Ariel Red Hunter

[keith.mettam]

Hi Nick,
Doing a vehicle enquiry check, the registration details no longer exist on the DVLA data base. If your father's motorcycle still exists this would indicate it hasn't been on the road for many years here in the UK.
Good luck with your search,
Regards,
Keith.

[adrie.degraaff]

The frontforks bushes aren't chromed so 1947.

[david.anderson]

Adrie
the front fork seal holders were not chromed on the VH until 1951, the same year they removed the chrome from the tank. The twins and 4s were chromed before then. The photo below which was taken in 1950 shows on the left a 49VH (my fathers) centre a 1950VH and on the right a 1948VH. Note the chrome on the front brake plate of the 1950VH. The riders of the 1950 and 1948 were my fathers best friends and the groomsmen at his wedding. Their names and their bikes are identified on the back of the photo. The earliest period photo of a VH that i have seen having chrome fork seal holders was 1951.
David

[david.anderson]

Now to add a bit more confusion the front mudguard stay is tubular and is fixed to a tab on the mudguard. So the front mudguard is 1950 or later.
Unfortunately the front headlight is not original (looks to be smaller than pre 50) so that does not help and the length of the fork headlight ears is hidden by the tax disc holder. 49 and 50 had the short ears.
David

[john.mitchell]

I have been really impressed with the detail knowledge shown on this site regarding this bike. I feel a bit of a cheat in pointing out that it can be dated to being between March 1947 and and Feb 1948 from the registration number. From the numerical suffix it was almost certainly 1947. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing? http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/registrations/ha.htm

[brenton.roy]

Cough cough... not that'd I'd be gloating, as that would be immature and unprofessional... but wasn't there a post back there somewhere that was suggesting it was a 1947 /48 VH...

John, cheque is in the mail..

[adrie.degraaff]

but wasn't there a post back there somewhere that was suggesting it was a 1947

[brenton.roy]

Good work Adrie!

[NickHunter]

Gentlemen,
Thanks for the in depth analysis of my Dads old bike.
I think that might have been the easy bit, I now need to find an example of that model to buy, would anyone like a Yamaha FS1-E in part ex !

Cheers

Nick