Ariel Ace - Ariel Premium

The Ariel Ace is a 2014 sports motorcycle that is manufactured by the British Ariel Motor Company in Crewkerne, Somerset, England. It uses the 1200 cc V4 engine from the Honda VFR1200.

It is the Ariel marque's first new motorcycle in more than 50 years.

Design

The V4 engine is suspended from "a huge, bridge-like aluminium frame" that resembles a trellis frame in appearance. Trellis frames are usually fabricated from welded tubes, and are typically used for low production volume bikes such as the Yamaha TRX850 and the Ducati Monster, as well as for the chassis of the Atom sports car. The Ace's frame, however, is not made from welded steel tube; rather the frame sides are machined from solid aluminium. This gives the frame's diagonal stiffeners their distinctive triangular vee section, rather than the usual round-section tube.

The Ariel Ace comes with a choice of two alternative front suspensions; either a conventional upside-down telescopic fork, or Ariel's own girder fork. Rear suspension uses a single-sided swingarm. Final drive is shaft drive.

An unusual feature is that the rider's knees do not grip a shaped fuel tank; instead one's knees are alongside the frame, which is rather less comfortable.

Customization

Bikes can be ordered from the factory with various options, and upgraded over time. Options include front and rear suspension, handlebars, bodywork, fuel tank size, exhaust, wheels, seat, footrests, colors and finishes.

Reception

Roland Brown, writing in The Daily Telegraph, concludes that the Ace is a "dramatically styled, cleverly engineered and enjoyably powerful V4 roadster that returns the renowned Ariel marque to motorcycling in impressive fashion". Jensen Beeler, writing in Asphalt and Rubber, dubbed it "the most expensive Honda you will ever come across" noting its exclusivity. Loz Blain in Gizmag called it "one of the best looking motorcycles I've ever seen", also noting the GB£20,000 price puts it out of reach for many riders.

Gizmag and Jalopnik both noted the unique customization options available to create a cruiser, fully faired sportbike, or naked bike around a common frame and powertrain; the latter publication called it an "adult Lego set".

A review in Road & Track compared the design to that of the Atom sports car, calling it "purposeful" but "not particularly pretty".