Open Door

Return to Senda – great fun on and off-road

0 Comments | Evening Post; Bristol (UK), Jul 15, 2010

W ITH Derbi now part of the g rowing Piaggio Empire, the question of where its range fits within the two-wheel market is of real concern.

The company is aiming to produce models for a mass market with four-stroke engines as their main power plants. Typical of this genre is the new Senda DRD SM 125 dual-sport bike, which we look at here.

* What Does It Cost? Based on the established Senda 125, which was itself developed from a Honda frame and engine, the Senda DRD SM is clearly aimed at securing sales from the younger set who can match urban riding with a bit of off-road fun at weekends. The price of just Pounds 2,974 including VAT is pretty attractive in this case for a very capable exciting machine to ride.

* How Does It Handle? The Senda DRD SM 125 is a modern and stylish set of wheels that feels well put together and of a build quality that is far better than its price would suggest. Performance is pretty good too for a bike designed to fill two roles, as an urban run-around and a sometime off-roader. The engine feels really quiet and smooth, which is unusual on a bike that has such sharp and striking street credentials.

Considering the Senda DRD SM’s primary job however, is to get you from one place to another rather than setting new 0-60mph times and at the same time shattering your eardrums, it does the job pretty well
rowing machine