Ariels in fleet usage

[simon.holyfield]

Folks,

Question. I know that some Australian police forces used Square Fours, but are there any other examples of Ariels in civilian fleet use? Other police forces, the AFS, AA, RAC perhaps?

[Roger Gwynn]

Many Leaders and a few Arrows were used by UK police, also the Danish police used SQ4's as well as the local Nimbus that were a bit slow. It was said that they used to go around in pairs as the SQ4 was fast enough to catch the crims but would probably break down, and the Nimbus would get there eventually.

[simon.holyfield]

Many Leaders and a few Arrows were used by UK police, also the Danish police used SQ4's as well as the local Nimbus that were a bit slow. It was said that they used to go around in pairs as the SQ4 was fast enough to catch the crims but would probably break down, and the Nimbus would get there eventually.

Cheers.

I'm having a weekend at my desk - a blood test on Monday demands no strenuous activity. I've been looking at patterns in tab numbers - done anything like that?

[will_curry]

A quick browse suggests that several Australian forces used Square Fours:

https://victoriancollections.net.au/ite ... 12989bb8f7

https://www.facebook.com/oldmadrasmotor ... 592652268/

https://www.pressreader.com/australia/o ... 6654137480

Somewhere in my collection of books there is a photograph of a Square Four in service with
an American force, possibly in Texas.

[nevhunter]

I knew the Bloke who serviced the Police Ariels in Vic, but who is now deceased. The Cops didn't like them much as they didn't like the Handling. Lots of the 4 Pipers with the Ugly oil tank. Many of the SQ4 bikes here would be ex police.. Nev

[david.anderson]

OHC4 and cast iron squares were used by the South Australian police and then they went to Vincent Rapides. The SA police did not like the 4s oil leaks from the poorly designed rocker boxes so they solved the problem by redesigning and casting new leak proof rocker boxes. The new rocker boxes were then fitted to new 4s before use. Any cast iron 4 with the non-original rocker boxes is probably ex SA police. Brenton Roy, who used to be regular, here has a 4 fitted with those police rocker boxes. The same rocker boxes have been newly cast and are available from the Australian Ariel Register. From what I have been told well worth the money.
Victorian state police used mk1 and mk2 square4s and the Australian Capital Territory police also used mk2 square 4s.
A former NSW bike dealer told me that the vast majority of mk2 square 4s imported to Australia were for police use. He sold many used 4s and in his words “9 out of 10 of them were ex police”. MK2 4s used by both Vic and ACT police departments were wedgewood blue irrespective of the year, and they were always fitted with the flared deep valanced front mudguard, not the BSA guard used from 56 on. They were also fitted with front and rear crash bars. On the headlight cowl models 56+ the headlight switch was a tall round switch that was fitted into the dash panel which had a smaller switch hole than needed for the normal switch.
I was also advised that the police kept a couple of spare engines. When a bike came in with a problem, the engine was removed and replaced with a spare. The removed engine was then rebuilt and went into the next problem bike. As such most ex police square 4s are not matching number, including mine, which is ex police.
I was also advised by a former Victorian police officer that the Vic police mk2 4s were, in later years, fitted with a very large speedo that was strapped to the petrol tank which was padded to protect it. I have never seen a photo of a police bike as such, however Barry Bligh of Overlander (stainless vintage exhaust and more manufacturer) confirmed this was the case. He said that the police used to hide near his home and he would watch them take off full blast after a speeding motorist. He thought he may have had a photo of one fitted with the tank speedo but was unable to find it for me.
Here is a few more links.
David

https://victoriancollections.net.au/ite ... 1824da8688
https://www.facebook.com/Historical1838 ... 769184957/
A short pictorial history of motorcycle policing in South Australia. | South Australian Police Historical Society | Facebook
https://victoriancollections.net.au/ite ... 12989bb8f7
https://www.facebook.com/Historical1838 ... 769184957/

[Roger Gwynn]

A quick filter of the machine register to show MKII currently in Australia and then to show those that are recorded as police bikes brings up 120 MKIIs four of which are known to be police bikes. The police bikes are usually obvious in the despatch books but are not always labelled as such and always seem to have been supplied via dealers, but there are other indicators such as a batch with the same spec to one dealer with concurrent tab numbers. Some of the special equipment was fitted at the factory but no doubt more mods were fitted by the local force.

1932 4F police bikes in South Australia. Can anyone tell me where this photo was taken?

They clearly did not learn so here are more, this time MKIs in Victoria

There was an article, now missing, about 4fs to USA police in 1932 and in 1940 6 4F police bikes went to Bryant's. The Bolivian police had 20 MKII in 1955, I wonder how many have survived? At least one 1953 MKII to the Siamese police. There are undoubtedly others that I havn't spotted or recorded.

At least 150 two strokes were supplied to UK forces.

[Bernie Blundell]

Have a look here >>>> http://www.policebikes.org.uk/home.html

[Simon.Gardiner]

Have a look here >>>> http://www.policebikes.org.uk/home.html

Gee, I never realised we were using Villiers 2T engines in Arrows and Leaders!

There's an interesting (but small) pic of what looks to be an Ariel single in WW2 London police use. It's got a panel tank and lots of chrome so not a W/NG, but it does have the auxiliary fork springs.

The very smartly dressed policeman on it is wearing a back-pack with several cables attached and seems to be talking into a microphone (although I can't see a radio aerial).

SG

[nevhunter]

while the Bike is on the rearstand? Nev