The Sachs boasts gorgeous design with excellent build quality and
ought to be better than it is. It seems a bit busy, trying to be
part roadster, part sportsbike, part cruiser and the result is a
slightly disappointing, split-personality that doesn’t really
deliver on any level. You can have fun and it’ll make you smile… But
it’s unlikely to ever have you screaming into your crash helmet for
more.
Ride Quality & Brakes 3 out of 5
The handling’s pretty good, with wide bars, and it’s easy to tip in to
corners. Push it harder and you’ll soon feel it’s weight, however. The
brakes are fantastic and have loads of feel and the gearbox is good.
It’s vibey through the bars and pegs at higher speeds whilst the
suspension’s good, rather than great.
The V-twin engine’s a Suzuki number (it’s used to power their VL800
Intruder) and it’s very much a cruiser job which doesn’t sit entirely
well in the Roadster’s chassis. It has plenty of torque, as you’d
expect, low down and in the midrange, but still not quite enough power
to match the bike’s flingable leanings.
The Roadster’s built to a
high standard but those gold-coloured USD forks do look slightly out of
place. The engine’s a tough one, even if it doesn’t suit the bike
terribly well, so reliability shouldn’t be a problem. Sachs’ bikes are
hand built so precision and care in their construction is paramount.
Good.