BEAT ON THE BRAT
Designed in Britain and built in China, the Brat 125 is a big deal for the Herald Motor Company. But how does it handle? We spent a couple of weeks putting it through its paces to find out.
Have you heard of Herald Motor Company before? No? Well, over the past few years Cambridgeshire-based Herald has made a name for itself, knocking out a consistently cool range of learner-legal retro styled bikes. We've ridden most of them, and they've impressed. The Brat's a little different though. Instead of importing a machine from Asia and making a few tweaks here and there to improve it, Herald's done the design work itself. That might not sound like something much to shout about. But it is. It's a step towards the factory's goal to design and build its own bikes in-house. And if the Brat's anything to go by, there's some exciting stuff to come...
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
As you'd probably expect, Herald's made a concerted effort to stand out from the crowd with the Brat. It wanted to design a bike that was unique to them; something different from the numerous retro-style machines that have flooded the market over the last five or so years. Personally, I think they have done a fine job. And if this is Herald’s first stab at designing its own bikes, I am very excited to see what they can come up with in the not-too-distant future.
The Brat's available in three distinct colour schemes. There's Military Green, Iron Grey and Copper – which all work well to complement the bike’s aggressive
scrambler-esque design. We got our hands on a Copper model for testing, and in my opinion, it's the best looking of the bunch. That’s only helped by the bike’s brushed steel front mudguard and its almost industrial stainless steel exhaust. It looks mean. Don’t you agree?
It’s a fairly simple and stripped back machine by design, but it comes kitted out with everything you’d expect. So there’re LED lights, an uncluttered digital dash, bar end mirrors, grab rails for pillions and all the usual instruments.
Just as a quick aside, I think it’s worth mentioning I'm not usually a big fan of bar-end mirrors. I tend to think they prioritise style over substance.
Not this time. Ok, so they do look great too – complementing the sleek styling of the top half of the Brat – but they also perform well, offering relatively unrestricted rear vision. Nice one Herald.
Some thought has gone into the Brat's 10 litre fuel tank too – as it flows smoothly into the slimline twin seat unit. Although it’s not particularly well padded, I found it perfectly comfortable for my daily ride to and from the office. I’m not so confident I’d be happy there all day, but then again, how many small bikes are really set up for all-day comfort? Being honest, I also tend to prefer being nestled into a seat on a bike, almost behind the fuel tank rather than perched on top. Generally, I find that I feel more connected to a bike when I’m sat low, but then again, I’m not the tallest chap in the world so that might have something to do with it. Either way, I quickly got used to the Brat’s set up and felt quite at home in the saddle within an hour or two of getting my hands on the keys.
Although the Brat is a thoroughly modern machine beneath the surface, Herald have made some top-notch design decisions to blend together both the past and future of motorcycling seamlessly. Personally, I’m a massive fan of the design. It’s brave, there’s no doubt about that, but the amount of attention the bike recieved in our short time together is surely a testament to how cool it is. For me, that’s one of the best ways to gauge opinion on a new bike. Just park it up in town and wait for the reaction. Double takes are a good sign, but if members of the public approach with questions, then you know you’re on to a winner. People don’t ask about bikes that they’re not interested in, do they? Just to be clear, plenty of people asked about the Brat.
Would I change anything about it? Well, the only fault I can find – and this is me being a proper pain – is those red brake calipers. I love the look of the bike, but I just think there’s something a little off about the flashes of red against the Copper bodywork. It might just be me, but I have to be honest. Either way, it wouldn’t take much to paint them black.
ON THE ROAD
Although the Brat has a short seat and a relatively low tank, its 820mm high seat is slightly taller than some of the other 125cc machines out there on the market. Of course, that’s great for taller riders – well, I would imagine anyway, as I am only a shorty. But even I didn’t find the extra height an issue or off-putting, I found that it helps the bike to feel more solid and substantial, while in turn offering greater ground clearance than I’ve been used to. That means you can tackle some light off-road without worrying about bashing in the underside of the bike. I think its height, coupled with its wide handlebars, help handling, too. It’s incredibly easy to flick from side to side, no matter whether you’re picking your way through traffic or bombing along a bit of twisty tarmac.
It’s not the fastest bike in the world, topping out around 60mph, but then again, it’s a 125 so what would you really expect? In town, there’s enough in the tank to get the beat on other traffic at the lights, and it’s only when you get out on A-roads that it becomes a bit of an issue. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll cope, but you’ll have to wring its neck and hold on to ever ounce of corner speed to keep up with the flow of traffic. I reckon you’d be better off taking the back-roads and enjoying the ride a bit more. That’s what I did. One big bonus of its limited top-end speed is its average fuel consumption. You’ll get a pretty impressive 85mpg out of the Brat, which means that 10-litre tank’s not going to require too much attention from your wallet.
As I’ve already suggested, the Brat feels much larger than its competitors. I’ve ridden my share of the current crop of retro commuters, and the Brat’s markedly different. Ok, so
“lt’s not the fastest bike in the world, topping out around 60mph, but then again it’s a 125, so what would you really expect?”
there’s no more power than the others, with it kicking out 9.5bhp. There's no more torque than the others either, with 6.5ft-lb on offer. And there’s no more top end than the others, either. In fact, if I’m being brutally honest, I reckon it’s probably a little slower than the competition. But speed isn’t everything, and the Herald Brat feels solid. Superior even.
Its upside down front forks and preload adjustable single rear shock are up to the job, too. Stiff enough to allow you to press on and push hard into corners, but still soft enough to soak up the worst that Lincolnshire’s pothole-heavy roads had to throw at us. Its linked braking system, which consists of a single 270mm disc with a dual piston calliper at the front and a single 220mm disc with a single piston calliper at the rear, perform their task with adequate efficiency, too. I’ll be honest, my gauge for this isn’t particularly scientific. I grab a handful of brake and see how it handles it. The Brat passed the test. It also comes kitted out with a pair of semi-knobbly tyres, which help to add to the bike’s neo-retro scrambler styling, while also offering a bit of offroad ability. They proved themselves perfectly capable of the road, even in the wet, and they’re just as surefooted on the rough stuff, too. I wouldn’t fancy their chances on anything particularly slippy though.
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
At a cost of £2999 plus OTR charges, I think the Brat’s a hell of a proposition. It’s not especially cheap, but it’s certainly not going to break the bank either. For the money, you get a two-year parts and one-year labour warranty – and two years of RAC breakdown cover, too. I think that’s decent. In short, I’ve been very impressed by the newest addition to Herald’s stable. It’s done everything I’ve asked of it without a grumble, and as a result, I reckon it’s a serious contender in a busy marketplace. Plus, it gives us a decent idea of what we’ve got to look forward to in Herald’s future. Roll on the Brat 250.