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Beschreibung
A Swedish-sold Ariel Cyclone that has been owned by a few enthusiasts in southern Sweden.
Over the years, some minor details have been replaced, but it is largely original. The model has an interesting history involving Buddy Holly, who bought an example in 1958.
In May 1958, Buddy Holly and the Crickets — Joe Mauldin and Jerry Allison — had just returned to Dallas, Texas, after a world tour. That’ll Be The Day was high on the charts, and they decided to buy three Harley-Davidsons to ride the roughly 2,000 miles home to Lubbock, Texas.
The story could have ended there, but the Harley dealer didn’t recognize Holly and his bandmates and, believing they were just wasting time, refused to sell to them. Instead, the trio ended up at Ray Miller’s Ariel–Triumph dealership on West Davis Street in Dallas. Miller knew who the young men were and sold a Triumph Thunderbird to bassist Mauldin and a Triumph Trophy TR6A to drummer Allison. Holly chose a new 1958 Ariel Cyclone 650cc twin. Whether he knew how rare the Cyclone model already was is unclear, but it must have made a big impression. It’s said that the trio returned to the Harley shop to do burnouts in the parking lot before riding on to Lubbock in a thunderstorm.
Early in the morning on February 3, 1959, Holly, together with Jiles P. “Big Bopper” Richardson and 17-year-old Ritchie Valens, boarded a Beechcraft Bonanza for a flight from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Moorhead, Minnesota. All three (and the pilot) died when the plane crashed in a snowstorm.
The Crickets had split in late 1958, and Holly’s new band now included bassist Waylon Jennings. Jennings chose to travel to Moorhead by land, thus avoiding the crash, and struggled for many years with guilt for having survived. The Cyclone remained in the Holly family until 1970, after which it passed to a new owner, and in 1979 it was purchased by the two remaining Crickets as a 42nd-birthday present for Jennings. In October 2014, twelve years after Jennings’ death, Holly’s motorcycle was put up for auction by his family. An anonymous buyer paid $450,000 for the Cyclone, which is now displayed at the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas.
Over the years, some minor details have been replaced, but it is largely original. The model has an interesting history involving Buddy Holly, who bought an example in 1958.
In May 1958, Buddy Holly and the Crickets — Joe Mauldin and Jerry Allison — had just returned to Dallas, Texas, after a world tour. That’ll Be The Day was high on the charts, and they decided to buy three Harley-Davidsons to ride the roughly 2,000 miles home to Lubbock, Texas.
The story could have ended there, but the Harley dealer didn’t recognize Holly and his bandmates and, believing they were just wasting time, refused to sell to them. Instead, the trio ended up at Ray Miller’s Ariel–Triumph dealership on West Davis Street in Dallas. Miller knew who the young men were and sold a Triumph Thunderbird to bassist Mauldin and a Triumph Trophy TR6A to drummer Allison. Holly chose a new 1958 Ariel Cyclone 650cc twin. Whether he knew how rare the Cyclone model already was is unclear, but it must have made a big impression. It’s said that the trio returned to the Harley shop to do burnouts in the parking lot before riding on to Lubbock in a thunderstorm.
Early in the morning on February 3, 1959, Holly, together with Jiles P. “Big Bopper” Richardson and 17-year-old Ritchie Valens, boarded a Beechcraft Bonanza for a flight from Clear Lake, Iowa, to Moorhead, Minnesota. All three (and the pilot) died when the plane crashed in a snowstorm.
The Crickets had split in late 1958, and Holly’s new band now included bassist Waylon Jennings. Jennings chose to travel to Moorhead by land, thus avoiding the crash, and struggled for many years with guilt for having survived. The Cyclone remained in the Holly family until 1970, after which it passed to a new owner, and in 1979 it was purchased by the two remaining Crickets as a 42nd-birthday present for Jennings. In October 2014, twelve years after Jennings’ death, Holly’s motorcycle was put up for auction by his family. An anonymous buyer paid $450,000 for the Cyclone, which is now displayed at the Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas.
Kostenlose Historie (8)
Teknische Daten
Baujahr/Modelljahr
1958/1958
Erstzulassung
1958-01-01
Abgelesener Tachostand (km)
83811 km
Kennzeichen
DLK371
Fahrgestellnummer
12871
Kw / PS
Kraftstoff
Petrol
Getriebe
Manual
Innenausstattung/Polster
Vinyl
Farbe
Red
Beurteilung Fahrzeugzustand
-
Zustand technisch
The machine has received a start-up service and runs well with no unusual noises. It has not been test-driven due to winter road conditions. The brakes work well without binding.
-
Zustand Exterieur
An older paintwork with blemishes, and the chrome has small pits. New tires are needed.
