IN THIS ISSUE:
- Welcome
- A Brief History of the Motorcycle
- Classic Bikes of Yesteryear
- Tips 'N' Tricks
- Unusual Bike
- Sponsors
- Your Committee
- Jokes
Welcome to the JULY 2007 Edition of "THE WANDERER"
In the wake of the excitement of the AGM at Coffs Harbour comes the coldest month of the year. Undaunted, the stauncher riders among us have been getting out and about and enjoying their riding just the same. Recent trips include the Brass Monkey GOR and Roadies Highland Shiver, the names say it all.
Despite the onset of cooler weather, the Wanderers have been out socialising in large numbers. The recent successful Bowling night saw 8 lanes booked out to more than 40 members who had a ball. Christmas in July was also very successful with more than 50 attendees and a great night had by all.
This monthUnfortunately due to a home relocation from Hoppers to Wildwood we lost our Internet Connection for 2 weeks. This has obviously impacted the regular Website Updates, and of course this Newsletter itself.
Despite the above, I am pleased to announce that we are once again connected. This time courtesy of the miracle that is Wireless Broadband.
Webmaster Col
A Brief History of the Motorcycle
There are some of us who have no idea how motorcycles were originally developed, so I thought I would do some research to find out all about them and share it with you.
The motorcycle started off in a rather humble manner, riders sat on them using their feet to propel them along until the mid 1800’s, when they started to use pedals. The American Roper steam-powered cycle was developed in 1869, with a charcoal-fired, twin-cylinder engine, while in France L. G. Perreaux patented a machine very similar. Neither of the machines went very far and the rider was usually burnt by the steam. It is undecided which was first, but 1869 was considered the birth of the motorcycle.
German inventor Gottlieb Daimler is thought to be the real father of the motorcycle. He developed in 1885 a single-cylinder petrol-driven bike with a wooden frame, and the engine in the middle underneath the saddle. This bike had two smaller extra stabiliser wheels to keep the rider upright and the top speed was 12 mph.
By the end of the 1800’s motorcycle production was still in the experimental stage. The next really notable two-wheeler was the Millet of 1892. It used a 5-cylinder engine built as the hub of its rear wheel. The cylinders rotated with the wheel, and its crankshaft constituted the rear axle.
In 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmueller patented a two-wheeler step-through with a fuel tank on the downtube and a parallel-twin engine mounted low on the frame. The connecting rods linked directly to a crank on the rear axle, it stored energy using a pair of strong elastic bands, on each side of the cylinders, to help with compression. It also had a water tank (radiator) built into the top of the rear mudguard.
But it was in 1895 when two French inventors Count Albert de Dion and Georges Bouton developed a new engine that would change motorcycling forever. Their small, reliable, light, high revving four-stroke single cylinder 138cc engine was revolutionary. They used a battery-and-coil ignition and a total loss lubrication system to drip oil into the crankcase through a metering valve, which lubricated and cooled components before disposing of it onto the ground through a breather. This was all fitted to a pedal cycle frame and they sold many of these motorcycles in the 1900’s. DeDion-Buton used their power plant in road going trikes but their engine was copied and used by everybody, including Indian and Harley-Davidson.
By 1913 the Indian Motorcycle Company in America was manufacturing 20,000 bikes a year. While in Britain in the 1920’s the Triumph Motorcycle Plant in Coventry was producing 30,000 bikes a year. But by the 1930’s the world economy had slumped and both companies were struggling to survive.
The Second World War came and many motorcycles were made to the help the war effort. But it was the 1950’s when motorcycles really became popular. The biggest manufacturers were in Britain who made Triumph, Royal Enfield, Norton and Matchless.
Then in the 1960’s the Japanese dominated the market with Honda who made cheap reliable motorcycles which were hard to beat on the Grand Prix circuit. The British motorcycle industry had nearly been wiped out in the 1970’s by the Japanese, but in the late 20th century motorcycles were becoming something more than just transport, they were becoming fun machines.
There were a growing number of enthusiastic riders who were heading to the bush on off-road bikes like the KTM’s racer, or just heading for the highways on the superbikes like Suzuki’s 200 mph Hayabusa. Even the old classics were making a comeback – the Harley Davidson’s and the Triumph’s
The 21st century has seen the introduction of new models in every shape and size, encouraging old and new generations of riders to take to the roads, bush and racing circuits. As the price of fuel rises more and more people are seeing the benefits of riding a motorcycle, so the future looks bright for bike riders’ world wide.
Wendy
Source: http://www.discoverychannel.co.uk/motorbikes/timeline/ and http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcmuseum/firstbike.html
Classic Bikes of Yesteryear
Recently at a tyre kick I was asked by Wendy to submit an article or two on Classic Bikes which can be added to our newsletter. Gee… where do I start, with so many CLASSICS to choose from? Would I start with the A’s and work my way through to Z? or write about bikes which our members have shown a interest in? Then it came to me… 
“DO BOTH”…
One of our more enthusiastic members “John” or as most know him “Blue Napoleon” or “Sad Frog” was telling me that his dad had a old Ariel years ago, but he did not know what model.
