| The Last Ariel by Jim Hunter |
| Ottawa Section CVMG |
When I retired and moved back home to Osgoode from Montreal in August of 1999, I was unpacking boxes in my
shop containing my parts and tools when I came upon my selection of Ariel Huntmaster 650 engine crankcases,
accumulated over the years. There were two ‘55s, a ’57, and a ’58, identifiable by their serial numbers.
Normally, Huntmaster engines destined for North American Export have a suffix on the serial numbers, HCS. This
defines an export Huntmaster engine, with higher compression pistons and a higher performance cam than UK
domestic Huntmasters reflecting the better quality of fuel available here in North America in the early 50s. The ’
58, however, had the suffix HC8, which I learned from an article in the Ariel Club Newsletter by Winnie Thomas,
was the identifier of the Ariel Cyclone engine, basically a high performance sport version of the Huntmaster, built
in 1958 only. It was to be the last redesign of the Huntmaster or any of the other Ariel four stroke model range
ever, and was it a beauty! The design persisted without change into 1959, as presumably Ariel tried to use up
the last of their Huntmaster spares. They did this also with the rest of the four stroke range, as Ariel turned to
the late unlamented manufacture (by me – and most North American motorcyclists a well, as it turned out) of the
Leader and Arrow two strokes twins.
What a beautiful machine the Cyclone was, resplendent in red and black, with chrome fenders and lots of
polished alloy. Not to mention a high performance BSA Super Rocket based engine with high compression
pistons and the Super Rocket cam. Information that has come to light in the last few years says that it was the
motorcycle of choice of the late Buddy Holly, and his was recently for sale at an outlandish price (I heard $600K)
by the Waylon Jennings estate. Waylon had inherited the bike from Buddy after the tragic plane crash that took
his life. Fame of sorts has subsequently come to the Cyclone in this regard, but this relationship with Buddy is not
the reason for my interest, as much as I enjoyed his music. I just like nice bikes!
I remember new seeing Cyclones on the showroom floor during a visit to Percy McBride’s in Toronto in the
summer of 1958 for service on my ’56 Huntmaster, purchased from them that spring. When I arrived to collect
the Huntmaster after the service, a new owner was picking up his recently serviced Cyclone at the same time.
The last I saw of him, he was heading west on Queen Street, on a wheelie that lasted until I lost sight of him as he
crossed Yonge St. Wow! Was I impressed! Did that thing ever move out! I can still picture that moment and still
hear the sound 46 years later! I’ve always liked Cyclones, but never had a chance to own one in their heyday. I
resolved to buy or build one if I ever had the chance. I the meantime, it was not exactly a hardship for an
eighteen year old to enjoy the Huntmaster, Square Four, a pair of TR6 Triumphs and a new BSA Golden Flash
that followed, until I bought my first BMW in 1965 while stationed with the RCAF in Germany.
“I’ll make the coffee”, said the Ariel Babe, as her feet hit the floor with a thump. It was a beautiful morning in late
September of 2001. I muttered a muted “thanks, dear” enjoying my retirement as I turned over in the bed for a
few more minutes sleep. But it was not to be. For some obscure reason, my thoughts turned to the Cyclone
engine, and then later, in the comfort of my “contemplation chair” in the shop, the light came on big time with the
more involved idea of “why not build a Cyclone”. After all, I had an original if partially disassembled engine to
start with. What more could you ask for? Well, how about perhaps the rest of the bike as well, you might ask?
After all, “ya gotta start somewhere”. You’d think I’d learn after 40 odd years of motorcycle restoration that this
was a tough, not to mention expensive way of restoring a motorcycle. But I seem to keep doing it and having a
lot of fun doing so at the same time, and still complaining about the cost.
Most of the ensuing thought process dealt with the engine, the only tangible Cyclone part I owned, except for a
few odds and sods of inter-model parts in my stuff. I had purchased an old blue Ariel chopper for parts from
Cycle Salvage in Ottawa, in 1983 for $50.00 and a case of “Blue”. I took it home and disassembled it, junking a
lot of stuff, and saving the parts I thought I would be able to use. The engine was relegated to long term storage
in my shop. I didn’t think any more about that engine for almost twenty years, although I must have looked at it a
hundred times as I moved it around the shop and three house moves over the years, or gave it a spray of WD40
to preserve it every fall.
