on these?

I can't make out if the primary chaincases are alloy or steel. If they're alloy the drive
for the Alton must have required an awful lot of modification of the inner to get it
to fit.

[nevhunter]

The forks look like AJS ones and the front brake is the small AJS/ Matchless.one. The whole rear of the engine plates frame and swingarm is different from the original AJS. I think the alternator would take it's drive as the original set up was with perhaps a faster running alternator that has air flowing through it for cooling.Looks like they would be Ok actually. I know that is blasphemy on an ARIEL site so while i'm confessing I'll let you know I've had Scott's and Rudges too Is NOTHING sacred? Nev

[Mick D]

I'd thought the engines were the earlier type, pre-alternator
and that the coil ignition timing cases had been added.

Hi

I hadn't considered that. The primary inner looks to be drilled and tapped for cover screws and is missing the flange for the band clamp suggesting the cases are the alternator alloy ones, in which case the shock absorber would be in the clutch centre. However, if there's no alternator fitted I suppose an older style spring and cam crank shaft one could be installed in it's place which would also facilitate the sprocket drive to the Alton. Guess they're on some type of electronic ignition too.

Regards Mick

[Julian Murphy]

Vincent.

I'm sorry that I de-railed your thread.