Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

-no connection-

Interesting one.
See text below.
Could this be the FH used with a sidecar by Frank and Kay Wilkins ?
Ariel history ?

Ariel HT5 as confirmed from the Ariel dispatch records by Dragon Fly motorcycles. It was used as a sidecar outfit very successfully but because the HT5 frame never had sidecar lugs it is fitted with an HS5 frame (CPRS 4xx) but still classified by the factory as an HT5. Since leaving the factory the 500 engine has obviously been replaced by a 650 twin and this is how the original owner competed with the bike in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. I have had the magneto reconditioned and it runs fine. There are several boxes of cups and awards for the bike. A rare chance to obtain a genuine competition bike at a reasonable price.


https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1506401

I don't think it is as I have it listed on the register as being owned by a James Taylor, presumably not the troubadour, in 1958, when it was still fitted with its HT engine. It re-appears in October 2021 owned by Roy Keagan of Slough who I did a certificate for and is presumable the current vendor. The entry in the despatch book for the current engine is blank, which could mean something or it may not! The registration is from September 1957 issued in London. Frank and Kay of course continued riding their outfit into the 1970's.

A genuine works HS sidecar frame! Can't be very many of those still around - must be worth stealing another couple of pics that show the differences !!
left side: front sidecar mounting under headstock, has lower rear mounting but no pillion footrest/silencer hanger extension right side: no lower rear mounting lug, has the pillion footrest/silencer hanger extension but without the pillion footrest lug

Pity about the rear mudguard mountings being cut off and replaced with a loop of tube - and the upper rear damper mountings have been reworked, wonder if the idea of that would be to get more ground clearance by jacking up the back end a tad.
There's something up with that carb too, float chamber wrong side and maybe also wrong angle.

From previous discussions Frank and Kay's FH was a very early one (registered 1953) (unfortunately the thread is from the period that broke the photos - if we could get them again I could maybe replace the bust ones with good copies....)
http://forum.arielownersmcc.com/viewtop ... 20&p=63260

SG