2002 AAR Alligator Motorcycle
Specifications
Engine: Honda
Displacement: 710cc
Transmission: 3-speed manual
Top speed: 140 mph
A Little History
The AAR Alligator was conceived by famed racing driver Dan Gurney and was introduced to great acclaim at an official unveiling at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles on April 24, 2002, where the motorcycle literally “hatched” from within a Styrofoam egg.
What makes the Alligator unique is its riding position, which seats the driver much lower on the bike, providing a lower center of gravity and creating a feeling akin to sitting in a racing car. The bike design traces back to the pioneering era when Gottlieb Daimler designed a similar prototype in 1886, since then the conventional seating position has been used on all bikes with the exception of the few bikes like the commercially successful Ner-a-car and unsuccessful Quasar.
The motorcycle was named after the reptile of the same name, due to the bike’s long, low appearance, and chosen to reflect the North American nature of the motorcycle. The Alligator was well received by motorcycling publications when new, and it proved to live up to its expectations as a fresh take on the motorcycle. Motor Trend magazine raved about the motorcycle, saying, “Get the Alligator to a twisty road, and the ergonomic philosophy becomes brilliant.”
Approximately 36 Alligators were produced, which celebrates the number that Gurney’s Eagle-Westlake Formula One car wore when he won the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix.
