Suzuki VanVan 200 test

Menus

• Beach motorcycle
• Discovery
• In the saddle
• In the city
• On the highway
• On departmental
• Comfort
• Braking
• Consumption
• Convenient
• Conclusion

Beach motorcycle

The VanVan is a beach bike as it is called, in the Bop and UFO and other Dax series of the 70s: a fun machine, to go to the beach, with or without the surfboard, very fashionable. Suzuki has brought its model up to date, while keeping the recipe that has made it successful for several decades: nice look, long saddle, big tires with nipples. We are here very far from the utility to make the urban, but on the contrary a cult object to have fun. And by now offering the model in 200 cm3 compared to the initial 125 cm3, the VanVan becomes a motorcycle, sufficient to fill the gaps of the 125 and afford the A2 license? Test…

Discovery

With an 18-inch front wheel and a large 180 flange at the rear, bigger than some displacement 3 times larger, the VanVan is obvious. Round headlight at the front, small headlight on the rear fender, long saddle and wide handlebars are in themselves an invitation to fun. The exhaust itself is delightfully vintage and almost blends into the general line with its matte black..

Under the plumage, we find a single cylinder, but this time pushed to 199 cm3 against the 124 cm3 of the little brother thanks to a modification of the stroke and the bore. The model thus gains 5 horses compared to the 125 (17 horses against 12) as well as a little more torque. 4 stroke, air cooling, we find the simple recipe that has made the happiness of a generation, even if the model now has injection but remains Euro3. Everything else is identical to the 125 model, including the frame, suspensions and fittings.

In the saddle

The 1.70 rider puts his feet perfectly on the ground, with a saddle at 770 mm. But you should not even rely on the saddle height, because the weight at the bottom and anyway reduced to 128 kilos, means that even young girls weighing 50 kilos will be able to take it in hand without being afraid. It must be said that the wide handlebars immediately put you at ease.

Under the eyes, we then benefit from a single analog counter with a simple totalizer and a single partial trip, with manual reset, in the old way, via a small manual dial on the side. However, the model now inherits a reserve witness; no need to pass the reserve by hand.

The knees perfectly enclose the tank, even if it is necessary to tighten them inwards instead..

In the city

First, the VanVan 200 bounces gently, before snapping into second, then third gear. The box locks without thinking and reports are linked easily. It even accepts to wind up in the last gear at 25 km / h. Despite a width of 865 mm, the handlebars pass just below the rear-view mirrors of the cars and therefore allow easy interfacing in all conditions. The leverage offered by the handlebars is confirmed on all maneuvers and gymkhana at slow speed between cars, so much so that we would gladly pass our license with the model and the fingers in the nose. Compared to the 125, we find the most pep that was lacking in the 125, which has never been a thunderbolt of war, allowing itself to be overtaken by a number of other 125s. The 200 manages to pull out of the game and is handled with ease and ease to get out of the flow of traffic.

If it weren’t for these vibrations of the single cylinder, it would have been ideal.

On the highway

We arrive on the engagement track at 90 km / h on the fifth and last report, to then gain about twenty kilometers, well started and in the asp, despite a pretentious 140 graduated on the odometer. As long as the road descends noticeably, we can even manage to grab a 115 km / h counter, before seeing the counter needle go down to 110 km / h, or even 100 km / h if the highway goes wrong. It’s not extraordinary, but it’s the extra power that was lacking in the 125 and which means that the 200 can do interurban and take the nationals without being afraid of being overtaken by trucks. Admittedly, this is a beach bike, more suited for the beach than the highway, but with its long saddle, it should allow you to take a little trip to the sea without it looking like an expedition. Be careful, however, to the consumption which increases when you stay at maximum speed and decreases the autonomy accordingly..

On departmental

The VanVan 200 thus finds the small roads with happiness. Well started, the game consists in leaving it at its maximum speed and not braking. On the last report, the raises are non-existent and still require to go down one or two reports to restart the mono. But the beach bike is happy to play from one turn to the next, while letting itself be guided without constraint..

The fourth gear even suits him very well, with what it takes to pick up especially around 90 km / h to climb one side without decelerating..

