Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Today I managed to get my 1920 Ariel running for the first time ever after buying it as a wreck maybe 15 years ago. Can't express how chuffed I am with this. A bit more to do before its first road test, but its just made a big step forwards.

After and before pics (plus a seat and a set of handlebars)

Well done Tony, it can be long slog with so few parts to start with

Wow - excellent work!!

SG

Fantastic effort. Looks great. Well done.

Tony
congratulations and well done
David

beautiful work. It must have taken a lot of effort to get all the missing parts

Thanks for the kind words.

I bought this in an auction in Penrith. My mate bid for it for me. I'd only seen photos. I drove across from Teesside (where I was working) in the snow, collected it in the boot of my car, drove back to Swindon wondering what the hell I had bought. It came from Carlisle airport. Sadly I have no history for the bike and the original reg number wasn't with it.

The engine was knackered - seized and holes in the crank cases. I poured diesel into the engine trying to unseize it. It just poured out onto the floor. Chris Odling worked his magic on the engine. The rest was just rusty really - a massive clean up job and find the bits to make it work. Mudguards came from Andy Hughes, seat springs and footboards from Ian Newton (RIP). The rest I made myself or adapted, including fork links and spindles, springy seat (made from fork links and sidecar fittings fettled and brazed together...honest), recovered the seat retaining as much of the original cover as I could etc etc..

The tank had a small hole in the oil section, which I fixed. I wanted to keep as much of the original paint as I could, so I flatted the rusty bits back and rust killed them, then washed it all off and when dry I 2K lacquered it all over. Came out as I wanted - a protected original finish. And it keeps the bike looking old, not restored and shiny.

Its not an original bike, but its back on the road. Not a bad thing all in all.

And I have to say - the AOMCC Members Area was very helpful with the old sales catalogues. A great archive of useful info for idiots like me making bikes from scrap.

Great job Tony. I love the look of the old flattankers.

tony.barnett wrote: Mon Apr 06, 2026 1:13 pm And I have to say - the AOMCC Members Area was very helpful with the old sales catalogues. A great archive of useful info for idiots like me making bikes from scrap.

That's inspiring Tony - maybe I need an older bike.

How did you manage finding/making the fork girders?