We Nearly Crashed A 1959 Ariel Huntmaster! Are Classic Motorcycles Really That Bad?

[@MrDarcy-OlMan]

Before some more nasty comments come in I’ll say this here. We never claimed to be classic bike experts, this was really for fun and to experience a classic bike for the first time, we’d love to ride some more classics and this will be from our perspective not knowing a lot about them. We never claimed this would be a review video either. It was purely to bring our perspective from two classic bike newbies. We loved filming it! So it’s a shame there’s a few negative people here in the comments. Hopefully the majority of you enjoyed this video and would like to see more from this perspective. And those who didn’t then please don’t watch it or better yet, show us how it’s done 😁

[@Bob-ts2tu]

seemed like a fair review & comments of first time experiences on a bike like this to me from a modern perspective, i'm sure many of us would have thought the same. As a non-expert myself at least i got something out of it lol, cheers.

[@-old-school-motorcyclesltd]

Loved it 😍 You will always get it from some even if like me I ride them there’s always someone will make a comment that’s uncalled for 😊😊 Keep up the fantastic work and carry on doing them on these ! People just get too touchy 😊 Phil Green

[@ronaldpell2802]

Carry on doing what you do info and entertainment ignore the smart arses 👍

[@MindfulMotorcyclist]

Like the dwarves of Moria you delved to deeply into the classic motorcycle scene! The classic bike aficionados have been awoken! They are more than a match for any of us 😊😊🙂🙂

[@steveworth544]

I dont see any nasty comments. Are you referring to mine when I said it seemed shiny but mechanically poor?

[@colnuttall9035]

In 1967 I owned an Ariel Huntmaster 650. At the time I was just 14 yo and obviously had no licence. So I kept to the backroads and dirt roads, but the freedom was epic. Australia was great for this back then, but the bike was heavy, being massively built, with thick metal fuel tank, mudguards and poor brakes. There was of course no internet and no motorcycle shops anywhere near where I lived. This meant that you had to come to terms with mechanical fettling if you wanted to continue riding. I also had a BSA C11 and a Bantam D7. Later, when I did get a licence and a Japanese bike, Suzuki Hustker 250, I discovered that if you broke down, the first bike up the road would stop and assist you. This no longer happens, unfortunately. Mobile phone, credit cards and selfishness robbed us of the camaraderie we once enjoyed. At 71 years of age I still ride and have a Harley Softail Heritage Classic. Motorcycling has been brilliant for all those years! During this time, I've enjoyed a vast array of great bikes and count myself fortunate to have had the pleasure. Great video guys, thank you.

[@collyernicholasjohn]

The camaraderie was cos everyone else knew about stuck on the side of the road. 😂 Bikes more reliable now. Similar with hitching. 99% of my lifts from poorer people who’ve had to do it.

[@daryldaryl913]

A great Era most of the time.

[@peterappleton5213]

I had a hustler in blue and white passed me test on it

[@login1226]

The throttle cable on my BSA 650 Rocket used to wave about in the wind like that one, when you hit 80m-90 it used to stick open and you’d have to feed it back into the carb. - Great days , when you could speed, freedom of no crash helmet if you wished, Policeman on Triumph Speed-twin challenged me to a race ! 😊

[@jamesschneider3828]

My 650 Thunderbolt ate clutch cables. It got to where I carried a spare every time I wanted to ride out of town.

[@jagracershoestring609]

I rode a BSA A10, same engine really, 820 miles in 20 hours around Scandinavia in 1975 with a sidecar on the bike. Only one puncture, and three countries in a day , and over a five thousand feet high snowy pass on gravel roads.

[@loddude5706]

An average speed of 41mph, including a puncture, over 20hrs? - Incredible stuff! : )

[@conradstone6719]

Back in 1968 at 17 years of age I had a 1959 BSA Super Rocket, I wish I still had it today, now I have an Interceptor 650 which is 30 kilos heavier and not as quick!

[@Harpy-Mark-Tomlinson]

To change down, pull the clutch, give the throttle a blip to increase engine speed, gently apply pressure to the gear change lever, when the engine rpm matches the speed of the bike in the lower gear it will change smoothly. It takes a bit of practice but you'll get it eventually.

[@iansaxby729]

I only ride old motorcycles these days. Is blipping the throttle when changing down no longer a thing?

[@billbogg3857]

It is what they used to call a ‘double declutch’.

[@barriewilliams4526]

At the age of 87, these were the bikes of my day. I now have a "keep it on the boil" Yamaha twin. How things have changed.....

