I first started riding motorcycles in the 1970s as a kid in the bush in southern Africa where I spent my childhood.
Us youngsters would enjoy many happy days hurtling around on dusty dirt tracks, racing, building jumps and generally trying to outdo each other, with the accompanying thrills and spills.
The “dirt bikes” or “trailies” , as we called them, I can recall from those days include models like Suzuki’s RM125, Yamaha’s YZ125X, CCMs and Maicos.
Occasionally one of my pals would “borrow” an older brother’s Honda 250 or even a 400 and we’d get some real speed.
I have always found it surprising that these days, there are so few options for youngsters who fancy a genuinely off road-capable, yet road-legal and CBT-friendly 125.
Enter the SM-XE from Sinnis.
The Brighton-based firm has been quietly building an excellent reputation with it’s high quality, affordable Chinese-built machines.
First impressions are very good as the SM-XE certainly looks the enduro-style part.
It’s tall (885mm seat height), slim, rugged yet classy, with an upswept exhaust, sump guard, knobbly rubber and wavy brake discs.
On board, it feels like a proper, but more comfortable, enduro with that narrow yet well-padded seat and raised bars.
The clear and easy-to-read dash has digital speedo and tacho, as well as gear indicator and fuel gauge.
The SM-XE employs Sinnis’s best engine to date – a liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve, four-stroke 124cc single which produces 14.8bhp.
Thats makes it one of the most powerful 125 engines on the market and, with plenty of low and mi-range torque, it’s a real beaut.
On the tarmac it outperforms many other road-going 125s, smoothly shifting through the gears to a top-speed of just over 60mph.
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At just a fraction over 140kg, it’s also beautifully light and manoeuvrable – perfect for around town and also, of course, off road.
This bike really is a blast on the dirt.
The 54mm USD forks and rear mono-shock do an excellent job of soaking up all the rough stuff.
The set-up is understandably on the soft side, considering the bike is aimed at novice off-roaders, which means that on some big bumps it can be a bit bouncy.
That is a minor niggle and overall it was real joy to ride on my local green lane.
It may be aimed at younger riders, but the SM-XE would also make a great starter for grown-up first-time off-roaders due to its ease of use.
Overall a really impressive and downright fun “trailie”, which had me joyously reliving my youth.
