The BMW R65
My BMW R65LS
Wet weight: 207Kg,
Power: 50bhp,
Max Speed 95mph
I am thinking about selling the old girl. We’ve been together for quite a while but she is not getting ridden much these days. At 207Kg wet weight (or 458lb) She is classed as a middle weight but I am finding her a bit heavy to move about, especially compared to the 97Kg (214lb) Address.
The Suzuki Address 110
My Suzuki Address 110
Kerb weight: 97Kg,
Power: 9bhp,
Seat Height:755mm
Max speed 60mph
It would be nice to have a bike that I could take on the faster roads two-up, but I don’t think my ideal bike exists. I’d need a low seat, ideally a step through, a weight of under 130Kg, a power of 25+bhp, a narrow body and seat plus sensible storage space.
The Address fulfils all of these apart from the power. It has only 9bhp. All of the more powerful scooters I have looked at are very heavy and usually very wide. I guess the width is parly because of the strive to fit full face helmets under the seat, but mainly for fashion. The Address will take an open face, but not my full face helmet. My old Givi top box fitted easily to the standard Address rear carrier and takes two helmets, but the Address also has two helmet holders under the seat. This means I can have a full top-box, full under-the-seat storage, and still be able to secure two helmets securely. I also still have the compartments and hook on the leg shield for odds and ends.
Yesterday we went for a short run, around 60 miles round trip down ordinary Cornish roads. I was two up, but still kept up with the usual traffic traveling at around 50-55mph. I could not really overtake anything, (not that I wanted too) and occassionally I was conscious of lack of power on inclines.
The Address has only 9bhp, and to keep going up these inclines I’d have needed around 15bhp. Over 90 minutes of riding, these I would have liked more power for maybe 2-3 minutes.
But 15bhp would not be enough to allow safe overtaking, especially two up. I’d need over 25bhp for that.
The BMW has the power, the narrow body and seat, and either pannier will take a full face helmet, but it’s heavy (to me) and non step through.
Other options
I prefer the style of retro bikes and Royal Enfield Meteor looks wonderful, but I’m not happy about the speed limiter at 70mph. I have often been in the situation of overtaking a vehicle doing around 65mph, and when I am along side they accelerate! With the BMW a blip on the throttle and I am out in front, but with a Meteor? I can comfortably travel at 70mph on the BMW but riders reports on the Meteor mention 50-60mph as the ideal cruising speed. Not much faster than the Address, well under half the power of the BMW and almost as heavy.
Royal Enfield Meteor 350
Kerb weight: 191Kg
Power: 20bhp
Seat Height:765mm
Speed limiter set to 70mph
Maybe a Royal Alloy 300 or a Lambretta 300 or 350 may be close. At least I could get on them.
Kerb weight: 152Kg
Power: 25bhp
Seat Height:770mm
But I’m not sure about that airscoop or whatever it on the bottom which looks like it could easily hit a curb. But the stated ground clearance is 40mm more than the Address. I’m also not too happy about the 12″ wheels, the sloping carrier, and the lack of underseat storage.
Lambretta G350
Kerb weight: 173Kg
Power: 26bhp
Seat Height:790mm
This will be expensive when it comes out and it’s heavy, almost twice the weight of the Address. 12inch wheels again, and the seat is quite high.
I think my recent hip trouble is telling me that my days of riding anything other than a step through scooter are coming to a close. I suppose a 59 year run isn’t too bad.
For pootling about in Cornwall around 45-60mph (70-95kph) the Address is perfect and this is most of my riding. For longer drives on fast roads the BMW will cruise at 70+mph all day. but I have not done these rides for a number of years.
Would I replace the BMW? Probably not. But it would be nice go down to being a single scooter man – as I was when I began my motorcycle life on a Lambretta LD almost 60 years ago.
Lambretta LD 150
Dry weight: 87Kg,
Power: 6.5bhp,
Seat Height:760mm
Strangely I never really noticed a lack of power, although I remember being down to 25mph going over steeper parts of the Pennines. But the weather was cold, and the Lambretta was designed for Italy. I really loved that little scooter. It was the only bike I’ve ever got a speeding ticket on. 55mph, down hill, around 12:30am in a 30mph zone. I got a ticket for the speedo not working as well!
Conclusions
- I will probably not ride the BMW again.
- I don’t believe there are any scooters available that would suit me better than the Address (even the newer Address 125 is wider with no more power)
- It’s probably time to get the old girl MOT’d and let someone else enjoy her.
(I hope they don’t turn her into a brat bike)