New Girl in the Group!

Hey all,

i'm Ekki, been in China for over 5 years, now living in Beijing..
Spent a year and a half in Lanzhou, where i spent quite a bit of time riding on the back of my friends dual-sport bike out into the mountains and different parts of the Yellow River..
obviously, i fell in love.
now that I'm back in Beijing, i'm looking to learn how to ride myself, and get a bike of my own.
Will probably stick to a dual-sports / supermotard as i like the look, lightness and flexibilty of them. i reckon if i dropped a sports bike, there'd be no chance on earth that i'd be able to lift the thing back up!
anyway, bikes that i've been looking at are the Yamaha WR250X (but i've been told that the seat might be a bit too high for me), and the Yamaha XT250X..
dunno if i should consider Chinese made bikes, as i've been told that they are often of poor build quality, but the cheaper prices are definitely quite attractive!

anyhow, that's all from me i guess. happy to be here, nice to meet you all! :)

Welcome to the gang Ekkicore :thumbsup:. I'm sure you will find some nice folks to help out up in Beijing. Sometimes not a bad idea to pic up an inexpensive 125cc bike to get started on. You can drop it a few times and not feel bad about breaking stuff, as China moto parts are pretty cheap.

Be careful, once you get started, there's no turning back, this usually becomes a lifetime habit :naughty:

Cheers!
ChinaV

there`s a biker meeting tomorrow in Beijing, Poker Run, meeting at Jim`s Shop 9:00, riding bikes and meet at Frank`s Place around 15:00( Chaoyang Area). welcome to join in and meet people.
Sabine

thanks for your replies guys!

i'll take your advise into consideration when i finally buy my baby.. :) only thing is that i'm afraid if i buy anything less than a 250cc, i'll outgrow it and will have to spend more money on a new bike!
from the research i've done, many people seem happy both learning on and keeping a 250cc..
anyway i've posted some pics of the bike that made me fall in love with motorcycles and riding, in the dual-sports bike thread :)

i've got a pretty busy day tomorrow, and i'm not sure of where those places are that you mentioned, but otherwise i'd definitely join in!

hope someone in beijing will be kind enough to give me some advise on here.. :)

thanks again!

Ah yes... I see you have have fallen for the lovely QingQi QM200 Motard. That's a great choice for a first motorcycle, it's based on the Suzuki DR200. Pretty solid bike for a decent price, and widely available here in China. There is also a 250cc version that will be available in China before the end of the year.

http://www.contactdi.com/2009/qm/QM0005.jpg

I just came back from the ChongQing motorcycle show, and will be posting a massive amount of photos showing many of the bikes available here. There are quite a few options for decent China bikes now.

Cheers!
ChinaV

Welcome to the forum and good luck with choosing a new bike. That QingQi looks good!
Is that you in the profile photo? What kind of music do you DJ? Techno/house or is there something else current since I last went into a club? Just got Nick Curly 'aymara', I use it for meditation. Being a totally politically incorrect and fearless older man I shall have no hesitation in buying a double scotch and a good cigar and drooling in front of you when I come to China for a bike ride next year.
jape

Hello, Ekkicore, welcome, and don't please don't mind Jape. He's one of the tamer ones in our bunch, staying off the roads at night for fear of being jumped by kangaroos. Good luck finding the right bike, and be sure to knuckle down when taking your riding course. I just learned to ride less than a year ago, but had the good sense to do so in California. I still can't imagine doing my first solo rides in China. Does Ekkicore mean "nerves of steel" in whatever language that is?

keep us posted about your progress!

cheers

Sheesh mate! I didn't say drooling on or over! I said 'in front of' ... due to advancing years :lol8:
I still enjoy music even if my back hurts when I dance, thats why I like 'trance' and similar, I just chew on something and drift away .... and no, not E either. I dunno, try and be friendly and someone reckons you are a perv. I shall take you to a nightclub when I get over there Jeff, you just wait! Felix offered me a drink once too so a bunch of us will probably join in.

