Retrospective: 1958-1960 Ariel 650 Cyclone
1958 Ariel Cyclone Twin 650. Owner: Dan Dutra, Redwood City, California. Photos by the author.
In the 1950s, the Brits realized that giving their products exciting names could enhance sales. And stormy allusions were popular, perhaps starting with the AJS 650 Hurricane in 1957, quickly followed by the Ariel 650 Cyclone in 1958, and then the Matchless 500 Typhoon in 1959.
Here we are interested in that Ariel Cyclone, an upgraded version of the Huntmaster Twin, intended for the power-mad American buyer. Our economy was doing well, motorcycles were considered expensive toys and bigger was always better.
BSA had bought Ariel back in 1944, and initially the decision was to keep the marques very separate. As the ?50s progressed, BSA was looking to expand Ariel influence in the U.S., but was also beginning to integrate the two brands. The Ariel company had a good reputation, especially among the scrambler types who liked the big singles, but the demand for the Turner Twin?as the parallel twin designed by Edward Turner was often referred to?was very strong. In 1948, Ariel had put its own 500cc Fieldmaster twin on the market, but did not get around to enlarging it. Then in 1953, bright lights at BSA decided to make mild changes to its Golden Flash 650 and rebadge it as a 1954 Ariel Huntmaster. The duplex frame was new, with twin downtubes at the front, using Ariel?s own telescopic fork. At the back was a swingarm sporting a pair of Armstrong shocks, with hydraulically damped spring...
-------------------------------- |
|
This five-cylinder Puch proves there’s no replacement for displacement
03-05-2024 08:17 - (
motorcycle )
2024 Honda NX500, CBR500R, CB500F UpdatesÂ
02-05-2024 08:22 - (
motorcycle )