By Steve Carter
My restoration story begins in the early 1970s with a 1957 Ariel Mk II Square 4, acquired by my father, who lives in Minnesota. He purchased it shortly after I left home for what turned out to be a 21-year career in the U.S. Navy.
The bike was in running condition; however, it had not been well cared for and made some ominous noises indicating serious bottom-end problems may be developing. So, the engine and transmission were removed for rebuilding and the many surrounding parts were put in boxes. The engine was mounted in a work stand, but the restoration effort soon came to a standstill. Each time when I returned home for a visit, there it was in a dark corner of the basement, gathering dust.
I didn’t understand at the time why my father stopped working on it, but I imagine the demands of raising a family (I am the oldest of six children), working full-time and his interest in other hobbies left little time for tinkering with something as challenging as a Square 4. He did, however, manage to acquire some important spare parts when they were still easy to find, and these came in very handy later on.
In 1992, he retired and moved to Florida. Not wanting to take up limited space storing a “basket case” in his new home, he offered it to me to “keep it in the family,” with an expectation that it would eventually be restored.
I eagerly accepted! I share my father’s interest in motorcycles and started my riding career in the mid-‘60s when British bikes dominated the market. He owned a Royal Enfield 750cc TT Interceptor at the time, which made a very favorable and lasting impression on me. My first “real” motorcycle was a Triumph T120 Bonneville. The opportunity to own an Ariel could not be ignored!
I live in South Carolina and had just finished my career in the Navy. I was anxious to get it home and get to work on restoring it. Being a mechanical engineer, I was fascinated by Edward Turner’s unique engine design. I quickly proceeded to completely disassemble the engine to make a list of needed repair parts. However, my enthusiasm soon faded as I began to realize the expense of completing the restoration. Mortgage payments, car payments and the cost of getting two daughters through college, graduate school plus a significant health crisis put spending money on a bike restoration at the bottom of the priority list. So, the restoration project quickly sank into another period of hibernation.
Finally, in 2008, with all the usual family financial burdens behind me, I started again to actively work on completing the restoration. Thanks to a local machine shop that specializes in restoring antique engines, a colleague at work who does fantastic paintwork, and Draganfly Motorcycles in England, I finally got it all together and running last December. My goal is to bring it to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in July -- my father will hopefully be able meet me there. He is 82 now, but is still actively riding. He is a big fan of Moto Guzzi and owns several of them. He is very anxious to see the Ariel again in running condition.
Thanks for the opportunity to share my story with other admirers of classic motorcycles.
Steve Carter is AMA member No. 565283.