Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

tony.barnett wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2025 9:30 amDon't think those are 28 Ariel pattern bars...

I don't think I said that they were...

Does anyone know how those early speedometer cables were constructed? Those with the characteristically thick casing?

They don't use cables.There's a whole lot of connecting links . Nev

Roger Gwynn wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2025 4:11 pm I have not seen evidence for a 'standard' fitment offered by the factory until the advent of the Smiths PA in 1931

Hi Roger,
I was under the impression that Watford and Bonniksen were the speedo Ariel suggested.

Thanks Vincent for the pictures and thread as I intend to add a speedo to my A having collected some speedos and parts.
I have no spare real estate on my handle bar though!!!

I have no spare real estate on my handle bar though!!!

simon.holyfield wrote: Wed Feb 05, 2025 4:25 pm Does anyone know how those early speedometer cables were constructed? Those with the characteristically thick casing?

The Cowey and Smiths cables I have are made roughly the same way as later model cables but were designed a bit frustratingly with the flex inner drive lugs swaged on at each end.
The sprial casing was/is/should be rubber sheathed to keep the dirt out and grease in.

There you go, I had seen but forgotten that list of options. However many owners would have moved the speedo from their old mount along with lighting, if they had any or buy something from their local dealer etc. Ariel would also fit anything that was available and practical to fit. So anything goes.

MGriffin wrote: Mon Feb 17, 2025 8:06 pm I have no spare real estate on my handle bar though!!!

You might find a bit of real estate as I did.

I needed the accuracy of a GPS odometer when I rode my 1928 Ariel in the Cannonball, and the Garmin Edge 510 shown in an earlier post was approved by the organizers because it only provides distance and speed information, not GPS mapping. However, for normal use I'd be happy with speedometer and odometer accuracy of ±10% (or even worse), so I'd like to replace the Garmin with something that looks a bit more period-correct, like a Chronometric. Hence, my interest in how the speedometers were originally mounted on these machines.

There are several round, GPS, 0-120 MPH speedo's on eBay that look similar to a Chronometric, and there are also replacement faces available as well that could make them even more period correct. I am considering replacing my dummy speedo face with a PA replica face to make it look period correct.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/116230962513