(First published 2015)
Ariel produces a couple of Aces
Hold on tight! Ariel, the British company that brought you the awesome Atom, the space frame skeletal 240bhp car, has done it again, but this time with a bike.
The Ariel Ace uses the same ethos, make the frame strong and light and ditch any unnecessary items while you’re at it.
The result is a cool looking bike which continues the company’s long association with Honda’s top end powerful motors.
The Honda VFR 1237 engine is already formidable in its native Japanese clothes, but bolted to some of the Somerset company’s finest engineering it makes a bold statement in motorcycle design.
The Ariel Ace’s streetfighter styling coupled with the distinctive frame gives the bike a very unique look.
Bespoke built
The reverse cradle components are machined from billets of aluminium then braced and welded to provide a very strong, but lightweight structure. Each bike is hand built by a single technician.
The engine becomes a stressed component of the bike whilst ensuring the lightweight theme continues. The Honda engine was always a work of art and comes as a 173bhp / 129Nm compact unit. The back two cylinders of the water-cooled V4 tuck into the frame behind the front pair making the bike very easy to ride.
Continuing this ideology all the components that interact with the rider can be adjusted to make the bike an exact custom fit.
Endless options
Bars, seat (single and pillion versions) foot pegs, pillion pegs, alloy or carbon wheels, petrol tank size, bodywork, steering head angle, brakes, tyres, lightweight hoses, two different front fork technologies, damping rates spring tensions and colour can all be specified and adjusted to the customers exact wishes.
The chance of two machines leaving the factory with the same specification are extremely slim. The Honda engine features a standard 6 speed box or the DCT push button semi-automatic transmission.
Perky performance
Whatever combination you chose you will find this bike delivers on all counts with top speed nudging 170mph, 0-60 in 3.1 seconds and razor sharp handling it’s reputed to be serious fun. Although a price tag of £20k is a bit toppy, this truly unique British-built bike could be yours.
Update 1
January 2019:
Ariel has produced a special edition version of its showstopper – the Ariel Ace R has an impressive 200bhp on tap with 105Nm of torque to play with.
Stainless cams matched to a balanced crank, bigger bore pistons and a whole host of other goodies make this bike an extremely unique performer.
But with a price tag of £60k (ouch!) and only 10 collectors items available, this bespoke bike is destined for just a few selected customers.
