The Honley Venturer 250cc is a small, light adventure-style bike
By Garry Scott
There’s a rider standing outside the shop when I pick up the Honley. ‘Is that a 650?’ he asks. ‘No, it’s a 250,’ I tell him. He looks surprised but not as much as when I tell him it’s a Chinese bike. That’s the thing about this little adventure-styled machine. It looks pretty cool for a budget bike, especially one built in China.
The basic stats are nothing to write home about – a single cylinder, liquid-cooled engine that makes around 25bhp – but factor in a price of £3849 on the road and a certain brash style and it starts to look more attractive.
OK, it won’t win over the Ewan ’n’ Charlie wannabes but at first glance it’s got plenty going for it. The Honley Venturer comes with panniers and a top box, useful-looking crash bars, upside-down forks and chunky handlebars. It’s got spoked wheels and a single disk front and back and a gear indicator. The paint looks deep and all the stickers fit. Lookswise, it reminds me of a smaller BMW G650.
First impressions in the saddle? The Honley is light – the claimed figure is 187kg – and 5ft 10in me can get both feet flat on the ground. Which is nice, especially if you find skyscraper-tall adventure bikes intimidating. The seat (795mm) is comfy and well padded, and the riding position and fairly wide bars feel natural.
I turn the key and the engine thrums into life. The clocks do that sweeping back and forward thing that they all do nowadays, while the digital speedo scrolls through the numbers. It’s nice – just like you’d get on a Japanese or Italian bike that cost three or four times as much.
Bimbling through Hillington industrial estate I check the basics. The mirrors are good, the engine’s not too buzzy, the back brake has got plenty of feel – though the front one has all the sensitivity of a Conservative minister for the unemployed – but they pull the little bike up in good time.
Then it’s onto the M8 and into the fast traffic. The Honley handles it with aplomb. Acceleration is sharp and it zips up to motorway speeds without a problem. It’s obviously not fast – it is only a 250cc after all – so think medium-size family car acceleration. It comes to life at around 4500rpm and screams up to its red line of 9000rpm – with a satisfying drone around 6000rpm.
Riding at 70mph, the engine sits between 6500 and 7000rpm in sixth gear, with a bit in reserve if needed to get you out of trouble. It doesn’t pretend it’s designed for big motorway miles but it can easily handle an hour or two on them.
The Honley is built down to a price obviously and you could spend all day looking for a brand name you recognise on any of the components but I wouldn’t bother; you won’t find one. However, it feels good to ride – the compromises aren’t too noticeable. In fact, the only thing that bugs me is a persistent rattle. It’s nothing serious - it’s not coming from the engine – and sounds more like a badly fitting exhaust guard or something. Still, it’s a bit annoying. When I take it back to the dealer, they promise to take a look at it.
Out of town it handles well on twisty roads. The wide bars and light weight make it easy to throw around and the tyres, a Chinese brand, have plenty of grip. In fact, I’ve ridden bikes with cheap branded tyres that have felt a lot less confidence-inspiring. I end up on the back road to Argaty, near Dunblane, after a few hours. The road is really just a collection of pot holes and grit but the suspension copes adequately.
The Honley has got a lot going for it. Of course, some people reckon Chinese bikes will never be able to compete with the established firms but some people said that about Japanese machines once.
Thanks to Ride On motorcycles in Hillington, Glasgow, for the test bike. The Honely Venturer 250cc costs £3849. See www.ride-on-motorcycles.co.uk
The Scottish Motorcycle Championships is coming to a climax. The next round is at East Fortune on September 12th and 13th, with the final meeting at Knockhill on September 26th and 27th. One day tickets are £10 for adults, and kids under 16 go free. The programme is packed with superbikes, superstock 600s, lightweights, sidecars and more and it’s always a great day out. If you want to get up close to the racing, there's nowhere better than East Fortune. See www.scottishmotorcycleracing.co.uk
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