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Hi Adrian, great to see you are still promoting the TR/ T20 Suzuki racer but sad to hear you are no longer racing. Thanks for the plug for the frame modification work , I did quite a few back in the 90s along with countless exhausts. Excellent video and very nice work inside those barrels 🧐. Andy, Abcon Exhausts

rex did me a reprogramable boxs for my bike in the 90s for diffrent tracks, they where brill, , sad to hear he passed away, , with him and harry barlow, we got the rd 400 to 86 bhp on microns dyno, which did 10.28, at 129 mph, and as you no all aircooled are figthing the heat for road raceing, , a lad near me did fast 250 suzukis think his name was beacon, did pipes and alsorts was at hucknall

An excellent video Ade. As someone who mixed his two stroke fuel at Chimay, I can confirm to his enthusiasm and insanity. 🤪

Interesting video, thanks

Wow, that's the most "tricked out" T20 I've ever seen. I worked at a Suzuki/Kawasaki shop when they came out and in stock form, were the "bee's knees", could pull away from much larger bikes and we sold quite a few of them (N.Y., West. county). When U.S. Suzuki campaigned them, it seems they never came in on top against the Yamahas. I remember issues with ignition systems, needed the contact breakers isolated from crankshaft vibration, they were just not getting the job done. Liked them though and they endured on with fine small twins into the mid-70s and folks were happy with them. After more thought, I think the timing problem was from the crankshaft going eccentric at the timing end at high rpm and throwing the contact breakers into gap excursions, throwing off the timing. I don't know if they found a solution to make the T20s fully competitive but on the later GT750, the contact breaker cams were set on their own separate bearings, isolating them from what the crank run-out might do.

Very, very nice, thank you. Hugely impressed with your cylinder/piston/headwork! During the early seventies I raced a T20 at the professional level on half-mile dirt track in California (Ascot Park). When I bought the bike the engine was in a Sonicweld rigid frame and was fitted with Keihin remote bowl carbies and the Suzuki racing kit cylinders (bridged ex. ports) and heads (we called them 'Grant' heads/cyls, perhaps because Ron Grant was selling them...?). Anyway, first thing I did was ditch the Sonicweld for a Trackmaster frame and mount a pair of 28mm Mikuni round slides. Large expansion chambers, both on the right side, no mufflers. I also ran Wiseco pistons which had two very thin rings (replaced after every race). Magneto on crank. The standard primary gears had a slot ground down the middle, perhaps to reduce friction/side loading? No brakes at either end, compression releases only. First time I rode it scared me to death! Incredible power. In those days, first-year pros were restricted to 250s and most guys were riding singles. My Suzuki was so fast that when I rolled up to the starting line I just looked to see if there were any Yamaha twins in the race (TD-2s or TD-3s), if not, none of the guys on their singles stood a chance against my T20. As I recall, however, there were few, if any, other T20s, at least none that were in the hunt. The Yamaha twins were faster than my Suzuki though. So many good memories... Cheers!

Nice. I much prefer the bikes from the late 60s through mid 70s to today's "crotch rockets." Curious though... are the head gaskets copper, and if so do you re-anneal them every so often so they seal better or is that even necessary? I know the pain of giving up riding your favorite. I rebuilt a Yamaha DS7 and almost cried the day it was sold in 2007. I haven't ridden since.

Gotta correct you on something Adrian, those fork sliders aren't Kawasaki S1C, the S1C used a TLS and were fabricated from steel and chromed. I've done a few T20 centre plugs from bare castings. Great walk around and great bike!

Brilliant, very interesting thanks

A really fantastic bike an effort, a shame that you can't ride her anymore, I gave up motorcycles at 76 for similar reasons. Ane comment. I dont understand how it can still be called and raced as a T20. Virtually nothing on it is T20, lots of it aren't even Suzuki. Surely it's a T20 based special. What a shame that you didn't let us see/hear it run.

Pity we didn't hear it going. Shit that pulls some rpm. In the 70's to the 80's I ran a T500 in a TQ Midget car (New Zealand speedway) man did I have that fully worked running methanol. Still got the motor under my bench. Couldn't kill it, got some really good power out of it and at night meetings with the cool night air it was on another level altogeather. Miss those days and the SOUNDS.

You forgot to mencion the wheel rims Adiran are they the Spanish Aluminum ''Aacront's'' and culd you of fitted ''Reed Valves'' on the cilinders....? Nice bike ❤

lovely bike that lad remember talking to you at darley moor uld nipped one of the pistons up but sureu got out four next race sounded lovely hard to let it go but it will get used what its meant four next video please

Lovely machine Adrian, it'll really leave a hole in your heart when it's gone

I've never been a big fan of two-strokes (I had several clapped out two-strokes as a kid which may have contributed a lot to my distrust of their reliability !!..) but I can always appreciate great engineering and tuning.. She really is a great looking bike and I hope the buyer gets as much fun (and racing success) out of it as you did.. Sorry to hear that like me you've joined the Arthritis Sufferers Society (or 'ASS' for short..) I was told I shouldn't 'play Rugby or ride a motorcycle' but I just couldn't give up riding bikes !..

Amazing bike. 9 to 13,000 rpm 2-stroke sounds intense. No wonder you isolated the case. I bet you couldn't feel your hands.🤣

I’ll race it for you if you fancy 👀

Adrian, will you go and watch the new owner racing it?