@ ChinaV: i look forward to seeing your photos! maybe after seeing them something else will sway my heart, haha, as i still haven't decided 100% which bike i wanna get yet..

@ Jape: yes that's me in the photo, i play a wide range of music, from 70s-80s stuff, to house and electro, techno and dubstep.. :) haha hopefully when you come to China next year, i'll also have my bike!

@ Euphonius: thanks for the welcome! :) from what i can gather, they don't actually teach you how to ride at the school in beijing, they just give you an exam. it was advised to learn from experienced friends in a safe environment, which is why i'm gonna go to quzhou in the beginning of november for a week, to learn how to ride from a friend! :)
some friends also recommended first getting on scooters to practice, and the same friend who is gonna teach me, also accompanied me on a scooter ride around nha trang, vietnam.. so i'm feeling confident! if anything, there seems to be a method to the road-madness here in china, especially when compared to vietnam!

i could be completely misguided and wrong, but at least i'm having fun :D

Safety first. I'm not sure about what you'd learn on a scooter. Here in the US, the widely used Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses, which some of us would love to replicate in China, are brief in duration, only two days, but very intensive, with hours and hours of close-quarters maneouvering, emergency stops, emergency swerve/evasion techniques, etc. I would not want to try any of that on a scooter, since you can't really hold the bike between your legs, so your body mass responds very differently. Really focus on the basic skills, and be sure you wear proper safety equipment -- helmet, jacket with armor, boots, gloves and, ideally, pants with armour. Look at most of the ride reports in MCM, and you'll see some really excellent riders (Felix, ChinaV, Pfaelzer, Franki, now also Ryan) all gussied up in the best gear we can find. Safety first, fun second. Don't cut corners. Yes, be confident, but smart too. Trust me: Just when you start to think there is method to the road madness in China, it jumps up and bites you in the arsch. Plenty of us have had serious getoffs. I'm nursing a broken collarbone as I type. ChinaV had a hairy getoff in his Punishment ride with Felix, and another scare just weeks ago in Zhejiang after a trouble-free gazillion-mile tour of the US. No one is immune. Be safe.

It's good you'll be somewhere besides Beijing, which is a poor place to learn unless you can get out into the relatively empty countryside. It's also getting cold in Beijing now, as Sabine has shown us recently.

Oh, and happy slightly belated birthday. 21 October, right?

cheers

I totally agree with everything you've said. the reason why i say that there's method to the madness, is that most times, chinese drivers can be rather predictable. you KNOW they're gonna force you to yield to them, that they'll cut you off unexpectedly, or just pretend they don't see you. vietnam was a whole different ballgame!
i think what they meant by trying a scooter first is that you can learn to ride a manual one and get the hang of the gear changing, as i think manual scooters don't have clutch? after getting a hang of gear changing, then throw in the clutch to the combo on a real bike and it'll be easier to manage..
anyway, different strokes for different folks!
excited to be going to zhejiang, the place i'm going is a small little town, my friends hometown actually, so there should be plenty of perfect places to learn!
beijing isn't too bad right now, evening out at a nice 8c, but after the rain it's supposed to drop like another 10c, with the possibility of snow next week..
thanks for the birthday wishes! yup, oct 21 :)
what's it like riding in shanghai? i lived there for two years when i first came to china, but fell in love with beijing so moved up here instead.
i've never noticed bikes in shanghai, apart from on that elevated road on the way to hongqiao airport.. i remember envying how they were speeding along, zigzaging through the traffic, whilst all i could do was sit in the back of my taxi and pray i wouldn't miss my flight.. haha

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ekkicore

...i lived there for two years when i first came to china...

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IF recognized enough written charcter, this out of print "manga" written by Japanese ex-GP racer for "new biker" is a MUST read.
My Advice: DON'T touch "workhorse" bike that w/ rotary gear pattern ( 5>1 by accident is suicidal ) UNTIL u're REAL biker.

sorry, i'm not sure i completely understand what you're trying to say.. could you please explain?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ekkicore

sorry, i'm not sure i completely understand what you're trying to say.. could you please explain?

