1957 Ariel Square Four MKII Classic Vintage British Motorcycle

Larry Horn of Huntington Beach, California shows us his 1957 Ariel Square Four MKII, which he restored himself. All riding video shot with the GoPro Hero 3+.

[@stumccabe]

These old classic British bikes have a look that is so mechanical and masculine that can never be surpassed by new bikes. Just wonderful. And this particular bike is magnificent - no other word for it!

[@ivansanders8459]

A truly FANTASTIC restoration. Very well done. This bike became my fantasy around 1957 when I lived in Dale Abbey (a small English village) and a local farmer bought one new. He parked it on the lane outside his farm - next to his wall under giant yew trees. I never saw him ride it, and droppings from the trees increasingly spoilt the bike's once magnificent appearance. Even as a six year old boy such pained me to see. How I ached to simply sit on that machine! I guess that sixty years on this model still remains my dream bike. Alas such a bike in the U.K. would cost an arm and a leg! If I saw Larry's bike in the flesh I'd probably fall to my knees and kiss the front tyre. Young readers: please don't get distracted by women in your life, spend your money on what's truly important, like this bike. It will be quiet when you switch it off, and never run off with a sailor.

[@dougfielding8215]

Edward Turner was is genius, this and the Speed Twin. What a legacy and what a huge contribution to the history of motorcycling. Beautiful bike, these were the Gold Wings of their day but more exclusive.

[@antonyallen8677]

She looks absolutely beautiful mate, and she is in a country where the harsh winter weather will not be hurting her or making her rust. Very nice mate.

[@richardbranson8665]

I live on two wheels lately, as I'm in Vietnam during this Coronavirus debacle. Everyone in this country seems to live in an alternate Asian two-wheeled reality. I sold all my motos in Florida just before I moved here. My future desires of the two-wheeled variety all seem to come up looking like British steel and, having just seen this video on the Ariel Square Four, well, it just seems like my version of heaven. Thanks for sharing this with us Motorheads!

[@michal.mrozek]

MAGNIFICENT CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE. Kind regards from Poland.

[@dumpsterchicken6287]

Wow, great bike, great video. All I know about the Ariel 4 square motorcycle, I just learned from your video. You've done a great job of restoring this bike. What a piece of history.

[@dboxall]

Beautiful bike. I have a 1939 Ariel Sq4, predecessor of your bike. Took me 3 years to rebuild.

[@commando340]

thanks for restoring a beautiful piece of history. had a norton commando 850 years ago.

[@RWBHere]

I guess that makes you at least 870 years old, then! ;-p

[@jiggermast]

"The Squariel" beautiful and an excellent sidecar hack too.

[@krimpoo]

I had no idea these engines were so smooth and quiet.

[@geoffhalsey2184]

Stunning restoration. I doubt it looked that good when it left the factory. Mr Horn, you should be very proud of yourself.

[@jadesmith6823]

What a beautiful piece of engineering ❤️

[@shaverlocal]

Truly a stunning machine! I had the privilege in either the late 80's or early 90's to do work for an elderly gentleman who had one of these sored in his shop along with several other British bikes. He had bought it brand new and although it was covered with the typical dust and dirt of years of storage, it was a machine I drooled over. Congrats on a great restoration of a unique part of history! ( and no he had no Vincents)

[@mikeymike3240]

Beautiful bike man, my father used to have one before i was born. Bikes are in my blood, I'm in my 60s and still enjoy riding my bikes. Great video. 😀👍👍😀😀

[@Jonathan-L]

Such a thing of beauty!

[@donalfredisaac]

I was 14 years old back in 1957 and went to a park where the Moto Club were practicing for a parade, these were the big boys, like 25 to 35 years old and I was riding a small NSU 125cc. The club´s motorcycles were mostly HD and 2 Indians, then I heard some strange but very pleasant sound, and yes there it was, a beatiful 4 cyl red bike. They all stopped their drill and gathered around it. Nowadays the bike is sitting in a garage, hasn´t run in decades, it´s a pitty. Beatiful sound, you should make a long video, with the music of the mufflers only. Thank you for uploading.