-
Zustand gesamt
Service the machine and get it mechanically ready. Then choose whether to restore its appearance or keep the cool, patinated original condition. After that, it only needs a roadworthiness inspection to get back on the road again.
Fahrzeugangeben vom Kraftfahrzeugbundesamt
Fordonsstatus: Avst 2012-07-20
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1958-01-01 (regbes)
Datum i trafik första gången: 1958-01-01
Senast godkända besiktning: 2010-08-23
Besiktigad tom: 2012-08-31
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Ja
Antal ägare: 9
Ursprungsbesiktning: 1958-01-01 (regbes)
Datum i trafik första gången: 1958-01-01
Senast godkända besiktning: 2010-08-23
Besiktigad tom: 2012-08-31
Skattebefriad: Ja
Körförbud: Ja
Antal ägare: 9
Fakten zum Modell
When the Huntmaster arrived, BSA already had a sport version of its iron-block 650 engine aimed at the U.S. market: the Super Flash, with 40 horsepower, a sport cam, higher compression, and an Amal TT carburetor. But the semi-unit engine and BSA transmission still sat in the older plunger frame. To modernize the sport model, BSA developed an aluminum cylinder head (still with a siamesed intake) and placed it in a duplex frame with a rear swingarm similar to the Huntmaster’s. This became the Road Rocket. The aluminum head was updated in 1958, and the TT carburetor was replaced by an Amal Monobloc, creating the 43-horsepower Super Rocket. All BSA 650 twins received a new crankshaft with larger bearings in 1958.
This development history is important for the Cyclone because BSA had already used aluminum heads on its sport models from 1954, but the Cyclone kept a cast-iron head all the way until production ended in 1959. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the Cyclone’s engine specification largely matched the 40-horsepower Super Flash, but with a more modern Amal Monobloc instead of the TT carburetor. In a road test in Cycle magazine in January 1959, a performance certification from Ariel’s western U.S. distributor Johnson Motors showed that the engine had been bench-tested at 40 hp at 6,300 rpm. However, Roy Bacon’s book Ariel: The Postwar Models claims that the Cyclone used a camshaft from the 1958 off-road model Spitfire — even though it also states that BSA’s sport cams had been standardized in 1959.
This development history is important for the Cyclone because BSA had already used aluminum heads on its sport models from 1954, but the Cyclone kept a cast-iron head all the way until production ended in 1959. It is therefore reasonable to assume that the Cyclone’s engine specification largely matched the 40-horsepower Super Flash, but with a more modern Amal Monobloc instead of the TT carburetor. In a road test in Cycle magazine in January 1959, a performance certification from Ariel’s western U.S. distributor Johnson Motors showed that the engine had been bench-tested at 40 hp at 6,300 rpm. However, Roy Bacon’s book Ariel: The Postwar Models claims that the Cyclone used a camshaft from the 1958 off-road model Spitfire — even though it also states that BSA’s sport cams had been standardized in 1959.
Lagerort und Info zur Besichtigung
Location: Karlshamn
For viewing the vehicle, contact the inspector/case manager:
Jens Hasselholm
+46 735-58 31 31
jens@bilwebauctions.se
For viewing the vehicle, contact the inspector/case manager:
Jens Hasselholm
+46 735-58 31 31
jens@bilwebauctions.se
Abholung
Collection must take place before: 2026-02-04.
NOTE! Payment (deposit to our account) must be made within 5 days and before collection.
NOTE! Payment (deposit to our account) must be made within 5 days and before collection.
Auktionsinfo
General information about the condition of the vehicles .
- At this auction, many vehicles have been included in car collections and have been stored (mothballed) for a long time. For this reason, they are described from a collector's perspective and may need technical reviews and maintenance service - oil, battery replacement, new tires, brake review, etc. - before they can be used. .
- During the auction days information about a vehicle may be updated up to the day before the auction ends. When you bid at the end of the auction period - and also if you have made an earlier bid - we therefore ask you to read the descriptions carefully, in case something has been changed due to new information.
Important to know before placing your bids!
- Once you have called in an item and the reservation price is reached we want you to deposit the entire purchase amount into our client funds account before retrieval can take place.
- When you need to retrieve a called in object we want you to examine it carefully. If you consider that the item does not match our description you do not need to complete the purchase. In this case the deposited purchase sum and the entry fee are refunded.
- If you do not examine the item on the spot the call charge will be debited, but you do not have to complete the deal.
- If you make the entire purchase exclusively at a distance you have 14 days to cancel, but must return the item at your own expense.
- Your shipping costs and other costs are not reimbursed when the right of withdrawal is exercised. Swedish court applies.
- For items that have not been collected within 14 days storage costs may be charged.