https://manleysmotorcycles.com/
been in Clacton for years and I haven't been a customer for many years but was still greeted warmly and treated with respect (a rare commodity in this day and age)
Rode down on 'now' my Honda CB125F (Chinese built honda) so known as the CHonda
as she was booked in for a mini service (my tools are all elsewhere) and an MOT.First thing I noticed with CHonda is the gearing go above 'indicated' 65mph and engines into the red zone at 9K
so some plug & play sprockets to be sorted. However CHonda passed with flying colours but the brake fluid was as black as treacle so confirming bikes living outside need annual to 18 month fluid changes IMO. Also front nylon tyre getting close (told the lad to bin them 4 years ago & again IMO bloody awful to ride on)So to the main reason for my visit to test ride the RE 350 Meteor. A black and chrome 21 plate all ready and waiting for me with 230 miles on the clock.
First impressions build quality good but I always bear in mind nowadays mainstream bikes are built down to a budget not up to a standard.
Non adjustable levers a pity but not a deal breaker and came nicely to hand.
Handle bars nicely positioned and just a small reach needed with legs in a comfortable position for me at 5'10" (i appear to have shrunk with age
)Gearing seemed fine and pulled away comfortably in 2nd with no drama. In fact gearbox i would say is nice and positive with no false neutrals etc
Couldn't see the reg/rectifier so presumably tucked out of harms way and not exposed to the elements like the HD ones.
Top speed i didn't get to try out of respect for dealers demo and Clacton + surrounding areas full of myopic old people pointing cars rather than driving and distracted xmas shoppers (the lemming effect to cross roads mind boggling)
Brakes nice and positive with just the right amount of bite that won't spit you over the bars.
Seat comfortable with enough wiggle room to help on long journeys.
Low centre of gravity and easy to flat foot (though I did catch my right foot under the pipe on one traffic light grand prix.
Ground clearance good and no grounding of the hero blobs like I did on every corner on my old sportster.
I didn't get to try the sat nav system but dealer view of it was it was OK when it worked
For me the negatives
Dealer had put some fuel in but as it was on one bar it kept coming up with petrol warning light reseting the odo to miles left counter but on a sharp left bend went to 2 bars so i put another £3 in which for a brief (call it a mile) while showed 2 bars. (I was told the Himalayan would not really register at 6 litres but fill to 7 it then showed full )
Filling the tank it had a shallow neck so pump cut out.
At standstill there was some vibration but not excessive though blipping the throttle it felt like you where catching the balancer off guard (but sure that would improve with mileage and is me being picky)
The chrome work longevity is questionable, the mirrors reminding me of tye old burgy 400 ones and have no doubt like the burgy after a hard winter would look ****. However a bigger issue for me was the exhaust pipe which had no guard so like my guzzi bellagio can envisage accidental boot heel melting if not thoughtful.
The heel/ toe gear change was close together and whilst i got used to it (loved it on my intruder with foot boards) may have to remove the heel part.
Fuel tank seemed large (not a complaint) but wonder if it would effect balance when brimmed
Visually marmite looks at rear end IMO and allen key type adjustment for chain (cant recall a bike I've owned with that before at this moment)
So NO it didn't set my world alight & make me want one there and then, however I would happily own one and could comfortabley see me touring Europe with no issues. (I would like to try a Himalayan for comparision) The 20bhp wasn't a noticeable negative either. It would lend itself to customising without breaking the bank. I had no back or knee issues at the time of riding or this evening (unlike the bombay beemer my knee joint aches after getting off)
For a comparison the new model Keeway superlight looks pretty much identical and has the budget running costs of a 125 but at £2500 the extra £1200 for the RE is a no brainer if you can afford it.
These views are purely a hour and half's jolly and I'm not interested in does it pop wheelies,why didn't you..... its taken iver 2 years since I was T boned to be able to spend any time on a bike and to work gears hard- so light and easy manoeuvrability are my first priorities now and knee down hell for leather a distant memory.
Bottom line try one its a good bike.
Visit Manleys super helpful, friendly, sensible price for service, nuff said
