1937 Ariel VG Deluxe and Dusting Sidecar

Yet when the baby does come along, most riders take the easy way out and abandon the bike, trading two wheels for four. The dedicated rider will recognize that parental responsibility is only temporary: within twenty or so years, the offspring will fly the nest, having emptied both refrigerator and savings account. So for the truly committed and impecunious biker, the solution is simple: add a sidecar.

Sidecars have been around as long as motorcycles — perhaps even longer. Though less common now, a sidecar rickshaw ride might well have been pedal-powered in times past. These early models were often made of wicker, providing little in the way of weather protection. Many motorcycle companies also made their own sidecars (BSA and Harley-Davidson to name but two).

Sidecars have never been big on this side of the pond, of course, thanks to Henry Ford: a decent motorcycle could cost almost as much as a Model T. But when I was growing up in England, a motorcycle “combination” was the default option for many working-class families. The call to “export or die” in post-World War II Britain meant fewer new cars on the domestic market, and transportation came down to what you could afford. Powered two-wheelers — motorcycles, autocycles, scooters, and mopeds — were the choice of many.

Cars were luxury items: sales tax on a new car was prohibitive, fuel and road licensing also expensive, while a motorcycle combination owner paid no more than a solo rider. Many motorcyclists had learned to ride before drivers’ licenses were introduced and needed to take a road test to drive a car — and that could seem daunting. In the Fifties and Sixties, you could buy an ex-military BSA M20 or Norton 16H cheap, bolt on a sidecar, and the family transportation problem was solved.

Licensing laws in Britain also favored sidecars. A 16-year-old learner motorcyclist could pilot a combination of any engine size but was limited to 250cc for a solo. One friend of mine simply hitched a bare sidecar frame and wheel to his 650 BSA Golden Flash until he was able to pass his motorcycle test. It certainly didn’t slow him down.

Sidecars came in many shapes and sizes: single-seat sporting units, like the Dusting featured here, while a popular choice for the new family was the Child/Adult or C/A, big enough for mom (or dad, of course) and a toddler. When more kids came along, the side-hack could be traded for a Double/Adult (D/A) with enough seating for two or three. Some were so large, they looked like tiny homes on wheels!

But that was there and then, and this is here and now. Few younger motorcyclists have ever “driven” (the preferred term) a sidecar outfit — and that’s a shame because it’s a unique experience. The dynamics resulting from adding a third wheel and several dozen pounds to the side of a motorcycle need to be taken seriously. In our part of the world, where a sidecar is fitted on the right, you steer left under acceleration, and right under braking or the rig will slew across the road. You accelerate through a right turn yet overrun through a left … or you risk going straight on. Forget countersteering: a sidecar counters any kind of steering you’re familiar with!

And for the ultimate in three-wheeled adventure, Ural makes its Gear-Up model with selectable two-wheel drive, powering the rear motorcycle wheel and the sidecar hoop. The locking differential means almost-unstoppable traction on soft surfaces, but must be disengaged on tarmac, or the rig will only go straight ahead.

The shoot

Though few photo shoots ever turn out quite the way I’ve planned, some go more off-kilter than others. I’m in Maui, Hawaii, and I’ve arranged to meet a guy named Gray, proprietor of Sickle Shack motorcycles, to shoot a 1937 Ariel combo.

The bike is in Gray’s shop at Maui Central Baseyard, a grimy industrial park off Veterans Highway. Gray had been kind enough to invest a couple of days away from his regular business, fettling and polishing the outfit for me to photograph. And while the leaden sky squeezes out an intermittent drizzle, we manage to find enough dry time for photography. Somehow the seedy backdrop of rusting car parts, heavy equipment, trucks (and the inevitable junkyard dog) seem to highlight the gleaming paintwork and chrome of the Ariel and its running mate. With water droplets sparkling on the bodywork. I set to work and soon have enough snaps for my story.

Then the mercurial Gray has disappeared: the shoot (and my interview) is over before I can ask him about the history of the Ariel, especially how it got to Maui still wearing South Australia license plates.

1937 Ariel VG 500 and Dusting sidecar

And so to the motorcycle combo captured in the pictures. In many ways, the 1937 VG 500 is typical of British sporting singles of the Thirties, though the twin-port exhaust was dated by then. Ariel motorcycles were generally considered a cut above the rest, and the gloss black finish sets off its build quality perfectly.

Ariel’s pre-World War II singles owe their basic design and format to ubiquitous British motorcycle designer Valentine Page. In 1926, Page had just arrived at Ariel from J. A. Prestwich, the “JAP” engine company, and started on developing a range of single-cylinder machines. By the start of the 1930s, Ariel’s catalog featured a broad and confusing range, including side- and overhead-valve engines of 250, 350, 500 and 557cc capacities with both vertical and sloping cylinders, single or twin exhaust ports, and two- and four-valve heads. Added to the range in 1931 was the 500cc OHC Square Four, penned by Ariel’s drawing-office newbie, Edward Turner, who joined the company in 1929.

