- Liquid-cooled V-Twin; 13.8bhp & 10.9Nm
- 750mm saddle height; 160mm section rear tyre
Gone on sale in the European market, Benda Napoleon Bob 125 might be one of the coolest 125cc motorcycles we have seen in a while. The tiny bobber brings something almost unheard of in this displacement class, a liquid-cooled V-Twin engine. Why do we get deprived of such cool stuff!
The Napoleon Bob 125 has a tiny 125cc, liquid-cooled V-twin pushing out a modest 13.8bhp at 9,500rpm and 10.9Nm at 6,500rpm. It is paired with a six-speed gearbox and an ‘anti-hopping clutch’, essentially a slipper-clutch arrangement for controlling rear-wheel behaviour during aggressive downshifts.
A single cylinder configuration could have done the job with fewer parts, less complexity and probably less weight. But nooh! Happily Benda chose an engine configuration normally associated with much larger cruisers because the mechanical character is part of the motorcycle’s appeal. The cylinders sit at a 42-degree angle, pointing to a different exhaust pulse and broader sense of character created by the configuration.
Performance is naturally modest. Benda quotes a top speed of 98kmph, so this is firmly an urban and back-road motorcycle.
Benda says the Napoleon Bob 125 carries over the design thinking of the larger Napoleon Bob family, including its distinctive front suspension architecture. Its global announcement highlights a multi-link front arrangement as one of the defining elements of the motorcycle. The front end has been deliberately styled so that the suspension hardware becomes part of the design instead of disappearing behind conventional fork legs.
Then there are the tyres. The front measures 130/80-18, while the rear is a fat 160/70-18. See how that rear tyre is extraordinarily wide for a 125cc motorcycle. Visually it is central to making the Napoleon Bob look like a proper bobber.
Dual-channel ABS is standard, and Benda also equips the motorcycle with traction control. Traction control on a motorcycle making 13.8bhp might sound slightly excessive. But it is nice to have anyway. The cockpit is a 4.3-inch TFT instrument cluster. Its round LED headlight keeps the styling suitably traditional, while bar-end mirrors, a low fuel tank and exposed mechanical parts look cool with its bobber appearance. At 750mm saddle height, it’ll be super accessible too for everybody. But it does weigh 195kg, which is a bit heavy for what it is. And the ground clearance is just 123mm!
