This Super-Affordable, Rider-Friendly Retro Moto Boasts a Crowd-Pleasing Bonus Feature

Optimized for urban use, it combines vintage looks, high approachability and uncommon versatility for its size.

GZ Bikes

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published 5 hours ago

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As gas prices continue to sting, you may be joining the growing ranks of Americans considering transportation alternatives.

Thankfully, when it comes to around town scenarios, we are seeing more and more intriguing options, from safety-first e-bikes to short-range buggies.

Green and yellow motorcycle with a sidecar parked on a sunlit street at sunset. — Green & Cream White is one of five delightful shades for this unique, surprisingly versatile mini moto.

If you seek something a bit different and endlessly charming, feast your eyes on some quirky forbidden fruit from across the pond.

Because the GZ Duo, complete with rarely seen sidecar, has all the makings of an urban superstar.

Dynamic Duo

Straight of Germany (probably by way of China, given the “Jincheng” branding), this small wonder has much to offer beyond the immediate vintage moto styling.

I should give that element its proper due, however, as the round headlight and mirrors, quilted brown saddle and two-toned paint job certainly pop.

Black motorcycle with a sidecar featuring brown leather seats and gold accents in a dimly lit garage. — Should you wish for a more classic moto experience, the sidecar is detachable (probably with some serious wrenching.)

That’s to say nothing of the sidecar itself, which features a bubbly windshield, striking throwback grille and diamond-stitched seat.

Complete with precise pinstriping, the sidecar is color-matched to the bike itself, which comes in five distinct hues.

The sidecar is also detachable, should you wish to streamline this ride and give the beloved Honda Monkey a run for its money.

Red and cream motorcycle with a sidecar and tan leather seats in a dimly lit garage. — With a seat height of 25.6 inches and empty weight of 265 pounds, the GZ Duo scores high for approachability.

Just don’t plan on running too fast, as high performance is not exactly the GZ Duo’s strong suit.

The engine is an air-cooled 125cc single-cylinder four-stroke making 8.4 horsepower at 7,500 rpm and 6.5 pound-feet of torque at 5,000 rpm, with a staid top speed of 43 mph, after all.

But let’s be honest, with a bike like this one, terrorizing the neighborhood isn’t the point.

Red and cream motorcycle with a matching sidecar in a dimly lit garage. — The sidecar offers plenty of storage space, with the attached rack adding even more.

This is a bike built for cool Sunday cruising, turning heads as you motor down main street, possibly with a goggle-wearing pup by your side.

That being said, don’t underrate the utility here, as you ultimately have capacity for a couple of passengers (just steer clear of steep hills).

You’ve also got built-in storage for helmets, in case you ride out solo and someone begs for a ride home or you make a new friend along the way.

Yellow and white motorcycle with a brown leather seat and attached sidecar on a sunlit street. — The bike bears a strong resemblance to the Honda Monkey, especially in this banana yellow hue.

That extra space could also prove handy for running urban errands, as you’ve got plenty of room for everything from picking up groceries to dropping a kid off at school.

With the way the Duo looks, they might even let you do so in front of their friends, as opposed to a block away.

Availability and pricing

The GZ Duo is available in Europe for €3,999 (roughly $4,560 USD). Fingers crossed it makes it way stateside down the road.

Black motorcycle with brown leather seat and attached sidecar featuring a clear windshield and brown seat.

GZ Duo

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About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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