[@rum51]

Hi, I seen one only back in 1970, A real mucky state ! You have made my day to see your love for it, you rock, thank you *****

[@truethought369]

All old Brit bikes had black prest alloy number plates with the razed figures. You are lucky to have the mark 2 with four down pipes. As the mk1, use to over heat on the back pots. You have done a lovely job on the rebuild. Thanks for the vid.

[@chloealexa189]

The Square four in my opinion is the best sounding bike ever made. Smooth and sweet. Thanks for Vid.

[@-danR]

It sounds more like a small auto than a bike, especially in idle.

[@garysmith8418]

Wonderful restoration, has to be a work of love. Or is it a love of work. My hat is off to you.

[@stumccabe]

Marvellous magnificent mechanical machine.

[@andrelloyd4010]

A beautiful sight of a very unique motorcycle ! 🙏

[@whitey22222]

Man that is one gorgeous restoration of a really unique vintage motorcycle!

[@shelbyfowler8946]

Back around 1973 i had a 68 Norton cafe racer .wish i still owned it.liked your bike sharp looker good video

[@corgicliffdivingteam8280]

Beautiful restoration!

[@greebo6996]

What an outstanding restoration,congratulations ,brought a tear to the eye.In 1967 I replaced my first machine,an Ariel Arrow (ol' smokey) with a '57 Squaffer,Only multi in town back in the dark ages.Pulled like a loco' on bad acid.I regularly used to annoy my riding mates by taking it up a local steep & winding hill in top with no chain snatch,thanks to the unique swinging link rear suspension which maintained constant chain tension.Clever piece of kit as long as one kept an eye on the bushes.I sold it to buy a car (yes,there was a girl involved) for NZ$240!!I still wake up weeping! Am tracking another one down at present,god willing.

[@TerryClarkAccordioncrazy]

Lovely bike, great to see it out on the road being used for the purpose it was designed.

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

Riding down the street in California in the sun , jealous

[@Wooley689]

What a beauty. Love the way the pipes come out of the heads. I could sit and stare at that bike for hours just trying to take it all in. I also notice the rear suspension, looks like the old Amen savior frames "borrowed" that idea. Thanks for the lesson, very interesting.

[@ivor9541]

Edward Turner would have liked to have seen this!.... I got to know him, he lived near me in the final months of his life, I was 17 at the time and owned a Triumph Tiger Cub, which he approved of, ( he always liked to tell me that he designed it!)...... I often used to see him driving around at 20 MPH in his Daimler (Mk2 Jag style body) - which had his V8 engine under the hood, that he designed for the Daimler Dart sports car...... great guy, thanks for this great video, I must get a square 4 one day, they trend at about 10,000 of our english pounds these days though!....

[@rhelouin]

I am absolutely pea green with envy. What a beautiful job you did on this one.

[@martinpepperell8424]

Btw the phrase was bacon slicer :) beautiful machine thanks for your work!

[@alansmith7833]

Beautiful motorcycle, beautiful

[@billymcfuggin7549]

Beautiful Ariel, I like the minimal mods you have done...nice job

[@bigrichtexas7090]

just fabulous...,my father had one,he told me that it used to break spokes in the rear wheel and he put a piece of wood between the gearbox and engine to stop the engine pulling the gearbox forward,he had a sidecar on it and i sat on the pillion...

[@tyrssen1]

Wow, what a beauty! Well done, sir. I always thought the Square Four had one of the best-looking engines ever designed.

[@waynes.2983]

Beautiful bike. Skilled builder. I am jealous.

[@rodtemplar258]

When I was a rocker back in England 1968 one of our lads had one of those. A classic.

[@BPantherPink]

A true labour of love Sir. Well done 👏👏👏

[@zenden6564]

Congratulations Mr. Horn, that is a marvellous loving restoration, and a credit to you sir! You made it into a jewel.

[@rogerbranton1752]

Who could give a thumbs down to a Square Four video?? Some people just have no souls....

[@oscartravis5740]

Beautiful bike and what a gorgeous sounding engine

[@normanfawley7379]

Stunned ! Well done that Man.

[@gregbrassington2120]

Full credit to you beautiful build.

[@barrywilliams1824]

Nice bike. I had a 1957 square 4 for 12 years and never had a seizing of the rear cylinders. The seizing was on the earlier model which had a solid block for the cylinders. They put a duct thro the middle of the cylinders and that fixed the problem . The beautiful part of this bike was ,you could come down to 15mph,and gently open the the throttle and go up to about 115mph without any chain snatch.