Well John, Ariel made some of the most famous classic bikes ever built. Their heritage goes way back prior to the turn of the 20th century. Many speed records of the 1920’s and 30’s were made on these fantastic old machines, the RED HUNTER 
being one of the most popular. Hundreds of thousands were made in the company’s factory in Birmingham England and exported the world over for thirty years. My favorite Ariel is the SQUARE FOUR, maybe your dad’s bike was one of these?
I hope you all enjoy this first issue of Classic Bikes of Yester Year.
In 1870 James Starley & William Hillman invented the wire-spoke wheel for bicycles, they named this new type of wheel the “ARIEL” (the spirit of the Air) From this humble beginning they produced motorized 3 & 4 wheeled vehicles. In 1902 the company was sold to Charles Sangster, who began producing single & V twin motorcycles of no real note, and the company went bankrupt in 1932.
Charles Sangster’s son Jack bought the rights to the “ARIEL” name, and hired some of the best designer / engineers in England and the result was the production of the first 1932 RED HUNTER. The model that pulled Ariel out of debt & stayed in production through till the late 1960’s until the company was absorbed by BSA.
The Ariel Square Four
Designed by Edward Turner ( yes the boss of “TRIUMPH” Edward Turner) The first prototype of the “Square Four” was produced in 1930 production began in 1931, and as the name suggests the rear 2 cylinders were directly behind the front 2 cylinders, thus the square.
The Square Four started life with a 500cc engine, which slotted into a twin front down tube chassis similar to that used by Ariel's 500 singles, using girder forks and a rigid rear end.
The engine grew to 600cc in 1932 to give it a little more power, a very smooth but somewhat sedate engine, but not an easy engine to tune for performance.
In 1953 the Square Four was up-dated with a lighter aluminum engine, and in 1954 the last and most famous of the Square Four’s was made the Mk2, with it’s newly designed cylinder heads and up-dated 4 pipe exhaust. This being the last model of Square Four, the over
heating problem to the rear two cylinders which plagued the bike from concept remained all its life till production ceased in 1959.
In 1954 the combined Ariel/BSA motorcycle companies produce a 650cc twin, the Huntmaster, the engine of which was based on the BSA 650cc A10, with which it shares many internal components.
Also a small 200cc four stroke machine, the Ariel Colt.
In 1959 Ariel / BSA took the decision to stop all four stroke production and to concentrate solely on its very popular award winning Leader and Arrow models.
The 250cc Ariel Leader was produced from 1958 until 1966, being joined by its undressed sibling, the Ariel Arrow, in 1960. A smaller 200cc engine version came on the scene in 1964.
In 1963 Ariel/BSA made the 50cc Ariel Pixie, a bike originally designed to be an OHC engine, but BSA instructed that a previous BSA engine be re-sleeved from 75cc to 50cc be used. The public really didn't like it and it turned out to be another loss for the company.
The last model to bear the great name Ariel was the Ariel 3, a classic example of BSA’s poor directorship of the time immediately prior to the insolvency of the BSA group.
With the sales slogan “Here it is - whatever it is?” The public, just like manufacturers, couldn't decide what it was either. What they did decide was that it wasn't what they wanted.
Thus the last nail in the Ariel /BSA coffin.
Figures
1958 4G Mk II Square Four Specifications
| Engine | 997 cc, 4-stroke, square four, air-cooled, OHV, 8-valve |
| Bore/Stroke | 65.0 mm x 75.0 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 7.2:1 |
| Max Power | 45 bhp @ 5500 rpm |
| Fuel System | Single SU carburettor |
| Lubrication | Double gear pump |
| Ignition | 6V 20A/h battery, coil ignition |
| Transmission | 4-speed |
| Final Drive | Chain |
| Overall Length | 82 inch |
| Overall Width | 32 inch |
| Seat Height | 30 inches (787 mm) |
| Wheelbase | 56 inches (1422 mm) |
| Dry Weight | 425 lb / (197 kg) |
| Suspension Front | Telescopic Forks |
| Suspension | Rear Twin link-and-plunger units |
| Brakes Front | 8-inch (203 mm) sls drum |
| Brakes Rear | 8-inch (203 mm) sls drum |
| Tires Front | 3.25 x 19 inches |
| Tires Rear | 4.00 x 18 inches |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 5 imp gallons (23 litres) |
Square Four Production
| Model | Years Produced | Production |
| 4F-500 | 1931-32 | 927 |
| 4F-600 | 1932-40 | 2674 |
| 4G-1000 | 1936-48 | 4288 |
| Mk I | 1949-53 | 3922 |
| Mk II | 1953-58 | 3828 |
| All Models | 1931-58 | 15,641 |
Pre-War Ariel Square Four Model Designations
- 1931-1932: 498 cc 4F/31 Square Four.
