Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Below is a photo of a 1953 frame lug from which the saddle spring mounts. It is an extended arm and is part of the mudguard mounting bolt lug. It is the same as my 49 frame and other frames that I have noticed. This is the spring mount on my 1952 frame. Everything appears original. It is a tab welded direct to the frame and it has been oxy welded to the frame and is very neat. Likewise the mounting bracket for the mudguard pivot bolts appears to be unaltered and original. If these are subsequent modifications they are the neatest modifications that I have seen, as virtually all others have just been a bodge. Can anyone comment as to whether the frame has been altered or was this original for 1952.
David

I've exactly the same on my 1955 VB rigid frame. Ive seen a few late rigids with this type of seat mounting. Don't know if that helps you at all

Steve

Steve
thanks. it certainly looks original and now it appears that it is.
David

I have, for many years, used the welded on seat mounts as an indicator of a very late (1954 - onward) rigid frame. Are you sure this is a 1952 frame and not a later replacement?

Paul
Well just to be difficult it is a 1952 plunger frame, prefix SD. I purchased the bare frame so I do not know its history. The original brake arm pivot boss had been roughly cut off and a dodgy one added. I fabricated an original looking brake pivot boss, removed the dodgy one and welded the correct type to the frame. I also added a brake cable stop so that I could run an arm up cable rear brake to avoid the rear brake self actuation.
David

All seems absolutely standard in the despatch book. It went out as a VH, incidentally. So, unless it was a replacement frame, we don't know why some frames had welded on lugs and others the normal brazed on ones.

Strangely I too have a '53 plunger, cast lugs and a '53 rigid weld on lugs. I reckoned that the rigid is a '52 frame stamped up to '53 at the factory? The pillion footrest brackets and rr mudguard brackets are also sheet steel stampings. Lots of fun straightening them out after the bolts have been over tightened. Paul

Hi David,
I have a 1952 VHA SD2454, did you want more pictures ?
Regards from France
Eric

Eric
I think we have established that the tab welded direct to the frame is original on my bike. But I would be interested to find out whether your bike has the cast lugs or the welded on tabs.
My frame is actually the first time I have noticed the seat spring tab being welded on and as usual I have got the answer here on this forum.
David

Interesting damper type unit on the back of the rear suspension .