RealClassic – August 2019

diligentlyforthe next twoyears.Finally,
aftermuch blood sweatand tears –that’s
whatrestorations arelike,folks,sobe
warned –the butterflyemerged from the
chrysalis.
Theengine hadacompleteoverhaul
including bearings,areboreand newvalve
seats,howeverDoug kept the originaltype
main bearings: phosphor bronzebush on
the timing side andaroller bearing on the
driv eside.Inh is ot her Huntmaster–yes,
Doug hastwo, because when itcomes
to good bikes one is never enough–he
decidedto keep as much as possible
original.Int he other model,aCyclone
Huntmaster special–the Cyclone had been
aUSexportmodel–Doug had designed
and built hisownrollerconversionfor the

timing side main bearing–similarto the

SRMversion, but differen t.

Doug,bythe by,isamodest man but

also averygiftedengineer,and lovesthe

challenge of making hisownbits. To justify

thatlast statement, Doug convertedthe

original single leading shoe frontbrake

into aTLS by designing and casting his

ownbrake plate in al uminium.Iknow, I’m

impressedtoo. This cured the sometimes

weak brake,and itnowworked much better

as adependable stopping device.

Theoriginalseat–including theDunlop

pocketed rubber inner pad–was on the

rebuild list untilfive years ago whenDoug

finally decidedto retireita nd replaceitwith

one fashioned out ofvac-formed plastic .It

wasthen coveredby RK LeightoninBrum.

QualityDunloprims withexcellentchrome

werepurchased from an autojumble,but the

fuel tanktook some timeto sortout.Doug

spentanawful lot of time trying his level

bestto repair the 60year-old tank,but in the

end decided thatenough wasenough (you

can trytochrome or paintrust but it’s not

very successful) and purchasedagood one

from an autojumble.

Lookingat the photosyouwill see that

the 1956 bike hasastriking tank designwith

fluted and chromed panels.Ariel had in the

first instancechromeplatedthe wholetank,

and then paintedeverythingexcept the

fluted sides.This made foraverydistinctive

and stylish look;but with the austerityof

the 1950s and the KoreanWardemanding

much ofthe precious metals,chromeplating

wasanexpensiveaddition.So,instead the

companywenttot he trouble of making the

flutes as individual pieces,chromingthem,

and then clipping them onto the side of the

tank.Same effectbut cheaper...

Is the Huntmaster just anotherversion of

Bythetime thheHHunttmastter rolllleddtthheerrooaaddss,AArriieellaaddvveerrttiissiinngghhaaddddrriifftteeddaaww

aayyffrroomm

equine imagerytotheflatcapside of motorcycling

OOnehandsome almost-BSAArielcrank. Theworm driveisfor the

oil pump

Dougalso ridesasecond 650Ariel–thisCyclone special.The original

Cycloneswere mostlysold in the

USAand onewasfamouslyriddenbyBuddyHolly

Although he usedthe original timing side bush

mainbearing on his Huntmaster,Doug’sCyclone

special hasarollerconversion, as seen here

92 I AUGUST 2019 More old bikes online: Real-Classic.co.uk