VCH UK bikes - engine numbers ?

[ralfarvid]

Attaching five photos of UK owned VCH bikes.
Would it be possible to get more info about these bikes?

Better photos, info and engine numbers?
I would like to update my old VCH article with more pictures & information.

/Ralf Arvidsson, Sweden

[adrie.degraaff]

Non of these frames are COM just a CO engine in a frame, as far as i can find they started at CO 101 and ended at CO 160.
You can find info under "fourstroke" - "search" -VCH.

[charvey]

Hi,I dont know where you got the picture of Chass Rycrafts Ariel VCH from, did he send it to you,I bought the bike from Chass earlier on this year its frame no., starts XG,and the engine starts TC,and it was first reg 10/08/1951, Chass has owned the bike for 30+ years and had not used it for a while, its starting to look a bit better now but not to much I like the way Chass had built it over the years he had owned and I don't like bikes to clean just good mechanics and rideable, Cheers hope the info helps Clive.

[simon.holyfield]

Is that the last one? Looks like it would be fun getting it muddy.

[charvey]

Its the Ariel with the red tank it was in the shed as shown,regards Clive

[nevhunter]

The roundbase goes past engine number CO173 which was despatched 2 June 1950 from the factory to Australia. ( note correction) Had frame #. I don't know when the engine type went square base. Nev

[charvey]

Hi Ralfarid,
My VCH is in Members bikes and a couple of pics,bought it from a friend in Northampton last year.regards Clive.

[nevhunter]

The lowest image has the shortened frame. You can see how close the rear guard and wheel are to the gearbox. It also has the muffler mount lug on the upper rear RH frame member. If you look carefully at the correct frames the rear wheel mount forgings are quite different to the "normal' Ariel rigid frame. They should also have a folding cranked kickstart lever (to clear the muffler) they also run the "small" oil tank, similar to the W/NG tank There's no room for the larger 500 tank. I'm told they use a lightweight rear stand fabricated instead of forged but I have never seen one. IF anyone has info on such I would appreciate it . The roundbase magnesium engines definitely went above 160 then used the VHA cases I later models. and even had iron cast flywheels in the later models . Good O'l BSA policy no doubt. THAT didn't help Ariel's reputation. Nev