1,000 miles overlooking the English Channel

And so, the 1,000 mile mark is reached, good run too, along the English Channel through Folkestone and Hythe.

999 miles...

...1,000

Not quite two months on the road and...

It's Tha Heist, a 250cc US bobber kit from the Cleveland Cycle Werks which moves into the Kikker 5150 market in the UK

Cleveland Cycle Werks 250cc Heist which is moving in where the Hardknock Kikker left off
according to some in the business, certainly worth a look (pic http://www.clevelandcyclewerks.com ) 

 For those of you at the BMF show this weekend, you will have seen the UK debut of the Cleveland Cycle Works bobber 'Tha Heist'.

It's a familiar format now, thanks to the pioneering work of the builders of the Hardknock Kikker 5150.

The latest little machine comes with a Chinese Lifan single cylinder motor, based on a Honda lump and built under licence then planted into an all US-built hardtail frame.

Road Test and Review: First 500 miles on the Honda VT750S 2011

Castle Gate at Arundel in West Sussex

It doesn't matter who Honda claims the VT750S is likely to buy the the bike, you'll either love it or hate it.

If Harley still made the Sportster XL883, with the spoked wheels that it turned out through the nineties and early 2000s, then the VT750S would sell far fewer. Harley doesn't, so that's Honda's gain.

Five hundred miles after picking the machine up I felt it was time to give to write the review that I've had a couple of emails requesting.

Honda VT750S 2011 Specifications

Top speed I reckon is going to be about 100mph on the clock (which is 2mph out at 60mph according to sat-nav) and on the five tanks of fuel so far I've average 65mpg plus over the 500 miles, (that's 54mpg in USA).
It's still running in though but today I notched up 50 more miles and cruised for a while on the motorway at an indicated 85 with only half throttle.
She's booked in for first service on Friday (due at 600 miles), so I have to clock up a few hundred this weekend.
Tyre pressures are 29psi front AND rear. But 36 at the back if you have a passenger, according to the handbook.
(updated May 11 2011)
Full specification of the VT750S below:

First UK test of Hardknock Kikker 5150 200cc

Pic from Ancientcycles.com in the US. Workshop Chops test bike pictured at the end

Forget everything you've read or thought, the Hardknock Kikker is a unique motorcycle that manages to encapsulate the tradition of US bobbers, but has its own style and offers a riding experience like no other.

Writing this has taken me a few weeks but I can tell by the number of hits this site is taking that there is a huge interest in the Kikker.

So here is the first 'road test' in the UK of the 200cc Hardknock Kikker 5150.