Ariel 3 (moped)

The Ariel 3 was a tricycle moped produced by the BSA[1] factory in the UK. The Ariel 3 was a sales flop whose £2M development cost contributed significantly to the demise of BSA.

Ariel 3
Ariel 3
ManufacturerBSA
ClassMoped
Engine50 cc (3.1 cu in) air-cooled, two-stroke, single
BrakesDrum, front and rear

Even the Ariel 3's promotion was ill-conceived, the sales slogan being "Here it is - whatever it is!".[2] Cohn Atkinson attributes its failure to a remote management at BSA who "didn't even like bikes" and who "made the most appalling decisions" on production and marketing.[3]

Design

The engine was a Dutch Anker 50 cc (3.1 cu in) 2-stroke, situated between the rear wheels. The pressed-steel forward section of the frame, supported by torsion bars, could swivel to enable the rider to lean the vehicle into bends like a motorcycle.[3][4] The front "fork" was a single-sided down tube with a rudimentary rubber block suspension. All three pressed steel wheels were interchangeable. Drive was to just one of the rear wheels, and only one of the rear wheels had a brake, a small drum item. There was a similar front drum brake. A true moped, the Ariel 3's engine was started by first pedalling and then releasing a decompressor trigger. The rider could assist the little motor on hills by pedalling. The six volt headlight was single beam, with no dip. There was no rear suspension.

See also

References
  1. "BSA Motorcycles - the Final Evolution - Rider's Library". 12 December 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  2. "1972 Ariel 3 Moped Frame no. 007362". Bonhams. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  3. "That other Ariel two-stroke!". Retrieved 2 February 2017.
  4. "The BSA Ariel 3". Retrieved 2 February 2017.


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