Bristol BR 400i

The BR 400i poses a café racer styling which looks elegant, vintage and very appealing. Featuring an Italian design and customizable European built, the bike stands out in style. At the front, there’s a large, round halogen headlamp encapsulated in a chrome case. It has a two-piece aluminium alloy handlebar which holds the twin-pod instrument panel and round, chrome finished rear view mirrors. The front tyre is covered with a sleek, black colour mudguard. The two-piece handlebar and Bullet style turn indicators add to the styling quotient of the BR 400i. The large fuel tank features a 'Bristol' marking and connects to the single saddle. The seat is made of high-quality materials and looks premium. It is inclined, with slope moving from the rear to the front.  The two stainless steel exhaust pipes can be spotted on both the sides, along with stylish mufflers. Move to the rear and you will see a small tyre hugger to prevent the mud splash on the pillion. There’s no grab rail; the tail lamp and turn indicators are sleek. The semi-digital instrument console displays vital information to the rider through a speedometer, tachometer and a digital fuel gauge.

The BR 400i is 2080mm long, 810mm wide and 1080mm high. It has a wheelbase of 1450mm; the dimensions of the bike support and facilitates easy handling. Suspension setup comprises telescopic front forks at the front and oil damping air shock at the rear. The Omega variant comes fitted with an inverted shock at the front. The BR 400i is equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels with spokes at both the ends, wrapped in tubeless tyres - 100/70 at the front and 130/70 at the rear. The suspension setup along with big wheels add to the riding experience and effectively do away with the road bumps. Braking setup consists of single-disc at both the ends on the standard variant. Whereas, the Omega variant comes fitted with a dual-disc at the front and a single disc at the rear. Furthermore, the Omega comes equipped with ABS straight from the factory, which activates after reaching a speed of 30-35kmph. The BR 400i’s front brake has a four-piston caliper that returns a perfect bite.

The BR 400i draws power from a 400cc, oil-cooled, single-cylinder, four-stroke, four-valve engine which is capable of generating max power of 20.7 kw at 7,200 rpm and a peak torque of 33 Nm at 5,600 rpm. Power is transmitted to the rear wheel using a five-speed manual transmission. The engine is developed by the famous Taiwan Hartford industry and key parts like high-precision bearings and clutches are imported from Japan. This engine now complies to the Euro-4  emission standards. One of the notable things with its engine is the compression ratio of 8.8:1. This means that it can burn low-octane fuels without any issues, making the engine more powerful and rugged. It can store a maximum of 15 litres of fuel in its fuel tank. According to Bristol, the BR 400i can clock a top speed of 145 kmph and returns a mileage of 29kmpl when driven in ideal conditions.

The cafe-racer has been gracefully accepted in the Philippine market and the Bristol BR 400i is here to stay. It has terrific vintage looks, modern amenities and a power-packed engine, which makes it a very good choice for riders looking for an aesthetically pleasing and high-performing bike. It packs a good punch with its 400cc engine and cruising on it at speeds in excess of 100kmph is a pleasurable experience. Overall, it is an amazing offering by Bristol which sits right at the top in terms of looks, design language, performance, safety, and handling.