Sad to say, looking carefully at that very interesting bike I couldn't actually see any bits that came originally from an HT5 - and I only used to restore them...........But Sam looks happy - but then he probably supplied some of the bits.

Please look a lot closer, loads there

I watched ' Field of Dreams ' at the weekend. That was unrealistic nostalgic fiction too

Well I have looked closer and it is a very pretty bike with lots of modern parts, this is now a standard wish list for this class.

I can see-

Flange less alloy rims, gas assisted rear shocks, plastic mudguards, Amal concentric carb, looks like an alloy sump guard, looks like a titanium front pipe, fat bars, slab yokes, no fork gaiters fitted, modern small tank with plastic cap, no seat ! ,looks like skinny hubs, KTM style kickstart, in fact apart from the crankcase,barrel, head and gearbox where are the standard 1950's parts.

I love it but where are they all being ridden ? surely not just being built for entry into the pre 65 Scottish or the Northern classic bike championship.

Hi Laird, yes I agree with you, it was Walllo that suggested a closer look was required.

The sport has morphed into pre 65 bikes being built in 2015, I have never seen so many Bantams, Cubs and James, if they had been around in 1964 the Spanish invasion would never have happened. As I said earlier most are competitive with the twin shock brigade in fact the better versions of the twin shocks, you would need a late SWM or Fantic to compete with the Pre 65's !

Hi Laird, just re-read your post, HT5 parts, well that's not going to happen ! I was referring to any standard 1950/60 Ariel parts !

Where would we all be without the education afforded to us by your knowledge and experience.

not sure how the above remark is intended,but for myself I`m interested otherwise I would not read this forum or have signed up for ORRe and as with all things make up my own mind right or wrong from there.....

Edited November 28, 201510 yr by esuark

I read somewhere that GOV 132 was fitted with Girling gas shocks which at the time were unavailable to the general public.

Not all bikes being ridden today are built from special or modified parts, Robert Bowyer won the Scottish Pre 65 on a Triumph twin built from Triumph parts by dad Roger.

"trialsrfun" posted:

I read somewhere that GOV 132 was fitted with Girling gas shocks which at the time were unavailable to the general public.

...as might be expected with many parts on any works bike undergoing continuous development.

Depends what era you were reading about as GOV 132 was used by Sammy to win the first of the pre 65 Scottish events in the 80's (?)