Where were you?

This year's Ariel Rally was one of the best. Here is a report from Shorty Cole:

After all the Covid related cancelations, hold ups etc, our rally finally got out of the starting blocks.

Based at Massey University’s Rugby institute in Palmerston North, the riders gathered from 12.00 noon for checking in and a quick catch up. They received the key to the accommodation, along with their rally pack/bag full of goodies, books, sweets pen, cleaning cloths, handle bar/lever gaiters and much more.

It was then a case of follow the leader, Shorty on his Trials replica Royal Enfield out to Rongatea to Peter and Jennifer Thompson’s private collection of all makes, types and specials of motorcycles. 

Some fun was had with a 1937 Ariel 500 which was offered to anyone who wanted to have a ride except that the axles on the front and rear wheels had been slightly modified off centre to make the bike go up and down as it was ridden.  Going fast was impossible!

 

 Meanwhile, a very understanding pig had thoughtfully donated itself to our cause and was cooking along all afternoon in a fully enclosed spit BBQ, this along with the spuds and veg’s ensured everyone had enough to eat that night.

While this was cooking, everyone dined on chocolate cake, beers juice. At one stage I thought I might move in! Thanks to Peter and Jennifer for all the hard work and effort, and what an amazing collection of bikes well represented by Ariels.

 Saturday, after a rider’s brief, it was out to Pohongia, over to Apiti for lunch,

then a look at Murray Whitehead’s MG’s, boats, racing Anglia, before heading to the “Castle”.

 The Castle is appropriately named; here we were met by Rene Redmond, an ex-RNZAF Mechanic, who over collects aircraft motors and the like. We were given a very interesting talk on the known history of these motors.

Pictured is a 7-cylinder Cheeta Radial, which had not been run for many years, was started for us. What loverly sounding engine, and a credit to Rene and Tarquin and their helpers to maintain and endure that these pieces of history are kept.

  The next engine to be started was a Rolls Royce jet as fitted the RNZAF Strikemaster, and other similar aircraft. Nobody will complain about how much fuel their car uses ever again after seeing the tank level disappearing while not even being run flat out! And that’s not to mention the noise level!

   After this visit all was all back to a well-deserved drink. A really lovely meal put on by the Massey Sports Centre was followed by the AGM and the prize-giving.

Best Single - Jack Chappel-1954 500                Most Original - Daryl Nitschke WNG 350

Best Twin - RobertYoung-1948 500KH               Best Sidevalve -1935 550 Rhys Harold

Special - Roger Wright-1937 500                         Best Square Four - Mike Hardmen -1938 

Hard luck - John Hayman-FH 650                        Furthest Ridden-Graeme Crawley 650 Huntmaster

 Our thanks to the staff at Massy for ensuring that this rally went smoothly and was problem free. Also thank you to all the helpers who chipped in and helped to ensure that the rally was a success.

My first Ariel Blog

This is the editor - just trying to get these blog things to work for members of the register

SQ4 Redemption

This might end up being a long and tenuous story about bring a very battered SQ4 back from the dead or alternatively a tale of defeat and give up! Right now it looks like a hopeless task with SO much missing but fingers crossed there are the missing bits out there someplace.

April 2023: Well not too much happened as had to move house after 38 years and it has taken the best part of 4 years to clean up the junk. The progress that has been made is mostly obtaining the missing bits and I had the head and barrel planned, new liners fitted and bored to suit the new pistons. and the cranks and mains ground to fit new bearings. In saying this I am wondering if a did a good enough job at cleaning ut those critical oilways in the crank - better look at them again after reading the technical article in this web site! The crank cases and barrel have been vapour blasted and quite a few new head studs machined in Stainless steel but quite a few to go - might end up buying some I think but the costs is eye-watering so we will see if I can get my lathe set up in a new house and do some more maybe.

New rims arrived, yet to spoke these but did make the Forma to do it which hopefully the packers did not leave behind as a bit of rubbish.

Soo all on hold now until we find a new shed with a house attached.

March 2024: Well now in the city of Napier. This house needs work done on it so nothing much has happened on this project other than to build a new bike table and gather some more bits for Chrome plating. This is not how things were supposed to go! Hopefully I can start on the engine once this woodwork is out of the way; there is just too much dust for engine building.

Jun 2024: Winter. Still not suitable for engine building so I decided to check out the tinware. Oh dear, it is worse than expected. The rear mudguard had been chopped then re-welded back on but for some reason they also cut an inch or so off the leading edge of the rear mudguard and not even squarely cut - looks like tinsnips applied whilst the guard was still in the bike! Who did these things and why? Not sure if i will have to weld on again to get a full front-end of the guard after all who can see down there, and it never to have a mounting bracket since on these models the entire guard tilts on the under-seat mounting to enable the rear wheel to be removed. This of course was an absolutely crazy idea because, if you have a carrier or anything else attached behind the sprung seat, the whole dang lot has to be removed. I am exploring Indian guards, but it seems a shame not to use the ones I have despite the cost it will be to fix them up. The front guard is also butchered. The brackets that bolt to the telescopic fork have been cut off - why? Not only that the Scallops in the guard to allow the forks to clear the guard have been filled in with body solder so the valanced guard looks like a girder fork guard ie has no scallops. Hopefully heat will make the solder fall out and with some effort I can remake the mounting brackets which would just leave the many holes that are in the guards where the previous owner mounted "tin Stars" he told me, but the stars are long gone else I may have been tempted to leave them there as a testament to the Bodgie days.