Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Hi All. I have recently acquired a late 50's VH. I'm intrigued that the cylinder head which shows no welding work and is not damaged, "seems" to have been sprayed at some time with a grey silver coloured paint. It is flaking off slightly, mostly at the edges of the fins and not very thick, but I cannot fathom why this would have been done. The head is not corroded so I wonder and ask, was this a feature that was implemented from new? I wonder, as I have a Guzzi V50 which has a similar grey/silver finish on the barrel fins and this was definitely factory finish. Perhaps this might have been done on American export models? Otherwise it has to be done by someone with very odd idea of "improving the looks" of an engine. Fortunately it will come off with some bead or aqua blasting....Much obliged for any reply. Thanks.

It may have been something simple like the owner wanted people to believe it was an alloy head.

do not have it powder coated as it does not transfer the heat too good and make the engine run hot

Les,

It is an alloy head isn't it?

I can't see any reason for painting an alloy head silver and I'm pretty sure it
wasn't done at the factory. However, those alloy heads can suffer from the
valve guides coming adrift and it if it has an iron head it wouldn't be the first late
engine I've seen with an earlier iron top end.

Either way, they're a nice bike to ride.

Thanks all. Yes it is an ally head so makes no sense, but then again some engines do have aluminium barrels sprayed at the factory. It does worry me slightly though, thinking something nasty might be revealed when all the paint is removed....I'm thinking JB WELD! ...filed to look like a fin or to "mend" something...Hmmm. Oh well, as said, thanks for letting me know that this has never been an Ariel embellishment ...I didn't think it would be