Originally Posted by Pursang
Cheers, Daryl.
Hardcore Biker
Cheers, Daryl.
Muddler/Dabbler.
Daryl,
Don't get me going on the Ariel Arrow - I actually had 3 of those (or was it 3.75? ) with some grand ideas about racing one - then along came the Suzuki T20 and that was the end of that idea!
As for the Arrow frame (body) it was a brilliant handling bike - maybe a little heavy but it could have been lightened with an alloy body - the wheels were too small - the brakes too weak - but I did like the trailing link front suspension.
I believe that just a few relatively minor improvements would have made it king of the road! but........... it's the same sad old story, it's all fashion driven and if it's not in fashion it won't thrive, so it disappeared, a prime example of what could have been - in hindsight it's so much easier to see what should have been done I guess!
The design was a brilliant concept by the designer, (Val Page) but was not properly developed and to be honest, I think it was destroyed by Ariel when they decided to make it on the cheap, pandering to the dickheads who were easily parted from the little bit of cash they happened to have! (mainly through the new post war hire purchase).
Daryl - in my opinion the engine/gearbox would have needed a major major redesign - it did have one or two interesting, unique features which deviated from the norm, but again these were not developed properly so they died - somewhere around 15-16 BHP didn't compare favourably with the T20 SuzUki at around 28 BHP!
So with its chain primary, old school gearbox and its iron air cooled barrels with tiny transfer passages, also the two crankshaft halves being tapered and keyed together (cheap as) - their misalignment often caused inaccurate ignition timing, I don't think it could have survived the Japanese onslaught.
Anyway, I loved both the Arrow and the Tigress - and still do, despite their failings!
PS, the T20 may have been fast, but it handled like ........ well, like shit really! - the Arrow on the other hand felt like it was on rails!
Strokers Galore!
Anorak
Tis a plug.
Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken
Hardcore Biker
'Tis a plug for the fact you're on 9997!Tis a plug.
Lot of work there to create 6 whisker points! But I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Fortunately you could disassemble it to clean out the carbon & oil fouling.
I had a two piece plug on my first Villiers, but it didn't have an propeller!
Cheers, Daryl
Hardcore Biker
I remember when I was a kid before getting pimples, we used to have a Wolseley 6/80, which also happened to have twin SUs. Anyway I remember my old man used to have spare KLG detachable spark plugs in a tobacco tin. Take them apart and give them a clean. Not to sure if heat ranges were around then.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Low personal B.M.E.P.
Ha - I learned to drive in my old man's 6/80. Three on the tree and a lot of shoulder muscle needed at low speeds. FE80 KLG rings a distant bell....I remember when I was a kid before getting pimples, we used to have a Wolseley 6/80, which also happened to have twin SUs. Anyway I remember my old man used to have spare KLG detachable spark plugs in a tobacco tin. Take them apart and give them a clean. Not to sure if heat ranges were around then.
He was a fan of prewar Wolseleys. He'd had, tuned and raced, a prewar Wolseley sports, then loaned the engine to Hec Green who won the second Lady Wigram Trophy race with it in the RA Special...He thought he'd like to try the postwar offering so bought the 6/80. Hated it. Replaced it with a Mk7 Jag which had one bad bigend...He found a set of Vandervell lead bronze shells brought out for Archie Scott Brown and still on the shelf. Put them in and told us that it would see him out and any trouble after that was our problem....Sure enough it started knocking about 6 months after he died....
Anorak
Good to see you are still kicking i bet all those xmas deliveries kept you busy , I am over CHCH on Wednesday to pick up a bike for jnr i might call in if you are going to be around Greg?
I have a tank template for you retired mate.
Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken
Muddler/Dabbler.
likewise Greg! - thought you and Neil had gone forever - but happy 2020 to all you guys!
Strokers Galore!
Low personal B.M.E.P.
Still around and kicking. I watch but seldom sign in as when I do I'm watching frozen screens for too long. Middle of 2020 we should be updating our internet so watch out...
Yes, home weds. Any tank you might want done is in a queue behind my requirements.....He shows no sign of starting production at this point.
Actually the 6/80 is a good example of an oddball engine. It and the very rare twincam MGA are I think the only OHC engines BMC marketed in the 50's.
The Morris version in the same shell had the 6 derived from the truck engine - and was a better engine.
The later big Wolseleys all had pushrod engines - and went much better.
I have no idea why they ever did the OHC unless there was internal pressure from the ex Wolseley staff still in high places.
Hardcore Biker
Daryl,
This is a pic of a piston we (Orbital) made around 1998 for Lotus for a wet sumped, externally scavenged engine. Note the oil scraper position, bit of a heavy lump.
Sorry about the smoke fellas
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
Muddler/Dabbler.
Yes Ken, got to get rid of those two strokes from Aus.
I came to NZ in 1966 and remember distinctly being in Raglan (west coast north island) - as opposed to south island -(Husa territory) - the sky was brown with a very smoky smell and red sunsets!
That was all from the forest fires in Tasmania (not such recent news!).
Strokers Galore!
Anorak
It blocked out the entire sun this morning, my son asked me if it was the moon at CHCH.Yes Ken, got to get rid of those two strokes from Aus.
I came to NZ in 1966 and remember distinctly being in Raglan (west coast north island) - as opposed to south island -(Husa territory) - the sky was brown with a very smoky smell and red sunsets!
That was all from the forest fires in Tasmania (not such recent news!).
We have had your dust occasionally as well as pollen.
A snake landed with a plane in Queenstown the other day.
edit even now its still blocking out the sun.
Kinky is using a feather. Perverted is using the whole chicken
Hardcore Biker
Ken, Laverda 125/150 4T singles used those oil rings below the wrist pin, and every one I took apart had the piston skirt broken off at that ring groove. Of course, that could be down to those motors being worn out and/or abused before I got them, but it seemed to indicate a trend.
cheers,
Michael
Muddler/Dabbler.
And to you Aussies, we don't want any of your bulldust either! ok?
Strokers Galore!
Hardcore Biker
Michael,
I’m surprised why they (Laverda) bothered with the oil ring down so low. The reason why the Lotus piston and also Orbital’s 3 cyl (1 litre) and 6 cyl 2 litre) externally scavenged engines, was that, being 2 strokes, that we didn’t want to uncover the exhaust port with the skirt nor have the oil scraper passing over the port, for obvious reasons. However for a 4 stroke, keeping the scraper cup high, means that the piston skirt has access to good lubrication conditions = longevity.
In saying that though, I do seem to remember (visions) of some old diesel piston (probably pommy) that had the scraper at the bottom. Couldn’t see it with a quick Google though.
Will,
Ozzies don’t bulldust, just bullshit.
"Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”
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