[@Brough1111]

I can imagine the pride and excitement of buying one in 1956

[@mervynprice7009]

I have been reading the comments about the brakes on bikes from the 1950s. Let us think about what happened to you in more detail. Each brake has only one leading shoe & one trailing shoe. In order to get the bike to stop, it is going to need the effort of two leading shoes. Half the shoes on the machine. So one leading shoe from the rear brake & the other leading shoe from the front brake, applied in that traditional order. The two trailing shoes only provide a small addition to the braking. This is why improved drum front brakes have all leading shoes. The downside of this with a motorcycle is that the front brake of an all leading shoe drum brake may not be able to hold the machine on an up-hill junction. This is why a lot of road bikes had twin sided hubs on the front wheel, with a leading & trailing shoe on both sides. This gave them a pair of leading shoes on the front wheel. The moral of this is simple. With these classic machines, forget about front wheel only braking. They are designed for rear wheel braking with assistance from the front brake to aid retardation, required & to prevent the machine from rolling back.

[@jeffmoore4153]

I had one of these bikes years ago with a sidecar attached, you really had to anticipate a stop. It was a good reliable machine.

[@lovingmylifeasIage6741]

I have a 1965 Triumph T120 chopper with the original drum brakes. I was going to take a side road but I had to change my mind because I couldn't stop in time to turn in. I had to pass it up then turn around and try again. That was exciting. I've not been too keen on Royal Enfield but the Shot Gun has peaked my interest. Comparing that to the Kawasaki 650RS would be interesting to me. The cost difference is substantial.

[@DushyantsCHANNEL]

That Kawasaki will certainly not feel like an old school classic motorcycle. The W800 will.

[@lovingmylifeasIage6741]

@@DushyantsCHANNEL I do like the 380 crank sound a lot better then 270 or the 180 crank sound.

[@thewatchman6074]

Those old drum brakes needed to have the pads and inner drum regularly degreased, and finely adjusted to get the best out of them, but they were never going to throw you over the handle bars.' As an aside to biking in this era, my old AJS 500 had worn clutch plates and used to slip in 3rd and 4th going up hill, but I couldn't afford new plate's at the time. As my brother and I sat over a pint in the local pub one night, he was studying a cork beer mat rather intently. "I bet these would make good clutch plates" he said. We half-inched a couple of those beer mats, cut them to shape, and super glued them onto the existing plate, and viola',...they last for months, til I could afford new plates. Those were the days.

[@BlakesPipes]

Would buy one of those tomorrow! Love the color and the look!

[@adrianluckman-yy7bm]

Very similar looks wise to my 1951 Triumph. Remember roads were gravel then, hence the intentionally weak from brakes. Most of the braking is on the rear & you should be using the engine to help brake on dirt roads. The gearbox will work much better is you double clutch up and down through all gears except changing up from 3rd to 4th as its not needed. Very simple machines to maintain. Very reliable if maintained!

[@JH-ox7hn]

Thank you for showcasing this wonderful machine. The duplex drum brake on the front is made by BSA and needs constant maintenance and checking, but then works beautifully. I would quote you here with "It's a work of art". Always loved the Ariels as , for me, they represent British Motorbikes like no other brand. Whenever you look at one of them, you find some quirky technical details, which prectically scream Britain.

[@Mr93616]

Remember this , with out past engineering history ,we would not be so advanced as we are today, people who take the piss out of classic bikes don't really under stand any form of engineering at all. I ride my classic with pride and understanding it's limitations.

[@kwakithailand]

Those old designers knew how to protect the bike from getting covered in dirt 👍

[@IanSixbikes-by6ei]

Another interesting vid , bike technology has like everything else in our lives moved on especially when it comes to brakes, so the "Ol Mans" Brown trouser moment wasn't a surprise , as for classic bike ownership it's frequently a mixture of fun and frustration (never a dull moment) , I tried out classic British iron but just couldn't get on with the right hand gear change so abandoned the idea and stuck with 70 & 80s Japanese classics with the gear change on the left. Looking forward to more classic bike content in the future.

[@martinrea8548]

I've noticed before on older bikes that the speedometer reads from right to left-the opposite to today's bikes. Smith's went on to make watches. I think they were standard issue for the British army for a while.

[@chrisweeks6973]

Actually, Smiths started making watches in 1851; they made their first speedometer in 1904. They gained a Ministry of Supply contract for aircraft clocks in 1938 and the RAF was the company's main focus. In 1944 they produced the Mark X watch for the RAF, though it wasn't issued. The Mk.XI Navigator watch was issued from 1950. During the 'Phoney War' Smiths started to develop stop and pocket watches for all branches of HM Forces, but the supply of wrist watches to the Army came post-war with the GS model, followed by the W10 model.

[@Geshmaal]

Oh man this bike sounds proper! I don't know much about Ariel bikes as my knowledge of British bikes mostly comes from my dad and he never had done, but this thing is awesome.

