James Starling and William Hillman established Ariel in 1870 in Birmingham. Originally, the company created bicycles and eventually moved into motorbike production. The first Ariel motorbike, designed in 1902, came with a Kerry engine, innovative magneto ignition and a float carburetor.
Bicycles and early motorised vehicles The original company was established in 1870 by James Starley and William Hillman. They built wire-spoke wheels under the first British patent; this allowed them also to build a lighter "penny farthing" bicycle which they named 'Ariel' (the spirit of the air). They put the name … See more
