Vins Duecinquanta 250 two-stroke ready for blast-off

Behold the Vins Duecinquanta – an exquisite, all-new, road-legal, 250 two-stroke sportsbike from Italy that’s coming to the UK very soon.

The Duecinquanta, as the name suggests, is a fuel-injected 249.5cc V-twin two-stroke, reminiscent of the smoking Japanese and European 250s of the '80s and '90s. Two versions will be available – a Strada for the road and a Competizione version exclusively for the track.

Built in Maranello, just down the road from car legends Ferrari, the Vins is the ultimate spiritual successor to not just Aprilia’s RS250 (which actually went out of production in 2005), but a whole generation of stroker sports 250s such as Suzuki’s RGV250, Kawasaki’s KR1-S and Yamaha’s TZR250.



Vins have now revealed the full UK-homologated spec sheet, having secured it just a month ago, promising a dry weight of just 105kg and a power output of around 74bhp at 11,700rpm. To help the bike comply with regulations fully, there’s also ABS.

Cradling the engine is an ultra-lightweight carbon-fibre monocoque chassis (with carbon-fibre bodywork). The unusual design scoops air through a radiator under the tank, with hot air then passing out through channels in the frame




The bodywork also hides the carbon-fibre Hossack front-end (similar to that found on a BMW K1300S), which sees the wheel supported by two carbon struts and a single shock in front of the headstock. The rear also uses a fully-adjustable monoshock. Continuing the carbon theme is a set of lightweight wheels.

Although there are currently no official UK prices, a short promotional video has appeared seemingly showing a finished bike ring-a-dinging its way across the British countryside, suggesting machines will soon be available to purchase.

Away from the road bike, the race version claims to be even lighter, at just 102kg dry. A race fairing also helps it to be more aerodynamic, with the Hossack unit also allowing you to trail brake into corners with more confidence, without running out of suspension travel.

What’s more, it will also be available in a blue, black and purple livery, which pays tribute to the legendary Britten V1000.

 

What's the advantage of mounting the rear shock across the cycle body?

 

Uses less space and in this case allows the seat height to be lower