Hi Guys,

Help/info please....

I'm looking maybe to buy a Ariel wng but was wondering if these are good bikes and are parts easily available.
What sort of money should a be paying for a decent one...sensibly???
I know that's a herd to answer question but your help would be most appreciated.
Saw one of these bikes and thought they were different to own one.

Regards,
Paul

email (option): eastwood007@ntlworld.com

The WNG is a basically sound bike and spares availability is on a par with many other machines of the period...Parts required to run the bike are generally available, replacement parts for worn/damaged cycle parts less so...

Draganfly Motocycles stock Ariel parts and a look at their site would give you a better idea of what you can get...

As with all old motorcycles spares supply is not 100% however....

Value depends entirely on the condition and originality of the example you are looking at and which country you are buying in...

In the UK a good example that is up and running and has a fairly good set of the right parts would cost about £4250-£4750 I would have thought...

Really good, freshly rebuilt examples could easily go beyond that....

Most WW2 motorcycles from the main suppliers cost roughly the same in fact apart from a few more unusual/rarer models...Ian

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

I'd say one of the sturdiest and reliable of the bunch and should command anything between £5K-£7K for a nicely restored example with all the correct WD bits. Parts are not a problem from firms like Draganfly, Russell's, John Budgen and others. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

And if you are buying a supposedly complete, nice machine, for top dollar (4.5k and up) best advice is to take along someone who knows them well and can advise you on what is right/wrong. It is probably not too much of an exaggeration to say that most bikes up for sale will have things about them that at the very least will give scope for price negotiation. And one day, I will follow this advice myself! . I had a WNG briefly, but with too much else on, happily sold it on to Doug Pearce who looks in on this site. He loves it and has had great fun on it. Almost as good as an M thingy.

Thank you guys.

Thank you all for your help with the info & advice.

Very much appreciated.
Does anyone have one for sale ??? or anything else?

Regards,
Paul

email (option): eastwood007@ntlworld.com

What is your location?

email (option): goodbell@ripnet.com

I have one for sale, it was converted to civilian trim and is 80% complete, engine is running fine. The framenumber suggests its from contract: S6287 - 18 batch of 3500 ordered, contract date 31/03/1944.
It comes with Danish papers and a correct Girder fork is available....


http://www.marktplaats.nl/a/motoren/motoren-overige-merken/m1039714740-ariel-350-motorfiets-1944.html?c=8c285449651fa109c354bbabe740c1b&previousPage=lr

email (option): maartenengels@hotmail.com

Thanks Guys for your replies.

Steven....
I live in Nottingham


Regards,
Paul

email (option): eastwood007@ntlworld.com

Andy Tiernan (dealer) has a nice sounding WNG listed on his site as current stock at £6k, which would be reasonable retail price for a good bike in full military trim, which is how it is described. Paying what seems like a lot of money for a good complete bike is often wiser financially than buying a cheap hack and putting it right!

Stuart bray has 2
http://www.stuart-bray-motorcycles.co.uk/

Regards
Graham

email (option): gh@hibbo.eclipse.co.uk

Hi Graham,

Those are too much money for my budget, but thank you.
Been and looked at one elsewhere today but not purchased.

Still looking for a WW2 Army Bike if anyone has one for sale.

A big thank you to everyone for there time to answer my forum post.

Thank,
Paul

email (option): eastwood007@ntlworld.com

Keep an eye on Milweb, eg, currently:

uk
BSA WM20 (1940-1941)
BSA WM20 (1940-1941)15 April '16 BSA WM20 in chocolate brown (1940 – 1941). Recently refurbished to a very high standard by a private owner in the UK and then sold to current owner approximately 2 years ago. In first class condition and runs beautifully. I have many photographs of the bike at various stages of the reconditioning. The colour paint was found to be the original and hence it was repainted exactly as it should have been. Also found on rubbing down the tank were the original signals marking and so this was reinstated as it was. Since owning the bike I have had to do very little apart from servicing, new clutch plates and new copper head gasket. I have also added some new panniers as per the photographs. I have many original documents in respect of the bike including its original purchase docs from Dawsons in Nottingham in 1966. I may also be able to do a deal on a trailer if interested. £5,750 ono.

07841 477771 Andy Hunter

But a good bike will not be cheap.

Hi Ferg,

Thank you for that.

