Bristol Classic 250

The segment of classic roadsters generally doesn’t have over-the-top motorcycles in terms of visual appeal, and it is the same story with the Bristol Classic 250. It gets a no-nonsense visual appeal that looks simple and clean to the eyes.

The Bristol Classic 250 has the traditional setup of a rounded halogen headlamp at the front with amber-coloured rounded turn indicators beside it. While the headlamp is present inside a blacked-out housing, the turn indicators get chrome surrounds. And that’s it – the front profile looks a tad too simple for anyone’s liking but goes well with the overall theme of classic roadsters.

Even the side profile of the Bristol Classic 250 stays true to the design ethos of a conventional classic roadster. The motorcycle has a clean design with a rounded fuel tank, trapezoidal side body panels and a simple flat seat. The side body panels are present between the lower members of the tubular frame of the motorcycle. Giving a classy appearance is the silver finish for the spoke wheels and the black finish for the engine. The upswept single-sided exhaust pipe, on the other hand, gets a chromed look.

Just like any other old-school classic roadster, the rear design of the Bristol Classic 250 looks uncluttered with the absence of proper rear side body panels below the seat. The rearmost tip of the curved rear fender comes mounted with a rounded tail lamp on it. The rounded turn indicators are positioned slightly inwards beside the mounts for the tubular chrome-finished pillion grab rail behind the seat.

Just like the rest of the motorcycle, even the instrument console of the Bristol Classic 250 looks neat and simple. There is a round-shaped single-pod unit, which displays an analogue speedometer and an LCD panel inside it for fuel gauge, trip meter and odometer. The Bristol Classic 250 gets a very commuter-like high-set handlebar with chrome-finished bar end weights, with the chrome-finished rearview mirrors complementing the overall design.

To sum it up, the overall design of the Bristol Classic 250 looks very simple and goes well with the intended theme. However, despite that, it is too simple for anyone’s liking, and the lack of features further raises concerns.

Just like the overall styling, even the mechanical setup under the skin of the Bristol Classic 250 is old-school. It gets a suspension combination of hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and dual-sided gas-charged hydraulic coil springs. Riding on 110/70-17 tyre at the front and 130/70-17 tyre at the rear, which are the widest in the category of 250-300cc classic roadsters, the Bristol Classic 250 gets single discs at both front and rear for braking purposes.

The Bristol Classic 250 sources its power from a single-cylinder, air-cooled, 249cc engine, which is currently one of the smallest and simplest engines in the 250-300cc category of classic roadsters. Mated to a 5-speed gearbox, this engine produces a maximum power output of 17 bhp, while the peak torque output is fixed at 18 Nm. For a 250cc engine, these figures seem unimpressive, and the motorcycle loses its breath in higher RPMs. However, the top speed of the Bristol Classic 250 is an appreciable 125 kmph.

The lack of features continues in the safety department as the Bristol Classic 250 lacks all the modern safety features people usually perceive in a modern motorcycle. It doesn’t even get ABS.

For a simple motorcycle that can make your commute from point A to point B simple and with decent power on tap, the Bristol Classic 250 makes some sense. However, there is room for improvement here, and the Bristol Classic 250 could do with more power and features.