Description
Ariel Arrow 250 – Registration 953 XUD
A very characterful example of one of Ariel’s most distinctive post-war motorcycles. This Ariel Arrow 250 is finished in an unusual pale green with contrasting dark grey/ blue tank panels and presents as a largely complete, usable-looking classic with plenty of period charm.
The Arrow was introduced at the end of the 1950s as the sportier sister model to the fully enclosed Ariel Leader. Both used Ariel’s innovative pressed-steel backbone chassis and a 247cc air-cooled two-stroke parallel-twin engine, but the Arrow dispensed with much of the Leader’s bodywork to create a lighter, more conventional motorcycle. The result was a lively and very distinctive British 250 that has become increasingly collectable today.
This example retains many attractive period features including the enclosed front fork design, valanced mudguards, chrome-rimmed spoked wheels, long dual seat and Ariel badging. The photographs also show a useful rear luggage rack, centre stand and the characteristic twin-cylinder two-stroke engine installation. The bike has a wonderfully honest appearance rather than looking over-restored, with age-related marks and patina visible around the exhausts, engine, wheels and chassis.
Key Details
Ariel Arrow 250
Registration: 953 XUD
247cc air-cooled two-stroke parallel twin
4-speed gearbox
Classic pressed-steel Ariel chassis
Pale green and dark contrasting colour scheme
Spoked wheels with chrome rims
Period-style dual seat
Rear luggage rack
Centre stand
Appears largely complete and original in presentation
Attractive usable-classic / preservation-style condition
Increasingly collectable British lightweight motorcycle
The Ariel Arrow and Leader range was technically adventurous for its time and represented one of the final major chapters in Ariel motorcycle production before the marque disappeared from mainstream motorcycle manufacture during the 1960s. Survivors are now sought after both for their unusual engineering and unmistakable period styling.
