9 replies to this topic

[arielglida]

Can anyone help?  I am trying to find out any information regarding Paul M Cullen who raced a Ariel Arrow at Oulton Park  on 30th March 1968 and possibly other meetings,  Does anyone remember Paul Cullen?, is he still around?,  I would like to make contact with him or close relatives.   Any information would be greatly appreciated.   Thank you.     RogerJames 

Edited by arielglida, 11 July 2017 - 19:02.

[knickerbrook]

Are you on Facebook Roger?

If not, would you like me to mention this on one of the FB racing groups I belong to? It's quite possible someone will know of him.

[arielglida]

I am on Facebook but I don't use it.   I didnt know there were any racing groups on Facebook,    I would appreciate you mentioning it please on any FB racing group in the hope of someone coming forward with information.

I feel an explanation to you is warranted as to the reason for me wishing to contact Paul Cullen.     I am something of a Ariel Arrow (and Leader) enthusiast and have been trying for a number of years to find out what happened to some of the Arrow racers from the early 1960's especially the one tuned by Hermann Meier that Mike O'rourke rode to 7th place in the 1960 TT.  After the TT I've established that it was sold to Sid Lawton of Southampton who raced it briefly along with his son,  it was then purchased by Malcolm Bailey who is still around and someone who I have now met in person,  he sold it circa 1964 to a chap called John Moores of Stoke on Trent who is also still around and have made contact with him a few years ago, amazingly he still had the receipt from buying it from Malcolm Bailey that included a record of the all important engine number, John raced it for a few years then sold it to he thinks Paul Cullen but could not provide any address details but possibly Cheadle area but I have been unable to find  Cullens address, however one of this forum members did contact me to say he purchased the rear wheel of the O'rourke Arrow from someone called Paul but could not remember his surname but was on the list of riders asked to be voted for in Man of the Year, Motorcycle News in 1968,  a trip to the Vintage Club library recently turned up that list of 20 candidates and the result of voting,  Paul Cullen was one of them near the bottom of the list, so he must have been quite well known to have even been on the list,    then only the other day a chap called David Tandy  who with his late brother Geoffrey used to  race Arrows in the 60's sent me an email,  David found an entry in a race programme for Oulton Park dated 1968 that a Paul M Cullen had entered the Meier Ariel Arrow to race confirming a direct link with Paul M Cullen and the O'rourke Arrow.     Hence my renewed efforts to try and trace Paul Cullen or any close relatives to see if they can shed any light on what happened to the Arrow.

For that 1960TT  Meier and O'rourke took two fully tuned and running engines to the TT,     I have one of the those crankcases and am pretty certain it's the engine that was used for the race,    I'm reliably informed by a friend of Meier that he swapped the engines over before it was sold.  I don't know where the second engine is at the moment. 

It is my intention to create a replica of the O'rourke Arrow using the original crankcase but would be nice to confirm what happened to the Arrow itself containing the other engine, even if I eventually find out it was all scrapped, but hope it wasnt and is sitting in someones shed..

Many Thanks again.   Roger

Edited by arielglida, 12 July 2017 - 12:02.

[knickerbrook]

I have put a search out on Facebook, so lets hope something comes up.

A very interesting story by the way!

[Herr Wankel]

Went onto the electoral register. There is a Paul Cullen listed in Cheadle, or am I stating the obvious? Good luck with your search.
HW

[Russell Burrows]

Mike and the arrer in the old paddock at the Palace, 1960. 

 

Have I imagined this or did Tony Edwards not say he once raced one ? 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Russell Burrows, 15 July 2017 - 13:01.

[arielglida]

A great photo of the Meier tuned Arrow that I've not seen before, always great to see a new photograph from all those years ago,   many thanks for posting it on the forum.   Roger

[tonyed]

Mike and the arrer in the old paddock at the Palace, 1960. 

 

Have I imagined this or did Tony Edwards not say he once raced one ? 

 

 

 

 

Yes I did race an Arrow. It was my first racer. My father and I built it from a 200cc machine to full 250 using the Motorcycle Mechanics 'Make your Arrow do 100mph' as a guide.

 

My father made a closer ratio gearbox using existing gears and swapping some of the bushes around. We also fitted a Norton Dominator from wheel in an alloy rim and of course the ex-works O'Rourke rear wheel.

 

In the second season we converted it to twin carbs but sold it to be replaced by a Greeves Silverstone.

 

I have two TT score cards from 1962 with the 250 race being one of the four races covered by the two cards. The only entrant on an Arrow is Pat Walsh from whom I purchased many ex-works parts for a tenner back in the winter of 1969/1970.

[Russell Burrows]

Yes I did race an Arrow. It was my first racer. My father and I built it from a 200cc machine to full 250 using the Motorcycle Mechanics 'Make your Arrow do 100mph' as a guide.

 

My father made a closer ratio gearbox using existing gears and swapping some of the bushes around. We also fitted a Norton Dominator from wheel in an alloy rim and of course the ex-works O'Rourke rear wheel.

 

In the second season we converted it to twin carbs but sold it to be replaced by a Greeves Silverstone.

 

I have two TT score cards from 1962 with the 250 race being one of the four races covered by the two cards. The only entrant on an Arrow is Pat Walsh from whom I purchased many ex-works parts for a tenner back in the winter of 1969/1970.

Did you hang on to any pics?   No ground clearance with the standard wheeled road bike - wonder why they did that ? Clever design otherwise.

Edited by Russell Burrows, 16 July 2017 - 08:58.

[tonyed]

Yea I ahve some 'action'shots. i will have to 'digitalise' them nd post here.