I’m not well up on Ariel singles, is it a Red Hunter? Looks like that motor’s been assembled by a brain dead gorilla… what else has been bodged??? Were I you, I’d feel inclined to source another barrel & piston or maybe a barrel needing bored, bore it with a well matched new piston, reassemble. There’s always the chance too of small debris from the seizure finding its way into where you don’t want it, like the oil pump or other minor oil galleries feeding working bits like cams, rockers etc. Stripdown, clean thoroughly and reassemble. Youlll feel better while riding it in the )knowledge that it’s as good as it might be. I’d be inclined while the motors in bits to check the entire bike for other boneheaded spannering, especially for overtightened assemblies. Might save you from getting roadside stranded on “a wet Wednesday afternoon”. And if you know the clod that perpetrated these abuses on a lovely old motor, maybe have “a wee word in his ear”….😂

Can you please say how to bleed the pump using the big brass nut .....do you need to kick the engine over ...not sure

Hi Adrian, I tried to send you an email via your website but it didn't work. I have a question about the Suzuki and was hoping to get your advice. Please let me know the best way to reach you. Many thanks, Richard

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😀

Given how relatively simple and easy this engine is to strip, I'd finish the head work, get it back on the road for Summer, then do a complete strip over next Winter. Even though the bottom end sounds fine, you may well find something that "isn't quite right" or not not quite in spec and then your looking at possibly more machining work and/or sourcing and waiting for new parts, all of which = more time off the road. If the bottom end felt or sounded bad then it's a no brainer, strip the whole thing. JMO

Worrying to much mate that be alright for your steady riding surely. Nice ride nice bike! 🤠

Is it a chronometric speedo as mine goes up in steps but never wavers about , nice A10

Very interesting Adrian.

Having you speedo calibration a little slow maybe a good thing. It means you can drive to the apparent speed limit on your speedo without actually speeding. Also the odometer will register distances a little further than actual so you have a little leeway on your service intervals.

Perfect example of why the Japanese wiped out the British bike industry...

A great video Adrian. Yes the tapered pin is for the VG, the VH should have a Parallel pin, that's why it didn't fit the flywheels, what engineer fitted that. That's exactly what my last 2 Alpha big ends looked like after about 3000 miles and 5000 miles, in 2 different engines. The notch in the footrest boss is to stop the footrest from slipping round when your body weight is on it, and needs to be fitted before the cases go on, the big washer welded to it is to give the footrest tube support to stop it bending downwards. Yours has been modified by the same person that did the Big End, who fitted the cases and clutch first, and couldn't be bothered to take the cases off again.

would you say that the 660 have alot of vibration and if so is it only when you drive fast or allways?

I bought mine new for £281.1.10p I still have it. I think I will get around to start it again after having to fit new T250 big ends and pistons. The oil pump/ cable fitting is the only thing I need now but I refuse to pa 60 dollars for a secondhand one off eBay.

It's a wonder that engine ran. Plenty of grief and head scratching. Fun though, had the tee shirt. Sounds well. Enjoyed the video.

Impressive stuff, 2nd kick start well smart, bottom. end work never nice and easy,, great vids, very real world, thanks for sharing your journey, learnt a lot, cool bike, glad you got it sorted. I always inspect and dump my first start up oil asap

What a great video. Excellent camera work and editing, a pleasure to watch with all the lucid explanations and demonstrations. It just goes to show how things can be hacked together in ignorance and operate just long enough to find a new home where they'll be given the love and attention they deserve. Hope you get many happy years out of the resurrected Ariel trials bike.

Very nice.

Iv`e just replaced the o rings on the lever arm and cover, measured them and ordered off eBay. My 1966 model has an E clip to retain the shaft where yours has a bronze bush. Looking at your shaft it has the groove for the E clip ?? Very helpful video, Thank you.

perhaps move the microphone away from under your chin if you can’t lower your voice you sound like you’re talking to someone in the next room lol

Thanks for that, I remember the super six coming out when I was a teenager, I loved it then and still do now so if it doesn’t sell I may have just the spot for it. Good luck with the Ariel, smashing bike and excellent workmanship, good to see

Nice one! I like the way you owned up to forgetting the spark plug. I haven't forgotten the plug before but I have forgotten the plug lead (D'OH!). Lovely bike, those old Ariels are beautiful.

"oh no there's one other thing..." Great story! What fun 😊 persistance pays off - thank goodness for experts ❤

Great video! Felt the ‘family commitments’ comment might have something to do with your daughter and Granddaughter 🤣

gorgeous looking bike...nice vid... nice sound.

My Uncle had a magnet in a thick plastic bag cliped to under the oil tank lid and suspended in the oil, he remove bag from tank roll bag of magnet any metal particles came away wìth bag all was cleaned and put back. He always said it gives you a idea what the engine is doing inside.

Hi Adrian, I do think you were absolutely correct with your decision on torquing the head. Fancy forgetting the plug 😊. I have a Thompson T20 Super Six for sale, always been a race bike, never registered, where do you think I should advertise it, I thought maybe Classic Racer. Thank you in advance. Regards, Steve Cooper

That brass bearing sleeve night not be as long-lived as one made out of steel.... Those flapping chains... can you adapt a modern plastic cam chain tensioner system to stop the flapping (an older Lada engine spring only cam chain tensioner might be of help)

Just enough 🤕

great job lad keep up the good work

You saying about the different setups for advance and retard levers reminded me of a Furry Teeth run (you were probably there) on my BSA A7SS. On that bike the cable was tight for full advance but that day the centre screw for the lever must have worked loose. The lever kept working its way to retard and the bike would slow down. As usual I didn't know the route so had to keep up. I ended up doing the whole ride to Wales or wherever with one hand on the throttle and the other on the advance lever!

Awesome chap

Result! 👍 Nicely done squire