The brand of the KSR group makes no secret of it: they were clearly inspired by a certain Triumph Bonneville T120.And it is not because the manufacturer did not know / wanted to create a motorcycle with its own identity that they did not do things right.Indeed, for the development of this Cromwell, Brixton released the heavy artillery.Starting with the design: this 1200 was designed within the Ride studio (founded by former members of Kiska) belonging to the brand.The engine was also entirely designed in Austria.KSR has filed patents on the latter so that it is the exclusive property of the group.We should therefore not find any Cromwell 1200 rebadger Gaokin in China.Gaokin because it is the Chinese factory that takes care of assembling the Austrian neo-retro.In terms of sales target, KSR remains modest.Considering the 709 T120s that were sold in France in 2021, Brixton therefore hopes to be able to sell a hundred of its 1200s for this first year of marketing.We can therefore deduce that if KSR has invested in the design of such a motorcycle, it is therefore not for commercial success (especially since it is not A2 approved) but above all to show motorcyclists (e)s and the competition that they have acquired a certain know-how for the years to come.We therefore risk seeing in the near future other versions of this engine on other types of motorcycles such as a scrambler for example.Mistaking this Brixton 1200 for a Bonneville is both good and bad news.On the bright side, the designers at the Ride studio did a good job.Because that means it's practically as beautiful as "the original".The bad side of the thing it is that finally the teams of Craig Dent (the chief designer of the motorcycle) did not manage to get rid of the identity of the T120.That's how much the Triumph acts as a figurehead when it comes to neo-retro motorcycles.Be that as it may, the Cromwell 1200 has nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to its looks and its finishes.You can see that some parts of the bike, such as the front and rear mudguards, are made of metal.Most of the time on vehicles of this invoice, these areas are made of plastic in order to limit costs.His posterior is even topped with a vintage-style badge featuring the model's logo.The brand logo is found inside the front optics.This is also the light signature of the front lights.It is also placed on the engine casings with chrome finishes.In writing, we were a little divided about the quality of these but for your favorite tester Antonin, they seemed quite honest.So as it's HIS test, it's HIS opinion that counts!Haha!More seriously, this new Brixton crosses a real threshold on this chapter and is very close to its Japanese and European counterparts.There are, however, a few small details to be refined, such as the switches which still seem a little "cheap".The Cromwell 1200 has all the classic ergonomics of a motorcycle: straight saddle, slightly curved handlebars and footrests placed in line with the frame.This means that we have a relatively natural and relatively relaxed position on board this Brixton.A posture that therefore encourages cushy driving to get bread or have a drink with your friends on the terrace.The rear buckle of the Cromwell 1200 is topped with a beautiful imitation leather saddle with topstitching which may contrast depending on the color of your model.Aesthetically it therefore has its effect but in terms of comfort it is not quite the same song.It would benefit from being softer.It's not a piece of wood either, but don't plan on spending hours sitting on it either.But this little excess of firmness is not the most annoying thing.What is most embarrassing about this seat is the design of this seat.The sides of the saddle are a little too "sharp".And it will only take a few minutes of driving to realize it.It's a shame because the suspensions provided by KYB do the job really well!In addition to using very good Japanese gear, the Austro-Chinese brand has also been able to adjust them as needed.Whether it's the fork or the rear shock absorber, the whole thing works very well for road use.The setting is closer to firmness than softness, but that doesn't turn the bike into a slapper on every speed bump.On the contrary, it is all the more significant because this Brixton 1200 can at least boast of a certain rigor in the winding.The illusion of being on a T120 gets even stronger when you start the 1222cc twin.Also set at 270°, it emits a hoarse sound and shyly backfires (Euro5 obliges) when you start to make small frantic rotations of the throttle.This large liquid-cooled twin is round and flexible in use.This means that it is easy to make the 108 Nm of torque available at 3,100 rpm do the talking.It resumes easily and at all speeds.You can even exaggerate the exercise by having fun starting in 3rd at a red light and it starts again anyway.It doesn't give a damn about the pistons, but the bike ends up taking its turns as it should quite quickly.The 83 hp of the machine are expressed over a relatively short range of use because the zone is quickly reached from 6,000 rpm.But that does not mean that the mill does not show itself to be voluntary.On the contrary, when you hit him in it, he responds present and distributes rather frank accelerations.In short, Brixton gives us a beautiful motorization in phase with the philosophy of the Cromwell 1200: a stylish and cushy motorcycle but with character when requested.The Cromwell 1200 has been designed for cruising quietly in town and on small departmental roads.Brixton has therefore designed its gearbox accordingly.Overall, the gears are short but the bike will not be afraid to take you to more than 180 km/h in the bottom of 6. During our test, we felt at the level of the selector a lack of fluidity which, we hope , will not affect the long-term reliability of the machine.Having quality equipment is one thing.And knowing how to calibrate it is another.This Brixton