Black Douglas: Rose-tinted autocycles

Black Douglas produces motorcycles that hark back to yesteryear

There was a once a time when gentlemen wore hats, pannier mounts were briefcase holders and you could ride a motorcycle from London to Birmingham without seeing another road user. These were the good old days and it is this era that Black Douglas seek to emulate with the Sterling.

While it does look the part, the square tank in particular, the Sterling is actually a brand new bike – the frame is built in Italy and the engine is made in Taiwan. Unlike its modern counterparts from Italy there are no Ohlins forks or Brembo brakes here, riders instead settling for a hardtail with a springer fork and drum brakes all round. What isn’t chromed is bound with leather and the enormous ‘Herring Can’ headlight accentuates the vintage look.

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There are a few different models available, but our favourite is the Claret Classic as the wicker basket looks to be the perfect size for a picnic. All the bikes are available in 125cc or 230cc, with the Claret priced at €11,292 (approx. £9,770) for the 125cc and €12,138 (approx. £10,502) for the 230cc.

Now we know what you’re thinking – those drum brakes don’t look very Euro 4 compliant. Well no, but manufacturers have a 100 unit exemption and, while we don’t want to put Black Douglas down, we doubt they’ll reach that limit soon. For more info, check out theblackdouglas.com

 

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