Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Visited Yesterdays Antique Motorcycles ...... yesterday


Very nice to see all those classic bikes, even a few Ariels.
During the VOC Dutch Section rally, on my other bike
Rally was held here : https://groepsaccommodatieoleander.nl/
Former pig breeding farm right next to the F35 JSF runway at Volkel. take off and landings only a couple of times per day




And a very interesting engine brought by one member:
3 cilinder opposed 6 piston life boat engine developed during WO2 but only ready by the end of hostilities.
reputedly only 50 crankcases where cast and out of those only 7 engines were build.
This is one of only 4 remaining engines, and virtually new old stock.
One day it will be fitted in a boat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_lifeboat_engine

Fantastic!
Reminds me of Verralls in Tooting where you could wind them up by asking for a 'reliable runabout' but secretly knowing why you 'needed' X, Y and Z

Must visit.

I have one of the Vincent engines,they were tested on a lake up in North Wales where I live.It has electric start and kickstart is a horizontally opposed 2 stroke,as said 3 cylinders with 2 pistons in each cylinder the central cylinder is for charging the fuel air mix into the other 2 cylinders,the pistons work in opposition to each other in the cylinders.A strange arrangement.similar to rootes commer engine and Junkers aero.I have had this since about 1980.

PM send

Vincent,

Your challenge....

You said : one of only 4 remaining engines

So,
1 in the van,
1 owned by Andy H.

Your challenge, if you wish to accept, is to find engines 3 and 4....

the PM was for bringing Andy in to contact with the other owner .
I have enough challenges myself

i was led to believe that they were supposed to be fifty made,but had terrible problems starting them sso the project was stopped,this engine was bought from a farmer who was only a few miles from the lake,he had had it many years.It is not complete as a few of the ancillary items are missing.I was led to belive there was one in Northumberland simmilar to mine and a complete one somewhere,maybe the pictured one is it.

I also have the single version of the blue v twin.claimed to be 4 1/2 hp a 600cc W&P engine.with the mag behind the cylinder not in front.Never seen another one onlly a few odd bits in over forty years.

Good to see your non-Ariel again, Vincent. Have you modified the kickstart lever? Looks a bit ‘non-standard’ to my eye… but in a good way!

Eagle eyed! that kickstart has been on it since I have it (1984).
I assume that it is the original one but others I have seen are straight.
so,...dunno!