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Ariel Build.


jon v8
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I collected a pile of bits from John Bartram yesterday afternoon for me and a mate,(Well he says he is when he wants a favour...) I now have a new frame and all the other very smart bits that John makes,including the first of the new design of swinging arms we persuaded him to design and make.

This afternoon I laid it and all the other parts I have so far,I thought it would enthuse me to start the dry build... Bit of a shock really,its a realisation of what is ahead. There are some very nicely made bits there,John Bartram,John Budgen,Alan Whitton and Mick Ash are great to deal with,and clearly are able to deliver the goods.I took a picture so I can keep track of what else I need.(To save up for...)

post-3125-0-09840900-1423340171_thumb.jpg

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Bezaboy,the pile has shrunk ! Not much left now,but hopefully not that much more to spend...

Deryk, if you look carefully you can see the cable still attached to the mag,its still a standard KNR1... The lever is in the box of assorted bits I didn't lay out on the sheet.Thing is with a nice soft IRC tyre and a well set up engine you don't need to use ignition advance to find grip.I'm experimenting with a modern fully electronic BTH mag on my rigid AJS at the moment,so it has its own advance curve built in.(Even with a well worn tyre it still finds grip like you wouldn't believe)There are a couple of advantages,firstly it cant kick back when starting,(Apparently its their biggest selling point for older riders who struggle to fire up their bikes and cant risk injury) plus the spark is so strong and accurate compared to the messy output from a conventional mag,I think you would struggle to get the engine to run as well at low revs with any points switched mag.

Totalshell, yes there are a few original bits,crankcases,crank,gearbox,(Apart from the Mick Ash gears) mag, (But this may end up being replaced with a new BTH) and some internal engine bits.The rest is brand new,and frankly I wish the whole lot could be new.Couple of reasons for this,firstly the old bits all need work/time - which for me is limited.For instance the cylinder head is a lovely brand new casting,no stripped threads,burnt seats or loose/worn guides.So less time to build before I can ride it.

Secondly I run a small business repairing Land Rovers which can be good,but equally can be frustrating and a thankless task at times.All the people who have supplied me with parts are in a similar situation,if nobody buys new parts off them they will wander off and do something perhaps more profitable but probably less interesting to them and me.They are very clever and highly skilled people who I like to support.

Lastly,this will be a new build,another pre unit - "Proper" trials bike, OK it will be a lot lighter than an original HT5,but it is still a big bike,I could have wimped out and built/bought a Cub or a James,but I like pre unit bikes and as it will be in the same class as Cubs and James's in the Miller series it will give me a fighting chance...

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John,

The best use for the advance retard lever is as a control aid on steep descents, set it to retard and it gives a far more controlled braking effect, as for worrying about kickback when starting, my Ariel party trick was to start it by hand with the decompressor and kickstart lever........and all with a correctly maintained BTH mag.

But I'm a qualified electronics engineer - which is why I don't trust electronic ignition under trials conditions.

Cheers

Deryk

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It is just an experiment at the moment Deryk, but I have to say I don't have a problem with electronics in harsh enviroments as long as they are well made and well protected. The not kicking back bit is useful to me as I have damage in my right knee,which wasn't fixed properly in an operation several years ago.The AJS was quite fussy about its amount of retard to start,too little and it would kick back,too much retard and it wouldn't go - needing more kicks.( I once limped for a week after starting my MHR Ducati in cold weather...)

I have nothing against conventional mags,the only problem now is the quality of some of the replacement parts being made,especially the points. Also finding someone you can trust to wind armatures is getting harder,the chap I trust,Paul Lydford is not taking on any work at the moment.He really wants to slow right down or retire - cant blame him for that,I wish I could afford to.I've even looked at learning how to do it myself,but realise its a skill that would take time to perfect.

All this makes the electronic mag an attractive proposition,at low revs the advance curve cuts the timing right back for a rock steady idle and really docile plodding.As long as it proves reliable I think it may be the answer - Time will tell...

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