[@andrewbernard9571]

Good feature, don't worry about the brakes it can easily be put right. Even upgrade to a Twin leading shoe. And the Huntmaster is a very Reliable machine.

[@russellwhite4086]

I'd think it's good that a few people, like you two gentlemen, are rediscovering wonderful old bikes like these. In their day they were just normal motor cycles.Not everyone had the benefit, and privilege to have been there at the time and lived it during those far off days. Far too few of the younger generations are even aware of this stuff. Maybe vids like this will help with awareness? Cheers!

[@jeffwatson4908]

It has a nice puttputty sound. One thing that won’t be missed is a vertically split crankcase. Thanks to Honda and probably others over time horizontally split cases gradually became vogue. Nothing worse than splitting a case on an old Brit bike and watching parts scatter or worse not stay put on assembly. Working on a Honda with all parts sitting in a “basket” was a revelation.

[@Hopeless_and_Forlorn]

My first motorcycle was a 1955 Zundapp K601, much used and neglected when I bought it in 1961, and I do not remember having notable problems stopping it. The Ariel you rode has two leading shoes in the front brake, but they are actuated by separate cranks. Such a setup requires careful adjustments to get both shoes working together. But I always admired the looks of Ariels in my youth.

[@BrianMundyWTC]

I had one of these in 1963 till 1967. It’s was a 1956 model. It was great. The brakes did need checking and cleaning every few months. I had a sidecar on and it would pull very well fully load and could top 100 when required. Wish I had kept it.

[@white-wy6dg]

I bought a 1958 Huntmaster in 1972 for £20.00 I still have it . Totally reliable engine ,but those "full width" brakes ware far worse than the ones they replaced! I have a hydraulic mini (car) twin leader set up on the front which is better.

[@davidrochow9382]

1959 that's the same age as me, I wish I looked half as good as it does. Another British bike that you can't fold the kick starter away so that you will catch your leg on it. I don't care what anybody says but I think bikes should still have a kick starter on them just in case. It's a 1950's British bike so what were you expecting from the brakes?😃

[@EdSmith-wb6lx]

When i was in my teens and twenties i had all kinds of bikes including a Huntmaster that was a great bike with good brakes what you have here needs to be fixed my future wife and i rode all over England. to motor bike races on a regular basis we had a Speed twin triumph, an Ariel leader, but back then we all worked on or bikes and kept them in super shape and there was plenty of traffic plus our roads were mostly Two lanes one each direction and the surfaces were not as good as they are now. Even though i now live in the USA i come back from time to time to visit family and old friends though some have past on and i still have my 1958 Velo Venom here and i still ride it not so much now as i am 83 but i still keep it in super shape without any computer work just hand tools. yes i have to tickle the carb to fill the float chamber then adjust the fuel mixture and retard the timing the kick to start it which is an art in itself ask anybody who has one and i am a member of the American Velo club. Ed 40 S of Vegas

[@ellaevansbolt]

The Huntmaster was a great, very reliable bike. The engine was basically A10 but had Ariel designed rocker boxes which made a big difference if you had to do any head work. The Burman Gearbox was renowned for it's slow gearchange, but you couldn't break them! The alloy brakes were possibly the worst brakes of the era! They made the bike look pretty, until you buried into the back end of the car in front! The older BSA single side brakes were far better. The rear brake was worked though a fairly complicated linkage to an operating cable, making it even worse than the front. Steering was a bit ponderous, but it was a tourer, not a sports bike in any way.

[@nonsononessunooko4066]

the front its very similiar to the classic/bullet 350

[@philpeacock7803]

Great review guys. I'm looking at a 1959 royal enfield prince at the moment.

[@franktreadwell3442]

The great thing about most classic bikes from the 50s, 60s and 70s is that the foot peg position is very slightly forward of centre (similar to the BMW R18), which makes it very comfortable for short and tall riders. Yes, I will attend the bike meet at Hanslope on Saturday. I will be riding the Green Goddess, which has serious mudguards front and rear.

[@MrDarcy-OlMan]

Awesome see you there 👍🏼

[@olethorhermansen5696]

Unlike most modern motorcycles, this Ariel was clearly designed to be more than just a weekend toy. Practical features such as centerstand and functional mudguards have disappeared on modern bikes, and so have enclosed chaincases. They work brilliantly and make chain drive bearable, but we get colourful TFT screens instead, I guess....

[@walkerhjk]

I had a 1955 Huntmaster, a lovely bike, very comfortable, lots of performance and economical. around 65 mpg

[@DucatiDiaries]

Very cool, gents. Love it.

