I bought an RV125 because I was looking for a lightweight, nimble urban hack as a second bike – but I’ll admit that I ended up choosing it over other more sensible alternatives because of its cute, cool, retro styling. Yes, it lacks top-end, but what meagre power it has is well geared to shuttle you briskly enough up to 50mph. The engine seems to thrive on being thrashed; full throttle take-offs from the traffic lights, keeping it pinned while upshifting into second with some deft clutch slipping, and it’s just about quick enough to stay ahead of the cars. You do need to develop a feel for the RV’s handling; first impressions are that it’s quite bouncy and imprecise, but what it needs is a smooth, steady input, which it rewards with surprisingly accurate lines, even on those agricultural balloon tyres. On the move the stance has a touch of supermoto about it, and you find yourself putting a lot of weight over the front while counter-steering it with the wide bars, always trying to hold as much speed as you can. It’s actually a real hoot to ride in the city, and I continue to be charmed by it. The biggest shame is that the Van Van is only sold in the UK in learner-legal 12bhp form – in the rest of Europe it’s available with 200cc and 16 bhp, which I can imagine gives it that extra bit of power it needs.
