200cc Suzuki VanVan

25th November 2015

Price £3,300 | Balloon tyres | Review | Specs

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The diminutive Suzuki VanVan gets bigger every year and is in danger of losing its wind-up rubber band cuteness. Last year, for instance, it was a 125cc runabout with those now familiar balloon tyres, spacious saddle, wide 'bars and a tiny 1.4 gallon (6.5 litre) fuel tank.

For 2016, the capacity of the single cylinder air-cooled engine jumps from 125cc to 200cc, and for VanVan riders, that's nose bleed country. The front disc brake is still two-piston.

The rear brake is still a drum. The front wheel is still an 18-incher. The rear is still just 14-inches and carries more air than a dirigible. A 30-inch seat height isn't exactly dragging your rear end in the dirt. But there's a short-path-to-ground, so it's more lowly than you might think. The VanVan weighs in at 282lbs (128kgs) and is arguably the missing link between a monkey bike and a full-sized motorcycle. And that's no put-down. These are simply great fun and have become a modern cult classic. The new colours are: Metallic Triton Blue, Metallic Mat Fibroin Grey or Solid Black.

The gearbox, incidentally, is to lose a cog from six to five. But the extra 75cc of "grunt" should easily compensate for that. The 2015 price is around £3,300 OTR. The 2016 price is expected to be very similar.

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