First ride: Sinnis Scrambler 125

Rocking an old-school high-rise exhaust with trendy retro feel – all for £1695 – say hello to the Scrambler 125.

Available in limited numbers – 100 to be precise – the Scrambler 125 from Sinnis has spoked wheels, a high rise exhaust and comes with a 24 month warranty.

Engine

The Scrambler shares the same engine as the Sinnis Café 125 and also the Retrostar – an air-cooled, four-stroke, single cylinder which produces 11.4bhp @ 8500rpm.

“We were so impressed after the 3000 mile trip we did around Europe on the Café 125 that we got two other bikes based on the same engine and frame but with different tanks, panels and handlebars. These are the Scrambler and the Retrostar.” said Mike Garrod from Sinnis.

And we agree – it is a hearty engine with plenty of enthusiasm. It will get you up to 60mph easily by working your way up the five-speed gear box and once you’re there it will maintain momentum which makes dual carriageways and national speed limits just another road – rather than ones you dread.

Chassis

The Scrambler is a super stylish machine – the first thing that gets your attention is the high-rise exhaust, because it looks awesome. Once sitting on the bike, you’ll notice that your inner right thigh gets a tad warm as it heats up after a few miles – probably a welcome feature when riding in winter. There’s a grill on the front light, white oval number plates on the side to add to the Scrambler style and a long ribbed black seat finishes off the look.

Large brake lights and indicators show other road users what you’re planning. A lockable fuel cap keeps the 10 litres in the tank safe and the switchgears are well laid out and don’t contain more than they need to. There’s provision for a pillion with plenty of room on the seat and dedicated footpegs and a grab rail on the rear.

Ride

It’s certainly a head turner; in fact you’ll be lucky if you finally get to ride it as you find people want to speak to you about it as soon as they know it’s yours. It won’t start with the side stand down so flick it up – it doesn’t come with a centre stand – and open the choke for it to warm up and listen to the conspicuous tone expelled from the exhaust.

Once warmed-up, sit yourself on the comfortable seat and you’ll appreciate the neutral riding position – there’s no weight on your wrists and your legs are at 90 degrees when your feet are on the large rubber coated footpegs.

The stylish round rear view mirrors offer plenty of vision behind and your view ahead is uncluttered thanks to the upright riding position and nonsense single round dial for the dash. You’ve got all you need – speed, odometer, trip meter, a digital gear indicator and two lights telling you that you’ve got full beam on and you’re in neutral. Two round lights underneath let you know your indicators are on.

It’s light and narrow making it a pleasure through town. If it were my bike then I’d go to as many towns so I could just ride through them and watch people look at you with slight envy because you’re on a super cool bike. Plus, parking isn’t an issue on this as it is small enough to fit in lots of gaps.

Whether you’re looking for a commuting machine with some serious attitude or you’re after a 125cc to play on then the Scrambler is a great choice. Whilst there might only be 100 being brought into the UK by Sinnis, take a look at the Café and the Retrostar as they all share the same engine.

Spec:

ENGINE: Air-cooled, four-stroke, single cylinder, 124cc

POWER: 11.4bhp (8.5kW) @ 8500rpm

BRAKES: Front: disc, Rear: drum

TYRES: Front: 3.00-18, Rear: 110/90-16

SUSPENSION: Front: telescopic forks, Rear: coil springs

SEAT HEIGHT: 770mm

DRY WEIGHT: 115kg

TANK CAPACITY: 10 litres

CONTACT: www.sinnismotorcycles.com

PRICE: £1695