When the sun is out, few things in life are as pleasurable as hopping on a relaxed retro and taking a gentle trip to a local pub or seaside venue. Lacking a sportsbike ’s demanding nature, retros allow you to step back and just enjoy the sensation of two wheels, rather than focus on controlling 200bhp. If you like the idea of life in the more sedate lane, here is our pick of sub-£6000 retros.
Read on for our expert guide to retro bikes for under £6000!
Click here to read the full review of the Triumph Bonneville T100
When ‘Hinckley’ Triumph brought back the famous Bonneville name in 2001, they did it with the greatest of respect for this British legend. Powered by an air-cooled parallel-twin engine, the T100 comes with spoke wheels, a dash of extra chrome and twin clocks when compared to the base Bonneville model. A really lovely machine for gentle rides down backroads, the motor has bags of soul, and the look is timeless. It’s every inch the feel-good bike for summer.
Triumph have always been very clever when it comes to making their heritage models appear to contain old technology but actually be thoroughly modern. When the Bonneville switched from carbs to fuel injection in 2008 the throttle bodies were disguised as carbs, a trick the firm still employs on all its modern classics .
As well as being air-cooled rather than water-cooled, the older generation of Bonneville motor has a twin-cam head, whereas the new generation has a single cam. The firing order within the engine is also different, with the old bike running a 360-degree crank and the new model a 270-degree one.
Big-capacity retro refinement from Honda
Click here to read the full review of the Honda CB1100EX
A truly beautiful recreation of a classic air-cooled Japanese inline four, the CB1100EX deserves to have sold far better than it did. An extremely classy-feeling retro, its motor is a peach, and the look is timeless. Not everyone will appreciate the slightly skittish sensation the 18-inch wheels provide, but the laid-back engine makes cruising on a sunny day an absolute joy.
Click here to read the full review of the Ducati Scrambler Classic
Ducati’s Scrambler range has been a huge seller for the firm since their unveiling in 2015. Powered by a tried-and-tested air-cooled V-twin with bags of soul and good performance, they both sound and look the part yet also handle well and have a nice level of modern technology, such as ABS. The Classic is the most retro model and boasts spoked wheels, a brown seat and aluminium mudguards.
Click here to read the full review of the Moto Guzzi V7 III
Celebrating the V7’s 50th anniversary in 2017, Guzzi launched the third generation of the retro. Significantly better than the previous two generations, the V7 III features a new chassis, upgraded suspension and updates to the air-cooled motor that include a revised gearbox and clutch. It makes for a great retro that looks and sounds the part and even has ABS, TC and connectivity.
A bargain retro that delivers on every level
Click here to read the full review of the Royal Enfield Interceptor
One of the UK’s best-selling bikes, the Interceptor has been a huge success since it was launched in 2018. The combination of classic looks, a hugely impressive chassis and lots of laid-back charm from the parallel twin – not to mention a bargain price tag – has hit the right note with a wide range of riders. It may be a touch basic, but there is nothing wrong with basic when it is done w…