Ariel's ethos of minimal weight has made its Atom sports car one of the quickest on the planet, but now the British firm is taking weight loss to a new level: it's ditching two of the wheels altogether.
Plans to build an Ariel motorcycle are well advanced and the Somerset-based firm says it will use a Honda engine, as it does in the Atom sports car. The bike will be focused on "high performance, be fun to ride and bespoke".
Company boss Simon Saunders is a keen motorcyclist says he has always planned to build a motorcycle, which will revive one of the oldest names in British motorcycling.
Saunders believes there is a market for 200 of his lightweight motorcycles per year and a deal with Honda has already been agreed.
The outline plan is to build a motorcycle that feels quick on the road but without the high top speed of most superbikes. This follows the philosophy of the Atom car and Saunders expects the motorcycle to be on sale in 2012 with an estimated price of £20,000.
Alisdair Suttie - 28 Jul 2011