1934 Ariel VB600 Deluxe Motorcycle

Description

The Ariel story began with two men, James Starley and William Hillman, who began manufacturing bicycles and associated parts in the late 19th Century before moving on to construct a simple quadricycle employing a De Dion engine mounted in the rear. A similar tricycle, albeit with the engine relocated to the front, followed in 1899 and Ariel began building two-wheeled machines just three years later, powered by Kerry engines. The company changed hands in 1905, with Charles Sangster taking a controlling interest and a new model, the lightweight two-stroke Areilette, was introduced. The talented Edward Turner joined Ariel in the inter-war years and proposed a radical new design, the Square Four, which Sangster's son Jack, by then running the motorcycle arm of the company, approved for production in 1931. A mainstay of Ariel’s production between 1931 and 1959 was the side-valve VB 600, a torquey four-stroke single ideal for a sidecar combination.  Mated to a Burman four-speed gearbox, the Ariel had a supremely comfortable upright riding position and safe, predictable handling.  Initially sold in two versions, the standard VA was powered by a 557cc version of the motor while the Deluxe VB with its stroked motor became the standard model after 1936.  Rated at 18 horsepower, the robust VB could top 125 km/h with the right conditions and these relatively simple bikes make excellent club machines today.