Tough times are nothing new for us South Africans. We’ve been seeing the signs of the times for a decade already, with rising fuel costs and the rapid declines in economic growth. But nothing could have prepared us for the start of 2020: the pandemic.
The pandemic has taught us a lot as individuals, but even more so as business owners. The whole world suddenly went online, with shopping, business, schooling and even socialising all done over an internet connection.
To put it into perspective, online grocery shopping only served a minuscule share of the SA market before 2020. But as lockdown hit and large grocery stores saw massive spikes in orders, most couldn’t deal with the demand. All of a sudden big companies latched onto suppliers like Uber Eats to offer ‘lightning-speed’ deliveries. Those that took too long to jump on board suffered, and some have since closed.
Online purchasing has stabilised, but the frequency of deliveries, and the demand for delivery motorcycles, remains high. If you’ve started a company, chances are that you use these services or own a fleet—take a walkout to your local shopping centre or mall, and you’ll see parking spots packed with delivery motorcycles of every shape and size.
There’s undoubtedly a massive need for these workhorses, but when you finally decide to purchase one, you need to do your research. You need to look out for pricing, reliability, economy, spare parts back-up, warranty, dealer network and servicing intervals. This list will not only make your decision easier, but it will also make your business run smoother.
This is where SAM and their Big Boy Velocity 150 come into the picture.
Big Boy has been around the block more than a few times in SA, and is brought in by Southern African Motorcycles (SAM for short), a big player that also brings in Voge, GoMoto and Jonway. SAM’s range of motorcycles has created a massive stir in the market—they’ve built a good reputation and have been labelled “the brand that offers more ride for your rand.” So that should give you an idea of what they’re all about.
After a quick tour of SAM’s impressive setup (or shall we say “village”) in Muldersdrift, we were introduced to the Big Boy Velocity 150.
The Velocity 150 is Big Boy’s hardest working motorcycle. It’s truly been put to the test—not only by thousands of delivery riders, but by twelve African countries. A husband and wife rode a Velocity from SA to Egypt, fully loaded. Yes, this sounds like lunacy, but 13,800 km later, the “I Do Africa Adventure” duo have lived to tell the tale.
Despite its status as an African traveller, the Velocity is a born and bred commuter. From its classic yet minimalist looks, to its user-friendly features and ergonomics, it’s easy to tell who and what the Velocity is meant for.
The daily rider gets some handy creature comforts too; a USB charge port on the bars, a gear indicator, a soft seat, a low seat height (only 750mm), LED lighting, an electric start, tubeless tyres and a centre stand. It is a very basic bike, but it has all the basics you need to get the job done.
This little guy packs a 150 cc air-cooled single between its tight rib cage, and thanks to its lightweight of just over 100 kg, it pulls really great—a wheelie may have “accidentally” been pulled at one stage.
There’s good torque off the line, but the Velocity’s midrange is where most of the ‘go’ comes from. It’s a given that a little bike like this is economic, but just how economical, you say? How does 2.4 l / 100 km (41 km/l) sound? Coupled with an 8.5 l tank, it works out to around 350 km for R178.50—take that you bloody R21-a-litre fuel price!
The Velocity feels stable on the road, and most comfortable between 70 and 80km/h. You can push the speeds a bit higher, but what’s the point in that? With its spacious ergos and soft seat, you can maintain a comfy ride all day long. The Velocity can head off the beaten trail and do some light gravel highway travelling when necessary, but it’s not built for anything rougher.
Slowing down is taken care of by drum brakes at both ends, which worked surprisingly well and actually out-braked a competitor with discs. The Velocity is a relatively low-maintenance motorcycle, and only requires a service every 3,000 km or 6 months. Parts are also not a problem—SAM are stocked to the brim with over 20,000 unique parts at their massive warehouses.
At the end of the day, we’re not surprised that the Big Boy Velocity 150 sells like hotcakes. It looks good, it rides well, it comes with a three-year limited warranty, it’s backed by SAM and their great after-sales support, and lastly, it’s priced at a bargain price of R16,499 (excluding delivery box and bracket). It has to be on your shortlist of obvious choices for delivery motorcycles—it ticks all the boxes.
Where can you find a Big Boy dealer? Just about anywhere. With nearly 90 authorised dealers nationwide, you won’t be left hanging when servicing is due or when the fleet needs a few extra bonies.
Big Boy Velocity 150
For more information on the bike that we tested in this article, click on the link below…
