A thumping ride with a 650cc single cylinder (Sachs Motorcycles)

Member Name: casperdog777

Product:	Sachs Motorcycles
Date:	31/12/06 (2806 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cheap and nice Italian extras with a Jap engine

Disadvantages: Need to rev it hard and built to a budget

This bike has a retro look and feel that goes perfectly with the massive 650cc single cylinder, four-stroke engine that comes courtesy of Suzuki. But while the styling is retro, the handling is impressive thanks to Swiss frame guru Fritz Egli (who made his name slotting Vincent Black Shadow engines into his own chassis). The Sachs 650 is marketed as an every day motorcycle, a workhorse that you can use to get to work on and enjoy at weekends too. The bike is not currently imported into the UK now, but parts and second hand ones can be had relatively easily.

My one is a 2003 model in electric blue with only 8,000 miles on the clock. I managed to get one second hand with a new MOT for £1,000. A similar aged Bandit would cost me over double that. This one was sat in a dealers and he wanted to shift it before Christmas, so I was well pleased with the deal.

Top speed is about 105mph with a maximum torque of 41.3 ft-lb at 6200rpm. The engine pumps out 50bhp at 6750rpm. This is a single cylinder walloper - thumper of a bike. My bike has the optional extras of a centre stand, crash bars and fly screen fitted.

The German bike is equipped with excellent Italian Grimeca disc brakes, with a 320mm front brake disc and a 220mm at the rear. Wheels are classic spoked alloy rims. The gearbox is a five-speeder, which is all you need with a big thumper like the 650 Roadster - especially as it only weighs 154kg dry, a substantial 54kg down on something like the Suzuki Bandit.

Light weight, decent chassis, flexible motor and good brakes all add up to a bike that does just what it is supposed to do. It isn't going to win races, but that’s not what it was made for, it is a sound solid all round performer. Seat height is 740mm fine for average height riders. Other optional extras include colour co-ordinated hard luggage and crash bars.

You will find other riders do a double take as most have never seen one before, as it thunders up to the lights. Its a value for money package which is seriously good fun as the Lanfranconi exhaust roars; creating a nice but not too noisy engine note. Its a good bike to ride too but you need to keep the revs up and make sure it is in the right gear as the twin carbs and then the twin spark plugs make sure you rattle along swiftly - but you can take in the views on this bike, its no plastic sports bike and the Suzuki engine is the same one as used on the current Suzuki DR 650 trailie. 100% value for money.

Summary: A good value bike which is unusual and turns a few heads. Nice ride.

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