[@archiguitarchi]

I have always thought that this engine is one of the most beautiful ever put in a bike frame, and I still think so. I guess you have to be a senior to appreciate the wonderful aesthetics.

[@felipedourado5721]

I get your point about being senior, maybe you're right or even I may be too romantic, but I'd rather think beauty speaks for itself. If that's the case, one must not be old, but be sensible, to appreciate a fine machine when it shows up like that gorgeous Ariel depicted on the video.

[@uraniaisolabella1474]

A work of art... And they say machines don't have a soul...

[@themotochannel]

+urania isolabella Just out of curiosity, do you ride a vintage bike like this Ariel? We always wonder what the commenters ride.

[@tonyprice5726]

+The Moto Channel my first motorbike was an Ariel 1939 600 s/4 & I pulled a chair with it and I also had a 1948 square 4 with a swallow child adult chair ah! the memories

[@tonyprice5726]

Beautiful I had two a1939 600 and a 1952 squairial my family wont let me ride anymore and i'm only 86 yrs old

[@peterforden5917]

get an Enfield with a sidecar :)

[@samsara3694]

Bless you. My father, who passed over nearly four years ago at the age of 87, had a square four, and which he made the ultimate sacrifice in selling to get himself a mortgage! Whenever he spoke of his square four he eyes would mist over. He said he lusted over the Black Shadow version.

[@servicarrider]

Absolutely beautiful.

[@madatu247]

Beautiful, I recently acquired a 58 square four off my uncle. hasn't run in a few years. should be fun, can't wait for a summer cruise.

[@geraldswain3259]

Hi from over the pond ,my father owned two of these bike's when i was nowt but a lad in Warwickshire. I must congratulate you on the SUPERB job you have made on this one ,Dad would have loved to have been here to see this beautiful restoration .many thanks and my regards.

[@ADVChina]

just beautiful..

[@aradheadenis]

ADVChina indeed .... just beautiful ... 👍👍

[@453421abcdefg12345]

Congratulations on a very nice restoration, nice to see you have kept this bike original, even the alloy rims could have been on it in 1957, but the whole bike looks very nice and I am sure is a pleasure to ride, at least it will not get any more cold wet English winters!

[@critchley3819]

The square four ended production in 58, they had naturally problems with rear cylinders over heating. as a kid I saw a drag race between a squariel and a 650 Matchless, the Matchless won, I don't know if it was an early 600, I learnt to ride on a Ariel 500 red hunter, on a flat road leaning forward it could do a little over 80mph, being 14 and still on push bikes this was the most fun I had ever experienced, a few years latter I did find fun riding other forms as well but that's another story, when I was sixteen, nine months + one day I purchased a 67 Bonneville, the bikes I have owned is quite a big list, motorcycles have been a big part of my life...

[@jasonfriend7284]

Beauty, I've lusted for one for years and it's on my list.

[@anindyodutta8247]

This is beautifully done sir... Just cannot think of '57 rebuilt to such precision...

[@tellmesomething2go]

That Ariel is a lifetime possession.

[@thornwarbler]

stunning machine.................Thanks

[@leemajaz]

I think I just found my second favorite British made classic.

[@ascc6363]

My father had one with a sidecar. Beautiful.

[@jansolo55]

Elle est absolument MAGNIFIQUE !!!! Bravo 👏👏

[@commando340]

absolutely beautiful. never seen an asian bike which even comes close to an ariel square 4.

[@hughtuller6344]

Thanks for sharing. Beautiful bike, great work restoring it, and nice run down of its function. Enjoyed this video very much.

[@squarielman]

I sold my 1957 Squariel 4 yrs ago, the second 1000 Ive owned, exactly like yours to look at.. The big problem with them is as you say, the brakes, you would never stop using the front only....Good looker :)

[@NoosaHeads]

The poor man's Vincent Black Shadow. Still, it's a unique and very appealing ultra-classic Brit motorcycle. Magnificent restoration.

[@ErichLRuehs]

My late father had a cica 1951 AJS, single stroke. Said it was his all time favorite bike. It was a 550 cc and sheer perfection. Still have the picture with him on this awesome bike. Also have a model of the single cylinder Norton from The Island of Mann races. They actually make reproes of that famous bike and even that costs around $70,000. Worth ever penny.

