1955 Ariel Red Hunter 500 build Part 1

In September, I saw a 1955 Ariel motorcycle frame on ebay, and had a great idea. Just how long would it take me to build up a Classic bike from bits. When I posted my intentions on one of the Classic Motorcycle forums, someone jokingly said, "It will be your forever project" From then on I decided to call this my "Forever Project" Lets begin. If you would like to buy me a coffee you can support me on Patreon patreon.com/DEANWATERS

[@georgemoskal2098]

Good video, love old Ariel bikes ,but pattern parts can be a pain in the back side.

[@roeng1368]

Really nice and underrated bikes the ariel singles. A set of cheap cycle dies nuts and taps are worth their weight in gold at times.

[@thra5herxb12s]

Yes the Cycle Engineers Instute (CEI) was a long defunct organisation , even back in the day these bike were built. Some makers still supply the taps and dies in the more obscure forms.

[@classicrider5274]

There was a discussion recently on the Ariel Owners club forum about replacement fork tubes, one owner thought the finish was not fine enough for the seals to work without getting damaged, most seemed to agree so check if/when you buy new. They were turned but barely ground and the complaint was about Draganfly supplied items, the quality of which seemed to be hit or miss. The discussion also covered the seal holders, which apparently, originally used fine rope in the threads to seal and prevent leaks under the seals. Suggestions were that some now use PTFE tape and others used engine case sealant. I will follow your restoration as I am sure to pick up some tips. Cheers, Paul

[@thra5herxb12s]

Yes the Draganfly stuff is mostly basic quality that they are happy to sell, although the oil seal holders that I bought from them are fine. The problem original fork tubes may have been ground to a mirror finish by the Ariel factory, but the new ones are not finished very well. I should have bought a complete kit from Classic Bike shop, that includes a pair of Hard Chromed tubes for a few quid more than Draganfly sell just the bush and seal set for. A thought on the newly made tubes, is they can always be put on a buffer to polish the surfaces up like a mirror to help the seals do their job a bit better. I wouldnt be too aggressive with the buffing though, just enough.