[@Lee-70ish]

Rev matching to drop a cog is rather second nature to me I still do it on my little Enfield 350 classic and in the wifes MX5. Both braking is also a habit I cant get out of after 50years. Seems to work fine still specially on bikes with limited braking power.. Do me best to get Ethel the Enfield to your meet

[@bikerbeliever8169]

The older than your dad joke was good. Nicely played.

[@Vidve]

I've got a 97 plate CG-125W. So I'm basically learning to ride on hard mode, in a way. With drum brakes, kickstart, minimal instrumentation all packaged with legendary reliability. But it, like most old bikes, is gorgeous. This Ariel Huntmaster is no different. Older bikes just have this utter charm and appeal to me. When you say "motorbike" to me, those kinds of bikes are what come my mind instantly instead of more modern designs cribbing cues from sports bikes. I think the biggest thing modern bikes can learn from the classics is aesthetic design decisions. The NX500 you reviewed last that I commented on comes to mind instantly. If it borrowed more from Honda's classic designs, like the CL500 has, it would be far more appealing to more people. I hope one day I can ride this Ariel Huntmaster, or a bike like it though.

[@Scout4x]

My first BIG motorcycle was a 1966 Triumph T120 Bonneville (bought it used in 1968 while at university). Having the shifter on the right side with the rear brake on the left was a little tricky at first, but I got used to it. What I really hated were the drum brakes that could never stop me quick enough!! Thankfully the Japanese all came out with nicer bikes which made the rest of the world upgrade what they were doing (or go out of business like BSA and Triumph).

[@martindavies8326]

I would only have a classic bike with a 8” twin leading shoe Front brake, hence I have a 69 Triumph Daytona 500 and boy does it stop, you have to be careful not to lock it up in the wet though, no ABS 😱 if you get the chance to ride a bike with that brake you’ll be pleasantly surprised. ❤️ the video 👍

[@robenglish5016]

Bit of a trek for you both I know. But the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham have a classics ride once a month for members and you can take these on the road

[@peterbennett4948]

Ariel's can't be that bad, Buddy Holly had one ! 👍

[@-old-school-motorcyclesltd]

Lovely bikes 😊😊

[@roysimpson9711]

This was my very first bike . Mine had a Watsonian Monza sidecar . I was 16 and I didn't want a 250nor smaller. It was in 1967 that I got it. I loved it

[@davefrench3608]

When you have a poor front brake don’t forget you have the engine and rear brake. It’s about reading the road, riding to the conditions and concentration And what a beautiful bike.

[@collyernicholasjohn]

Thanks for clip! I live in the middle of large city so most riding is max legal speed 60 kph/35mph. A small capacity bike with low horsepower and brake drums is not just fine, it’s way more fun.

[@-old-school-motorcyclesltd]

Lovely Ariel 650 just a bit of brake servicing will soon put that right it’s all part of owning a piece of history 😊😊😊 good one guys Just takes a bit of interest and passion these bikes are great fun 😊😊

[@DD-lc5ts]

Very enjoyable look at, and appreciation of a classic bike. I often ride out with some classic lads, though I’m on a modern bike with all the bells and whistles. I love the history of the classics, I get the love people have for them, and their riders may have retained more of the “skills” that I may have lost thanks to ABS and Traction Control. But, you’re correct about the empty roads back in the day. Now, on modern roads, with the volume of traffic and the performance of modern vehicles, I think a modern bike is a necessity, in the same way as I wouldn’t want to be driving an old Morris Minor with drum brakes in the traffic we have now.

[@daryldaryl913]

I am Australian and i do have a passion for old British bikes although i like most bikes. I had a Norton for years and other machines from other countries. Great bike. But you will eventually become a mechanic if you own one long enough. Everyone worked on whatever they owned. I can not remember mechanics being around, only talented friends.

[@davidoldboy5425]

Totally agree, I became a decent home mechanic and learnt how to do things by trial and error (no internet then) I became quite proficient. This has served me well over the years, saving me a lot of money and giving a lot of satisfaction.

[@jamesrindley6215]

Brakes on classics obviously aren't up to modern standards but there's no reason they should be as bad as you make out here. A lot depends on proper set up and adjustment of the shoes plus lubrication of the pivot points and cable. And you'll need all 4 fingers on the lever of course and perhaps a bit of hand exercise!

[@nonsononessunooko4066]

beatiful

[@pierrelauwers8719]

The throttle cable should be re-routed ASAP, as it could cause a crash as it is. The brakes, yes....Drum brakes need precise maintenance. Maybe some improvements could be obtained. But this said, modern ABS brakes can be surprising too, and too much confidence could lead to somewhat awkward situations.

