Ariel Square 4

ol55 · Commuter Joined: Feb 09, 2009 Posts: 391 Location: VA

What is/was the downside for this motor and I wonder how fuel efficient this motor would be today?

Larry

MR.CHocko · Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 11:11 am Post subject:

It leaked oil. They used to joke about this all the time that you can tell where someone parked a British bike by the oil puddle on the ground. The early ones were overhead cam, this partcular one has pushrods. Also the gas mileage is not that great. But for its day it is a fast bike.

dayll · Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 6:31 pm Post subject: 4-sq

Of course they leaked oil, they were Brit bikes. Hell, my Triumph TR-7 car leaked oil-from the shocks even! I was told the rear cylinders of the 4-SQ ran too hot. I do have a dim recollection of how great those things sounded when they were blasting down the boulevard in the cool evening air. I always thought it was kinda neat how the exhaust head pipes just kind of mysteriously exited out from the engine fins. -dan

MR.CHocko · Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 6:43 pm Post subject:

Don't get me started about British cars. The Triumph TR-7 and the company that produced it is no relation to the British Motorcycle Company Triumph. It does have a connection to Jaguar and one of BSA's subsidaries called Diamlar Motors LTD. I see British bikes all the time, so trying to remeber the limitations of the Arial Square four off the top of my head does take some time. It did have a few particular limitations and quirks. But then everything British leaked oil or the lights would get dimmer when you ride it at night. As for the electrics on the some of the British bikes I do know about their rectifers and their limitations. They were far more primitive then the rectifers on the Japanese bikes of the same period. Just check out their placement on a mid 60's Bonneville compared to a mid 60's Honda Dream.

dayll · Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 7:31 pm Post subject: 4-Q

Sorry, kinda going a bit off topic here, but yeah - Lucas - AKA - The Prince of Darkness. -dan

Swedemoto · Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 7:50 am Post subject:

On these bikes, AFAIK, with iron heads and combined exhaust manifolds the rear cylinders tended to overheat and burn valves.
In '55?, they went to alloy head and a dual manifold each side which helped immensely. I have been looking for one in the '56-'58 range.

MR.CHocko · Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 8:24 am Post subject:

They were so much better with the iron heads and the overhead cam. But when they switched to pushrods halfway through the bikes production run it did cause the valves to burn out until they switched to the alloy heads. Ed Turner, even tho he was a design genius, didn't always think about particulars like that. Val Page on the other hand always did pay attenion to particulars like that.

dorT500 · Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 5:51 pm Post subject:

Man.....all this talk about Ariel makes me miss the avatar I used here for awhile....think I'll change back for awhile. Wink