- 1932: 498 cc 4F Square Four.
- 1932-1936: 601 cc 4F/600 Square Four.
- 1937-1948: 995 cc 4G Square Four.
- 1939: 599 cc 4F/600 Square Four.
A Request from the Quartermaster
What sort of items would you like to see in the quartermasters store,ie ;winter gloves , scarves jumpers face masks ??? and summer vests caps , sunnies sunblock,stickers badges ??, all not necessarilly ulysses stuff. but all good quality, any ideas will be welcome.
Send your comments/suggestions to the Quartermaster Yogi
0437 544 002
Tips 'N' Tricks
This little corner of the newsletter is devoted to all those new and old riders who need a few helpful hints rather than learning from cold hard experience.
I would appreciate any help from members who I am sure have lots of helpful hints, so feel free to email me any suggestions, so we can all learn.
- • If you are going on a long ride be prepared for everything (not that easy).
- • I wish someone had told me that I would need at least 3 pairs of gloves when riding in the rain. I would not have felt so dammed uncomfortable for the 11 hours we were on the road riding in the rain going to the AGM.
- • If you use leather bags make sure you wrap everything in plastic otherwise if it rains for a long period everything will get wet.
- • The use of a sheep skin on the saddle of your bike reduces the amount of pressure suffered by ones posterior and makes a long ride more enjoyable.
- • Have a clock that is always visible, it’s cheaper than paying the fines when you are required to go 40 kms through a school zone.
- • “Travel light when on a bike”. Quote …. thanks Helen.
- • Don’t carry cheap tools in your motorbike tool kit, they bend, break, or strip out slots on screws, and round off nuts and bolts, so only buy good quality tools.
- • Don't risk scraping your knuckles when cleaning hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. Put your hand in an old sock and your new rag will get everywhere your fingers can.
Unusual Bike
This titanium skeleton custom built bike belongs to John Farr from Opelika, Alabama.(definitely an aquired taste! - ED)
Sponsors
YOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS
| Position | Office Bearer | Telephone Contact |
| President | Bubba | 0418 395 786 |
| Secretary | Ornella | 0422 639 845 |
| Treasurer | JohnT | 0407 427 361 |
| Ride Co-ordinator | Marty | 0402 440 273 |
| Social Co-ordinator | RickH | 0418 138 885 |
| Quartermaster | Yogi | 0437 544 002 |
| Webmaster | Col | 0431 685 268 |
| Newsletter Editor | Wendy | 0418 550 906 |
JOKES
Surgery!
A mechanic was removing a cylinder-head from the motor of a Harley Davidson when he spotted a well-known cardiologist in his shop. The cardiologist was there waiting for the service manager to come take a look at his bike when the mechanic shouted across the garage "Hey Doc, want to take a look at this?"
The cardiologist, a bit surprised, walked over to where the mechanic was working on the motorcycle. The mechanic straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag and said, "So Doc, look at this engine. I open its heart, take the valves out, repair any damage, and then put them back in, and when I finish, it works just like new. So how come I make $39,675 a year, a pretty small salary and you get the really big bucks ($1,695,759) when you and I are doing basically the same work?" The cardiologist paused, smiled and leaned over, then whispered to the mechanic................................
"Try doing it with the engine running."
The Truckie
A truck driver was eating breakfast at a lunch counter, when a gang of motorcycle tough-guys walked in. One of the bikers put his finger in the truck driver's coffee and said, "Not very hot, is it?" Then another biker put his finger in the scrambled eggs and said, "Not very fluffy, are they?" Finally, without saying a word, the trucker paid for his meal and left. "Wasn't much of a man, was he?” the gang leader asked the waitress. "He's no great driver either", replied the waitress. "He just ran over a bunch of motorcycles.
You know you’re a biker when...
- All your cars and trucks are parked outside because the garage is full of bikes and parts.
- You think woman are turned on by the sound of a bike starting.
- You have a collection of air filters (10) but only one fits your current bike.
- Every shirt you own is cotton with something written on it.
- You think that dressing up means putting on a brand new t-shirt and jeans.
- All your pants are stained with chain lube.
- You have more riding boots than dress shoes.
- You have three sets of tools metric, regular and those goofy British things.
- Sunday is set aside for riding instead of watching sports on TV.
- When your bike makes a funny ticking noise and you know right away what it is without even looking.
- You don't even flinch when you’re hit by a bug when riding.
- You can tell what bike it is just by hearing the exhaust.
- Someday you would like to find your first bike and restore it.
- Your bike is worth more than your car or truck.
- You shudder when you see some body tighten spokes with a crescent wrench.
- The sides of your tyres are worn more than the centre.
- You know how and when to use your front brake.
- Almost nothing on your new bike is stock and almost everything on your vintage bike is.
- When your income tax comes in you start thinking about buying bike parts.