There was a once a time when gentlemen wore hats,
pannier mounts were briefcase holders and you could ride a motorcycle from
London to Birmingham without seeing another road user. These were the good old
days and it is this era that Black Douglas seek to emulate with the Sterling.
The square tank in
particular, the Sterling is actually a brand new bike – the frame is built in
Italy and the engine is made in Taiwan. Unlike its modern counterparts from
Italy there are no Ohlins forks or Brembo brakes here, riders instead settling
for a hardtail with a springer fork and drum brakes all round. What isn’t
chromed is bound with leather and the enormous ‘Herring Can’ headlight
accentuates the vintage look.
There are a few different models available, but our
favourite is the Claret Classic as the wicker basket looks to be the perfect
size for a picnic. All the bikes are available in 125cc or 230cc, with the
Claret priced at € 11,292 (approx. £ 9,770) for the 125cc and € 12,138 (approx.
£ 10,502) for the 230cc.
Those drum brakes
don’t look very Euro 4 compliant. Well no, but manufacturers have a 100 unit
exemption and, while we don’t want to put Black Douglas down, we doubt they’ll
reach that limit soon. For more info, check out theblackdouglas.com