After my coffee on that September morning, and once again in the shop, I removed the engine from its
hibernation shelf. The crankcase was intact, with only the cylinder and head removed. Further inspection
confirmed the HC8 identifier, the domed pistons, and the SR cam, and verified the CNML prefaced serial number
of the 1958 year of manufacture. It was interesting to find in the engine two brand new high compression domed
pistons that had apparently never been run, and an apparent recent re-bore. Inspection revealed the engine to
be in very good condition.
In the intervening years, while troubleshooting a cylinder oiling problem on my current 1954 Huntmaster, I
installed the HC domed pistons from the Cyclone for a trial run. Very disappointing. While the Huntmaster was
appreciably faster and more powerful, the harshness of the performance detracted from the delightful original
configuration Huntmaster characteristics that I liked so well. They turned in a relatively smooth engine into a
vibrating, unpleasant motorcycle. I brought the Huntmaster home after the test run, removed the HC pistons, and
ordered a set of 7.5s from England. The HC pistons went back into storage for another ten years, where they
remain to this day.
At the CVMG Montreal Rally, I was telling Winnie Thomas, an old friend and noted authority on Cyclones of my
idea of building one, but needing a frame. He offered a ’57 frame, and I gratefully accepted, as I thought my
chances of getting a correct ‘58 frame would be rather few and far between. Shortly after our meeting, I started
work on the engine, which required only cleaning and inspection before re-assembly of the crankcase. I thought,
as long as this was not going to be an original bike, I may as well try another idea that had been long festering in
my mind. The standard Huntmaster engine is a cosmetically disguised A10 BSA engine. The Huntmaster engine
uses a cast iron cylinder barrel and head from the very early A10s, with sort of rounded finning. This remained
unchanged to the end, even on the high performance Cyclone. I thought that I would try a Super Rocket cylinder
barrel and alloy head on my project, the SR engine having valves of a substantially larger head diameter than
the Huntmaster valves, and much improved cooling with the alloy head. I also decided to use the standard export
356 Huntmaster cam, for smoother more civilized performance vs. the lumpy 357cam. I’d seen this A10 barrel /
alloy head modification done once before on a Huntmaster that had just been built in England recently. I was able
to inspect it at close quarters at the Ariel Rally at Moreton-Morrell in 2001. It was very well done and “goes like
the clappers” the owner told me. I have never seen the mod done on a Cyclone before, probably because there
are so few of them left in North America, and they were not sold in England. Funny, too, as the mod looks “right”.
I was able to obtain the Super Rocket parts from in a swap for a 1928 Evinrude Rudder Twin outboard motor with
a pal of mine in Montreal. These parts were in excellent condition, and the cylinder bore needed only a light
honing to clean it up for use. Actually, the only two BSA parts used over and above the standard Huntmaster
configuration were the barrel and alloy head. Installing the SR barrel on the Ariel crankcase needed only
changing out the mounting studs to accommodate the half-inch thick cylinder flange of the SR, vs. the three-
eighths flange of the Huntmaster barrel. The rest was a “bolt on”. A Huntmaster rocker box, also a bolt on, was
used to give the engine a “more Ariel” look. The head steady used was the Huntmaster type, consisting of
steady-struts to the front down tubes, vs. the SR type from the rocker box to the frame top tube. A problem
encountered was the fit of the Ariel airbox. The Huntmaster as with most vertical twins, uses a side draft carb on
a horizontal induction track. The SR engine uses an angled semi-downdraft induction tract, placing the carb at
about a 20-degree upward angle from the horizontal. This forces a modification of the air box support brackets to
mount it higher on the frame to accommodate this upward angle. Connecting it to the carb throat required
welding a short section of exhaust pipe into the airbox and connecting it with a short length of VW Beetle (old)
heat riser hose to the carb. A new manufacture 1 1/8” 389 Amal Monobloc was used. The exhaust system was a
bit of a challenge. Due to a different exhaust port angle between the SR and the Huntmaster head, an exhaust
system from each had to be procured, both cut; and with the BSA system on the front, and the Ariel system on
the rear joined by a very neat almost invisible stainless steel weld in an inconspicuous place. An expensive way
of doing it, but it had to be done.
