Jack's Wartime Ariel 350 City Hack

Let's have a look at here Jack. It's the only way to keep it running. 35 aerial 350. So this may not look like a custom bike but back in the 30s this is what was considered to be completely custom. Originally it would have been a 1935 V8 single port engine but at some point it's assumed the bike was crashed in which it was changed at the front end and the engine was replaced with this 350NH. The actual frame itself has been stamped twice. Originally it was pre-war and then afterwards it was re-registered in 1956 after being sold up in London. The front end should originally be telescopic but it was changed to these springer front end. The paint we're not sure if it's original or not and to be honest I don't really know what the numbers are about but it's a lot of fun to ride around town and if you come in closer I'll show you some better details. So yeah starting at the front of the bike as we said it's thought that maybe the bike had been in an accident or something like that because the front end is originally swapped from the girder forks that should be on it to this springer system. It's all adjustable although it doesn't really make much difference. Along with the front brakes nylon pointless it basically doesn't do anything. It's just kind of there for show. If you come up this is the original headlight which has got the old wartime light guard so bomber planes can't see you and to be honest it works some of the time but obviously not today. Moving back it's got the original Smith's gauge on it. It's quite cool actually it does work. I had it rebuilt so it actually reads correct and it's quite cool the way it moves. All the levers are original they're brass. This is your choke. It's got an ignition advance and retard on the other side including a cylinder decompressor underneath which just makes it easier for starting. The paint on the tank I think it's original because it kind of looks old enough with its cracking and splitting and to be honest this number I don't know what it means and I don't even know if it means anything at all. It's just for show. Coming down the engine that was swapped out for the VH engine that was originally in it so now it has this NH engine and it's pretty good actually it runs fine. I had it converted to 12 volt and changed it to a coil ignition system but also the gears apart from being on the wrong side of the bike it's actually one up and four down and your neutral is just that little white arrow but yeah it looks pretty cool. It's all kind of worn out. It's got the original exhaust which is a bit rusty but it still works fine. This is your toolbox. It's got everything you probably need for the whole bike. You can get plugs out, rebuild the carb, whatever you need to do. Sprung seat. This is original again but I suppose you could call it a hardtail although they never used to do that. Underneath is some wiring that's a bit questionable and that will be sorted out for another day. Back again rear wheel. Just same as normal, nothing special there. Still got my Manny Miles sticker on it because I race this at the mile. Again Dan will throw some more pictures after me racing against some BSAs and some Hondas. Number plate, again little tail light. It's maybe questionable now but it works fine and someone hand painted it at some point. But yeah apart from that it's been a pretty good bike. It's quite fun to ride around town. Dan seems to think it's pretty funny when I bring it down to the shed So now I'll start it off and you can see what it sounds like. So before we start it I've got to prime the carb. I'm wearing it. Set the ignition in advance. I've seen the oil on the floor. Ready.