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Standard: 1-N-2-3-4-5
Rotary : N> 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > N > 1... This DAMN thing is first found in some Taiwanese smuggled bike. Everyone copies this S*** | (OLD cg125 is non-rotary N-1-2-3-4 )
Can't find this topic in English / NO one dares put this "suicidal" in full size bike expect "chinese" The traslated article
Hi-speed 5>1 = out of control
If can ride a push bike + drive a "stick" car/ Learn by a scooter is not necessary.

Welcome Ekki !

Looking forward to meet and :riding: out. Maybe you can be DJ at our next biker meeting :deal:

You may not need a 250cc you look to be very light, I have dual sport and I got it because I am so tall and I like the view for the higher seat, but if your short you actually cannot ride mine. You would not be able to touch the ground.

If I was you and in china I would look at the Qingqi 125cc tracker. I love that little bike but I am to big for it, but you would fit on it perfect.

Then there is also the Galaxy SUV which is also very cool.
http://image.ec21.com/co/a/annagalax...08001746_1.jpg




Look at how cool it looks in these pictures.


http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_3EihZshccE...-trackstar.jpg

This is also very cool
http://www.motaclassica.com/wp-conte.../v-raptor9.jpg

Anyone know how much for the Galaxy SUV 250? It's the closest I can find in China to a TW200, other than the real smuggled TW200's out there..
The only thing I don't like is the small tank.

Hi Ekki, welcome to the forum! Those yamahas you're looking at are good bikes, but just remember buying second hand japanese bikes here in china can be really hit and miss. You might get a good deal, but there's also a distinct possibility that the bike was crashed and will be plagued with problems. If that's the case it can be a nightmare to get parts for it and find a good mechanic to work on it.

In china it makes a lot of sense to ride a chinese built bike, not just because they're cheaper, but also because the technology is a lot simpler so most mechanics will be able to 'help'. And parts are way easier to get.

That 200 Qingqi that you fell in love with a pretty good option. It's based on proven suzuki technology and many people on this forum seem happy with it. As ChinaV mentioned there's a 250 version coming out soon if you're patient enough. I ride the Galaxy XTR 250 motard and love it, but i tried ChinaV's Qingqi and think it's a better bike. The engine is counter-balanced which makes it a lot smoother, and the seat is a bit lower too. If you can wait for the 250 Qingqi, i'd say get that! If you can't wait, the 200 should be plenty of fun anyway!

I listened to your stuff on soundcloud, love your style! Got any gigs in shanghai coming up?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by slabo

Anyone know how much for the Galaxy SUV 250? It's the closest I can find in China to a TW200, other than the real smuggled TW200's out there..
The only thing I don't like is the small tank.

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Closet to TW200 is Zongshen ZS200GY/LZX200GY-2. The engine are clone from Yamaha, but the rear wheel's size .... / ZS parts are nightmare to get.
Galaxy SUV 250: Y9800 + Shipping from factory. Based on a doemstic Honda FTR: http://www.honda.co.jp/news/1986/2860221.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by humanbeing

Closet to TW200 is Zongshen ZS200GY/LZX200GY-2. The engine are clone from Yamaha, but the rear wheel's size .... / ZS parts are nightmare to get.
Galaxy SUV 250: Y9800 + Shipping from factory. Based on a doemstic Honda FTR: http://www.honda.co.jp/news/1986/2860221.html

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humanbeing, how do you find this stuff? Is there anything you don't know?

Ekki, welcome to the jungle, I hope you find motorcycling a healthy obsession.

thanks again for the welcome everyone! :)

@ humanbeing - got it, no rotary gears!