When I was in a major parts procurement mode after I decided to build the bike , an old friend of mine called and
said that he had bought a stash of Ariel motorcycles and parts from an estate sale. (Just as I thought there
wouldn’t be any more of these!) He asked if I would help him identify the Ariel stuff that he had bought, and
accept payment for my services in Ariel parts that he would not be using. I must be living right, as my luck doesn’
t usually run this way! From this treasure trove I got NOS alloy hubs, fork triple clamps, swingarm and a lot of
small NOS parts specific to late model Ariels . It was a Godsend! In this stash was also a ’58 Cyclone frame,
complete with an original repairable front fender and fender stays. We made a swap of the ’57 frame for the ’58
front frame. When I checked the serial numbers of my engine and the newly acquired frame with Ariel Club
historian Ralph Hawkins, he told me that the Ariels, the one with my engine and the one that the ’58 frame came
from; left Ariel Motors 13th and 14th March 1958 respectively; dispatched to Bentley Cycle in Montreal. Although
the descriptions in the Ariel factory dispatch books are somewhat inconsistent, he was able to identify both
machines as Cyclones. In essence, what I was building was a genuine Cyclone, but with two extra BSA parts
installed.
The restoration otherwise was straightforward. Some engine performance teething problems were encountered,
but proved to be no problem to correct once the cause was recognized. It’s surprising what a difference correct
valve timing makes to engine performance! Lessons learned: Don’t answer the phone while doing valve timing.
You can lose your continuity of thought and (blush) forget things. Talk about stupidity attacks. However, the
engine is now operating very satisfactory, and pulls a 24-tooth engine sprocket very nicely, even with one large
Presbyterian aboard. I like a high-geared bike, as on our flat roads here in Eastern Ontario it makes for a very
nice cruising machine, but yet has excellent roll-on performance. Sounds great too, through the Ariel Club’s
reproduction (to Ariel drawings) mufflers.
What proved to be a very expensive restoration continued over a three-year period. I was lucky in obtaining the
parts described above in Canada, but I spent a lot of money getting parts from England as well. While the price
of parts from England is expensive, they are not overly so and are with the odd exception, of good quality. What
killed me was the cost of shipping the parts to Canada, to the point that I doubt if I will be building any more
Ariels; the end of a 47 year association with the marque. Hence, this is “The Last Ariel”. Besides, I have built all
the Ariels I like anyway – or at least until I wake up inspired some morning as happened in this case. Then, all
bets are off. Life is good!
shop containing my parts and tools when I came upon my selection of Ariel Huntmaster 650 engine crankcases,
accumulated over the years. There were two ‘55s, a ’57, and a ’58, identifiable by their serial numbers.
Normally, Huntmaster engines destined for North American Export have a suffix on the serial numbers, HCS. This
defines an export Huntmaster engine, with higher compression pistons and a higher performance cam than UK
domestic Huntmasters reflecting the better quality of fuel available here in North America in the early 50s. The ’
58, however, had the suffix HC8, which I learned from an article in the Ariel Club Newsletter by Winnie Thomas,
was the identifier of the Ariel Cyclone engine, basically a high performance sport version of the Huntmaster, built
in 1958 only. It was to be the last redesign of the Huntmaster or any of the other Ariel four stroke model range
ever, and was it a beauty! The design persisted without change into 1959, as presumably Ariel tried to use up
the last of their Huntmaster spares. They did this also with the rest of the four stroke range, as Ariel turned to
the late unlamented manufacture (by me – and most North American motorcyclists a well, as it turned out) of the
Leader and Arrow two strokes twins.
What a beautiful machine the Cyclone was, resplendent in red and black, with chrome fenders and lots of
polished alloy. Not to mention a high performance BSA Super Rocket based engine with high compression
pistons and the Super Rocket cam. Information that has come to light in the last few years says that it was the
motorcycle of choice of the late Buddy Holly, and his was recently for sale at an outlandish price (I heard $600K)
by the Waylon Jennings estate. Waylon had inherited the bike from Buddy after the tragic plane crash that took
his life. Fame of sorts has subsequently come to the Cyclone in this regard, but this relationship with Buddy is not
the reason for my interest, as much as I enjoyed his music. I just like nice bikes!
I remember new seeing Cyclones on the showroom floor during a visit to Percy McBride’s in Toronto in the
summer of 1958 for service on my ’56 Huntmaster, purchased from them that spring. When I arrived to collect
the Huntmaster after the service, a new owner was picking up his recently serviced Cyclone at the same time.
