International Dealer News IDN 120 Aug/Sept 2014 | Page 14

news ROOM

Ariel launches Ace motorcycle
ARIEL Motor Company has
launched a new motorcycle for sale
alongside its current car production.
The Ariel Ace is the first new motorcycle
to carry the classic British Ariel name in
50 years. The first Ariel was a bicycle in
1870 featuring patented spoked
wheels, and more recently Ariel was
known for its four-cylinder Ariel Square
4 and the two-stroke, pressed steel
framed Ariel Arrow motorcycles.
Orders are being taking for the Ace,
which will begin production at the start
of 2015 in low volume by Ariel at its
factory near Crewkerne, Somerset, in
quantities of between 100 – 150
motorcycles per annum alongside the
Atom sportscar.
The way that Ariel builds vehicles
allows each motorcycle to be tailored
and fitted to individual customer
choice to give them exactly the bike
they want and to personalise it to their
own use and taste. From low riding
cruiser through street and naked
machines, to super sport bikes, the Ace
will be built to owners’ specific
requirements and desires. Adjustable
footrests, brake and gear lever, plus
different seat heights and handlebar
configurations allow the Ace to be
personally fitted for each rider.
It is not only the fit of the bike that
is tailored to each rider, as there is also
the choice of variants of front and rear
suspension, low and high seats with
pillion options, different sizes of tanks,
handlebars, wheels, exhausts,
bodywork and more, as well as colours,
finishes and materials.
Simon Saunders, Director of Ariel,
says of the design and styling options:
“Motorcyclists have a real passion for
their machines. They like them to be
individual and they want them to be
their bike, not just another bike
identical to hundreds or thousands of
others. The usual route is to buy a
standard bike and then add various
aftermarket components to change
the bike into what they want. However,
with the Ace the uniqueness is
built in as the bike is
produced, and each one will
be as individual as its owner.”
Talking about the
performance capabilities
of the Honda V4

powered Ace, Saunders says: “We
looked at an out and out, super
lightweight race bike, but they are
already out there, and are so far
beyond the abilities of most riders,
so we took the decision to produce
a really fast bike that was easy to
ride and within the capabilities of
most riders. Our motto is ‘Serious
Fun’, and those two words
absolutely encapsulate what the Ace
is all about.”

The load bearing aluminium frame,
made from six individual billet
aluminium sections, carries the engine,
various seat packages, front and rear
suspension as well as providing a
safety cell for the fuel tank. Different
head angles, via interchangeable
eccentric bearing holders, are
achievable to tune the rake angle from
21.8 degrees to 28.4 degrees, with a
standard mid-point of 25.1 degrees for
neutral handling.
The Ace uses the Honda V4
VFR1200 Unicam engine, which is
mounted transversely, and was chosen
for its power, flexibility, compact size
and advanced technology with a
claimed output of 173bhp and 129Nm
of torque. Throttle by wire technology
has been combined with Ariel’s fuel
mapping, intake system, and Ariel’s
various exhaust systems.
The Honda VFR engine also gives
Ariel the ability to offer the Ace in
manual and Dual Clutch Transmission
(DCT) form. The six-speed seque