Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Thanks for your help here Vincent. I'm about to transfer the money and it's good to have someone looking over my shoulder.

You think the petrol tank is OK? I've seen that petrol tank cap somewhere, I wondered whether is was an earlier Ariel design; I've see the oil tank cap on other W/NGs as well, but I guess it is just a universal cap.

I think the mudguards and stays are all OK; the numbers all point to an October '42 contract. Do you think the headlamp and its brackets are right? the fork links look good to me. There is a dent in the top of the mudguard, and you are right about the exhaust - I have a pic showing a crease on the inside of a bend that is not very tidy.

Hmmm, now you mention that....
the headlamp and tank do look rather new, and dent free after all those years.
red on the tank is not the same vintage as the rest.
If you can get the seller to send a very good picture from the tank with the cap removed and looking in the opening you can see if it is a Indian one or not. Indian ones have welded in tags for the cap to function against whereas Ariel tanks have dimpled tags.

Handlebar bends are maybe a bit more pronounced then original, but they look good.
field stand is adjustable! funny,
Clamp for it is attached with wing nuts, perhaps because the original bracket snapped of, not uncommon to happen.
original wiring clamps -now as a repro for sale by Mr.Kemp-
Headlamp brackets look o.k. it even has the top links the right way round (favored moaning pet of mine...)
Just checked ebay, I think at least the petrol cap is Indian, see pic. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Ariel ... SwgY9Xffta

I've these cases if that's any help for you Simon.

Vincent.vanGinneke wrote:Hmmm, now you mention that....
the headlamp and tank do look rather new, and dent free after all those years.

I think the headlamp is probably an indian SS700 replica. Its hard to tell, but I think it is bigger than the DU42 lamp the W/NG should have. isn't there 1/2" difference or so?

Steven.Carter wrote:I've these cases if that's any help for you Simon.

2016-07-21 14.12.33.jpeg

Many thanks Steve. It seems to have the original engine intact - at least, the numbers point to the same contract.

That's good

The later handlebar clamps are "1" for packers to use a 7/8 dia bar. Earlier the bars are tapered 1" down to 7/8"and mounted In rubber . The parts book shows all this. John Nash had some later type handlebars made up.. The frame # will give the production date. I can check the "Field" stand length if needed. John Budgeon makes them and the 2 spring clips that are bolted onto the frame Nev

Couple of questions - does anyone have a 1942 ish parts book? I have spent hours looking over the 1940 one in the library.

The bike is October 1942. How do the field stands vary, Nev, and what should I have?

I just got a price on a speedo from Stuart Bray. What cycle speedos does everyone favour???!!

Hello Simes,
The main difference between '40 and '42 would be that the later model has the rigid handlebar mounting and that the speedo is mounted to the right hand side of the girder / headlamp.
Perhaps a few more details but not much else I think.
I dont think there was a difference in W/NG field stands over the years.
I guess any cycle speedo with programmable wheel diameter does the job.