Here's one that I think is actually quite rare,, at least in my biking experience..

[cowpuc]

Little 450 shaft drive, automatic Suzuki... Any of you lop eared bike crazy varmints ever own one of these?? Pretty neat looking little scoot = never really was much of a Suzuki man BUT they sure did build some interesting stuff in years past..

 

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/mcy/d/1983-suzuki-suzuki-matic/6323512905.html

[RandyR]

Interesting bike. thx

[BlueSky]

Remember when a 450 was considered a big bike?

[Kretz]

Little 450 shaft drive, automatic Suzuki... Any of you lop eared bike crazy varmints ever own one of these?? Pretty neat looking little scoot = never really was much of a Suzuki man BUT they sure did build some interesting stuff in years past..

 

https://grandrapids.craigslist.org/mcy/d/1983-suzuki-suzuki-matic/6323512905.html

 

Nice looking "little bike" if I lived nearer I would consider that as a project.

 

Remember when a 450 was considered a big bike?

 

Yes I do! When I returned to riding & people suggested the smallest bike I should consider should be a 650cc I thought they were all nuts.... 650's!!!! They were monsters in my day, I ended up with a 900 Vulcan, great bike taught me a lot & I still like it.

[Sylvester]

Had a Honda with auto for a short while circa 1969. Think it was a 350 but don't remember. I was wheeling and dealing bikes then and choppers were my love. Had an Ariel Square Four then also with a left sidecar that I bought from a serviceman that brought it back from Germany. Wish I had it now.

 

[Condor]

Had an Ariel Square Four then also with a left sidecar that I bought from a serviceman that brought it back from Germany. Wish I had it now.

 

Yep wish I still had mine too... Loved that bike. 1000cc's back when 750 was about tops. And the exhaust howl when going thru the gears full twist. Music to the ears... It was my daily transportation all over SoCal back in the early '60's. 1953 overhead, 4 speed, gears on the right.. brake on the left.

 

 

[Yammer Dan]

I looked at this yesterday Puc. And the more I think about it the more I think a buddy showed up with one of those way back when and I took a little ride on it at his request. Thing had all kinds of Git up and gone and handled good. I think maybe he was looking at buying. Don't remember if he did or not But I remember it would really jump out of the hole!!

[cowpuc]

Yep wish I still had mine too... Loved that bike. 1000cc's back when 750 was about tops. And the exhaust howl when going thru the gears full twist. Music to the ears... It was my daily transportation all over SoCal back in the early '60's. 1953 overhead, 4 speed, gears on the right.. brake on the left.

 

 

 

OUTSTANDING!!

 

That leads me to ask this ?? though Jack.. Back in my early biking years - mid 60's - to my knowledge there was no Ariel dealership any where near us here in West Michigan.. Did you have an actual Ariel dealer in your area = Sacremento? Indeed,, we had Harley, Triumph, BSA, Guzzi, Honda, Suki (hardware store), Kawi, Yam, Beemer, Benelli, Norton, Ducati, Cushman, Sears n Robuck (Allstate-Riverside), Penton, Hodaka, ACE/Steens, Vespa and countless Mini Bike suppliers but - scoots like the Ariel were extremely rare.... Thinking,, as a young gear headed backyard motorcycle conisuer I was extremely under priviledged and totally over looked - definitely sounds like I missed out on some amazing scoots!!

All this makes me wonder what other exotic brands you and your motorcycle spoiled buddies got to see roaming around back in those early days = come on brother = spill the beans!!

[Condor]

OUTSTANDING!!

 

That leads me to ask this ?? though Jack.. Back in my early biking years - mid 60's - to my knowledge there was no Ariel dealership any where near us here in West Michigan.. Did you have an actual Ariel dealer in your area = Sacremento? Indeed,, we had Harley, Triumph, BSA, Guzzi, Honda, Suki (hardware store), Kawi, Yam, Beemer, Benelli, Norton, Ducati, Cushman, Sears n Robuck (Allstate-Riverside), Penton, Hodaka, ACE/Steens, Vespa and countless Mini Bike suppliers but - scoots like the Ariel were extremely rare.... Thinking,, as a young gear headed backyard motorcycle conisuer I was extremely under priviledged and totally over looked - definitely sounds like I missed out on some amazing scoots!!

All this makes me wonder what other exotic brands you and your motorcycle spoiled buddies got to see roaming around back in those early days = come on brother = spill the beans!!

 

When I bought the Ariel Square I wasn't much of a gear head. It was learn by necessity, and with a lotta help from the guys in the back room of Milne Bros (Ariel Dealer) in Pasadena, CA. When ever something broke they'd set me down in the corner of the shop and toss advice at me. Like when the compensator spring broke at the rear hub, and the primary chain broke and pyramided between the two cranks. If it had locked up the rear wheel at 65 mph on the freeway I might not be here... Also the square had a fairly short run from the 40's to 1959, the last year they were produced, and Ariel went under. That's probably why they weren't around in the mid 60's. I bought mine used from an mechanical engineer friend in 1958 for $350 bucks!! Back then the Jap invasion hadn't happened yet. Mostly UK and US bikes. Triumph, BSA, Ariel, Harley, Indian were the main players. Back in high school I did play around with a Simplex for a while. Those were some great memories....