Number of KH/KG's pre '51

[brenton.roy]

Just following on from an off forum chat with Adrian - is there any info on the number of surviving twins pre 1951? After this year they seem more common. Or are they?
The numbers in the club would be a good start. Does anyone have that info?
regards, Brenton

[ben.mitchell]

Hi Brenton
The KH was not a very popular machine, a fair few were sold but probably a lesser proprtion have survived than of VHs and certainly than of square fours. However, there appear to be pleny of KH engines hanging around but only of the iron head type. I have met autojumble stall holders almost prepared to give away an iron KH engine because nobody wanted it...and I now have a good stock of them, but only one or two frames! The guy at Modak Motorcycles in Melbourne told me that there were never any KHs in Aus, but I do know there are at least one or two, their owners just don't shop at Modak...and as a result there are several rare NOS KH parts still in stock there, including the elusive exhaust camshaft sprocket and late oil pumps. I think that his uncle brought this stuff back from a South East Asian Ariel parts stockist several decades ago. I for one have never been very good at putting my bikes on the club register and others are probably equally guilty but Paul Jameson may be able to tell you how many dating cetrificates have been done for KHs compared to other Ariel models, you could then cross reference to the factory records (also with Paul) to see what the survival rate was like.
Did you see all the pre 1915 machines coming through Adelaide last week en route from Perth to Sydney, I had a couple of friends on Matchlesses taking part...its a helluva long way.
Ben

[adrian.hannam]

Hi Brenton,
I can inform you that the AAR has the following numbers:
1948 KG = 3
1948 KH = 4
1949 KG = 4
1949 KH = 14
1950 KG = 3
1950 KH = 3

all years KG = 12
all years KH = 61

[brenton.roy]

Hi Ben, thanks for the reply. Thanks also Adrian. 1949 must have been a good year for Ariel!
I have two KH's - minus one left hand crankcase and a few odd bits. Neither of mine are in a club register either. There is a collection locally (at Nuriootpa) that includes 2 or 3 (maybe more?) Green KH's. As far as I know, all of these have iron motors, and most of them with panel tanks. Adrian's numbers agree with that.
I've never seen an ally motor. It sounds like there are a couple of twins on this group as well.
It will be interesting to see the UK (and other?) numbers. Maybe the "dutch branch" has one or two?
I understand they weren't all that popular when new, which is unfortunate. They look to be very mechanically similar to speed twins and the like and the motors look very robust.
The later of my motors has much heavier flywheels and this must have affected performance. I assume from this that the earlier bikes were quicker?
I'll PM Paul and ask re AOMCC numbers.

I missed the cross Australia riders. I think they might have gone bush before Adelaide and up through central South Aus. It cetainly is a long way. A bit over 4000km. You'd be well past blisters and into callouses...
regards, Brenton