[@-old-school-motorcyclesltd]

Well done on riding the Ariel Huntmaster 😊😊😊 yes there’s a sequence at least the ignition timing is automatic without advance / retard levers… Try to find neutral before you come to a halt…. The bike is 4 years older than me and I ride these bikes often 😊😊😊 Well done guys 😊 You have to get used to the gears and becomes muscle memory cus I ride both new and old 😊😊 I rode my 1932 500 cc side valve a couple of weeks ago for the first time Hand gear change 😊😊 😂 Mechanical stuff is quite easy just pick up a book or on line great fun 😊😊😊 Phil

[@kapilachandrabharathi7134]

Love those old bikes. It's a task to handle which makes you feel more man than you are😊 Cheers from Sri Lanka

[@fraser7744]

The brakes were never going to be anything like as good as modern bikes, but having said that they were nothing like as bad as the ones on that particular Huntmaster. Those look like twin leading shoe front brakes which were actually quite effective provided they have been set up and adjusted correctly. Whoever lent you that bike doesn't have much knowledge about these things, otherwise he would never have let anybody out on the road with the brakes in that state, which is lethal.

[@ellaevansbolt]

Those brakes were always lethal. Trust me, I've done many miles on a Huntmaster back in the 60s.

[@davidpate6095]

It’s cool though. Riding an old bike is pretty cool.

[@alunbliss]

I have a 1961 Matchless g12….also a 650 twin so very similar. Shame I didn’t know you were in the area, as you could have done a little comparison. You are right….classic ownership is something quite special.

[@jamesschneider3828]

Motorcycles like these are what makes cell phone justifiable. Have fun with that machine.

[@leoclegg3047]

Same Burman transmission as the Norton's. 1 up--3 down. Worked great on the dragstrip by just tapping the kill button (which you had to install) at WOT,

[@everTriumph]

The main problem with gear shifting on the old BSA's was that the lever would fall off and you had to turn around and retrieve it. In whatever gear you were in. That and self-slackening steering head bearings. If it felt like a jackhammer when you braked your bearings were loose. And is that a front mudguard stay that can double as a stand for when you need to drop the wheel out. You don't need it at the back, put it on the centre stand and pivot the mudguard up and out of the way.

[@GreggBennett-j3p]

Really enjoyed this. ‘Brakes aren’t too good, he said’. So true. That said, if carefully set up (a process that has virtually disappeared from availability), they can be made to work ok. Fortunately, I grew up near an old school brake rebuilding business that hand cut shoes to fit. Even the small/narrow brakes of the early 60’s can be made serviceable if set up properly. Im 62 and have owned many British twins back in the late 70’s and 80’s. Mostly Triumphs and Nortons. Since then I’ve owned many, many, now collectible motorcycles, but I still think most fondly of my 1967 Triumph Bonneville. But, Do I want to go back? No, I don’t. I could go on for thousands of words wanking on like an old geezer about these bikes, but I won’t. These days, the only old bike I’ve kept is my, never-for-sale 1990 Moto Guzzi Lemans 1000, a Suzuki 650 Vstrom, and a Suzuki DR 650. The Moto Guzzi hits all the classic notes while also having nearly modern road going capabilities. The two Suzukis speak for themselves. My advice to younger people looking for classic bikes is to target Japanese bikes from the 70’s the 80’s. Sadly, the days of practically owning a 60’s British twin are largely over. Not because they don’t work well, but because they’ve simply become too ‘precious’. Back in the 80’s, they were cool, but nothing like precious.

[@martynlaverick3405]

Great vid guys and love the father son banter👍

[@carver7689]

The Huntmaster is beautiful, but it would be a hassle to maintain. Even if I wanted to, there isn't the workspace for it. We've all done the shave & regret cycle. Give it time, Darcy. You'll do it, too!

[@rhodaborrocks1654]

Those brakes aren't adjusted right, they should be a lot better than that !!

[@stewy62]

You need to increase your anticipation and gap between the vehicle in front of you when riding these old bikes. You mentioned that traffic was much quieter back in the day but funnily enough 1960 was the year of highest motorcycle usage in GB (don’t ask me how they know). 1960 was also the second worst year for motorcycle fatalities in this country (1,743) only beaten by 1930 (1,832). If you don’t know modern day figures are @ 350. In 1960 new motorcyclists on L plates were restricted to 250cc max and that was for all ages from 16. So yes, not that they’d have the money but a 16 year old could ride one of these bikes on their 16th birthday. Helmets didn’t become compulsory until 1973 so it’s easy to understand why fatalities were so high especially in the 50/60’s. And maybe the brakes had something to do with at as well.

