Production genius
As detailed last month in part one, Val Page spent what little time he had after joining Ariel and before the annual autumn Olympia Show, designing new engines for the company’s motorcycles. And rather than accord model names alone as employed in Selly Oak’s recent past – such as ‘Lightweight’ or ‘Touring’ – Val also gave each model an individual model identification letter, leaving no one in doubt of model type.
Drawing mainly from his JAP experience, abetted by examination of Ariel’s previously favoured White and Poppe concept, Mr Page designed, developed and entered into production with two new engines for Ariel’s four 1926 season models. For the single cylinder A (Sports) and B (Touring) motorcycles a 557cc (86.4x95mm) side-valve engine, and for the C (Super-Sports) and D (Touring) machines a single cylinder, 497cc, ohv (81.5x95mm) unit, its valve gear operated by parallel exposed pushrods.
Although aimed at the touring and sidecar market, the 557cc engine was no slouch, with press testers stating 70mph top speed on level ground on a still day, so easily 5-10mph faster than the White and Poppe side-valve engines it replaced. History has proved these machines durable and with a launch price of £45 for the Model A and £50 for the Model B, they were good value, with the former only £2-2s-6d (£2-12½p) more than Triumph’s bargain buy Model P, launched a year earlier.
Time pressures dictated Page slotted his new engines in frames used for previous season (1925) machines. Features common to both sv and ohv engines included double
