Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
It was called The Granny Killer. Now, it’s a Japanese success story.
In 1970, a desperate British motorcycle industry birthed a three-wheeled monstrosity so unstable it was nicknamed The Granny Killer. BSA didn't even want their own name on it.
But while the Ariel 3 three-wheeled moped should have stayed buried, its DNA was smuggled East. How did this grisly crime against motorcycling humanity become a cult classic in Japan? Wobbly Phil uncovers the strange evolution of the Trike of Terror that just wouldn't die.
In this video:
The disastrous birth of the Ariel 3
Why it earned the "Granny Killer" nickname
How George Wallis played a blinder with Honda and Daihatsu
The modern-day Japanese survivors (including the beer-crate Gyro!)
If you enjoyed this terrible tale, please consider liking, subscribing, and sharing to let YouTube know we’re doing something right here at 3Phils!
Channel members benefit from early access to the main 3Phils videos. It costs just 99p per month to become a '4th Phil', just follow this link: youtube.com/@3Phils/join
Don't forget to join us on Facebook too!
facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550349542826
Credits and links:
BSA Ariel 3 - Walk Around and Short Ride Out - Motorcycle Fettlers
youtube.com/watch?v=iD02hIfd1As
Honda Gyro Up Philippines - Gino Panergo
youtube.com/watch?v=Vq2Ew2xZO_c
BSA Ariel 3 | The Rise Of Bendy Wendy - Step Away From The Screens
youtube.com/watch?v=ElCnwE7UsH0&t=512s
Honda Stream TB07 Walkaround Zoe500 - nunnsie23
youtube.com/watch?v=_ZC6yVoOYGo&t=3s
My New Bike - Honda Gyro Up | Ride and Review - A Riders Life
youtube.com/watch?v=sP1TZcjrJkI&t=690s
Honda's electric three-wheeled scooter GYRO e - BDS
youtube.com/watch?v=UkVBf1t2zL4&t=11s
Chapters:
00:00 - A Dastardly Experiment
00:39 - The Birth of the 'Granny Killer'
01:14 - Anatomy of a Monstrosity
02:01 - Marketing the Indescribable
02:37 - Why the Ariel 3 Flopped
03:02 - George Wallis’s Original Vision
04:10 - The Japanese Resurrection
05:04 - Meet the Honda Gyro
05:42 - Going Electric: The Modern Frankenbike
06:08 - How to Buy One Today
#classicmotorcycles #classicmotorbike #vintagemotorcycle #1970smotorcycles #1970s #motorcycling #oldmotorcycle #MotorcycleHistory #3Phils #WobblyPhil #StrangeMotorcycles #bsa #triumphmotorcycles #VintageMopeds #ArielThiree #Ariel3 #honda #HondaNV50 #moped
It was called The Granny Killer. Now, it’s a Japanese success story.
In 1970, a desperate British motorcycle industry birthed a three-wheeled monstrosity so unstable it was nicknamed The Granny Killer. BSA didn't even want their own name on it.
But while the Ariel 3 three-wheeled moped should have stayed buried, its DNA was smuggled East. How did this grisly crime against motorcycling humanity become a cult classic in Japan? Wobbly Phil uncovers the strange evolution of the Trike of Terror that just wouldn't die.
In this video:
The disastrous birth of the Ariel 3
Why it earned the "Granny Killer" nickname
How George Wallis played a blinder with Honda and Daihatsu
The modern-day Japanese survivors (including the beer-crate Gyro!)
If you enjoyed this terrible tale, please consider liking, subscribing, and sharing to let YouTube know we’re doing something right here at 3Phils!
Channel members benefit from early access to the main 3Phils videos. It costs just 99p per month to become a '4th Phil', just follow this link: youtube.com/@3Phils/join
Don't forget to join us on Facebook too!
facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550349542826
Credits and links:
BSA Ariel 3 - Walk Around and Short Ride Out - Motorcycle Fettlers
youtube.com/watch?v=iD02hIfd1As
Honda Gyro Up Philippines - Gino Panergo
youtube.com/watch?v=Vq2Ew2xZO_c
BSA Ariel 3 | The Rise Of Bendy Wendy - Step Away From The Screens
youtube.com/watch?v=ElCnwE7UsH0&t=512s
Honda Stream TB07 Walkaround Zoe500 - nunnsie23
youtube.com/watch?v=_ZC6yVoOYGo&t=3s
My New Bike - Honda Gyro Up | Ride and Review - A Riders Life
youtube.com/watch?v=sP1TZcjrJkI&t=690s
Honda's electric three-wheeled scooter GYRO e - BDS
youtube.com/watch?v=UkVBf1t2zL4&t=11s
Chapters:
00:00 - A Dastardly Experiment
00:39 - The Birth of the 'Granny Killer'
01:14 - Anatomy of a Monstrosity
02:01 - Marketing the Indescribable
02:37 - Why the Ariel 3 Flopped
03:02 - George Wallis’s Original Vision
04:10 - The Japanese Resurrection
05:04 - Meet the Honda Gyro
05:42 - Going Electric: The Modern Frankenbike
06:08 - How to Buy One Today
#classicmotorcycles #classicmotorbike #vintagemotorcycle #1970smotorcycles #1970s #motorcycling #oldmotorcycle #MotorcycleHistory #3Phils #WobblyPhil #StrangeMotorcycles #bsa #triumphmotorcycles #VintageMopeds #ArielThiree #Ariel3 #honda #HondaNV50 #moped
