New retro moped is a Hero for Bullit
New 50cc motorcycles are few and far between these days, but that hasn’t stopped trendy Belgian brand Bullit Motorcycles from bringing out a new geared moped, called the Hero 50.
Bullit are one of the new generation of companies offering cool retro machines based around small Chinese built base models. Like British firms Herald and Mutt Motorcycles, Bullit source their bikes from Asia before heavily modifying them with custom parts before they go on sale to European customers.
Looking to all intents and purposes like the bigger Hero 125, the 50 embraces the neo-retro styling that’s so popular with bigger manufacturers these days, the little Bullit combines modern touches like a 49cc, four-valve, twin cam, four-stroke motor and upside down forks, with the retro scrambler styling epitomised with the short bench seat, high level dual exhaust and large spoked wheels – 18” at the front and 17” rear.
Being classed as a moped, the Hero 50 is restricted to a sub-30mph top speed from the 4bhp engine, but the big benefit is that it can be ridden by riders as young as 16 and it provides an interesting alternative to the more typical twist and go scooter type mopeds on the market. At £2199, it undercuts many of the more mundane fifties from established manufacturers on price.
If the idea of a retro moped appeals, but the Bullit Hero doesn’t quite hit the spot for you, £1499 buys you the Belgian company’s ‘Heritage’ model, which is essentially a copy of the Honda Dax monkey bike from the 1970s.
Other retro 50s remain thin on the ground, so it looks like Bullit have got the market sewn up when it comes to factory custom bikes for 16-year-olds.
