1958 Ariel Cyclone

The Cyclone was marketed using bold terms like "red-blooded", "a new thrill in motorcycling", "blazing performance" and "brilliant top speed". In this instance, it wasn't just ad-speak, as the Cyclone actually had the credentials to back up the advertising hyperbole.

Using the same BSA A10-based engine as Ariel's Huntmaster 650, the Cyclone added performance upgrades like a BSA 356 sports camshaft and high-compression pistons - anywhere from 7.25:1 to 8.5:1. Cyclone engines are usually identified by an "HCS" or "HC8" stamping, referring to the high compression pistons. If it doesn't carry this, it may not be the real deal, but more on that later. The transmission was a heavy duty Burman unit that offered smooth, powerful acceleration. In combination, these components gave the Cyclone genuine performance credentials. Not that the Huntmaster was any slouch either, just able to reach the 'ton' in miles (around 160kph). The Cyclone is believed to be marginally better than this, although there are no accurate performance figures to back the claim.

With its brilliant red & black paint, US-spec high handlebars and scrambler-style short chrome guards, the Cyclone looked like it was from another planet compared to the Huntmaster's dowdy maroon and black.

Rumour has it that the first Cyclones actually evolved out of Huntmasters having their painted guards replaced with chrome units by US dealers, who also gave the 'new' model its name. The Ariel factory apparently liked the idea - if it was going to sell more motorcycles, why not?! - and ran with the Cyclone as a special model produced primarily for the US market. They were only made available for one year - 1958 - although a few undoubtedly lingered in showrooms into 1959, the last year for Ariel's four stroke bikes.

Identifying a Cyclone is where things start to get tricky. For starters, there's conjecture over the actual number built - anywhere from 150 to 300 - although 180 seems to be a generally accepted figure. Ariel owner and enthusiast, Phillip White (who is selling the example featured here), searched Ariel's records for information to check the provenance of his own machine and has also contacted respected parts supplier, Draganfly Motorcycles of the UK, to seek answers to the slippery questions of just how many Cyclones were built and how to conclusively identify them. It seems the answer is that there are no answers! The main problem is that Ariel's dispatch records from the period are pretty sketchy. Only 21 Cyclones are actually mentioned by name, according to Phillip's research, but it's agreed that many more than this were dispatched. Various factors led to Cyclones either not being labelled at all, or misidentified as either a Huntmaster or a Huntmaster Sports FHS, which is another ingredient in the soup. With Huntmaster painted guards and a Cyclone-spec engine, the Sports FHS straddled the middle ground between both models and has no doubt added to the identity confusion.

Irrespective of your stance on the whole "is it or isn't it" debate regarding genuine Cyclones, what can't be argued is that the Cyclone is an attractive-looking bike. Rare, too. Natural attrition has whittled the numbers down over the past 50+ years to the point where very few are believed to be in existence today. A search of the Ariel Club of North America shows only five Cyclones on their roster, with a similarly meager number in the hands of UK enthusiasts. Phillip's bike is one of five Cherokee Red examples shipped to Eric Moore's Ariel and Royal Enfield dealership in Sydney in the late fifties and carries the telltale hi-compression engine. While its provenance as a genuine example is unproven, Phillip believes this bike was originally a Cyclone and chose to restore it as such.

Just as Cyclones are hard to accurately identify, so too are Cyclone values. Examples with unproven or questionable provenance can be reasonably affordable, while authentic, verified models can demand much higher prices - up to low six figure sums in some cases - with the "Buddy Holly" bike in a whole different stratosphere. Holly remains the most famous - and probably the only - celebrity owner of an Ariel Cyclone. Bought new in 1958, Holly's bike passed to his friend Waylon Jennings following his fatal plane crash in 1959. The bike remains with the Jennings Estate, who allegedly knocked back an offer of US$600,000 following Jenning's death in 2002.

Today, the Cyclone and Huntmaster make an interesting, "left-field" choice for the classic British motorcycle enthusiast, as well as marking the last hurrah for Ariel's four strokes.

Specifications - 1958 Ariel Cyclone
Engine: 646cc ohv parallel twin 4 stroke
Bore/Stroke: 70 x 80mm
Compression: various - 7.25:1, 8.2:1, 8.3:1, 8.5:1
Power/Torque: various - 35hp@5600rpm, 40hp@6300rpm / N/A
Fuel system: 1 1/16" Amal 376 monobloc carb
Cooling system: Air
Transmission/Drive: 4 speed Burman manual/chain drive
Front Suspension: Telescopic forks
Rear Suspension: Swingarm/Twin shock
Front Brake: 7" SLS drum
Rear Brake: 7" SLS drum
Front Tyre: 3.25 x 19"
Rear Tyre: 3.50" x 19"
Dry Weight: 400 lb (181.8 kg)
Seat Height: 30 ½" (775 mm)
Wheelbase: 56" (1422 mm)
Ground Clearance: 5.5" (140 mm)
Fuel Capacity: 4 ½ gal (17 lt)

TRIVIA
As the story goes, Buddy Holly ended up with a Cyclone after he and his bandmates initially went into a Harley-Davidson dealership ready to buy. After being treated poorly by the staff, they went to a British bike dealership instead. While Holly bought his Cyclone, his Crickets each bought a Triumph.

As well as being fast road bikes, a number of Cyclones were also used for racing, winning a number of enduro events in the USA, with some even turned into dragstrip machines.
While almost all new Cyclones went to the USA, at least five are believed to have been sent to Australia, while one solitary example is alleged to have remained in the UK.

Source: JUST BIKES, October 2010, Issue #256