Mutt Motorcycles launch liquid cooled DRK-01 range two years on from first prototype reveal

Midlands small capacity bike firm Mutt Motorcycles have whipped the covers off their production ready DRK-01 naked range, said to be in dealers now from as little as £3995.

If the DRK name sounds familiar to you, it’s because we broke the news of the prototype back in 2022, with the finished production machines now rolling into dealers in both a CBT-friendly 125cc and £4750 A2 class 250cc guise.

Both blacked-out upright nakeds share the same twin downtube steel frame, which cradles either a 13.4bhp 124.2cc or 26.8bhp 249.2cc single cylinder engine. What’s more, both DOHC motors are Euro5 friendly and feature liquid cooling for the first time.

This is paired with a six speed manual gearbox and comes fed via a sizeable 16-litre steel fuel tank – good for a claimed 148.7mpg in the 125, according to Mutt themselves. A slipper clutch is also said to be in the works for the 250 version.

It’s a significant step up from the air-cooled Suzuki GN125-inspired motors found in many of the firm’s machines and is hoped to boost the brand’s performance and reliability capabilities.

It follows significant changes within the company that began in 2020, with the firm investing in more designers and engineers at their latest Birmingham facility in Kings Norton. Although only trading eight years, Mutts are now sold in 22 countries across the globe.

The performance and running gear of the 125 brings the brand more in line with established naked competition, including the £4803 Yamaha XSR125, and £4699 Honda CB125R.

The 250 version, however, could be considered alongside Royal Enfield’s range of air-cooled J-Series singles which include the £4459 Classic 350, £4219 Meteor 350, £3899 HNTR 350, and £4709 Bullet 350 – all of which produce in the region of 20bhp.

Away from the gentle power figures, both the DRK-01s should be easy to get on with as a newer rider, too. This is thanks to gentle ergonomics and a shared seat height of 795mm with room for two. With 90% of its fuel, the 125 is said to weigh 156kg, with the 250 coming in at just 10kg more.

Looking past the engine, both variations of the bike share the same suspension and braking components – helping Mutt to reduce the costs of parts production and development. As such, on either machine, you get upside down non-adjustable forks with 107mm of travel plus preload adjustable piggyback twin shocks with a far shorter 65mm of travel.

This is coupled with a stainless steel spoked 18in rim at either end with tubeless knobbly tyres, plus a combined braking system equipped with Bosch two-channel ABS. There’s a single disc at each end, with a four-piston caliper and 320mm rotor at the front. A two piston stopper and 240mm disc can be found at the back.

Elsewhere, Mutt have added nice touches like a set of CNC machines adjustable levers, plus a CNC stem and shock nuts. The exhaust system is also produced in full stainless steel, as are the bar ends – with an LED headlight found up front, too.