Ariel, the manufacturer behind the super-fast Atom cars, is set to return to two-wheels with the introduction of the all-new Ace motorcycle. The firm plans to demonstrate their bike at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The Ace has a skeletal frame similar with the Atom car, and was build using aluminium alloy billet. Just like the Atom, the Ace will be powered by a Honda powertrain, a 1237cc water-cooled V4 from Honda. Ariel customized the engine management to suit their requirements for a fun and powerful motorcycle. No official performance figures were announced, but Ariel estimates this bike can do the 0-100 km/h dash in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 265 Km/h.
While bike customization is usually rare, Ariel allows customers to choose the Ace’s seats, handlebars, exhausts, brakes, tank sizes and styles, and even the front-ends — a radical-looking girder fork, or more conventional twin-tube layout. Even more unique is the bike can be customized either as a sports bike or a cruiser, or even a mix of both. Each bike will be assembled from the beginning until the end by one person only.
However, production will be limited as the company is building approximately 100-150 units per annum, starting in January 2015, and it retails for around £20,000.
[Source: Autocar UK]
