| Ariel 3 | |
| Upright: | 1.25 |
| Manufacturer: | BSA |
| Class: | Moped |
| Engine: | 50cc air-cooled, two-stroke, single |
| Brakes: | Drum, front and rear |
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.
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]
The engine was a Dutch Anker 50cc 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.