It’s finally here! After six months of waiting, the highly-anticipated, ultra-rare motorcycle from Ariel is here on our shores. Best of all, we have the unique privilege of witnessing its unboxing first hand.
For a brief backgroud, last May, Bikerbox announced they will be bringing in boutique motorcycle marque, Ariel, onto our shores. Ariel traces its roots all the way back to 1870 when it first produced bicycles. Today, it remains a small British motorcycle and carmaker based in Somerset, England, and has an annual output of only 10 motorcycles – all hand made.
Yesterday, MotoPinas.com was there to witness the unboxing of the Ace. This bespoke motorcycle is built on a solid aluminum frame milled from a solid billet. One of its most-unique features is the use of Ariel’s very own girder front fork. It's powered by a V-4 1,237cc Honda engine.
Mike Bondoc, owner and CEO of Bikerbox, Inc., shared that the idea of bringing Ariel here started at last year’s EICMA motorcycle show when he was introduced to Ariel’s management team. Being a dealer of premium motorcycles, gear, and accessories, the Ariel marque seemed perfect for Bikerbox's growing portfolio. After further talks, the rest, as they say, is history.
Making an Ace
The Ace remains to be one of the rarest and most bespoke motorcycles one could acquire. From start to finish, only one technician is assigned to build a client's Ace. It's only after the technician is satisfied with his build that he puts his signature on the motorcycle, as a mark of his approval. This one-to-one process similar to high-end sports car makers like Mercedes-AMG.
As mentioned above, the frame is milled from a solid aluminum billet. This process alone takes approximately 70 hours of milling. Once the pieces are ready, all welds are done by hand.
At the heart of the Ace is a 1,237cc Honda V-4 engine. It's paired with an optional dual-clutch (DCT) transmission, linked to a shaft final drive. This powertrain can propel the bike up to 265 kilometers per hour.
Like we mentioned earlier, the Ace is a bespoke bike. This means that it can be tailored to a customer’s preferences.
That means the buyer can choose specific components to fit like the dual-clutch gearbox, carbon wheels, customized seats, one of three different tanks, a choice of two front ends (traditional fork or girder), adjustable footrests, several handlebars selections, dampers, wheels, body parts, exhausts, fairings, and even different head angles.
Being bespoke, each bike is made-to-order. It will take about six months from receipt of the order to completion. That's not counting the shipping needed before the bike lands in a client’s garage.
Only for those who want to stand out
Naturally, the price varies depending on the components chosen. For this Ace, with this combination of parts, the price is already beyond some of those top-of-the-line motorcycles. For pricing and list of complete available options, contact Bikerbox.
For a closer look at some of the bike's details, check out the gallery below.