[@coilstreeservice9398]

Great video friends 👍 So I now have a 1986 Honda Shadow vt1100 and I would love to see y'all find one and do another "retro review" they only made the one I have 1985-86

[@zedcharlie]

One thing for sure that todays bikes won t be running in 65yr. Electronics will cost more than bike is worth in 5yr from now or whatever. A mechanic pal of mine summed it up. Electronics is the new rust. By tbe way i have 3 modern and 3 classics😂

[@morini500dave]

Yes,love that saying.electronics are the new rust.

[@sionthenet]

I have a 1955 Huntmaster, and yes the brakes are poor but all part of the experience. I inherited this bike and don't yet have the knowledge I need to maintain it, but you tube, and owners clubs can really help get you started. We need more younger people (for this subject, at 48 I class myself in this bracket) to get interested and keep all these bikes going.

[@philmuskett265]

C'mon lads, motorbikes (especially in the 50s and 60s) were made to go -- not stop!!!

[@BobMan1952]

Going back and forth between classic bikes and modern bikes has one major problem. The shifters and rear brake levers being opposite can really mess you up in an emergency situation.

[@jeffmaxwell8821]

Like my old man in the 1950s this bike was probably someone’s only means of transport, to and from work, taking the lady on a day out, and so on. Today’s bikes are mainly toys………

[@stup1299]

That sort of explains why the Enfield Classic 350 is flying off the shelves.

[@norfolkandgoodmotovlogs]

Yes i think you are right with the rolling 40 years old to have black and silver number plates . Have to register as historic though , Riding old british bikes makes you a better all round rider as you have to keep thinking at all times . Cheers good content

[@thebikegeekandmore2448]

Great content. Would love to see more reviews about oldtimers. I would love to see a review of honda cb500four or electra glide 1200 with foot clutch and handshift.

[@67daltonknox]

60 years ago I had a Velocette Venom Clubman. Every now and then I'll see a classic bike for sale and think about buying it. Then I remember the reality of my dear old Velo and think how much better off I am with my current KTM 1290 SAS.

[@birchvand]

Thoroughly enjoying your videos; love the little asides as well, the beard saga, little chats with passers-by, Darcy doing an impression of a two stroke engine (very good, by the way!) Would love to make the bike meet but probably can't. Doing my CBT the day before though, wish it was a bit sooner, would have been awesome to turn up to a bike meet on L plates!

[@MrDarcy-OlMan]

Glad you like them! That’s very kind, good luck on your CBT

[@birchvand]

@@MrDarcy-OlMan thanks fella. Keep up the good work, here's to the next 100k subscribers!

[@birchvand]

Completed the cbt, picking up my first bike, a two year old yamaha xsr125, 2 years old, under 3000 miles, £3k! Bargain! Can't wait! Might be able to make it to your bike meet when it's rescheduled!

[@MrDarcy-OlMan]

@@birchvand awesome 👍🏼

[@MrDarcy-OlMan]

@birchvand congratulations enjoy your new ride 👍🏼

[@donparker1823]

Great show, nice bike. It really would not work for me now. Traffic is way too fast and my stupendously good breaks on the KTM 790 have actually saved me from massive road rash and or death a couple of time.

[@jjrider6758]

The brakes on your Huntmaster may or may not be very good but the Ariel brake was reckoned to be pretty good (BSA even fitted the Ariel brakes to their own A10 after they'd acquired Ariel) so they probably need some attention. Just a bit of advice.. It's no good using two fingers on 1950s British bike brake levers, you need to get your all four fingers on there and expect to squeeze hard to achieve the desired effect !!..

[@TuRuDun]

You need to grab a ride on a pre-unit Royal Enfield Bullet, either 350 or 500. 1935 design, built in the UK until 1955 or so, then in Chennai India until 2008. Their DLS front brake works well enough , the 4 speed is much like the Ariel, it won't be hurried. An affordable antique!

[@kevinpollard1550]

Its a beautiful boke love love the review

[@MrDarcy-OlMan]

Thank you 🤗

[@jimsadler8704]

Great channel, chaps, and good to see you doing a review on a classic machine. I recently sold a 2019 Honda as I was cheesed off with the interfering electronic gadgetry. My only two bikes now are a 1958 Velocette Venom and a 1969 Norton Commando Fastback. I can service both myself in a couple of hours including valve clearances. They both have twin leading shoe front brakes and stop really well and I’ve never had a problem despite the lack of ABS. They handle as well as any modern machine. Darcy is wrong to say classic machines are unreliable. Service them regularly and you will have no problems. For me my two classic bikes take me back to 1962 when I bought my first Norton.

