Work progresses on my neglected Ariel W/NG......off the road since mid-2012 due to magneto issues..........

I've since taken the opportunity to do other work apart from sorting the magneto out.....this has been a combination of cosmetic and mechanical, the latter involving some renewal of parts and fixing the ever-inherent oil-leaks...........in the case of the W/NG, there are several points where leakage is common and in particular around the rocker-boxes and feed-pipe unions.....a combination of o-rings and sealant ensures reasonable oil-tightness.........

This particular Ariel has been owned for years....she left the factory on 10th April 1942 and both engine and frame are from the same contract (C.11103)......I finished her in KG No.3 as, when originally acquired (in bits) the frame remained in the original colour and, despite much surface rust, had never been over-painted and was in KG No.3...........I guess that within months of finishing this frame, Ariel had used up their stocks and gone over to SCC No.2 brown.........

Only mod's from standard are a bigger 276 carburetter rather than the standard 275, "civvy" ratio's in the gearbox (standard W/NG arrangement has 3 lower gears very close together and then a massive gap between 3rd and top - not good for a smooth change up or down !), a bigger engine sprocket and a narrow clutch with fibre inserts which provides for a far lighter and smoother movement.......the standard W/NG was fitted with the wider clutch that was intended for the 500cc, not necessary for usage today...........

The colour / dating correlation is useful, Steve. Would you say that 'mid' 1942 to 'mid' 1944 is aboout right for SCC No.2 ?

I'd say so Rik.........my W/NG is fairly accurate in dating according to the factory ledgers......and the frame had never been re-painted from original..........

As a smaller manufacturer, Ariel perhaps didn't use up their stocks of KG No.3 as rapidly as bigger volume manufacturers, such as BSA and Norton.......and official directives were for existing stocks of paint to be used up before adopting the new colour.....after all, there was a war on !

One original item that I've since abandoned are the steel cable clips attached around the head-stock of the frame.......two on one side and one on the other, located by small BA-thread grub screws.........the purpose was to secure the control cables and wiring loom to the frame.......mine are originals and very thin steel......

The reason ? They chaff the hell out of the control cable outers ! Even when clipped to the frame, rotation of the handlebars requires cables to move, and regardless of how much slack you have, movement, no matter how small, cuts through the outers........I've now gone through one set of original cables and one set of modern plastic-covered.......

I'm not going to fork out on yet another set of original cables (laquer-braided cotton covered) from Russell Motors, so safer now to use modern plastic cable ties beneath the tank on the frame top-tube.............

And worth mentioning that Russell Motors have decent stocks of NOS WD Ariel parts too, as well as BSA, Norton, AMC and some Triumph..............

If I wasn't a 'BSA man' I'd more than likely run a WNG...As I've said previously I think, all round, it's probably the best of the WD bikes...

Most of what Val Page designed seemed to do the job pretty well...

The only thing I don't really like on them is that the clutch centre is part of the gearbox mainshaft and a gearbox strip down is required if you need to replace it..

A friend of mine currently has that dilemma on his Burman equipped Matchless Model X which has a worn centre....Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

I suppose, despite the clutch centre being a disadvantage on Ariel's, there is another plus however.......in that the clutch runs outside the primary cases within it's own cover....so you can keep the primary cases undisturbed and oil-tight (alloy type however, not the later steel variety !)........

It's an old engine design however, late-20s/early 30s but very reliable if a little sedate..........

As for the frame, an excellent strong one-piece design and the whole bike sits rather "tall"......the forks too, very good and with side check-springs............

Often forgotten about, but a decent WD bike and a match for a G3L ! (plus taken over by BSA in 1944 !)

I didn't realise 800 WNGs were supplied to the Danish Army in 1946/7...I wonder how many other companies supplied foreign armies directly after the war with wartime spec. bikes?...Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

They were a mixture of new and reconditioned ex-WD stock Ian...........other countries too........