SUZUKI VAN VAN 125
124cc 12bhp 770mm seat height
Dealer £1500-£2400 Private £900-£1500 This one 2005, 23,000 miles, £1000
A modern take on the old RV125, a 1970s two-stroke, with the same beach bike, fat-tyred style but now with four-stroke power. Cute looks aside, it’s very basic and quite slow, even by 125cc standards (the 200cc version isn’t much quicker, either). But the little Suzuki is light, comfy, reliable and the seat is very low, making it particularly popular with female riders. It also has a touch of off-road ability thanks to the fat tyres and has bags of character (in an oddball way). It’s also very cheap used.
Buyer beware
it’s so simple and basic that there’s not much to go wrong and it doesn’t. Just look for the usual learner abuse. Odd tyre sizes means the choice of rubber is limited to just Bridgestone or Dunlop.