
SINNIS APACHE 250 (2014 - on) Review

At a glance
Owners' reliability rating: | |
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Annual servicing cost: | £50 |
Power: | 19 bhp |
Seat height: | Tall (36.4 in / 925 mm) |
Weight: | Low (313 lbs / 142 kg) |
Prices
Overall rating
Next up: Ride & brakesAt first glance the new, good looking Sinnis Apache 250 Supermoto suggests Chinese built bikes are getting closer to the mainstream. But look closer and not THAT much has changed.
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As with many Chinese bikes, it’s easy to criticize the new Sinnis 250. It uses an old engine (albeit one that’s now fuel-injected), the styling and build quality isn’t great, and, after riding it, neither is the handling.
On the flip side, it’s cheap and cheerful transport for under £2500 and comes with 24 months' warranty, and if that is all you need and just want to go from A-B cheaply then it starts to make sense.
Ride quality & brakes
Next up: EngineStraight line stability isn’t bad but throw in some fast corners and you get a wheelbarrow effect from the front, a slight wobble or weave. Below 60mph you don’t notice it as much and you can throw it around with ease. In traffic you can dart into gaps, bounce over speed humps and generally make light work of the inner city gridlock.
However there are still flaws.
Try attacking a few corners and it gets a bit vague. The damping is poor, as are the tyres which offered poor grip and lacked any feel even in near-perfect warm, sunny conditions. I hate to think what they’d be like in the wet or on a cold winters’ morning.
The racy looking ‘petal’ brakes weren’t much better, either. You need a real handful of lever to stop proceedings, not the one finger I was expecting from the large 300mm single disc.
Engine
Next up: ReliabilityThe engine is from Suzuki’s ancient GN250 which wasn’t that great when new last century and is as exciting as the Antiques Road Show, but it’s bullet proof and should take a hammering.
It’s a little agricultural with a few vibrations thrown in for good measure, will sit happily at 60mph all day long but at 65mph hills become your enemy and 70mph is nearly flat out.
Reliability & build quality
Next up: ValueThe colours may be bright, but up close the level of finish is below average and I wouldn’t like to think what one would like look after two years of teenage abuse and a harsh British winter.
Value vs rivals
Next up: EquipmentThere IS a flip side – it’s very cheap, that’s nearly a grand cheaper than Suzuki’s Inazuma 250 or half the price of Kawasaki’s Ninja 300 ABS.
With that you also get 24 months warranty for peace of mind. If you just want simple transport it has to be one of the cheapest 250s on the market.
Equipment
The clocks look dated, the gear change indicator is an afterthought and the tyres woeful. Get the idea?
Specs |
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Engine size | 249cc |
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Engine type | Air-cooled, 249cc single cylinder, 5 gears, chain drive |
Frame type | Steel tube double cradle |
Fuel capacity | 10.6 litres |
Seat height | 925mm |
Bike weight | 142kg |
Front suspension | 40mm telescopic forks, no adjust |
Rear suspension | Single rear shock, preload adjust |
Front brake | Single 300mm disc with two piston caliper |
Rear brake | Single 230mm disc with single piston caliper |
Front tyre size | 110/70 x 17 |
Rear tyre size | 130/70 x 17 |
Mpg, costs & insurance |
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Average fuel consumption | 73 mpg |
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Annual road tax | £47 |
Annual service cost | £50 |
New price | £2,495 |
Used price | - |
Insurance group |
6 of 17 How much to insure? |
Warranty term | 2 year unlimited mileage |
Top speed & performance |
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Max power | 19 bhp |
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Max torque | 14.4 ft-lb |
Top speed | 85 mph |
1/4 mile acceleration | - |
Tank range | 170 miles |
Model history & versions
Model history
Production began in 2014
Other versions
None.
Owners' reviews for the SINNIS APACHE 250 (2014 - on)
1 owner has reviewed their SINNIS APACHE 250 (2014 - on) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.
Review your SINNIS APACHE 250 (2014 - on)
Summary of owners' reviews |
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Overall rating: | |
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Ride quality & brakes: | |
Engine: | |
Reliability & build quality: | |
Value vs rivals: | |
Equipment: | |
Annual servicing cost: | £50 |
Version: EFI
Year: 2014
Annual servicing cost: £50
Original supermoto, the one that started it all!
Can’t complain goes well for what it is and stops on a dime everytime.
Could do with a touch more power but it’s not bad, especially if your coming off a 125cc it will pleasantly surprise you.
Not bad at all for a Chinese motorbike, not as good as the Japanese but not far off either.
As cheap as they come!
Can’t complain overall as a package you're not going to get better value for money!
Buying experience: Excellent via a specialist in Herefordshire, Motorbikes for All.