1936 Ariel 4F OHC Square Four on eBay

These rare early overhead cam Ariel Square Four motorcycles do not turn up in barn-find condition very often – actually they are pretty scarce anywhere outside museums. Out of my price range (barns aren’t what they used to be!) but a lot of very clear photos.

This bike looks pretty complete and the numbers match.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260555028199

Update: bidding closed at US $26,900.00

Jings!

Posted: February 17th, 2010 by arielnh56 | trackback | permalink

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Ariel Engine and Frame Number Prefixes

Engine numbers, frame numbers, model designations and engine configuration for Ariel motorcycles from 1926 – 1965.

Two strokes are at the bottom.

YR MODEL ENGINE FRAME BORE STRK CC/VALVES
RIGID SPRING
26 C, D P P — 81.8 95 500 OHV
A, B P P — 86.4 95 550 SV
27 C, D, E V V — 81.8 95 500 OHV
A, B V V — 86.4 95 550 SV
28 C, D, E W W — 81.8 95 500 OHV
A, B W W — 86.4 95 550 SV
29 C, D, E H H — 81.8 95 500 OHV
A, B H H — 86.4 95 550 SV
LB L L — 65 75 250 SV
LF L L — 65 75 250 OHV
30 A, B K K — 86.4 95 550 SV
E, F, G K K — 81.8 95 500 OHV
LF, LG M L — 65 75 250 OHV
LB M L — 65 75 250 SV
31 VB N N or K — 86.4 95 550 SV
VF N N or K — 86.4 85 500 OHV
SB sloper S S — 86.4 95 550 SV
SF,SG sloper S S — 86.4 85 500 OHV
LF J J — 65 75 250 OHV
LB J J — 65 75 250 SV
MB/MF/MH? A J — 72 85 350 SV, OHV
4F R R — 51 61 500 OHC SQ4
32 LF E B or D — 65 75 250 OHV
LB E B or D — 65 75 250 SV
MB B B — 72 85 350 SV
MF, MH? B B — 72 85 350 OHV
VB C C or D — 86.4 95 550 SV
VG, VH C C or D — 86.4 85 500 OHV
SB sloper D D — 86.4 95 550 SV
SG sloper D D — 86.4 85 500 OHV
4F/5 R T — 51 61 500 OHC SQ4
4F/6 T T — 56 61 600 OHC SQ4
33 LF ? DA Y — 65 75 250 OHV
ME, MH BA Y or E — 72 85 350 OHV
VE, VG, VH CA Y — 86.4 85 500 OHV
VA, VB CA Y — 86.4 95 550 SV
4F TA Y — 56 61 600 OHC SQ4
34 LF, LH EA Y — 61 85 250 OHV
NF, NH FA Y — 72 85 350 OHV
VF, VG, VH GA Y — 86.4 85 500 OHV
VA, VB GA Y — 86.4 95 550 SV
4F UA Y — 56 61 600 OHC SQ4
35 LF, LH HA Y — 61 85 250 OHV
NF, NH JA Y — 72 85 350 OHV
VF,VG,VH KA Y — 86.4 85 500 OHV
VA, VB KA Y — 86.4 95 550 SV
4F WA Y — 56 61 600 OHC SQ4
36 LH, LG AB F — 61 85 250 OHV
NH, NG BB F — 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG CB F — 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB CB F — 86.4 102 600 SV
4G DB P — 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
4F XB Y — 56 61 600 OHC SQ4
37 LH, LG AC XF — 61 85 250 OHV
NH, NG BC XF — 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG CC XF — 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB CC XF — 86.4 102 600 SV
4G DC101-615 P — 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
4F EC P — 56 61 600 OHC SQ4
38 LH, LG AD XG — 61 85 250 OHV
NH, NG BD XG — 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG CD XG — 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB CD XG — 86.4 102 600 SV
4G DC616-650, DD651- P — 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
4F DD P — 56 61 600 OHC SQ4
39 OH, OG AE M — 61 85 250 OHV
NH, NG BE XG BX 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG CE XG BX 81.8 95 500 OHV
VA CE XG BX 81.8 95 500 SV
VB CE XG BX 86.4 102 600 SV
4G, 4H DE P AX 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
4F EE P AX 50.4 75 600 OHV SQ4
40 OH, OG AH M — 61 85 250 OHV
NH, NG BH XG BX 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG CH XG BX 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB CH XG BX 86.4 102 600 SV
4G, 4H DH P AX 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
4F EH & EEH P AX 50.4 75 600 OHV SQ4
41-5 W/NG BH, NBH, RBH XG — 72 85 350 OHV
46-7 NH, NG BK AP,BP — 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG CK BP — 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB CK BP — 86.4 102 600 SV
4G, 4H DH268,273-6 P — 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
4G DK XP AX 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
48 NH, NG AJ BP BX 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG BJ BP BX 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB BJ BP BX 86.4 102 600 SV
KH, KG PT DX CX 63 80 500 OHV Twin
4G CJ XP AX 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
49 NH, NG DJ RF SF 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG EJ RF SF 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB EJ RF SF 86.4 102 600 SV
VCH CO COM SF 81.8 95 500 OHV
KH, KG HT HH HS 63 80 500 OHV Twin
4G FJ GR GS 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
50 NH, NG KL AB AC 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG MN AB AC 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB MN AB AC 86.4 102 600 SV
VCH CO COM,AB AC 81.8 95 500 OHV
KH, KG OP GD LL 63 80 500 OHV Twin
4G JJ TD CW 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
51 NH, NG RA WA SA 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG RB WA SA 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB RB WA SA 86.4 102 600 SV
VCH CO COM,WA SA 81.8 95 500 OHV
KH, KG RC WB SB 63 80 500 OHV Twin
4G RD WC SC 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
52 NH, NG TB OA SD 72 85 350 OHV
VH, VG TC OA SD 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB TC OA SD 86.4 102 600 SV
VHA TCA OA SD 81.8 95 500 OHV
VCH TR OR —- 81.8 95 500 OHV
KH, KG TE OB SE 63 80 500 OHV Twin
4G TM OC SV 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
53 NH XA AM AS 72 85 350 OHV
VH XC AM AS 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB VB AM AS 86.4 102 600 SV
VHA XD AM AS 81.8 95 500 OHV
VCH XE MA — 81.8 95 500 OHV
KH XF BW BS 63 80 500 OHV Twin
KHA XFA BW BS 63 80 500 OHV Twin
4G MK.1 XH —- ES 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
4G Mk.2 XJ EJ ES 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
54 LH PA —- KN 60 70 200 OHV
NH PB KW KS 72 85 350 OHV
VH PD —- KS 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB PE KW VS 86.4 102 600 SV
KH PH BW KS 63 80 500 OHV Twin
FH PJ —- KS 70 84 650 OHV Twin
4G Mk.2 PL —- KR 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
HS PS —- KSS 81.8 95 500 OHV
HT PD or PT KT or TF —- 81.8 95 500 OHV
55 LH LA — LS 60 70 200 OHV
NH LB — DU 72 85 350 OHV
VH LC — DU 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB LD RF DU 86.4 102 600 SV
KH LE — DU 63 80 500 OHV Twin
FH LF — DU 70 84 650 OHV Twin
HT LJ TF — 81.8 95 500 OHV
HS LK — KSS,DUS 81.8 95 500 OHV
4G GL — PS 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
56 LH ALA — MT 60 70 200 OHV
NH MA — PR 72 85 350 OHV
VH MB — PR 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB MC — PR 86.4 102 600 SV
KH MD — PR 63 80 500 OHV Twin
FH MLF — PR 70 84 650 OHV Twin
HS MH — PRS 81.8 95 500 OHV
HT MJ — RT 81.8 95 500 OHV
4G ML — GM 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
57 LH BLA — ST 60 70 200 OHV
NH AMA — APR 72 85 350 OHV
VH AMB — APR 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB AMC — APR 86.4 102 600 SV
KH AMD — APR 63 80 500 OHV Twin
FH NLF — APR 70 84 650 OHV Twin
HS NH — PRS 81.8 95 500 OHV
HT NJ — RT 81.8 95 500 OHV
HT3 AMA — RT 72 85 350 OHV
4G NML — GM 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4
58-9 LH CBLA — CST 60 70 200 OHV
NH CAMA — CAPR 72 85 350 OHV
VH CAMB — CAPR 81.8 95 500 OHV
VB CAMC — CAPR 86.4 102 600 SV
FH CNLF — CAPR 70 84 650 OHV Twin
HS CNH — CPRS 81.8 95 500 OHV
HT CNJ — CRT 81.8 95 500 OHV
HT3 TH — CRT 72 85 350 OHV
4G CNML — CGM 65 75 1000 OHV SQ4

