Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Hi
this is dad's Ariel located in Tasmania Australia.
It's a 1951 VH fitted with a 1949 VG 500 motor.
I have paperwork from Drags on both bikes,both dads VH & the VG from which the motor came from.
Read heaps on what is/isn't a Hunter but still a bit confused.
Believe being a VH it is a Hunter.
Has a 19" front wheel not 20".
Was originally maroon tank before dad painted it and oil tank blue.
Is the front guard VH or maybe VG?
Cheers Chris.

It is not difficult to be confused as to whether a bike is a Red Hunter or not because 90% of the parts are common to both VH and VG models. Added to that, although one would normally expect a valanced front mudguard on a VG, for example, you could order anything you wanted from the factory so there are VH models which were originally supplied with valanced front mudguards. Such special orders are obvious from the despatch book records, copies of which you have from Drags.

So what is it? To me, that rather depends upon whether Dad just slotted the VG motor into the VH frame or whether he used some of the VH engine parts such as flywheels, camshaft, piston and cylinder head together with the VH carburettor. If the engine is all VG parts, I would think of the bike as a VG but if it has VH engine parts then I would think of it as a VH.

Either way, it should be be a lovely bike to ride. VH performance is generally higher than VG performance but the VG does have its advantages over the VH. Whilst a student, about half a century ago, I once changed the VH flywheels in my sidecar outfit for VG ones and the improvement in performance was significant, due to the heavier flywheels. On the other hand, I also had a VH with VG flywheels in it which limited top speed because the engine wouldn't rev as freely as it would have done with VH flywheels.

Most people these days do not demand the sort of performance which I was looking for in those days so my advice is to get out on the bike and enjoy it, perhaps making alterations if there are aspects you don't like.

Thanks for the reply.
The motor was fitted to the bike when dad found it in a shed when he started dating mum.(Late 1960's)
It was originally mums dad's bike.
Only going on engine# so don't know how much is VH or VG.
So,
if it was originally fitted with a VH motor would it make it a Hunter? being a VH.
Cheers Chris.

In the UK at least, the DVLA deem the identity of the machine to be forever connected to the frame - so legally we would say you have SA1291 which was despatched from Ariel as a VH - the 500cc Red Hunter.

Someone has put a VG engine in it - or at least, it has crankcases marked with a number that originally belonged to a VG; as to what dwells in those cases, it would be interesting to know!

As you mentioned, the VH would have had a 20" front wheel in 1951 - be thankful someone has fitted a 19" wheel, as 20" tyres are not easy to find at the moment!

Thanks for the replies.
Much appreciated.
Cheers Chris.

Yer neither dad or I don't know the history of the fitted VG.
All people involved has passed long ago.
Cheers Chris.

Mum and dad on the bike late 60's.
Dad now.
Would like to know where horn went.
Dad has no idea.
Cheers Chris.

This is clearly an blue Hunter!

Welcome !

this is where the horn goes : note that it (a Lucas Altette) is attached to the mudguard bracket with a flat horn bracket, not the seat bracket.