Suzuki Van Van: reviews, details

Appearing in the 1970s, Van Van's Japanese motorcycles from Suzuki retained the charming retro look of the universal Japanese bike.

Easy sand bike

Recently re-introduced in the US, Van Van received a 200 cc engine. Cm - a significant increase in comparison with the previous 125 cu. See Typical cross-country motorcycle, it is designed for driving both on ground and gravel roads, and over rough terrain, and a wide rear tire qualifies it as a sand-bike.

The easy-to-use VanVan 200, which in some situations outperforms the ATV, is ideal for trips around the ranch, will help you quickly check out traps or take a ride on the beach - wherever the earth is so loose that four wheels in it are immediately bogged down.

Design

Van Van is a typical universal Japanese motorcycle, which was so popular back in the 60s and 70s, with some modern innovations to match today. V-shaped seat is narrow and relatively low, which allows you to reach the ground even very low drivers.

The presence of a button starter and a fuel injection system that proves the modernity of the Van Van model, reviews of the owners find it useful, but given the intended use of the motorcycle, they would prefer to have an optional kick start. If there is a trip off-road, it is better to have in stock and low-tech options.

The height of the installation of appliances from Van Van is reviewed positively by the owners: the readings are easy to read, they are located at a sufficient level so that they can be captured at a glance. Users do not really like it when you have to look down to check the readings of sensors. The headlamps, as might be expected, are classically round, although perhaps a double installation would do better. The tail light is stocky, big, probably, too much. But it's retro, and the bike should look appropriate.

Chassis

Suzuki Van Van begins with a diamond-shaped tubular steel frame in which the engine is used as one of the elements of the construction that completes the circuit. This not only allowed to lower the motor, but also reduced the total weight of the motorcycle due to the complete exclusion of the frame part. Standard plugs are supported in front of 33 mm tubes, and the only spring-hydraulic shock absorber is the swingarm behind. They are fastened 5.35-inch rims, though, with no possibility of customization.

Aluminum wheel disks are fitted with balloon tires, almost comically huge for a motorcycle, whose wheel parameters are 130 / 80-18 in front and 180 / 80-14 at the rear. Tires have a road or off-road profile for various driving options.

The brake clamp covers the front brake disc, and the Suzuki company, using the old style, used a mechanical drum to slow the rear wheel. The presence of this retro element in Van Van user reviews for 128-kg machines is called a fairly good option.

Motor

The choice of engine also contributed to the reduction of the total mass. Nothing says so much about simplicity, like air cooling, and that's exactly what we have here. Single - cylinder four-stroke engine in the volume of 199 cu. Cm has a single cam head for controlling the valve timing. Without relying on cooling radiators, the manufacturer added an oil cooler as an additional layer of motor protection.

Not everything is so simple with induction control. The electronic fuel injection system measures the air-fuel ratio for economy and emission control, and the automatic idle speed regulator "Suzuki" facilitates the cold start and stabilizes idling without driver involvement. The catalyst in the exhaust system burns everything that comes out of the combustion chamber. To the lack of a carburetor in Van Van, drivers' comments are treated with understanding. Its availability would simplify the design, but would complicate compliance with emission standards for road driving.

Transmission

Despite its small size, Suzuki retained the retro style and treated the VanVan as a full-size motorcycle, using a manual transmission and clutch to transfer power to the rear wheel. Perhaps it would be tempting to install some kind of scooter stepless box, but since the vehicle comes with a conventional manual tuning, it certainly can be qualified as a good training bike. This motorcycle differs from Suzuki 125 and transmission. Delov is that the latter has a six-speed transmission. But the Van Van 200 has five steps.

Cost

The price for the Van Van 200 is affordable - 4599 US dollars. The motorcycle is produced in the execution of the blue metallic "Triton" and matte gray "Fibroin" with a 12-month warranty without mileage limitation.

Competitors

Van Van is a more or less mini-cross bike that is backed by all of its retro-style. Therefore, when choosing alternatives with a single appearance, you should not limit yourself. If you consider the design goals, engine size and price, then its closest rival will be TW200 from Yamaha.

It is immediately noticeable that in TW200 the appearance is more cross-oriented. This is a sort of cross-over "fullness", which creates a shortened frame with a short 52.2-inch wheelbase, which is less than 54.5 inches for Van Van. Despite the shorter length, Yamaha has a 31.1-inch, indistinguishable seat, which is almost a full inch higher than Suzuki's 30.3-inch.

Although the 5.35-inch suspension course for Van Van is probably sufficient for most racers, Yamaha has a step higher with 5.9 inches of rear travel and a whopping 6.3 inches of front travel. Both motorcycles have a drum rear brake in addition to the front hydraulic disc, and both differ in spindle discs with thick, dual-purpose tires that look capable of riding confidently on loose and soft surfaces such as sand.

The Yamaha's engine capacity is 3 cube less than Van Van's with 199 cu. See He also has air cooling, one cylinder, but there is a 28-mm Mikuni carburetor. Some users, not being afraid of being old fashioned, prefer a carburetor in front of the fuel injection system for its simplicity. Both motorcycles have a standard control system, borrowed from large bikes, which includes manual clutch and a five-speed gearbox with constant gearing for speed and operating speed control.

The price for these model motorcycles is the same, it is equal to 4599 US dollars, which almost causes suspicion of collusion. In the end it all really comes down to whether you want something that looks like a pretty modern mini enduro, or something more like a classic homemade cross bike.

Is there a winner? Users prefer a more comfortable seat in Van Van, since the hard seat of Yamaha just asks the driver to stand on the footsteps rather than sit.