Good day.

I have found an Ariel W/NG from 1st contract delivered within 1940.

Mick Holmes was kind enough to help with delivey data already!

Want to rebuild and restore correct according to 1940 specs. It is currently fitted with the later pannier upgrade.




Is above picture exactly as a 1940 should be?

Questions I have currently:

-should it have a licence plate assembly on either front or rear? Currently has a rear plate and studs on the front mud guard.
Depending on the rear licence plate, should it have a MT110 or the WD pattern tail light?

-Was it fitted from factory with rubber or kickstart, gear change and foot rests? If so, did the footrests have the Ariel imprint? Also asking as I have 2 different sets of foot rests , one has a cast pattern on them? Late issue?

-Being early, not having a pillion seat, should it have the rear foot rests? And if not, should the frame originally have the rear footrest mountings on the frame?

-Mine has a skit plate mounted? Was this a standard?

-I have heard about different early speedo brackets, mine has a 2 bracket setup, is this correct for early war?

As mentioned, want to make it a correct 1940 resto, and apart from a slightly later engine #, it should make a fairly easy and correct resto.

BTW, I am also looking for a early khaki Ariel tank badge and the correct Original early war rear frame to replace the pannier frames.

Thanks in advance, more questions later for sure!

Jacco

email (option): vansnippenberg@yahoo.com

Jacco, I'm not an Ariel expert but I have a 1940 obsession !

Can you confirm the contract number ? Some of the initial deliveries included cancelled French Government machines which make things more complicated.

Definitely no WD tail light as they were a later development.

I'm sure that we can find some photographic evidence.

Hello Rik,

it was delivered under contract C8302 and delivered early December 1940.
You say no WD type rear light, how about above picture....early WNG with that specific tail light right?


Being part of the contract which included French machines I was kind of hoping it would be a French machine as I found this Ariel in the upper North of Norway which is exactly the area where the French and expeditionary forced landed and evacuated from again in the summer of 1940. Leaving and completey surrendering summer 1940 excludes this bike from being brought there by them there in the first place....as said, it was delivered early December 1940.

Would have been a blast though....it it would have been a French bike.

Anyway, I know the bikes history 50 years back, has been in the Harstad area since...so probably served in Norwegean army after WWII as many Ariels and popped up in Harstad just random.

Try to post some photos later on when I get time.

Jacco

Hi Jacco,
I am also restoring a 1940 Ariel WNG that was found in Norway. Can you give me some more info on your bike and how it got to Norway? My bike came out of the same contract; the frame number is 13200. It was the 1598th bike made in the batch of 2700.

Hi Steven.

Great to hearr...could learn from your bike for sure. Any photos here on the web of your bike?

I have 13764 dispatched december 14th.

Do not know exactly how it ended up in Norway, see previous post on that. Most probably transferred from ETO to Norwegean Army and army base in Harstad where is has been for many years prior to me buying it.

Thanks, Jacco

I would love to see some photos.

Here you go, any comments welcome..










Cheers Jacco

Hi Jacco,

WOW!! Your bike looks more complete than mine. Does the bike run? I am looking for a front brake rod and the two tool boxes. I think I will ride it for a year or so then start the restoration. My bike was delivered 8 Aug 1940 after that I can't say. I found it in Canada and the guy I got it from brought it back from Norway. It looks like the bike was first registered on 1948 07 20 and the engine number was XN9386 (Kjennemerke). Is there a way to look up the history from the registrert eier 410358.15536?

Cheers,
Steven

Hi Jacco,

Very nice looking bike, found in France again?

cheers Menno

email (option): menno_kraak@hotmail.com

Thanks for your reply. Any thoughts on the questions raised?
Also, till when where black panel census numbers standard issue? Pre 1940?

Thanks Jacco

Jacco, the bike in your photograph is not all that early - it's a C9387 machine (frames 17001 - 20999). I have it listed as an RASC contract not completed until quite late in 1941.

The black panel census number (on the left only) was basically a pre-war style and certainly BSAs were being delivered without by September 1939. One or two manufacturers seem to have got away with it into the early part of 1940.