The last I saw of him, he was heading west on Queen Street, on a wheelie that lasted until I lost sight of him as he
crossed Yonge St. Wow! Was I impressed! Did that thing ever move out! I can still picture that moment and still
hear the sound 46 years later! I’ve always liked Cyclones, but never had a chance to own one in their heyday. I
resolved to buy or build one if I ever had the chance. I the meantime, it was not exactly a hardship for an
eighteen year old to enjoy the Huntmaster, Square Four, a pair of TR6 Triumphs and a new BSA Golden Flash
that followed, until I bought my first BMW in 1965 while stationed with the RCAF in Germany.
“I’ll make the coffee”, said the Ariel Babe, as her feet hit the floor with a thump. It was a beautiful morning in late
September of 2001. I muttered a muted “thanks, dear” enjoying my retirement as I turned over in the bed for a
few more minutes sleep. But it was not to be. For some obscure reason, my thoughts turned to the Cyclone
engine, and then later, in the comfort of my “contemplation chair” in the shop, the light came on big time with the
more involved idea of “why not build a Cyclone”. After all, I had an original if partially disassembled engine to
start with. What more could you ask for? Well, how about perhaps the rest of the bike as well, you might ask?
After all, “ya gotta start somewhere”. You’d think I’d learn after 40 odd years of motorcycle restoration that this
was a tough, not to mention expensive way of restoring a motorcycle. But I seem to keep doing it and having a
lot of fun doing so at the same time, and still complaining about the cost.
Most of the ensuing thought process dealt with the engine, the only tangible Cyclone part I owned, except for a
few odds and sods of inter-model parts in my stuff. I had purchased an old blue Ariel chopper for parts from
Cycle Salvage in Ottawa, in 1983 for $50.00 and a case of “Blue”. I took it home and disassembled it, junking a
lot of stuff, and saving the parts I thought I would be able to use. The engine was relegated to long term storage
in my shop. I didn’t think any more about that engine for almost twenty years, although I must have looked at it a
hundred times as I moved it around the shop and three house moves over the years, or gave it a spray of WD40
to preserve it every fall.
After my coffee on that September morning, and once again in the shop, I removed the engine from its
hibernation shelf. The crankcase was intact, with only the cylinder and head removed. Further inspection
confirmed the HC8 identifier, the domed pistons, and the SR cam, and verified the CNML prefaced serial number
of the 1958 year of manufacture. It was interesting to find in the engine two brand new high compression domed
pistons that had apparently never been run, and an apparent recent re-bore. Inspection revealed the engine to
be in very good condition.
In the intervening years, while troubleshooting a cylinder oiling problem on my current 1954 Huntmaster, I
installed the HC domed pistons from the Cyclone for a trial run. Very disappointing. While the Huntmaster was
appreciably faster and more powerful, the harshness of the performance detracted from the delightful original
configuration Huntmaster characteristics that I liked so well. They turned in a relatively smooth engine into a
vibrating, unpleasant motorcycle. I brought the Huntmaster home after the test run, removed the HC pistons, and
ordered a set of 7.5s from England. The HC pistons went back into storage for another ten years, where they
remain to this day.
At the CVMG Montreal Rally, I was telling Winnie Thomas, an old friend and noted authority on Cyclones of my
idea of building one, but needing a frame. He offered a ’57 frame, and I gratefully accepted, as I thought my
chances of getting a correct ‘58 frame would be rather few and far between. Shortly after our meeting, I started
work on the engine, which required only cleaning and inspection before re-assembly of the crankcase. I thought,
as long as this was not going to be an original bike, I may as well try another idea that had been long festering in
my mind. The standard Huntmaster engine is a cosmetically disguised A10 BSA engine. The Huntmaster engine
uses a cast iron cylinder barrel and head from the very early A10s, with sort of rounded finning. This remained
unchanged to the end, even on the high performance Cyclone. I thought that I would try a Super Rocket cylinder
barrel and alloy head on my project, the SR engine having valves of a substantially larger head diameter than
the Huntmaster valves, and much improved cooling with the alloy head. I also decided to use the standard export
356 Huntmaster cam, for smoother more civilized performance vs. the lumpy 357cam. I’d seen this A10 barrel /
alloy head modification done once before on a Huntmaster that had just been built in England recently. I was able
to inspect it at close quarters at the Ariel Rally at Moreton-Morrell in 2001. It was very well done and “goes like
the clappers” the owner told me. I have never seen the mod done on a Cyclone before, probably because there
are so few of them left in North America, and they were not sold in England. Funny, too, as the mod looks “right”.
