Buyers' Guides

Sunday, 22 August 2021

Cossack 650

The Cossack looked every inch the friendly dinosaur it proved to be. The owner had skilfully fitted Keihin carbs, Honda 50 silencers and a Z250 seat. A gentle prod of the unusually positioned kickstart had the docile beast grumbling into life, and off we went at a nice casual pace. The square section Speedmasters could easily be tested to the limits of handling down a country road... at first, I expected a loud bang followed by smouldering engine parts being cast into the road, but my worries were unfounded and we usually made it back to base.

One memorable ride the Cossack gave me was two-up with my brother to Tan Hill inn, the highest pub in Britain. We took the farm track route across the moors and covered some pretty difficult ground which the Cossack handled well. The plodding low compression motor gives excellent traction and will pull through almost anything. We even offered to tow a scooter rider whose machine had finally given up the ghost after a fully laden ride all the way from the Kent coast, but I think his pride as a mod disallowed the indignity of seeing his Lambretta being pulled by a Cossack.


After a quick clean the bike looked as good as before. I advertised it a while later for £195 and was amazed. when someone gave me £150 for it (I'd paid £95), although I later regretted not having the Cossack tucked away in the the garage.


The regret wasn't quite so strong, when I spoke to the buyer a while later. Somehow the engine had blown, but he had since replaced it and must still have liked the bike because he refused my offer to buy it back. I'd like another, but even Cossacks are hard to come by for less than three figures nowadays!


Simon de Burton