principle seems to have assimilated it well because after the KYB suspensions, it is the turn of the Nissin braking to delight us.Indeed, the Austrians called on the Japanese equipment manufacturer for the braking circuit part and Bosch for the ABS unit.Axial mount calipers work very well.There's bite almost as if we were on the radial.This behavior is also due to the fact that the classic master cylinder is connected to the two calipers by avia hose.At the rear, the brake fulfilled its role as an auxiliary brake perfectly.Using it to bring the bike back to the rope when you have missed the apex of its turn will make you understand how well the rear braking of the Cromwell 1200 is set up.And that is not the only element of this braking to be well regulated.German ABS works great too.The pleasant surprise about it is that it's not intrusive at all, even in the rear when downshifting.We even observed some rear wheel lockups without ever putting you in danger.The switches, not as well made as the rest of the bike, are fairly well laid out in general.The feeling offered by each of the buttons is quite random.The control of the indicators, for example, is not the most ergonomic.Then, life on board this Cromwell is on the whole very simplified: a single switch is used to activate the cruise control and to change the map.The dashboard is a real argument for its attribution to the neo-retro motorcycle category.This new Brixton is equipped with a small, relatively legible cylindrical TFT screen.The display may change depending on the riding mode you have chosen.In Sport mode, it is content to broadcast the minimum of information but in a more futuristic and aesthetic style.On Eco mode, it distills more information but it is still quite brief: speed, rev counter, total trip, partial and time.This map therefore displays a more classic style with the reproduction of needles.Note in passing that the small button used to reset the clock and the partial trip is rather well concealed on the left side of the counter.The Cromwell 1200 therefore has 2 maps: the Eco and the Sport.The main difference between these two riding modes is essentially the ride by wire throttle response.This wireless accelerator is also a bit too sensitive.Which makes Sport mode not super fun to drive.The jolts are much more felt but you can really feel the fact that the machine starts faster and stronger than in Eco mode.However, this was found to be far more relevant to the primary use of this Cromwell.The Brixton 1200 also has traction control that is not at all intrusive either.By re-accelerating like a callus coming out of a hairpin or even in the gravel, we never happened to trigger it.When in doubt, we therefore left it activated for most of our test.Note that to activate/deactivate the traction control and to change the map, you must press the corresponding button for several seconds and release it for the change to take effect.Maneuver to review because it is not really intuitive.This is not a chapter in which the Cromwell will shine because it is a simple and aesthetic motorcycle.It is therefore devoid of a good number of practical aspects.Disassemble the saddle to realize it from the outset, for example: there is no storage underneath it and the battery is not directly accessible because the ECU is blocking you.But we can't say that she doesn't have any either.Well hidden on a nook of the dashboard is a USB-A port.A valuable asset when you want to install a smartphone holder for essential guidance reasons.Brixton has also grafted a cruise control which will be used mainly to stall on low cruising speeds because you will understand a little lower that it is better to avoid the main roads with this bike.A nice feature in short, but perhaps a little superfluous on this type of mount.As we explained to you a little above, the Cromwell is a great motorcycle for riding around town.So you couldn't be happier than on this bike to get the bread.Strolling on his handlebars, while being stalled at 3,000 rpm, is something that is amply doable.Its engine will not balk at the task and the comfort it offers will not be an obstacle to go to the neighborhood bakery.You will simply have to slip your wand into your underpants because in terms of carrying capacity, we are not on a scooter either.Compromise in life!The Cromwell 1200 is clearly not designed for use on major roads.Since it is devoid of any aerodynamic protection, you will be very exposed to the wind no matter what.Staying stalled at 130 km/h will therefore depend on your endurance.Brixton saves you a bit by equipping his neo-retro 1200 motorcycle with cruise control.This is only activated by pressing a button.The method is not necessarily the most intuitive.As for the secondary network, the Cromwell is already a little more fun than on the motorway.Its healthy cycle part and its generous torque engine make the bike as playful as you want.In the winding parts, the footrests quickly come to scrape the ground but that will not prevent you from continuing to arsouiller.You just have to remember to put loctite on the fixing screws of the footrest plates because we didn't see any original ones.We were able to test the duo on this machine and the finding in terms of comfort is the same as for the rider: this saddle hurts the inside of the thighs!It's frustrating because for everything else, all is well in terms of ergonomics.The footrests are at the right height and it is easy to stride to climb on them.Good on the other hand it lacks small passenger handles but the relatively round engine helps that the passenger is not pulled backwards.Go easy on the accelerator when starting because of the sensitivity of this ride by wire because if your passenger is not used to it, the jerk could surprise him.Of course, if you engage Sport mode and turn the handle like a beggar, brief your playmate so that he or she clings to you as if you were going to end the night together.