[@andrewallen9993]

If your fastback commando is as it left the factory then it is more reliable than a modern bike as it is fault tolerant. 3 phase permanent magnet alternator (so you can lose up to two alternator phases windings and two phases of the selenium rectifier and the bike will still run) points, plugs coils and spark plugs are all duplicated (remove the plug from the afflicted cylinder and ride 640kms home as a 375 single, the plug must be removed so the bike isnt fighting compression in the dead cylinder, ask me how I know this is possible) ifvthe voltage regulator fails turn the headlight on. If the battery fails disconnect it and the electrolytic capacitor will allow you to start the bike, first kick the permanent magnet brush less alternator charges the capacitor and the second kick starts it. My commandos never left me stuck at the side of the road, my Fuel injected Kawasaki GPZ1100 did and so did my Z1000J and Yamaha AS125 twin.

[@jimsadler8704]

@@andrewallen9993 I totally agree, Andrew. My Commando has undergone a complete restoration front to rear the only alterations to standard being electronic ignition and a belt primary drive. It is a matching numbers machine.

[@andrewallen9993]

@@jimsadler8704 The electronic ignition is now the single point of failure 😀

[@jimsadler8704]

@@andrewallen9993 Hopefully not.

[@johnAdamson-uk1dd]

Interesting to see a different perspective on old British bikes, usually the reviews are by people who like this type of motorcycle, I love riding older British bikes but recognise they are not to everyones taste, I believe you have to be ready to do your own maintenance as they need looking after to remain reliable, for me this is as much fun as riding them. Brakes can be a problem, watching the Huntmaster, it's brakes looked particularly bad, the single leading shoe brake fitted can if properly set up with high friction brake shoes can be improved but for myself I still wouldn't want to ride them in modern road conditions, fitting a twin leading shoe brake can make the braking adequate but still not ideal. I prefer to ride later bikes from the 1970's that can be fitted with disc brakes, as I do 3-4000 miles a year I prefer to upgrade the disc brakes further, I have 2 Norton Commando's both fitted with 305 mm disc's and converted to modern 4 pot Brembo calipers, which means they stop more like a modern bike, or more importantly a modern car. Maybe you could get hold of a 1970's bike to see what you think, if I lived a bit closer you could have tried one of mine. As I say old British bikes aren't for everyone but don't knock them until you have tried them, my son who is 30, wasn't too impressed the first time he rode one of my Commando's but he persisted and now loves riding them, so much that he now own's 3 classic bikes, 2 BSA's and a Moto Guzzi.

[@MegaWorthington]

A genuine un-researched perspective, exactly what it said on the tin. It would have been fun to show a braking comparison between the Ariel and the Jawa ( which isn't the last word in braking). I have modern and classic bikes, my 1971 BMW R75/5 is little better in the braking department, even with large twin 'leading shoe' front brake.

[@dronedays450]

Me and my mates had one of those on the fields in 1970, we paid £10 for it and it had a sidecar chassis on it, we ramped it round the fields until it was destroyed, wish I had it now in the condition it was when we bought it as it would be worth a bit now.

[@maskedavenger2578]

A lot of the old classic bikes had manual decompressor levers for kick staring the bike , plus they also had manual timing advance levers to adjust as you upped the Rev range . Bikers had to have some understanding how an engine worked . The modern bikes are designed for iT & gamer nerds ,who don’t know one end of a spanner from the other ,or where the spark plugs go . There was more of a chance of sorting a breakdown at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere , with the old carburettor fuelled bikes gravity fed from tank. The question is how many modern bikes will still be running or reparable in 50 or 60 years time . 👍

[@ellaevansbolt]

You would only find decompressor levers on the bigger single cylinder bikes.

[@maskedavenger2578]

@@ellaevansbolt They had decompressors on small bikes , some worked by a cable automatically operating a lever on decompressor as bike was kickstarted . The 1980 Honda 250 RSA single ,was one such motorcycle , I owned one . Even a small single can kick back & damage the riders foot ,if the manual or auto compressor cable ,or mechanism is poorly adjusted , when starting bike .

[@ellaevansbolt]

@@maskedavenger2578 Ok, I was unaware of smaller bikes like that having one.

[@maskedavenger2578]

@@ellaevansbolt I never owned any old Brit bikes , but remember seeing a lot of weird & wonderful old bikes in the late 1950’s & 1960 ‘s . Some of them probably built before WW2 . Big or small quite a few of them , had a plethora of handle bar mounted control levers to serve various functions ,including decompressors , timing advance & retard , choke , front brake & clutch .

[@ellaevansbolt]

@@maskedavenger2578 Not forgetting hand gear change too. And some had foot clutch, and also some very old one you had a hand pump for oiling!! Oh yes, you need your wits about you riding some of the real vintage bikes. Modern bikes you ride, vintage bikes you drive!