Regards,
Paul

email (option): eastwood007@ntlworld.com

Paul, if budget is a concern in a world that seems to be populated by collectors of unlimited means, then you've really got to get in before the dealers and the speculators.

If you're in the UK, my advice would be to get to the Stafford Classic Bike show early on Saturday next week...and have a look around outside. There will be rough stuff and overpriced things but I do have the impression over the last few years that some older chaps are sadly having to move their stuff on. Obviously, the bikes don't 'owe' them as much and of course they really don't want to have to put them all on a trailer again and take them home.

Either try early on Saturday before anyone else or late on the Sunday if you enjoy a haggle.

Paul, Ariel is a very good choice.
It has been said before that Ariels are underestimated.

They have a very strong frame - in one piece if im not mistaking
They have an all alluminium primary chain case
And a dry clutch
And also an plunger oil pump, so no leaking to the crank case
And a magdyno, allways the best
And they look good !!

On the other side, the engine can be rather noisy.

Hi Rik,

Sadly we're not able to go to the show as we're booked in at an event...ahwell.

Hi Michael,

Thank you for the info...all noted.



Thanks guys.

email (option): eastwood007@ntlworld.com

Paul, Rik has a good point and one good way to find a decent bike at "sensible" money is to post a Want advert. I bought my G3 that way, via the AMOC site. That was a civilianised WDG3L, but was sound in wind and limb and its been a lot of fun putting it back into WD trim........not cheap, if I added it all up, but over the years, it is affordable. I also latched on to a nice 650 AJS that way, AND DR gear as well. I never had much luck on the Milweb Want site, but the marque owners sites seem to be a fertile place to start. I guess Ariel has its club site? Try not to to sound like a dealer on the prowl! Say you want it to get into the WD bike scene, etc.. As Rik suggests, there are always folk who are giving up riding and quite a few would be happy with a fair price and to see the bike getting used by someone appreciative. My advice to take along someone who is familiar with the bike in question still stands; clubs are not entirely devoid of rogues!

Thanks Ferg,

Some good points there and taken notes of, thanks.

Regards,
Paul

email (option): eastwood007@ntlworld.com

If only we could travel back to 1948 and walk into Pride & Clarke,you could only buy the ammeter for that price now.

But Steve, if you consider a decent weekly wage for a bloke was about £10/week in 1948, and today it is more like £500/week, that means you have to multiply £85.10s by 50, which gives you £4250.......which is pretty close to what you would pay now.........and the bike is another 60 years older!!

I only earned £36.50 a week as a time served Toolmaker in 1974.. ...Ian

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

The average weekly wage in 1948 was £3 18s 0d...but then the pound did have a value greater than toilet paper....Ian

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

So £85.10 equates to somewhere between at least £5 to £8k! Not cheap and I guess reflected the dire shortage of bikes to buy as UK Ltd exported all it could!

Ian, I will be at Stafford, so will aim to drop by Yeomans and have a chat. Way back in 2004, I bought a pair of nice repro pannier bags off you at Stafford as I hurried to get the newly purchased Matchless ready for its first trip to Normandy. I remember I went off to buy a burger and managed to plaster my nice new bags with tomato ketchup! They still bear the stains but are still doing sterling service.

5 to 8 k is a lot off money, but you would buy an almost new Ariel back then.

Back then a bike like the £85.10 Ariel would probably be used as every day go to work transport,but you did have 18 months to pay for it,most were probably painted black or maroon over the original khaki,after they had been used for a few years they would either be sold for a few pounds or even scrapped by the late fifties,the ones that survived have now gone up in value to what they originally cost in 1948.

i have dealers wanting to buy my Airborne G3L, they want it next for nothing but will ask the earth for it. theres a good WD G3L on ebay £4500 it dont seem to bad

thanks, barry

email (option): fullerbarry@hotmail.co.uk

('Ian, I will be at Stafford, so will aim to drop by Yeomans and have a chat. Way back in 2004, I bought a pair of nice repro pannier bags off you at Stafford as I hurried to get the newly purchased Matchless ready for its first trip to Normandy. I remember I went off to buy a burger and managed to plaster my nice new bags with tomato ketchup! They still bear the stains but are still doing sterling service....')

I still have one unused set of those bags...I used to sell a lot of them at a time when repros weren't generally available...I plan to fit that last set to my M20 when I replace the existing ones later this year...Ian

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

ian have you seen the 1957 TRW on millweb

barry

email (option): fullerbarry@hotmail.co.uk