Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

A STOP light is More Important. A Carbide stop Light would be an interesting proposition? Nev

It would work with a shutter system in front of the lens - like an Aldis lamp .

Bob.

I have no lights on several of my bikes. Never had a problem. Stop lights weren't compulsory in the UK until, I think, 1937. Don't know if they were back dated.

Here in Canada where it appears most car drivers have hereditary motorcycle blindness a stop light is only common sense. Also, I think it would be difficult to convince a safety inspection (MOT) station mechanic that lights could be deemed optional on a bike intended to be driven on the road (the insurance might be anxious about it too). If the idea is to put LEDs in the carbide lamps it is something of a moot point anyhoo.

I think it was 1954 when stop lamps became compulsory and I think it was a rare case of legislation being retrospective, possibly back to 1937 but I havn't checked the correctness of my statement. No lights = no brake light required, same caveat

Tony, you can look up drawing numbers on the web site for the works drawings, maybe you have or drop me an email for a copy of the list in Excel spreadsheet, which is easier to use than the web site one.

What do you know? I found a Lucas carbide headlamp and acetylene generator. Turns out the first person I asked had one laying around. It is not in perfect shape, but a bit of tinsmithing and a coat of nickel on the appropriate parts and it should scrub up a treat. Unfortunately, he did not have a matching rear lamp so if I can't find one I will probably make up a 'reasonable faximile' to complete the set on my '28 Model B project. As previously stated the system will get LED lights in place of combustable gasses and enclosed flames.

Although often polished or plated these days they were generally finished in best black enamel originally.

I will try to resist 'blinging it up' too much . Assuming it is not in too awful bad shape once the layers of paint come off, nickel plating the hinged front section is likely as far as I'll go.

tony.barnett wrote: Sat May 02, 2026 9:15 amDoes a drawing exist of the two brackets used on a 1928 Ariel for mounting the gas lamps?

No one seems to have mentioned how the brackets mount to the forks. My 1928 forks have tapered lugs for mounting the brackets and, since my Ariel came to me without the brackets, I had to make my own.
To make the brackets I first had to determine the internal taper of the lugs. After trying 5.7° (1:10), I then made tapers of 5°, 4.5°, and 4° on the end of sacrificial Al rods. Overall, I found 5° was the best fit to the slightly different tapers in the two lugs.