1959 Ariel 247cc Arrow, Frame no. T10334S Engine no. T103163

1959 Ariel 247cc Arrow
Frame no. T10334S
Engine no. T103163
It was Val Page who once again designed for Ariel a machine so far advanced that it almost lost sight of its competitors within the industry. Unusually, the strength of the frame was contained in a pressed steel box member, extending from the steering head to the rear suspension. The whole machine was heavily valanced, from front fork through leg shields to panniers. Aptly called the Leader it was launched in 1958 and powered by a new 250cc two-stroke twin. Its partner was the Arrow. 'Fast, robust and handling like a thoroughbred, the Arrow...goes into the record as one of the most pleasant sports mounts to pass through our hands in recent years'. So said Motor Cycling. Amazingly, despite being given a proper caning, Motor Cycling's Arrow averaged 68 miles per gallon!

The Arrow sought to combine the virtues of speed and agility with those of cleanliness and convenience. Announced in 1959, the Arrow dispensed with its predecessor's bodywork while remaining mechanically virtually identical. It was revised for 1961, gaining squish-band, center-plug cylinder heads.

This Arrow was purchased as a basket case and restored. The paint color is the original applied to a bike that was fully stripped and carefully prepared, then clear coated. All chrome was re-plated and hardware, cadmium plated. Every component was stripped and received whatever treatment it needed to bring it 'back'. The engine has a first overbore, new bearings and seals. The heads were milled flat ensuring that with a hidden electronic ignition. The vendor advises that the bike starts and runs very well.