"You damn Peckerheads get the hell out of my shop"
This comment was made by an irate Texas Harley dealer and it was aimed at Buddy Holly and his band "the Crickets" plus a few roadies . The lads had just finished their first big tour and wanted to buy all the bikes in the shop and ride back across the States on them. The dealer looked at these pasty faced kids and decided they were taking the Mickey.
Down the street was a Triumph Dealer. Buddy had owned a T bird since the age of 17 and liked it so they headed down there and bought every bike in the shop. There was a solitary Cyclone and Buddy got it. They made a point of riding back past the Hog shop and flipping the finger.
A few months later Buddy Holly was dead, having tossed a coin with his old mate Walon Jennings for that fatal Airplane ride. Buddies Bike still exists and is in the house of walons old girlfriend who administers the Estate. Punch in" Ariel Cyclone" on the net and there it is in the lounge room, surrounded by Buddies records. The last offer made for it was in excess of $600,000.00 U.S.
Very few people know of this forgotten model and it is well nigh impossible to tell if any particular bike is the real deal as unlike say a Rocket Goldie, there are no special parts. Basically the machine is a standard Huntmaster with Hi Comp. pistons , a Road Rocket cam [an Ariel design] Chrome mudguards from the scrambler[ which explains the gap between the 19" front wheel and the Guard which is for a 21" wheel, a flash red paint job and export A10 Beeza bars. It is thought about 150 were built but the factory had no special code other than the standard FH Huntmaster designation. The only clues are the right hand Crankcase which will have H.C.S. stamped in which probably stands for High Compression Sports. Then there are the factory despatch record which will list the colour and usually the compression ratio but may or may not state the guard type as either H.S. or C.M.G. [chromed mudguards] There are only 21 bikes that actually Have the word "Cyclone listed. There are also bikes that are called "Sports, or "Super Sports Twin" or Sport Model Export" These bikes may or may not be Cyclones depending on Guard type.
This particular Motor Cycle was one of 5 identical Models despatched to Sydney dealer Eric Moore on the Twenty third of August 1957. All 5 were recorded as having Star engines, which is thought to indicate an armoury road build of a Sports Engine rather than the standard Selley Oak product and Cherokee Red paint. Alas the Guards type is not mentioned So these bikes are certainly something special but either Huntmaster Sports or Cyclones.
Either way it is a very pleasant bike to ride and a very different take on its much commoner B.S.A. A10 cousin.