I was able to obtain the Super Rocket parts from in a swap for a 1928 Evinrude Rudder Twin outboard motor with
a pal of mine in Montreal. These parts were in excellent condition, and the cylinder bore needed only a light
honing to clean it up for use. Actually, the only two BSA parts used over and above the standard Huntmaster
configuration were the barrel and alloy head. Installing the SR barrel on the Ariel crankcase needed only
changing out the mounting studs to accommodate the half-inch thick cylinder flange of the SR, vs. the three-
eighths flange of the Huntmaster barrel. The rest was a “bolt on”. A Huntmaster rocker box, also a bolt on, was
used to give the engine a “more Ariel” look. The head steady used was the Huntmaster type, consisting of
steady-struts to the front down tubes, vs. the SR type from the rocker box to the frame top tube. A problem
encountered was the fit of the Ariel airbox. The Huntmaster as with most vertical twins, uses a side draft carb on
a horizontal induction track. The SR engine uses an angled semi-downdraft induction tract, placing the carb at
about a 20-degree upward angle from the horizontal. This forces a modification of the air box support brackets to
mount it higher on the frame to accommodate this upward angle. Connecting it to the carb throat required
welding a short section of exhaust pipe into the airbox and connecting it with a short length of VW Beetle (old)
heat riser hose to the carb. A new manufacture 1 1/8” 389 Amal Monobloc was used. The exhaust system was a
bit of a challenge. Due to a different exhaust port angle between the SR and the Huntmaster head, an exhaust
system from each had to be procured, both cut; and with the BSA system on the front, and the Ariel system on
the rear joined by a very neat almost invisible stainless steel weld in an inconspicuous place. An expensive way
of doing it, but it had to be done.
When I was in a major parts procurement mode after I decided to build the bike , an old friend of mine called and
said that he had bought a stash of Ariel motorcycles and parts from an estate sale. (Just as I thought there
wouldn’t be any more of these!) He asked if I would help him identify the Ariel stuff that he had bought, and
accept payment for my services in Ariel parts that he would not be using. I must be living right, as my luck doesn’
t usually run this way! From this treasure trove I got NOS alloy hubs, fork triple clamps, swingarm and a lot of
small NOS parts specific to late model Ariels . It was a Godsend! In this stash was also a ’58 Cyclone frame,
complete with an original repairable front fender and fender stays. We made a swap of the ’57 frame for the ’58
front frame. When I checked the serial numbers of my engine and the newly acquired frame with Ariel Club
historian Ralph Hawkins, he told me that the Ariels, the one with my engine and the one that the ’58 frame came
from; left Ariel Motors 13th and 14th March 1958 respectively; dispatched to Bentley Cycle in Montreal. Although
the descriptions in the Ariel factory dispatch books are somewhat inconsistent, he was able to identify both
machines as Cyclones. In essence, what I was building was a genuine Cyclone, but with two extra BSA parts
installed.
The restoration otherwise was straightforward. Some engine performance teething problems were encountered,
but proved to be no problem to correct once the cause was recognized. It’s surprising what a difference correct
valve timing makes to engine performance! Lessons learned: Don’t answer the phone while doing valve timing.
You can lose your continuity of thought and (blush) forget things. Talk about stupidity attacks. However, the
engine is now operating very satisfactory, and pulls a 24-tooth engine sprocket very nicely, even with one large
Presbyterian aboard. I like a high-geared bike, as on our flat roads here in Eastern Ontario it makes for a very
nice cruising machine, but yet has excellent roll-on performance. Sounds great too, through the Ariel Club’s
reproduction (to Ariel drawings) mufflers.
What proved to be a very expensive restoration continued over a three-year period. I was lucky in obtaining the
parts described above in Canada, but I spent a lot of money getting parts from England as well. While the price
of parts from England is expensive, they are not overly so and are with the odd exception, of good quality. What
killed me was the cost of shipping the parts to Canada, to the point that I doubt if I will be building any more
Ariels; the end of a 47 year association with the marque. Hence, this is “The Last Ariel”. Besides, I have built all
the Ariels I like anyway – or at least until I wake up inspired some morning as happened in this case. Then, all
bets are off. Life is good!
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