Driving report: ClearLine Black Sword 125

Driving report: ClearLine Black Sword 125

Great China

How do you turn a boring 125cc China cruiser into a real eye-catcher? The company ClearLine takes care of the big show with its 15,000 euro expensive refurbishment.

E.Almost everyone drives a shiny chrome Harley these days, not just wealthy lawyers or dentists. So there is no state to be made with a 125cc cruiser. Or is it? Car driver’s license owners who are only allowed to drive 125cc, or those returning to the sport who find a fat Harley too heavy, also want to cruise in style and get envious glances, according to Hartmut Schlechtweg, head of ClearLine Automobildesign GmbH. Based on a WMI Dragtail 125 (formerly also sold as Regal Raptor DD125E Spyder), the passionate tinkerer began to think about a new overall design and began to dismantle and rebuild. After all, design is his business, as he refines expensive limousines and sports cars with individual car accessories in everyday life.

The conception and implementation of the Black Sword project took around a year, with around 300 working hours "black sword". The many years of experience in the field of mold construction and the production of GRP parts clearly paid off here; the roughly 50 changed details also include newly modeled side covers and sills and the rear wheel cover. The bench is covered with a finely crafted combination of nappa and salmon leather. The latter defines the look, is available in many different colors and costs around 300 euros per square meter. As finely as the leather proves to be, the workmanship of the GRP parts is just as clean and high-quality. The paintwork was also padded instead of spilled, as with all paint parts, several layers of clear varnish were applied over the airbrushed flake design to give the bike the right high gloss.

The headlight moved further up "that looks more harmonious", the footrests to the rear, the fork received a chrome-plated cover with an engraved sword, the logo of CLC (ClearLine Chopperdesign). To emphasize the sloping tank-seat line, Schlechtweg reversed the routing of the manifolds (self-made with more throughput) and let them flow into the newly aligned original mufflers. "The pots are important for the TÜV approval, all modifications are approved." With a pithy grumbling stationary noise, the CLC promises more than the subtle driving noise and driving performance can hold. The expensive gem drives hardly any differently than the basic device, so it offers only modest temperament even for 125cc ratios, brakes moderately and rounds tight curves, i.e. with a radius of less than 300 meters, quite wobbly. However, the Black Sword is always sure of astonished looks. Whether this is enough to attract wealthy buyers for the bike, which is calculated at around 15,000 euros ("a small series is conceivable if interested") to win? The cheapest Harley costs only half. But you can see Ami cult bikes on every street corner, certainly not a CLC.

Technical specifications

Bilski

Drive? Yes. But cool and without hectic. Tight curves or even turning? Rather reluctantly.

engine:
Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, one overhead camshaft, two valves per cylinder, two carburettors, Ø 18.5 mm, U-Kat, five-speed gearbox, chain.
Bore x stroke 44.0 x 41.0 mm
Displacement 124 cc
rated capacity 7.8 kW (10.6 hp) at 9500 rpm
Max. Torque 8.4 Nm at 7500 rpm

Landing gear:
Double loop frame made of steel, telescopic fork, two-arm swing arm made of steel, central spring strut, double disc brake at the front, Ø 240 mm, disc brake at the rear, Ø 240 mm
Tires 80 / 90-21; 160 / 80-16

Mass and weight:
Wheelbase 1860 mm, seat height approx. 660 mm, weight with a full tank approx. 190 kg, tank capacity 13.5 liters

Price including additional costs approx. 15,000 euros

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