I had one of those ... and I spent more time pushing it than riding it
There didn't seem to be any suspension on the back end and it was rough riding over some of the potholes! (The Ariel 3)
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BSA, Triumph and Ariel motorbikes & trikes
- Thread starter mw0njm.
- Start date
There didn't seem to be any suspension on the back end and it was rough riding over some of the potholes! (The Ariel 3)
paul stacey
master brummie
I thought I knew all the bikes from that era, but I have never seen or heard of them_- quite astonishing, thanks for posting .
lesley goodwin
proper brummie kid
This is my dad on his bike his dad worked at vale onslow 
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Richard Dye
master brummie
Nice bike!
Richard Dye
master brummie
I saw one just like that with a blue tank. The fellow was riding with a friend on a 1974 BMW out in the country where we live. Both bikes were immaculate, brought back SO many great memories as they started up and rode away!
Thank you!
paul stacey
master brummie
Beauty and speed on wheels, loved em all!!
Never liked them but they are slowly growing on me, ahead of there time unfortunatleyi used to walk over to the arial side of the BSA works at lunch time to look at the bike and think one day i will get one of these , i never did
The Ariel Leader was a British motorcycle produced by Ariel Motorcycles between 1958 and 1965. A radical design, the Leader was fully enclosed with an integral windscreen and was the first British motorcycle to have optional flashing
indicators
paul stacey
master brummie
Yes, Trumpy71, I agree they were ahead of their time, the boy racers would't touch them. As I have mentioned before on this thread, I used to look down from the bridge on the Bristol Road Selly Oak, and look at the lines of Ariel, Leaders , and Arrows all parked in th the Ariel works there on my Saturday morning job about 1961/ 2 time!!!
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
posted Dec 26, 2022
i prefer the 1969 model trident i had the 1970s model is too much like the Bonneville T120
i prefer the 1969 model trident i had the 1970s model is too much like the Bonneville T120
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
i had a friend who chopped his q/4 put extended forks and sissy bar on he must have been madView attachment 175287
Ariel Square Four - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
1971 654 cc BSA A65FS Firebird Scrambler.
“What on earth is a Firebird, and whoever heard of a 654 cc vertical-twin scrambler?
Perhaps nobody this side of the Atlantic Ocean, but the Firebird was a version of the high-performing BSA Lightning twin produced especially for the American market, where the term 'scrambler has a rather different connotation. We tend to think of a scrambles machine as a purpose-built motocross model, but to the American enthusiast it is a road-legal device with a macho image, capable of being ridden across open desert when the opportunity presents itself.”
Classic British motorcycles of over 500cc from the National Motorcycle Museum, by Currie, Bob. Publication date 1988.
“What on earth is a Firebird, and whoever heard of a 654 cc vertical-twin scrambler?
Perhaps nobody this side of the Atlantic Ocean, but the Firebird was a version of the high-performing BSA Lightning twin produced especially for the American market, where the term 'scrambler has a rather different connotation. We tend to think of a scrambles machine as a purpose-built motocross model, but to the American enthusiast it is a road-legal device with a macho image, capable of being ridden across open desert when the opportunity presents itself.”
Classic British motorcycles of over 500cc from the National Motorcycle Museum, by Currie, Bob. Publication date 1988.
Richard Dye
master brummie
That was a great bike and did well for awhile. Unfortunately Kawasaki and Suzuki were faster cheaper and very reliable, with Honda coming on very strong.
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
1963 646 CC BSA Rocket Gold Star
“Lashings of chromium plating, a deep tank with 'Goldie top panel in frosted silver...no wonder it was the darling of café-racer society!
Most glamorous of all the pre-unit BSA vertical twins - that is, those with separate engine and gearbox - the Rocket Gold Star came right at the very end of the A10-type engine's production span. Indeed, the A10 itself had been superseded by the unit-construction A65 when, for the 1962 season, the 'Rocket Goldie' was announced.”
Classic British motorcycles of over 500cc from the National Motorcycle Museum by Currie, Bob. Publication date 1988
“Lashings of chromium plating, a deep tank with 'Goldie top panel in frosted silver...no wonder it was the darling of café-racer society!
Most glamorous of all the pre-unit BSA vertical twins - that is, those with separate engine and gearbox - the Rocket Gold Star came right at the very end of the A10-type engine's production span. Indeed, the A10 itself had been superseded by the unit-construction A65 when, for the 1962 season, the 'Rocket Goldie' was announced.”
Classic British motorcycles of over 500cc from the National Motorcycle Museum by Currie, Bob. Publication date 1988
Richard Dye
master brummie
As nice clean look unfortunately it was yesterday’s technology and power output was not up to those particularly from Japan.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
BSA was so good steve gibbons made a song about them
i bought a a 1968 BSA 441 Victor the compression ratio on this single cylinder engine was so high I couldn,t kick start it and so had to run down the road and jump on the saddle while releasing the clutch in 2nd. gear to get the beast started so i put a 350 cc b40 engine it it
Bsa b40 35cc
i bought a a 1968 BSA 441 Victor the compression ratio on this single cylinder engine was so high I couldn,t kick start it and so had to run down the road and jump on the saddle while releasing the clutch in 2nd. gear to get the beast started so i put a 350 cc b40 engine it it
Bsa b40 35cc
Richard Dye
master brummie
Love both of those bikes particularly the 441! But therein lies the problem they look just like my 1959 B31. The Japanese invasion was showing smaller displacement high reving engines etc.BSA was so good steve gibbons made a song about them
i bought a a 1968 BSA 441 Victor the compression ratio on this single cylinder engine was so high I couldn,t kick start it and so had to run down the road and jump on the saddle while releasing the clutch in 2nd. gear to get the beast started so i put a 350 cc b40 engine it it
View attachment 211323
View attachment 211321
Bsa b40 35cc
Richard Dye
master brummie
Unfortunately, Vespa & Lambrettas were a tough act to follow from a design and performance standpoint.
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
yup it was
Attachments
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
BMW made an engine for a scooter too, the Zündapp Bella, built like a tank with a dynastarter motor and 12v electrics. I had one for a while.
Richard Dye
master brummie
Always kind of liked those, never pulled the trigger on one!
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
my neighbour had one he dressed like he was going to war
bmw made the isseta bubble car engine that had dynastart
mw0njm.
A Brummie Dude
there is a thread for scooters those interested click on link below
1956 the company introduced the 49 c.c., 2 stroke 'Mercette' could carry two people, and sold for just under £65.
Early 1958 saw the introduction of the 'Pippin' scooter. The company acquired a second factory in Pool Street, Wolverhampton where...
1956 the company introduced the 49 c.c., 2 stroke 'Mercette' could carry two people, and sold for just under £65.
Richard Dye
master brummie
49cc, how much power did that put out in those days? If I remember correctly the BSA Bantam 125cc only had a single seat or was recommended for,there is a thread for scooters those interested click on link below
1956 the company introduced the 49 c.c., 2 stroke 'Mercette' could carry two people, and sold for just under £65.
Early 1958 saw the introduction of the 'Pippin' scooter. The company acquired a second factory in Pool Street, Wolverhampton where...