[@bykermike1233]

well done you, what a great attention to detail , top marks RSM8

[@375GTB]

WELL DONE!

[@wataboutya9310]

Thank you sir! What a beautiful old motorcycle.

[@armandozessar4994]

I never saw before this Ariel;very nice bike.

[@dwoaks1]

Awesome bike and the work on it

[@brucetravis8469]

Ultra nice! What a great sound and beautiful power plant. 👍🏼

[@canvids1]

excellent bike I got to ride one to try it out as a young teen and at my age it was awesome but back then and at my age you had not the money to buy a great bike like this.

[@tonyprice5726]

Wifes computer I had two square fours and I drooled over this one. As for over heating on the rear pots I understand that if you over size the two pots by 5 thou it overcomes the problem of over heating

[@SaiKumar-wd4hj]

very excellent motorcycle 👌👌👌👍✌️🏍️

[@melciveng]

Fantastic, thanks for sharing. That’s a beautiful motor!

[@kurtjens]

Beautiful restoration. Thanks for the video.

[@themotochannel]

Kurt Jensen Glad you liked it kurt, thanks for watching man!

[@davidefland1985]

How sweet it is. Beautiful!

[@routmaster38]

The square four had a lovely busy sounding engine that I ,as a poor teenager could only dream of owning but at £336 at that time was out of reach.I settled for a £35 Tiger80 from 1937 that was great and now itself worth a small fortune if kept!

[@geezerbigfoot]

1 word that strikes fear oil pump low presure sounds like a sweet bike well done thanks for sharing the exaghst notes

[@wataboutya9310]

That's a beautiful machine.

[@themotochannel]

Wataboutya Larry Horne is very lucky to own this and two Norvins.

[@davidwood8720]

If you stand next to a good Square Four while the engine is running you will notice that they do not sound like a bike from the 1950's. They make a noise very much like a Kawasaki manufactured 30 years later. Maybe not the fastest bike of its day but very beautiful in so many ways. Many a Cafe racer at the Ace Cafe were shocked to find out that a Square Four, on an open road, could leave them way behind. Get that sidecar unbolted and let the old girl run free. Good for over 100 mph. A must for any serious collection.

[@richardyoung714]

Looks and sounds great!

[@gordondavies7379]

The American service men loved the Square 4 and I would think quite a few were shipped over to the states.I was lucky to own one after part exchanging a Douglas Mark 5 both lovely bikes.

[@onefastcyclist]

Lovely restoration and Video to show it off Larry! Turner's Ariel masterpiece is well represented, however I don't understand the reference to his latter twins being 1/2 a square 4 engine. This Ariel has a single cam between the front & rear cylinders while his classic Triumph twins had twin cams: one for intake and one for exhaust with push-rods between the cylinders front and rear. This later higher performance design allowed shorter rocker arms and facilitated the hemispherical heads with valves canted accordingly.

[@unnervingfalcon]

Sounds wonderful

[@whalesong999]

Back in the day, had the fastest quarter mile acceleration time of 12.9 seconds as I recall. They were very attractive sitting on the showroom floor, great detail attention at the factory.

[@mck750]

Thank You for sharing, great show of a nice bike.

[@martinborman4195]

I briefly own this machine back in 1971.

[@lesjones7617]

Great job!

[@johnwellings3225]

beautiful machine thaks for the great vid

[@terriecotham1567]

Thank for posting nice old bike good job,

[@MrGetonyourbike]

Aaah so now i know what my mum and dad were riding when they very first were married. Great video no background music (whY do they do that grrr)and the restoration is a credit to you Many thanks for making and posting here to YT

[@frankkemble2103]

Super nice job. The rear suspension is actually known as an Anstey link and isn't really a plunger assembly. Lovely bike!

[@Gr8Layks]

I like that split screen at 8:40. Nice quick editing touch.

[@nigel900]

Beautiful.

[@bikerbisht110]

Nice luxury ride ... I'm envious

[@nakedbeachrider8798]

Ive never seen anything like that bike. Very nice.

[@cwmagna1007]

Excellent Video! Hats Off!!

[@tellmesomething2go]

We had a 68 650 Trump, along with a 68 650 Beaz, back in 72. Both beautiful bikes.