Ariel Leader
Revision as of 01:47, 9 February 2011 by Addicted2speed (talk | contribs)
Leader
The Leader was probably Ariel's bravest foray into motorcycle manufacturing. It was an innovate, fully enclosed 250cc two-stroke released in 1959. Producing peak output of 18bhp, with the twin-cylinder engine based on that of the German Adler. The leader was intended to be a proper motorcycle with the convenience of a scooter. The Leader actually worked rather well, with a top speed of about 70mph (112kph) and excellent handling. But the public didn't take well to it. Ariel later striped the bodywork to produce the Arrow, with a tuned 20bhp engine in the Super Sports and Golden Arrow variants. Although the Arrow sold well it wasn't enough to stop Ariel from going under in 1967.