Bike of the week - Suzuki VanVan
Here's a bit about the little VanVan
VanVantastic
Born in 2003, small but perfectly formed, the Suzuki VanVan is a nice looking little beast which, although it doesn't win the IOMTT very often, or even manage to burn the average cycle courier off at the lights, does have a certain cool 'je ne sais quoi' like other small but cool people - Edith Piaf (4ft 8in) Dopey (?) Charlotte Bronte (4ft 9in)...to name but a few
The VanVan evolved from the 1973-1978 Suzuki RV125 which was a little bike similar to the Honda Monkey bike.
1975 RV125
The RV125 died out around 1978 partly because as a two stroke it failed to meet increasingly strict emissions standards and it was eventually reborn, complete with visible tank this time, as the VanVan - a much more motorbike shaped pint sized newly styled four stroke.
Its styling was designed to appeal to the funky retro market but Its uses were still manifold, if a bit off-beam – it would be ideal as a two wheeled beach buggy with a saddle wide, long and comfy enough to carry you along the beach – maybe quite slowly. It is often called a 'sandbike' because of its abilities on beach type surfaces and it would be the best bike for farmer Giles to get from field to field on and round up sheep as it can cope well, due to its balloon tyres, with rutty bumpy off road conditions.
VanVan at the NEC Birmingham 2012
The Suzuki VanVan has a tiny four-stroke air-cooled, single-cylinder 125cc engine with a 6 speed constant mesh gear box and chain drive. Although this means that it copes fine in lower gears, it doesn't have a great deal of power overall and struggles to reach anything much over 55 without straining. However although it may not cope terrifically well at speed, it is extremely reliable and smooth to ride. It scores its points in the fun, rather than the speed department - there are plenty of motorcycles out there which you can buy if you want to go fast but this is not it.
The Suzuki VanVan is a very low, stable and comfy ride, if a bit rattly at speed. The brakes and suspension are basic but ok and do the job, although the gearbox does have a bit of a reputation for being as crispy and crunchy as something crispy and crunchy like maybe a toffee crisp or some well done bacon.
The seat is long and roomy with plenty of space for two ample bottoms to fit comfortably and there's a luggage rack and a grab rail at the back. However, although it appears to be tempting for two to ride, don't be fooled into thinking that you will get there very quickly – two up the engine will struggle even more, so reconcile yourselves to sitting back and enjoying the scenery!
The VanVan has wide handlebars on a long wheel base, which also helps to keep the rider comfy. This, combined with its wide section, low pressure balloon tyres, with dynamic tread pattern, mean that as well as looking funky, it is happy in a variety of environments and on a range of surfaces, coping really well on loose surfaces like sand. In fact it does have the feel of an off road bike about it and really comes into its own as a work horse over rough terrain, rather than a road bike, unless you have a very short and congested ride to work and will never feel tempted to zoom up to a dazzling 55mph as your VanVan won't really enjoy speeds above that!
The VanVan has an analogue speedo in a chrome housing, but it doesn't have a fuel gauge which can be irritating. There is a tool kit stored under a small removable side panel – like everything else on the VanVan, it is petite. It has a push button electric starter which makes life easy, fuel injection and a catalyzer to keep the emissions low. It also boasts a 6.5 litre fuel tank, telescopic front forks and a single shock absorber.
It is not the cheapest bike of its size out there to buy, but once bought the costs are relatively low due to great fuel economy, cheap insurance and the cheap cost of parts to maintain it.
On balance this is a robust, comfy, versatile motorcycle ideal for someone new to motorcycling or who needs a commuter bike for short distances or to work off road. It is cheap to run and maintain and is a cool and funky little head turner. In fact Will Moore loves VanVans so much that he is embarking on a charity VanVan ride from London to Johannesburg in August to raise money for Help for Heroes and Wemoto are sponsoring him some parts for his VanVan– we look forward to hearing how he got on.
Charity VanVan ride
Here is a link to his website:
An idiot got bored
Wemoto
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