While some of our motorbike breakdown cover customers may be familiar with the Daelim brand, it is certainly not the best known motorbike maker in the world. Little known as it may be, it has in fact been available to UK buyers for a whole decade, and with its new VJF250 250cc offering, it might be around a lot longer.
Critics are saying very positive things about the VJF250, not only because of its very reasonable £2,999 price tag, but because of its build quality and performance. It can reach a top speed of 95mph, meaning it should be able to keep up with all law-abiding traffic, and can go 220 miles on just 3.3 gallons of petrol.
So how come Daelim have been able to produce such an impressive motorbike? The South Korean manufacturer actually started a licensing and assembly agreement with Honda in 1978, meaning Daelim’s products have long born the hallmarks of the superior Japanese motorbike maker. But while previous products from Daelim have been at-best decent copies of Honda scooters, the VJF250 signals a gear-change for the firm.
At around £1,000 less than the comparable Honda CBR250R, you would be forgiven for wondering where the cost savings have been made. Few have been able to identify what these might be, since the materials used and the assembly quality offer no clues – aside from simply not being a Honda.
So if you’re looking for a quick, well-built 250cc that saves you £1,000 over a same-class Honda, then the VJF250 might be for you.