86 replies to this topic

[charlie prescott]

Hi Guys,
I know this sound stupid but GOV132. is lost.
I thought it was still at the National Motor Museum, No reference.
Sammy Miller Museum, No reference.
National Motorcycle Museum. No reference.
The last time I saw "The legend" was in the spring at the Classic show at Malvern.
Where is it Now, Has Colin Dommett got it back? Scott was garding it at the show.
PS, Did'nt a young man named, ? Clarke own it at one time too.

PS<PS Just found a picture of Mick Clarke riding GOV 132, in ORR number 38, will post it when I have zaped it on to my site.

Regards. Charlie.

Edited by charlie prescott, 01 December 2006 - 02:34 PM.

[fiveplease]

i didnt relise colin dommett owned gov 132 well you learn some thing new every day as they saying goes

[TRICKYMICKY]

Colin used to own it , not now. Someone ask Sammy- he's going to watch the Scott tomorrow, and post his response here for Charlie- hope he's not sold it!

[Nigel Dabster]

At one stage there was two, one at beaulieu and one at sams.

[TRICKYMICKY]

The proper one used to be at Beaulieu. The one at Sams is the one he rides in trials, also showing the gov reg.. Is that van behaving itself Dabster?- i wish mine was....

[MartinM]

charlie prescott, on Oct 19 2006, 06:08 PM, said:

PS, Did'nt a young man named, ? Clark own it at one time too.

Regards. Charlie.

Quite right Charlie......how did you know that?

It was owned at one time by Mike Clark who worked for Wyverns Motorcycles in Weston super Mare and was an expert rider in the Wessex Centre until the mid 70's when he packed in....to breed Budgies!!!!

There you go then

Martin

[charlie prescott]

Hi Guys,
Thanks Martin , my old head Isn't too bad then.
The last person I seem to remember owning it was Ralph Venables, to stop it going oversea's, but I may be wrong.
I found an article on "The Net". that say's its brother 786 GON now lives in Italy in the sun.
I hope GOV 132 as not gone to visit

Regards Charlie.

Edited by charlie prescott, 20 October 2006 - 08:28 AM.

[Big John]

I can tell you a little about 786 GON (Sammy's second string Ariel as it was once described).

Almost identical to GOV 132, Jock Wilson bought 786 GON from his employers (Comerfords) when Sammy went off to Bultaco in 1964. Jock rode, I think, 2 SSDT's on the bike, prefering it to GOV as GON had all the lightweight parts on it at the time the two bikes came into Comerfords for sale.
Also GON was slightly cheaper!

Jock sold 786GON to Ernie Page, who then sold it to a chap called Roy Kerr (an old friend of mine from the borders). Roy was overseas working for Akermans and I think it was he who sold it to a bloke in Italy.

There you go now!

Big John

[unclebuck]

Here's a pic I took a couple of months ago at the New Milton Museum:



HTH

Edited by unclebuck, 23 October 2006 - 01:19 PM.

[SC1980]

Just to correct Big John, 786 GON was sold to a private collector in the South of England, if it is in Italy now he must have sold it on since I sold the bike.

I still have lots of nice pictures of the bike and a photocopy of the registration document with SHM as one of the registered owners.

Lovely bike to ride Big John but I never used it in anger you know what I am like taking care of bikes!

[charlie prescott]

Hi Guys.
Thank's for the Pic Unclebuck, looks like "GOV" is still in the country then.I must check it out when I'am next down in Hampshire.
Thank's for the info on "786 GON" Big"J". Seems to me there might have been another "GOV132" I qoute from Classic British Trials Bikes.page 68.
"Miller ran two GOV132s,one of which was originally registered as 788 GON, and each machine was set up differently to suit different areas.Though outwardly the same and both carrying the GOV132 number". Could there have been more, only Sam would know?

Regards Charlie.

[huntmaster]

unclebuck, on Oct 23 2006, 09:17 AM, said:

Here's a pic I took a couple of months ago at the New Milton Museum:

That's the same bike I saw in Beaulieu years ago visting the UK and was equally confused as I thought I had just looked at GOV 132 the previous day in Sammy's museum beside a trophy case!
See Bob John's HT5 site.
http://bobjohns.coas...ernet.ca/ariel/
That's when I started suspecting there were a few replicas around....confirmed when just a few days later I was offered a ride on another replica at the Ariel Rally trials in Norwich, and was suitably impressed. It felt as light as my 250 Honda and didn't have to compete against SWM's in the twin shock class! Had to build one!

Regards, Doug

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Edited by huntmaster, 25 October 2006 - 06:57 PM.

[Big John]

SC1980, on Oct 23 2006, 10:06 PM, said:

Just to correct Big John, 786 GON was sold to a private collector in the South of England, if it is in Italy now he must have sold it on since I sold the bike.

I still have lots of nice pictures of the bike and a photocopy of the registration document with SHM as one of the registered owners.

Lovely bike to ride Big John but I never used it in anger you know what I am like taking care of bikes!

I stand corrected, I wasn't totally convinced it was in Italy, that was mentioned previously in the thread, I am just wondering who you are then "SC1980", it must be R.K. then! The nomdeplume indicates "Scottish Champion 1980" am I correct? My records never lie you know!

Big John

[TRICKYMICKY]

huntmaster, on Oct 25 2006, 07:55 PM, said:

unclebuck, on Oct 23 2006, 09:17 AM, said:

Here's a pic I took a couple of months ago at the New Milton Museum:

That's the same bike I saw in Beaulieu years ago visting the UK and was equally confused as I thought I had just looked at GOV 132 the previous day in Sammy's museum beside a trophy case!
See Bob John's HT5 site.
http://bobjohns.coas...ernet.ca/ariel/
That's when I started suspecting there were a few replicas around....confirmed when just a few days later I was offered a ride on another replica at the Ariel Rally trials in Norwich, and was suitably impressed. It felt as light as my 250 Honda and didn't have to compete against SWM's in the twin shock class! Had to build one!

Regards, Doug

The caption on Bob Johns site is incorrect- the Ariel pictured in Sam's museum with alloy mudguards is a replica HT5 which Sam has ridden until recently. The Ariel you viewed at Beaulieu that day will have been GOV.

[charlie prescott]

Hi Guys'

Just had an e-mail from Bob Johns.
He said, in February this year,Dario Vergano from Turin told him that 786 GON belonged to a friend of his but did'nt say his whereabouts.
Is there a 788 GON about somewhere as well?

Regards Charlie