Romanian Designer Ianis Vasilatos and his Ariel Cruiser are the grand winners of a Local Motors project aimed at creating a retro cruiser. The online community Local Motors is famous for their commonly-sourced designs, and DP Customs' 2013 large-scale design contest is only one of the amazing things happening at LM.
In fact Ianis Vasilatos has come up with two cruisers, each using a different power train: an electric one and a gas-powered version, ready to meet the needs of most customers in search of a true retro-look commuter.
The Ariel cruiser screams 1920's looks, though amazingly re-interpreting all the iconic styling cues with a modern approach. A bevy of leather accents, from straps to the sprung saddle, and mils era-specific colors make this beauty really shine.
Add in the retro springer fork, low, clubman-type bars and elegant cream tires and get ready to travel through time.
The gas-powered cruiser is good for 34 mph (55 km/h) and the 0.6 gal (2.3 l) tank offers a 70+ miles (112 km) range. Powered by a Honda GHX50, 49cc engine, it comes with a centrifugal clutch, direct drive transmission and a chain final.
On the other hand, the electric version comes with v-shaped battery configuration which feeds the 500W 36V rear wheel hub motor.
The energy pack needs 8 hours for a full charge and provides up to 20 miles (32 km) on a charge, with a single battery. Going "full v-twin" doubles the range, but the top speed is still 27 mph (43 km/h).
Both Local Motors cruisers are up for crowd funding and we can only hope these stunning machines make it into production; it's been a while since we saw such a perfect retro bike...
Google News