These numbers were applied either at RAOC Chilwell or RASC Feltham etc. but towards the end of 1940, manufacturers were being paid 1/- (5p) per machine to paint the serial numbers and were generally using the civilian number plate positions. That said, I can't find any early Ariel photos that are not 'impressed' civilian models that have a front number plate.

The best line of research would be to go through the wartime issues of 'Motor-Cycle' and 'Motor-Cycling' and study any Ariel images. The VMCC library in the UK has a full set of each.

Along with Nortons, substantial quantities of Ariels were supplied from British stocks at the end of the war in order to assist Norway with reconstructing her forces. A rebuilt machine such as yours (maybe with a new engine) would have been regarded as the equivalent of a new machine.

Hello Rik, thanks allot.

What is exactly an "impressed" civilian bike? You mean mine probably had front and rear license plate?
being an original Miliitary contract would it then also have the census number on both license plates in stead of the tank?


cheers, Jacco

Massive thanks to Lex who found me the correct Ariel badges!!
The one still on the bike seems to be soldered?






I am wondering how these where originally fitted?


Jacco

Hello Jacco, the badges are attached by small screws and then the heads are covered with soft solder.
That's why original ones look like being soldered.
regards, Vincent

email (option): vincent@vincentvanginneke.com

looks good, i also have a 1940 wng,i see you have the correct rubber mounted bars(i dumped mine for being to wobbly)some early wngs had central mounted speedo, not that that matters,nice to see another rarity.

Hi Jacco, have you seen the photos I posted on an earlier post (Ariel engine and frame numbers)
Do you have more photos of the bike. Are you going to do a full restoration or ride it the way it is? Is there a way we can out if our bikes were given to Norway after the war? I seem to think they were lost during wartime because my bike was first registered in Norway in 1948 and I think the army would have kept them longer than 3years.

email (option): Goodbell@ripnet.com

@Vincent, thanks allot! I will fit them in the correct way!! Great!

@Baza57 , I will keep the handle bars as it is a specific early 1940 feature. I intent to restore to 1940 specs.

@ Steven, sorry no I missed that thread...been a while since I was online. Working on some other bikes now and the Ariel will probably get a full restauration after I finished some others.

I have done some research already reg. the way my Ariel ended up in Norway,....first I hoped it would be an original French delivery landed with the French Brittish forces in Norway Early 1940. But my bike is late 1940, so that's not possible.
I found my bike in Harstad,....that is one of the landing locations of 1940...would have been nice.

Up to now, I think the bike ended up with Norwegean Army after the war...the story from 2nd owner after was from who I bought it is that he bought it in 1987 from the guy who bough it in 1960 from army surplus.

From my info Ariels where in Use in the Army till 60's...so a 1948 registration seems to be in contradiction with that.

Cheers, Jacco

Hi Jacco
Unless someone nicked it during the war or a DR traded it

If you ever come across a pr of toolboxes please give me a SHOUT

email (option): goodbell@ripnet.com

Will do Steve!

I am still looking for :

Early rear carrier and a original decent Ariel damper knob.

Cheers, Jacco

Ok I will keep an eye open but I think you will have better luck than me in Canada

email (option): goodbell@ripnet.com

Hi Guys, questions.

Should a '41 Ariel, or perhaps any '41 bike have a front licence plate?
If so, what model, size?

Thanks in advance,

Jacco

I am still open on suggestions on the front license plate for early W/NG bikes.

Also, does anyone have drawings or can give me sizes of the central mounted speedometer bracket?

This part I am still missing.

Thanks allot,

Jacco

hello jacco
i could help you in some days, that i just buy an original central speedo mount on ebay.de when i've got it i could draw it for you.
got your email, answer this afternoon.
Arnaud

email (option): leger-arnaud@wanadoo.fr

Can I recommend that you join the AOMCC forum - and maybe the AOMCC itself. We've lots of knowledgeable folk on the W/NG

http://forum.arielownersmcc.co.uk/index.php

You might also find some useful stuff on my blog - I have a 1942 W/NG

https://ariel-square-four.blogspot.co.uk/

email (option): simon.holyfield@btinternet.com

Arnaud and Simon, this is of great help. Like the blog. Thanks allot.

Cheers, Jacco