[@jerrywines382]

Lovely old brit classic, with all the old brit "character" as you discovered 😂. Ignore the negative comments. Classic owners can be a prickly bunch and be very defensive. These bikes were great in their day, and learning to ride one will undoubtedly improve your riding skills, as you need to plan ahead and use the gearbox and engine braking rather than just rely on modern brakes and ABS. I started riding in 1981 so we had moderately effective disc brakes on the front at least. But I've never had a bike with ABS until I picked up my new Gold Star a couple of weeks ago, so learning how to ride on wet greasy roads without using much brake was a matter of survival. Anyway, great vid so keep doing what you're doing guys.

[@JohnWaldron-cm7ce]

Great in their day is the PC response-John in Texas

[@garryclarke-kray4071]

Good review delivered well thankyou

[@MrDarcy-OlMan]

Thanks for watching!

[@bazxl57]

@@MrDarcy-OlMan So it is a review.

[@Thomas_Tan4577]

I’m worried about the cable dangling while you’re riding…

[@Aitch412]

The beard's fine as it is... the old "badger peering through a hedge" look, makes you look ancient... I've tinkered with the idea of a classic bike, but the lack of technical nous put the kybosh on that, although I love the classic look... love the channel... Ride Safe...👍😎

[@loddude5706]

'For the badger parade is but thirty minutes away' . . . Gareth Southgate's hedge? : )

[@bazxl57]

Any chance you could get a Harley side valve tank change to have an afternoon with, & get young MR Darcy a 1984/1985 Harley Sportster 1000 ironhead to have a blast on. I know you like your Harleys.

[@MrDarcy-OlMan]

That would be cool 👍🏼

[@ralphrotten6912]

Bike's older than the Ol man? Darn, I'm older than that bike, guess that makes me ancient. Started riding on a 1960 Triumph Bonneville. Brakes? What brakes, who needs them. The old bikes had character, always needed work, leaked oil and were a lot of fun. You also learned about mechanics, or walked and pushed the bike! You youngsters can't really appreciate these new bikes performance and dependability. Miss the old bikes... but love my 2023 Triumph T120.....

[@AjaySingh-228]

Its looks pretty cool 😮🔥

[@robynbazlen-weglarz7836]

If all bikes had kick starters and no electric starters, a lot less people would be riding. I still would prefer a kick starter. With a compression relief there would be no problem with kick back.

[@andrewdyson4255]

I’m glad we have progressed but yes the mudguard is how they should be

[@hughtranter5044]

These were the ton up boys, but with terrible brakes 😂😂😂😂😂

[@tomjones7593]

At 69-and an occasional rider- it is genuinely amazing to me that the successful bikes of today (Other from those affordable only to an elite) are regressing to the 'classic ' (uh-overused expression)-maybe they got it right and people don't want 'ar*e-in- the- air and white knuckle speed jobs; wish I still had my Norton Dominator SS.....

[@Mike40M]

Of course you need to ride a number of classic British bikes to understand them better. Some handled as well as modern bikes, some brakes better and some was quite reliable. Some was for touring, some for dirt, some was sports bikes and some was for cheap transportation. Properly maintained they can run as long as there is petrol. Modern bikes will never be classic because when the electronics eventually fails, the electronic chips is out of production.

[@iggyzorro2406]

old bikes = nice to look at. like the look but wanna ride? Kawasaki W800. (or 650)

[@havok531]

Love the look of this bike, but I'm with Mr. Darcy about not wanting to own one. I'm wondering if anything could be done about the brakes, like modern pads or something. (Wrote this just before the part about modern components being used came on).

[@davidphillips7255]

Back in the day when I had a drum brake bike that was scary; I found a brake shop that was able to grind the old useless linings off the shoes and bond on modern high grip linings. The improvement was dramatic and made the bike ridable. Compared to many bikes of the period, the Ariel looks to have decent size drums. I'm sure that they could be made to work. Anyone who thinks better braking is wrong isn't worth listening to. Would you want to ride on 1950's quality tires?

[@davidcollings4750]

to be fair, Ariel drums were terrible when new compared to some of their counterparts

[@phils2180]

An interesting review on a bike from an era when the British bike industry led the world but the Japanese work ethic of continuous improvement moved things on quickly and the Brits just rested on their laurels, selling the same old bikes and the rest is history. This Ariel is a bit before my time but the value of bikes like this is 100% nostalgia IMO because, let's be honest, they're outclassed in just about every aspect of riding by just about any modern bike you care to mention. That is progress, what isn't progress is the styling and appearance of some modern offerings! 👎 One huge plus with the vintage stuff however is they're comparatively basic machines and easy to work on with no fancy, dealer only electronics and service tooling required!👍👍😃