SINGLE AND READY
TO MINGLE
Herald MotorCo. is slightly different
tomanyother British bike brands.The
Cambridgeshire-based importer and
manufacturer’smotor cycles arebuiltin
Chinausingtried and testedtechnology,
butits classic designs areactually
developedspecifically forBritish riders,
with many componentschangedfor
higherquality kit.Asaresult,Herald’s
cementeditsel fint he market,and has
gonefromstrengthto st rength over its
last10years in thegame,conti nuingto
turn outanextensiverangeofretro-styled
125cc and 250cc motorcycles.And now,
there’sanew 400inthe line-up.
Buildingonthe successesofi ts smaller
capacitymachin es,Herald’s Classic400 is
theperfect addition to the British brand’s
ever growingportfolio,and we took the
chance toputitt hrough its pacesover a
couple ofweeks.
A2
LICENCE
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
It’s alooker, isn’t it?With its 60s-inspired
retroroadsterstylingset offby its spoked
wheels,brushedstainlesssteel tank
strap, twin clocks,and bullet indicators –
complementedbyflawlesspaintworkand
just enough shinystuffto make it stand
from the crowd, withoutbeingosten tatious.
And the level ofattention to detail for what’s
essentiallyaChinese importiss econd-to-
none.
“Oh, that’s nice,that’s reallynice.”Despite
its retroappearance,the Herald Classic 400
isn’tsomefickle 60sseptua genarian. But
fire it into life for thefirst time ,and you’d be
forgiven for thinkingyou’d steppedbackin
time(despite its electricstart) –asyou’re
greetedbythe gentle, yetdistinctiveburble
of its singlecylinder powerplant through its
twinpea-shooterstyleexhausts.
Itsseatislow,and itsweight evenly
WORDS:JonathanSchofieldPHOTOS:GaryChapman
distributed,making the Herald Classic 400
perfectfor the shorter or lessexperienced
riders. If you’re ashade under six foot like
me,however ,don’t be putoff,as there’s
plenty ofroom tostretchout andget
comfortable.Thecontrols fall tohand easily
(evenifi t’snot the mostsophisticated
of setups), the mirrors offer decent
rearwardsvisio n, and theseat is surprisingly
comfortable,too.Sofar so good.
10 THE CLASSICMOTORCYCLE|RETRORIDES