But the broad product range proved unwieldy during the 1930’s Great Depression, and Ariel ran out of money in 1932. Jack Sangster, former managing director of Ariel’s parent company, Cycle Components, bought back the Ariel company from the receivers with his own money, installing Edward Turner as chief designer. Page left for the (then) smaller Triumph company.

Turner was tasked with rationalizing Ariel’s engine range, and to increasing commonality in cycle parts. So for 1933, the OHV range was cut to just three twin-port, two-valve singles available in three trim levels. Page had designed his engine for longevity: the built-up crankshaft ran on three bearings — two roller and one ball — with a double-row roller in the big end. The cast iron barrel and head sat on alloy crankcases with gear drive camshafts operating the pushrods. Bore and stroke were 86.5 x 85mm to 1935, then 81.8 x 95mm from 1936-on. Fully recirculating lubrication was provided by a double-plunger pump and separate oil tank.

The two overhead valves were operated by pushrods inside external tubes, with fully-enclosed rockers and valve gear (from c. 1934). An oil-bath primary chain and wet clutch drove the foot-shift, 3- or 4-speed gearbox with final drive also by chain. The drivetrain was fitted into a tubular frame with rigid rear and a girder fork at the front. Brakes were 7-inch SLS drums front and rear spoked to 26-inch rims with 3.25-inch tires front and rear. Ignition and electrics were provided by a chain-driven Lucas mag-dyno. A neat feature is the gas-tank mounted instrument panel with pull-out trouble light, something many period machines were fitted with.

Equally charming is the period Australian-made Dusting sidecar. From the 1930s on, the Melbourne, Australia, maker built what founder H.C. Dusting called in their advertising, “The Choice of Champions.” Dusting emphasized the importance of a sturdy chassis and correct suspension design to refine handling and ensure passenger comfort. And while many contemporary sidecars were made from wood, the body of the Dusting was steel.

Dusting also claimed to make “the world’s best sidecar” and the sleek sporting lines of their “standard” model as fitted to the Ariel complements it beautifully. Maybe it’s just my advancing years, but the elegant black-and-gold Ariel and its graceful sidecar seem deeply evocative of a world where quality, durability and functional design were more important than loud pipes and bold new graphics.

The right size bike for a sidecar

It’s appropriate that the Ariel is attached to a sidecar. Though now a 500cc bike is considered a beginner bike, in the 1930s the most popular engine size for a sporting single was 350cc. Five hundreds were sold as sidecar tugs, with engines tuned for towing torque rather than power and speed. And if a 500 wasn’t up to the task of dragging a family-size sidecar, there were side-valve V-twins from most makers in the 800cc-1,100cc range.

Ariel had become part of the BSA Group in 1944, and the post-war models inevitably lost their distinctiveness. By 1954, chrome had been replaced with Ariel’s mundane house finish of maroon paint, with an ugly headlight cowl and fully enclosed chain guard. It was like dressing a supermodel in coveralls.

But the times had moved on, and twins were all the rage. A 500cc twin could produce more power more easily than a 500 single and was easier to start. By the mid-1950s, the flagship sports models of most British manufacturers were based on their parallel twins: like Triumph’s Tiger 110, BSA’s Road Rocket and Norton’s Dominator 88 and 99. With a few notable exceptions (BSA’s Gold Star and Velocette’s Venom) the days of sporting thumpers like the VG500 were over. MC

Ariel Model Lettering System

What’s the meaning of the letters VG on the timing case? Ariel’s model letter coding is not the easiest to unravel, especially as its interpretation changed over the years: but in the late Thirties, the company made 250, 350, 500, and 600cc singles. The first letter denoted the engine size: L for 250, N for 350 and V for both 500 and 600. From 1933-on, the second letter indicated the trim level and state of tune: F was the basic model; G meant Deluxe; and H indicated the “tuned” Red Hunter version. Side valve engines were allocated the second letter B.

F models were available with 3- or 4-speed transmission for 1933-1935. The F suffix was dropped for 1936, with all OHV singles using a 4-speed transmission in G or H trim. LG and OG 250cc models were re-named Colt. For 1933-1935, the 557cc side-valve single was available in two trim levels, A and B. For 1936-on, this was stretched to 596cc, available only in B trim.

The Square Fours were designated 4F for the 1931 500cc and 4F/6 to distinguish the 600cc versions. From 1937 all Square Fours were 1,000cc and designated “4G.” Post-World War II designations included the KH 500cc twin, FH 650cc twin Huntmaster, LH 200cc Colt, plus HS (scrambles) and HT (trials) competition OHV singles in 350 and 500cc. Alloy engined street models in 1952-1953 carried the additional suffix “A.”

Examples:

• VG = 500cc OHV deluxe
• LF = 250cc OHV base model
• VB = 557cc side-valve deluxe to 1935, 600cc side-valve standard 1936-on.
• NH = 350cc Red Hunter
• HT5 = 500cc competition
• VHA = 500cc alloy engine

Originally published as “Something on the Side” in the July/August 2023 issue of Motorcycle Classics magazine.