Royal Alloy Grand Prix 200, off the starting line
Pre-production machines aren’t renowned for their sophistication. They’re built to make sure everything goes together and provide an indication to potential dealers of what’s coming. With that in mind, I wasn’t expecting too much from the test ride yet if pre-production standards are anything to go by, potential buyers have a lot to look forward to.
Although similar in outline to the Grand Tourer this is essentially an entirely new frame. First impressions are it’s a very sturdy machine and feels well put together. The ‘Darth Vader’ horn grill attracted mixed comments but I like it. What I’m not sure about are the leg-shields. These are flatter in profile and I think less attractive than the GT’s, but once astride I prefer the new design. The revised profile gives more legroom while simultaneously allowing a tool box worthy of the name to be fitted. The new headset design pays more than a passing nod to Lambretta’s Series 3 machines and as a result the view over the handlebars is reassuringly familiar. A very unusual, perhaps unique, feature is the seat. Split in two pieces the rear half is fixed to the frame while the front hinges forward giving access to the locking fuel cap.
The front is held in place with a series of suckers, which feels more secure than it sounds. I’m not a fan of split or sculpted seats as they’re often uncomfortable for the taller rider, although anyone under 6 feet in height needn’t worry too much about the GP.
Any thoughts this is a two-stroke tribute act are dispelled once the machine’s brought into life. It’s smooth, and I mean really smooth. The engine mount and suspension have been completely reworked so almost no vibration is channelled through to the rider, it has good road presence and its performance is on par with other 200cc autos I’ve ridden.
As part of the development process this example’s been fitted with a Scorpion pipe which, I’m assured, gives it more mid-range power. Controls are well set out and fall to hand easily, while the digital speedo is easy to read. Because of the seat design I found myself sitting slightly further forward than normal, giving a tendency to understeer, but it’s very responsive to commands.
For a pre-production machine it’s impressive. I’d be more than happy to give the seat of a production machine a very long term test...