Last week Brixton Motorcycles held an online press conference to announce several new models for 2020. Among the marque’s usual assortment of small-displacement Chinese-built retro roadsters were a few all-new, higher-spec models, like the naked Crossfire 500 and what looks to be a Bonneville knock-off (none of which appear to be making the trip over to these shores). But for some reason this bobber-style 125cc Rayburn caught our eye too, so we decided to drill down for a closer look.
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| © Provided by Motorcycle Cruiser The 125cc Rayburn is now in production and will expand the company’s range to 10 bikes for 2020. But will any of them make it to the US? |
But first—who the hell is Brixton and why should we care? The short answer is it’s not British, but a brand of the Austrian KSR Group, a global organization with its fingers in way more pies, er, marques than we realized. KSR imports and brands bikes from a variety of Chinese manufacturers including CFMoto, and even has connections to Benelli and Royal Enfield (which, if we’re being honest, we see hints of in the Rayburn). Brixton itself exports bikes to around 40 countries worldwide, and although it says its bikes are sold in Europe, Asia, and North and South America, we had no luck digging up any dealers in the US. The KSR Group opened a new state-of-the-art development and design center in Austria a few years ago and has begun designing its own bikes, but, yes, they are still Chinese-built. The Crossfire line was developed by the KSR Group design team, as was the Rayburn, and production had to be postponed due to the pandemic, but things are once again in full swing, with models expected at Brixton’s European dealers sometime in July of 2020.
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| © Provided by Motorcycle Cruiser With a 125cc air-cooled single at its core, there’s nothing special in the Rayburn’s performance department—this bike is clearly all about the looks. |
With its minimal bodywork, spare componentry, and basic running gear, the Rayburn keeps to the general bobber formula, capping the stance with a sprung solo saddle and 17-inch spoked wheels rolling between a generic telescopic fork with gaiters perched above. Motivation comes from a basic 124.8cc air-cooled single, said to generate a less-than-exciting 11 hp at a screaming 9,000 rpm, put to a chain final drive. No torque numbers—or in fact, many key specs—were available at the time of this writing. But it is fuel injected…
Other retro bits include dual exposed rear shocks, super-short fenders to expose the deep-treaded fat tires, and a round headlight, though it is an LED unit. Single brake discs front and rear, chain drive, and a single peashooter-type exhaust—the headers are even swaddled in pipe wrap—sure look like a determined commitment to urban styling, and a cargo rack coming off the back of the seat gives off a kind of industrial look. An old-school retro taillight cements the nod to the past, with slim LED indicator units tucked farther back to keep things legal. A solo gauge right in the middle of the top triple tree also keeps the look tidy (though it is digital) and a distressed (of course) leather tool bag is tucked off the right flank just below the seat. The two-tone paint job is a restrained dark blue. Brixton calls it “the inner-city cousin” of the brand’s café-flavored Sunray model.
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| © Provided by Motorcycle Cruiser The Rayburn shares many elements—including the engine, fork, and brakes—with Brixton’s existing, café-flavored Sunray 125 model. |
But there are also some jarring moments, including a rear tire that looks too chunky and tall for this model’s small, minimal frame, and a fork/neck junction made more awkward by the choice of clip-ons with bar-end mirrors. And despite Brixton’s insistence that it has a “unique design language” there are some pretty familiar elements at play here, with a Royal Enfield-like sensibility on display. From a styling standpoint, the Rayburn looks straight out of the 1940s, but whether you think that’s worthy of your hard-earned cash (we’ve heard the price is 2,999 euro, or about $3,400 USD) is up to you. Of course, you can’t get one in the US, so there’s that.
Bottom line is, we’re paying more attention to Brixton—and the KSR Group in general—because they’ve got quite a few interesting and varied designs coming down the pike. Some of those may make it to the US and some won’t, but small- and mid-displacement models are certainly garnering a larger piece of the pie in the moto world lately. The brand also seems to be maturing, and if design and build quality are improving as well, then we’re all for it.
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