NGC - A Square Four Story from my home town

[ohiorider]

I knew Danny Davidson from the time I was 12 - 13 years old, and had taken on the responsibility of maintaining the lawns at my parents' home and a larger lot that belonged to my 3 aunts.  I figured out early on that it wasn't too difficult to change spark plugs, points, and condensers on Briggs Stratton engines.  So that's how I met Danny.  He worked counter sales at A&I Supply (an automotive and industrial wholesale/retail outlet.)  Nine to ten years older than me, his was the voice of experience.  He was always ready to help me get the correct pieces and parts for the lawn mowers, and later for my cars.  I was always held spellbound by his ride of choice, an Ariel Square Four.  It was often protectively parked on the sidewalk in front of A&I, where it wouldn't get bumped by a careless motorist.

Here's an interesting history on that specific motorcycle I remember so well, and which was one of the bikes that got me interested in English motorcycles at an early age.  This is an excerpt from a photo history of Charleston WV, lovingly assembled by Jerry Waters.

http://www.mywvhome.com/fifties/ariel.html

Bob

[oldbike54]

 That was great Bob 

 Dusty

[balvenie]

Good story Bob

[Bonafide Bob]

Great story and pictures, Thanks for sharing them.
Bob

[Guzzistajohn]

Nice story, and well told. Thank you for sharing it.   JS

[john fish]

Thanks for that.  I re-posted it on a Wastebook riders page from up in Morgantown.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/421360231402950/?ref=bookmarks

Hope you don't mind.

John

[john fish]

After more exploration, very interesting site.

[ohiorider]

After more exploration, very interesting site.

Glad you enjoyed it!  Yes, Charleston WV was/is an interesting town, and we had a very active sports car club group in the 1960s.

[SED]

Thanks Bob,

Great Ariel story.  It's really unusual to find a bike that old with so much of its history known - and photos too.

Thanks,
Shawn

[Zoom Zoom]

That is pretty cool Bob. Thanks for posting.

Hope to see you next weekend at breakfast!

John Henry

[john fish]

Glad you enjoyed it!  Yes, Charleston WV was/is an interesting town, and we had a very active sports car club group in the 1960s.

Must've been a great club.  I saw the Facel-Vega, Shelby Cobra, Shelby Mustang (Hertz, I think), Porsche 356, and all the usual British suspects.

[ohiorider]

Must've been a great club.  I saw the Facel-Vega, Shelby Cobra, Shelby Mustang (Hertz, I think), Porsche 356, and all the usual British suspects.

The Facel Vega belonged to Frank Cross and his wife.  They were car-aholics!  And obviously wealthy.  The XK-120 belonged to a very close friend of my older brother .... by the name of Bobby Hunt.  Many of the members of the club drove AH-3000s.  One very close friend of our family's started his Healey career with a 100-4 before going to a 100-6, and (I think) to his third, a 3000.  I personally thought the Healeys were one of the neatest of the Brit cars.  Friend of mine bought a beautiful Healey in 1963, a 61 or 62.  He owned a college bar, so the car was available to his younger brother and me nearly any evening we wanted it during the summer of 1963 (which was most every night!)  This particular car must have been a one year model, since it came with not 2 but 3 SU sidedraft carbs.  What beautiful sounds the in line six made!  And it was such a cool feeling to be cruising along in 4th (top) gear, reach up to the toggle switch on the dash, flip it and drop the car into overdrive.

[krglorioso]

In 1961 I worked for Montgomery Motors, BSA-Ariel-Velocette dealer in Mount Vernon, NY, as a mechanic.  We took in for service a later MkII (?) with the four exhaust "headers", not the Siamesed ones as on the subject bike of this thread).  It was the most beautiful bike I'd ever seen and probably still is.  It did have the horrid Anstey Link rear suspension which I wouldn't touch for fear of exploding springs decapitating me) but it did have a nice, single SU carburetor, so no synchronizing was needed.  I was allowed to ride it and I recall it would pull in top (4th) gear from a ridiculously low speed, perhaps under 20 mph. 

It ran very well and I was happy that all I had to do was an oil change.  I wasn't very eager to put a wrench on it for any more invasive work.

Ralph

[Huzo]

Yeah I always like those stories. Is there a difference in the timing side engine casings between oridpginal '50's shot and current ?

[Huzo]

Sorry that should read "original"