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Francis-Barnett Returns with Two 125ers

It’s really sweet to see historic brands being revived, even though the new machinery only brings back the retro vibe and is sometimes centered on parts of Chinese provenance. Even so, we are openheartedly welcoming back Francis-Barnett, one of the old British manufacturers, who now are delivering two models with a ton of classic attitude, the Merlin and the Kestrel.
Francis-Barnett Merlin and Kestrel 28 photos
Photo: Francis-Barnett
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Francis-Barnett started making motorcycles back in 1919 and remained in business until 1966. Truth be told, this sounds like the history of more than one motorcycle manufacturer on the Old Continent, with the big difference that not all of them have found the necessary resources to make a comeback. The Coventry maker was founded by Gordon Inglesby Francis and Arthur Barnett and in the beginning used 125cc two-stroke engines supplied by Villiers and AMC.

In the end, Associated Motor Cycles eventually bought Francis-Barnett in 1947 and combined it with James a decade later, remaining in business 9 more years. These days we see Francis-Barnett alive and kicking again, and we hope that they will be able to write a new hefty chapter in their story.

Herald Motor Company ‘s Classic 125 machine serves as the basis for the new Francis-Barnetts

Francis-Barnett delivers two new models, as we mentioned earlier: Merlin and Kestrel. Both bikes are similar, with the most notable difference being the attitude the repositioned exhaust system introduces. Merlin adds a dash of scrambler DNA to the game, with its horizontal collector and high silencer, as well as with the larger and skinnier front tire.

Merlin’s seat is also a solo one, complemented by a tall rear fender. Envisaging riding on rougher surfaces, Francis-Barnett equipped Merlin with taller and wider bars and added a strut between them for enhanced structural strength.

The Kestrel has a classic-looks peashooter, low-slung exhaust which is also one of the trademarks of anything retro surfacing in the industry these days. The two-up one-piece seat actually seems to be able to accommodate both the rider and a passenger, while the bars are also deeper in classic territory. Kestrel’s front tire looks identical to the rear one (18”) for a more obvious tracker heritage, as opposed to the 18-21”combo of the Merlin model. Rubber knee pads are present on the tanks of both models, which also share the wire spoke wheel design, single hydraulic front rotor and rear drum brake.

The 124cc engine is sourced from HMC, and is a derivation of Suzuki’s GN 125 power plant. The air-cooled engine comes with electric start and a 5-speed manual gearbox, being capable to deliver a peak power of 10.7 hp and a max torque of 6.5 lb-ft (8.5 Nm). The dry weight is only 107 kg (236 lb) and the tank can hold 12 liters (3.16 US gal) of fuel, which should do for very good range.

What can we say, the bikes surely look neat as retro pieces of machinery in the modern era. The tech figures are definitely nothing to write home about, but for a fun ride and economical commuting on a stylish vintage-looks two-wheeler, they would doubtlessly do. The biggest inconvenient is the price for Francis-Barnett’s new rides.

The Kestrel is available in the UK for £3,495 ($5,380 or €4,710), while the Merlin will follow you home for £4,495 ($6,920 or €6,055). With the Herald Classic 125 these two are largely based on selling for £1,650 ($2,540 or €2,222), it looks like the Francis-Barnett hand-made bikes are a treat for a real collector or Fanny-B fan. Still, Andy Longfiel, the current owner of Francis-Barnett adds: “If we get an order of 10 in we should be able to bring the prices down,” according to visordown. Have your say yourselves.
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