05 Barrus range on test

Motorcyclenews.com has been testing a new range of bikes imported by Barrus, including the Italian Malaguti Spider Max, Phantom Max and Drakon, Reiju’s RS2 Matrix and SMX 125, and the Moto Roma Urban Quads.

See and hear the bikes for yourself, below:

The Reiju RS2 Matrix needed high revs to get the most from the 50cc engine, but most importantly it has the looks and sound to impress as you scream past the bus stop at 30mph. It needs plenty of gearchanges to stay in the powerband, but you can carry fairly good corner speeds without complaints. The Drakon NKD 50 is the more user friendly of the two, with a more comfortable riding position and the single cylinder engine offers a slightly wider spread of power.

Of the smaller scooters, the Grand Prix 125 is the more basic at £1395 excluding dealer charges, but does the job, while the Malaguti Phantom Max 125 offers a lot more comfort and style, but at a cost of £3099.

Also in the 125cc class is the Rieju SMX 125, which is powered by the Yamaha XT motor. With supermoto styling and road tyres, the bike makes a lot of sense as an urban commuter, and the 125cc engine will propel it to reasonable speeds, eventually. The newer version will release an extra couple of horsepower later this year.

The SpiderMax GT500 is the biggest of the bikes currently on offer, with motorway cruising speeds from the automatic 500cc four-stroke single. The 16″ wheels offer stable cornering as shown by the fairing and exhausts touching down without complaints from the tyres, and an immobiliser, under-seat storage and also leg-shield storage areas. The riding position is comfortable for two and the twin 270mm front brake discs and 260mm rear manage to haul the scooter to a stop promptly.

In addition to two wheels, the Urban Quads provided fun, with the 300cc version providing enough power to incite some slides from cornering, while the 150cc version felt a little lacking on Tarmac. The Urban Buggy however only seems docile until you tighten your cornering and find the inside wheels lifting, particularly without a passenger. And as it is classed as a quadricycle it’s legal to drive on the road with only a full motorcycle entitlement on your licence. Barrus and Moto-Roma are already developing a 250cc version.

Find out more about the new bikes and ideas Barrus aim to import. Click here