CRUISER COOL
A 250cc cruiser that can be ridden on an A2 licence… Has Bullit just built the bike that Harley-Davidson should have?
If you’re in the market for a brand new bike which can be ridden with an A2 licence but you like the look of the bobbers and cruisers that are steeped in American motorcycling legend, then your options are few and far between. The biggest names in the game (Harley-Davidson, Indian, et al) don’t really bother with ‘little bikes’, and so you’ll have to look elsewhere to get your fix of laidback muscle. Okay, so you could pick up a Honda Rebel CMX500 – but you’ll pay for the privilege, with the Japanese cruiser coming in at just shy of six grand. What if your budget’s a bit more limited? Maybe you can stretch to around four grand. What are your options then?
Well, how about Bullit’s new V-Bob 250…? Never heard of Bullit before? The Belgian brand designs its own bikes and then gets them shipped in from China. Sound familiar? That’s because they’re not the only brand doing it.
Over the past few years a number of new companies have appeared, offering stylish retro-inspired machines built from the bones of Chinese-built base models. We’ve ridden a good number of them – putting bikes from the likes of Herald, Mutt and Mash to the test. But Bullit’s now done something a bit different – rustling up an A2 licence bobber that’s powered by a 250cc V-Twin engine and wouldn’t look out of place cruising down an American highway.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It’s a good-looking bike, in its own unique way. There are plenty of touches that wouldn’t look out of place on a more traditional cruiser motorcycle, but as a package, there’s a kind of futuristic, sci-fi aesthetic to the V-Bob. It’s a little 250, so it was never going to be a gigantic machine, but there’s still plenty of meat on the bones and it doesn’t feel small or undersized. Settling into the seat for the first time, everything falls to hand easily. There’s plenty of room for my 6ft 2in frame, with the feet forward pegs helping to create a spacious and comfortable ride. It weighs in at a fairly healthy 179kg when wet, but because you’re low to the ground and you can get your feet flat on the floor with ease, it’s no trouble at all to shunt around. The switchgear is simple but nicely finished, while the individual indicators on the left and right bars are a nice touch.
It gets plenty of attention out of the road, and I’ve been approached numerous times by curious riders and ex-riders who love the look of the V-Bob. Admittedly, it’s not quite my cup of tea (I’m not really all that into cruisers – as much fun as I’ve had on them over the years), but even I can appreciate its undeniable charms. That only gets easier once you press the starter and it bursts into life.
ON THE ROAD
Gently ticking over, with a soft but throaty burble coming from its twin exhaust system, the V-Bob feels like it’s ready and raring to go. It’s clear that some time has gone into getting it looking and sounding right – and it does. It might only be a 250cc machine, but the V-twin engine configuration definitely helps things feel appropriately American. But believe it or not, the engine is actually built by Chinese manufacturer Lifan and has been used by Lexmoto too, for its own range of 250cc machines.
That’s a good sign, as Lexmoto has carved out a reputation in recent years for its affordable, but solid bikes that’ll take a bit of a beating – and it seems like Bullit is following in its footsteps. It’s definitely not the most powerful engine you’ll ever see; it’s only marginally punchier than a 125cc machine, but thankfully as soon as you get out on the open road any concerns about power drop away as you get up to speed and start hustling the bike through the bends. There’s plenty of go for bombing around town and nipping in and out of traffic, it’ll sit comfortably on faster flowing roads up to around 70mph, and there’s more than enough in the tank to put a smile on your face as you hustle along back roads.
It actually gets a clever forced aircooling system, with a fan providing airflow even when the bike isn’t
moving – but it’s been styled to look like a liquid cooling set up. Even more interestingly, it gets a five-speed beltdriven transmission. That’s right, a belt drive.
That’s very unusual for a learner legal machine, but it’s a great addition which means owners are going to have less maintenance and the associated costs to deal with. That’s only ever going to be a good thing.
Stopping is looked after by a 280mm disc at the front and 240mm disc at the rear. While it might not be the most sophisticated of set ups, there’s plenty of bite to be able to stop the V-Bob without much hassle, although it is worth noting there will be no light one or two finger stops; you’ll have to grab a big handful of brake if you want to stop in a hurry. Thankfully, there’s ABS on hand should you get caught out by some sketchy road conditions or an over-enthusiastic right hand. There’s not a huge amount of feel from the back brake, though that could be just because it hadn’t been properly bedded in yet; we spent time on a very low miles model that had only just arrived in the country.
Suspension is equally basic, but the USD forks up front and the twin shocks with oil damping at the rear are more than up to the job. The bike doesn’t need anything seriously sophisticated; they look the part and offer a reasonable balance between comfort and performance, and despite pushing the bike to its limits, I never managed to catch it out. It handled everything I threw at it and seemed to come to life when being thrown hard into corners – but beware, if you barrel through a pothole hard you’re definitely going to feel it. Being honest, the V-Bob isn’t the most comfortable place to be. It’s kind of to be expected – more traditional cruisers and bobbers aren’t exactly renowned for being particularly plush. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not awful, it’s just that after an hour or two on the go you’re going to be desperate to pull over and take a break. But with a gigantic 20-litre fuel tank and a claimed fuel efficiency of 80mpg, you don’t have to stop; you could cover hundreds of miles in one go should you fancy.
SHOULD I BUY ONE?
If you’re a fan of Harleys but you’re limited to an A2 licence (or you’re after something a bit smaller and more manageable), then Bullit’s new V-Bob 250 is well worth a look. It’s happy bombing down backroads and cruising along when things open up a bit. It’d also make the perfect city slicker – it’s agile enough to cut through town traffic.
If you're still not convinced, take one for a test ride. If you like the looks, i've no doubt it'll impress.
“There’s more than enough in the tank to put a smile on your face as you hustle along back roads... ”
“It’s definitely not the most powerful engine you’ll ever see; it’s only marginally punchier than a 125cc machine, but thankfully as soon as you get out on the open road any concerns about power drop away as you get up to speed and start hustling the bike through the bends.”