Note- 1941-5, 350 W/NG. Some of the machines made for the Royal Navy had engine prefix letters NBH, and some of the machines made for the Royal Air force had engine prefix letters RBH. There was no record of this in the Despatch Books. In both cases the numbers were in the main BH sequence.

Ariel Two Stroke engine and frame prefix and suffix letters.

Note:- the two strokes all left the factory with the engine number the same as the frame number. One series of numbers was used for all the two strokes, prefixed T-,the model being indicated by the suffix letter.

/A = Early Leader
/B = Late Leader
/S = Early Arrow
/T = Late Arrow
/G = Arrow SS
/H = 200cc Arrow

Early Leaders and Arrows ( /A and /S ) are those up to and including 17440.
Late Leaders and Arrows ( /B and /T ) are those17441 and higher.
The earliest Arrow T- 8701/S
The earliest Arrow SS T- 20384/G
The earliest Arrow 200cc T-33701/H

This list originaly compiled by Roger Gwynn and Ralph Hawkins in September 1989, corrections to February 1993.

Merged in model letters and bore/stroke info from Accessory Mart.

All reproduced with permission.

Ariel tended to mix things around a bit so the line from one year to the next is not clean. For definitive dating of your machine contact the AOMCC or Draganfly. For a small fee they can look up their microfiche copy of the factory despatch books. Each bike received a handwritten entry with other info included such as special options and date of despatch and where to. That’s how I know my bike’s birthday is May 31st!

Posted: February 16th, 2010 by arielnh56 | trackback | permalink

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Batteries

I finally got around to investigating what went wrong with the my Ariel NH last time out – very weak spark and general loss of electrical power. The Boyer Bransden unit really is not happy with low voltage. After a lot of low speed puttering I did get home. I assumed that my rewired (again) alternator system had died (again), with the alternator brushes being the prime suspect. Turns out I was wrong. The new battery had died – shorted out a cell by the look of it – which pretty much pulled the system down to 10 volts. Probable reason for the battery death was loose screws on the battery platform resulting in excessive battery shoogling. These batteries were suspiciously cheap, and shipping expensive,  so I did get two of them. Filled up the spare and all is well. They are Power Sonic brand equivalents to the original Yuasa 12N5.5A-3B. I selected this size long ago and made my battery box to fit it using leftover Sun server rack panels and a offcut piece of teak from Tantallon Castle bridge (wot Dad made). This is a hard battery to find as it was only used on mid-70s Yamaha RD400 machines.

So it is time to sign up for the BSA club annual gig in San Jose. Maybe I will brave the run this year.

In the meantime the kickstartless New Bonnie’s battery is now too weak to turn it over, so I need one of those too – and those are not cheap.

Posted: January 26th, 2010 by arielnh56 | trackback | permalink

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