Ariel is set to make a motorcycle comeback

[BaZa®]

What motorcycle do you want Ariel to build?

December 12, 2007

–– British firm Ariel is set to make a motorcycle comeback under the guidance of boss Simon Saunders. You can read about his plans in MCN (December 5, 2007), on sale now, but here's a sneak preview of the motorcycles he's got in mind.

So far, three very different ideas are being thrown around for a bike to carry the Ariel badge.

1: The naked motorcycle



Currently Ariel makes the Atom car, a stripped-down sportster powered by a Honda VTEC engine. And this bike concept takes the same idea and puts it on two wheels.
Powered by a FireBlade engine, the naked machine would feature Ariel's own chassis and styling, allied to a riding position that could be adjusted to allow comfortable touring or commuting, or turned into a tucked-in track weapon.

: The electric motorcycle

Ariel has already made an electric version of its Atom sportscar, and it still has neck-snapping acceleration. This concept would put Ariel at the cutting edge of future bike technology, dispensing with a conventional engine in favour of a powerful electric motor.



3: The supercharged single motorcycle

If the Blade-engined option is too obvious, and the electric bike is too wacky, the third idea might just hit the spot. Saunders is considering a simple, lightweight single powered by a bought-in engine, probably from Honda, with a supercharger bolted on to give a big performance increase. The machine would be far lighter than most conventional bikes, and give a huge whack of power and torque thanks to the supercharged motor.

[BaZa®]

Think I still prefer

What about the lovely Ariel 3??

if its anywhere near as good as the atom, it will be a great bike!
that car is outstanding, id love one of them!
dan

[Batman]

Originally Posted by 1200shovel

What about the lovely Ariel 3??

BSA shirley??

Same thing by then

[45Brit]

I would put this with the BSA Tempest, the Rotrax-engined Norton, the S&S powered 'Indians' ... believe it when I see one in the shops

[Kiwi]

have seen excelsiors in shops, about 2 years after they went tits up and still no body was buying them

can't see ariel as a brand name being any good, lst bike marketed as an ariel was the Aerial 3, great marketing as everybody can remember the name, sort of like a Ford Edsel, they never remarketed that model name

[kevscrivener]

I think the choice of name is purely coincidental. The Atom has made the company's name amongst motor enthusiasts (who can forget Clarkson's manic test drive on Top Gear? ) and only old farts like Baza and I would draw any comparison between that and a pair of rusty old heaps

Their washing powder seems to be doing well though.

[BaZa®]

Originally Posted by kevscrivener

Their washing powder seems to be doing well though.

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