[Ariel Red Hunter]

Hopefully, Those legions of my readers who suffered different levels of heart failure yesterday over my comments about why you want to run a 21 inch rear wheel, if you are looking for all the speed you can get, have recovered. Indigestion is, I hope, also under control. Somewhere in the dim, distant past, I read that a human being can produce between 1/4 and 3/8 of a horsepower for any longer than a few moments. So therefore, a bicycle has to be designed to get the utmost out of the available horsepower. A motorcycle could be described as a sophisticated motorized bicycle. Now the Hawk is designed as a dual purpose motorcycle, obviously. But, if we choose to spend 90% on pavement, and only ride dirt/gravel roads and hard packed trails 10% of the time, and want all the speed we can get, a 21 inch rear is one of the steps to getting the highest possible maximum speed out of this particular scoot. My Ariel Red Hunter came from the factory with a 2.75X21 inch front tire and wheel, and a 3.00X20 rear tire and wheel. But good luck finding 3.00X20 tires and rims today. My Ariel came with an Avon Speedmaster front tire (ribbed), and an Avon speedmaster rear, which was not ribbed, but wiggly-grooved. And moderatly high tire pressures. About 25 front, and 32 rear, if memory serves. And it takes a different, older riding style to get the best out of it. You don't throw the bike in the corners, you squeeze it, keeping your knees in. Smooth riding. If you are up to a little youtube-ing, I suggest you watch Mike Hailwood's technique in the race at Mallory Park in 1978, riding a Ducati V-twin against all the super horsepower 4 bangers. Watch how smoothly he rides. This is a fifteen minute education on how to ride a skinny tired, comparatively low horsepower machine.