Brixton BX 150

Overview

The motorcycles from Brixton might not sound as popular or confidence inspiring as their respective Japanese counterparts. However, with their neo-retro styling, they surely have managed to grab some attention, with the BX 150 being one of them. The powerful commuter, with its modern classic styling, takes on the entry-level commuters with an additional dash of old world charm. The Brixton BX 150 is available in five color options – black, grey, green, red and blue.

Design

From a distance, the Brixton BX 150 has a stance of its own, for the motorcycle has a good mix of the design ethos of a scrambler as well as a retro commuter.

Like any other simply designed retro roadster, the Brixton BX 150 has got a round headlamp at the front, encased in a round black case. However, what does grab attention at the front are the tiny round LED turn indicators, which make the front fascia look very cool.

The side profile of the Brixton BX 150 is reminiscent of any other simply designed commuter motorcycle from the bygone eras of the nineties, with a slim design and very basic looking body panels. The fuel tank has nice contours, however, the boxy design of it does not appeal too much, and the same goes with the trapezoidal side body panels.

To give it some visual appeal, all the cycle parts, spoke wheels and engine are finished in black, however, the exhaust pipe gets a quintessential chrome finish. The full flat seat goes well with the design, and is quite comfortable in usage as well, more on that later.

Just like the frontal stance, the rear profile of the Brixton BX 150 too has got a very minimalist approach in looks. On the rear fender, which is finished in chrome, is mounted a small round LED tail lamp, with tiny LED turn indicators on the sides.

The rider’s view of the Brixton BX 150 too has been executed in a very simple manner, with an almost flat handlebar, round turn indicators, and a fully analog speedometer right at the center above the headlamp. However, in the process, Brixton has also made the switchgear look simple, which somehow looks a bit tacky.

Ride & Handling

Being an entry-level but powerful commuter, the Brixton BX 150 mirrors the simplicity of its looks in its mechanicals under the skin as well. The BX 150 has been armed with a simple suspension setup of hydraulic telescopic forks at the front and a double sided coil spring setup at the rear. Apart from the plush and soft suspension setup, the other two things which make riding the Brixton BX 150 easy and comfortable are the flat and wide seat, tall handlebar, and forward set foot pegs. The front disc brake, as well as rear drum brake, does a decent job as well.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Powering the Brixton BX 150 is a four-stroke, single cylinder, air-cooled, fuel-injected, 149cc engine, which is essentially a bored out version of the 124.8cc engine of its smaller sibling, the Brixton BX 125. The engine, coupled to a 5-speed gearbox, is capable of producing a maximum power output of 11.8PS and a peak torque output of 11.9Nm. Being a 150cc engine, the unit might not sound too powerful on paper. However, the peak torque output is achieved at a lower rpm, and thanks to the taller gearing, the engine feels livelier in lower city speeds.

Braking & Safety

Since the BX 150 is an entry-level motorcycle, it skips out on the necessary safety aids like ABS. However, considering its peers, it could have been equipped with a combined braking system, since it is a more cost-effective alternative over ABS as an essential safety feature.

Verdict

For a person who wants to make a fashion statement and prefers form and function in equal amount, the Brixton BX 150 makes a sensible choice for him. However, considering its low cost, there have been a couple of cost-cutting measures which could have been executed in a better manner.