Scooter Review Manhattan 125L Review A flame can be carried aloft by a golden torch… but
a two-bob disposable Bic can light the same fire. $1995 + ORC.
Words & photography by DAVE DI RADO The Manhattan 200L was a ripper, for the money. The 150L, well even that turned my crank, for the money, and now ... Nick from Manhattan Scooters has dropped off the 125L. Will my 85kg be too much for it to turn its crank?
Let’s state the obvious first. The Manhattan 125L is the same scooter as its two larger siblings. It’s the little block of the Manhattan
donk litter. And, or so the saying goes, you can generally spot the runt of a litter as it’s obviously a little runt, isn’t it? This is not the case with the
Manhattan litter, so it’s time to ride the runt.
Picture this. It’s Friday, before me stands a long weekend smothered with the Phillip Island GP. All my two-wheeled toys are halfway through some kind of mechanical operation and I know I will want to have a fun ride at some time over the weekend. If I didn’t work here it would be a real nail-biting time.
My mental gymnastics over what to take home were giving me a headache. Jeremy quickly ended that. The 125L had just arrived, and it had to go away on the following Tuesday. I can’t lie, I was a bit bummed.
My first surprise came as I left the carpark after work. The 125L seemed to pick up and go like the bigger boys. As I rode along in traffic at 40-60km/h, it felt the same as the big guns. My first red light was a worry. Big 4WD up my bum and a big set of dreadies flapping out the window as he looked furiously left and right. I started to sweat. Living in the mountains for years gave me the ability to spot a mountain hippie crusty dude, lost in Newtown.
As I sat in the shadow of the 4WD’s bullbar , I began to chat with the 125L. I explained what hell this weekend would be if we got run over when the light went green. We got the go light. I instantly reacted and pinged the scooter, the scooter reacted instantly to my request and we pinged off. Bob Marley was left in my wake and I rolled off to hold it back to 60km/h. I was impressed, but I didn’t want to let the scooter off too easily. The freeways were yet to come.
The 125L is great in town – maybe not as quick in acceleration as its brothers, but consider this. I have ridden all three and to be
honest I couldn’t pick the difference now.
The way I look at it is that if it gets me around quick enough and doesn’t annoy me, it’s doing its job. And that is to be a commuter scooter. If you plan on doubling a lot you may want to consider the bigger engines, but that doesn’t mean the 125L won’t do it either.
Pulling on to the freeway at 60km/h I leaned the 125L in and turned it on again. The little bugger pulled its way through 70 then 80 and on to 90 before I backed it off a little. Impressed? Yes I was. I sat there in comfort and enjoyed the smooth ride the 16-inch wheels provided for the next few kilometres.I was wondering how quick it could go, but as it was a brand-spanker I wanted a few more kays under its belts before I stretched them.
By the time the last qualifying session had aired for the GP, the scooter had accumulated some miles. It was my only ride all weekend so I used it and its handy topbox to collect bits and bobs for my sick mechanical family.
I have a little secret test circuit near my house. A good seven-kilometre lap that I can have a bit of fun on. It’s just enough to dry a wet bike or wet a dry eye if you get my drift. The Manhattan 125L really chewed up the happy lap – these things handle really well.
As I was running late for work on Tuesday, I hooked my new friend on to the entry ramp and suddenly remembered. So I pinged it again.
With a few more clicks since Friday afternoon the Manhattan, which I was now secretly calling White Lightning, was off. Did I see 100? No, I hit 110km/h, thank you very much. White Lightning was no longer a secret as I shouted her name, in my helmet. White Lightning will hold 100km/h all day, but it seemed to love 90. For my commute with the freeway run daily, it’s doable, but not good enough for my tastes. But if I lived in town,
then hell yeah, that’s plenty good enough. I checked my watch at work, as the Manhattan doesn’t have a clock. Then, after our hellos, JB said, “What do you think of the scooter, not bad for less than $2000 is it?”
Suddenly I was considering what a bargain the 125L is. I could live with those speeds for less than $2000, easily. I mean really, the hippy didn’t squash me, it liked the secret test route and showed me 110km/h on the freeway!
If you are after a scooter, that looks and handles exactly the same as the Manhattan 150 and 200 and don’t want to spend more than $2000 on it, White Lightning is waiting. It’s a spring sale, ‘til stocks last, so hurry.
As published in TW SCOOTER MAGAZINE - 4/11/2008
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