Comfort

Despite long-travel suspensions, the VanVan is not particularly flexible. But on the contrary, it is stable and rigid to make it perform a little more sporty tricks. The speed bumps require a little anticipation not to break your back and this as well in solo as in duet.

Braking

Simple 220 mm disc brake at the front and drum brake at the rear, the 200 remains roughly sized like the 125 and that is more than enough for everyday use. The advantage is that the feeling is good, as is the progressiveness. We just regret the absence of combined braking or ABS (mandatory soon), especially in the rain. Suddenly, it happens to block the rear on strong braking, except in duet.

Consumption

With a small tank of 6.5 liters and an average consumption of around 3.5 liters / 100, the VanVan 200 offers a range depending on driving close to 190 kilometers, but little more, when the reserve in muscular driving lights up. from 140 kilometers. There is then a little more than a liter in the tank. In urban areas, the reserve invariably lights up between 140 and 145 kilometers.

Convenient

The saddle does not lift up so there is no way to slide anything in it. Just behind is a carrying case, which houses the tool kit. Above all, we will slide a disk block into it. For the U, it will fit easily on the handlebars, horizontally on either side of the handlebars, but thus resting substantially on the key. The high position of the exhaust prevents the installation of saddlebags but the long saddle allows the use of traditional tensioners to secure a bag or bundle..

Conclusion

While the VanVan 125 was quickly limited in inter-urban and on national, the 200 brings this renewed vitality to all the modes as well as a maximum speed a little more sustained which makes it possible to be freed from the city or the beach. , extending its range of action and possibilities. And even if the 200 is 600 euros more expensive than the 125, for the license holder, the excess power and daily pleasure must tip the scales on the side of the 200 cm3. One would almost wonder why the brand waited 14 years before choosing to import it into France if it is not a high enough price placed next to other proposals. But you don’t buy a VanVan for its list of strengths but simply for its look, its vintage feel, its fun side and its easy handling which, once the check is signed, almost makes you forget the price..

Strong points

• look
• driving pleasure
• ease of use

Weak points

• Maximum speed
• mono vibrations
• price

The VanVan200 technical sheet

Test conditions

• Itinerary: town, various small roads + interurban highways
• Motorcycle mileage: 500 km

Related articles

• Suzuki Address test

  There is the motorcycle and then there is the scooter for purely urban use. We are looking for the small inexpensive machine, practical with all the same…

• Suzuki SV Scrambler test

  The ramage at the height of the plumage, without being plucked Scrambler! It was originally a question of taking a road motorbike, of grafting it with…

• Suzuki Bandit 650 N motorcycle test

  Released for good behavior Appeared in 1995, the Bandit has continued to evolve, going from the first nasty roadster to a beefy roadster but leaving…

• Suzuki DL 650 VStrom motorcycle test – 2012 vintage

  Aids for the road 10 years of good and loyal service … the DL 650 VStrom indeed celebrates a nice anniversary in 2012, without having succeeded in…

• Suzuki Bandit 1250 S ABS motorcycle test

  If you’re looking for a tiger in an engine, roar a Bandit 1250 The presentations are really no longer to do but, with this version equipped with a fork…

• Honda CB 125 F test

  Queen of cities The CB is a dream, whatever its displacement, undoubtedly the fact of a long history since the Benly model of 1959. And if we think then…

• Suzuki GSX-F 750 motorcycle test

  The sporty Grand Touring version After the Bandit and the Inazuma, the GSX-F is the last Suzuki model to have benefited from the heritage of the Suzuki…

• Suzuki GSX-R1000R road test

  4 cylinders, 1000 cm3, 202 hp at 13,200 rpm, 12 m / kg at 10,800 rpm, 203 kilos, € 19,939 Incredible efficiency for a machine that is still user-friendly…

• Suzuki Burgman 650 test

  2013: Always more Pullman with standard options 11 years old! It took 11 years and more than 83,000 units sold worldwide for Suzuki to upgrade its famous…

• Suzuki V-Strom 1000 XT test

  The big Suzuki trail passes Euro 4: 101 hp, 101 Nm, € 13,299 ABS corner and cosmetic developments for this truly versatile machine We can live a world of…