@ chinabiker - haha would love to dj at the next biker meeting, sounds fun! :D

@ MJH - thanks for the recommendations! i think i got my heart set on the Qingqi now though.. haha

@ felix - thanks for your comment, i think the 250 is what i'll end up getting, i'm not in a hurry to buy the bike now anyway as it's already pretty cold here, so i can wait for the 250!
do you know if there's anything i should look out for when getting this bike?
i used to live in shanghai, but since i left i've had no plans to go back.. haha.. although i might go up to see some old friends in the first week of november since i'll be somewhere in zhejiang province..

@ slab - thanks for the welcome, i wanted to say the same thing to humanbeing, he seems to know everything! it's amazing!! :)

Welcome Ekkicore. ChinaV did a write up on the new QM250 coming out. You can find it here:

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ighlight=QM250

Yep, you should read that, it's a good place to start! Just a couple of things to remember:
- ChinaV's bike is a pre-production prototype that was built over a year ago. The engine and other major components should all be the same, but the production version that will be released soon might have some little differences. (like it'll be fuel injected, if you care)
- ChinaV is a great mechanic and a perfectionist so you don't have to worry about the little technical modifications he goes into in the review. The stock bike would probably be fine for normal mortals like us.
- All of us who got the chance to try out the Qingqi QM250 were well impressed by it, comparing it to the QM200 or the Galaxy XTR250. Engine is much smoother and has a little more oomph, whole bike is well balanced and lots of fun in corners.
- When you do take the plunge and buy one, see if the shop are willing to help get it registered with plates and all. That'll save you a lot of headaches!

Have fun in zhejiang, some awesome riding roads not far from quzhou, well worth the detour if you want to learn how to take a corner! This road is particularly brilliant!

Yinxiang has a model listed on its website called a YX-LT200 that looks exactly like a TW200.

The Galaxy is a reverse engineered FTR223


The Skyteam is a reverse engineered Suzuki Van Van
but it does not have the Suzuki engine it has comes with the same engine as the galaxy a 223cc Honda derived single. Or a 125cc that is likely a Honda as well.

Only the Qingqi has a Suzuki engine and that 125cc is a very good engine. That tracker is likely very reliable.

thanks David, i gave that a very thorough read! i think i'm pretty stuck on that Qingqi now and wait til it's released!

@ Felix, thanks for clearing that up. after reading that article i was worried that i'd have to go through all the mods and stuff as well..
i'll definitely try to convince my friend to go out to the road you linked to, thanks for that!

I spent a lot of time to choose a bike, in the end I decided I could never get a reliable bike in China. Everywhere I looked, there was some problem or another. So I just settled for the best value I can find and hoped I can do enough modifications to make it reliable enough.
But looking at all the new toys, everything seems to be better than my bike. Maybe it's just time to wash the old horse...

Quote:

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Yinxiang has a model listed on its website called a YX-LT200 that looks exactly like a TW200.

The Galaxy is a reverse engineered FTR223


The Skyteam is a reverse engineered Suzuki Van Van
but it does not have the Suzuki engine it has comes with the same engine as the galaxy a 223cc Honda derived single. Or a 125cc that is likely a Honda as well.

Only the Qingqi has a Suzuki engine and that 125cc is a very good engine. That tracker is likely very reliable.

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Thanks for the info MJH, nice to know there are TW200 look alikes on the Chinese market.
Yinxiang, never heard of them.. a joint venture with HYOSUNG ..
Do you have links for Skyteam bike? I can't even find their main website.
Too bad there's only a 125 version of the Qingqi tracker.

http://www.skyteam.cn/?gclid=CKSWsaXR76QCFVL75wodSBH71g

I'd liked to see the tracker with a 250cc and also a higher seat height.

Thanks MJH,
From ChinaV's post, pic of the Yinxiang XY200GY2
http://www.contactdi.com/Processed/CQ086.jpg
Needs a decent rack, and it would make a good touring bike.

I was just in ChongQing at the "Largest Motorcycle Show" in China and you would have thought that a company spending thousands on a booth would at least display their current offerings....nope. It's easy to find info online about these two QingQi's, but they were nowhere to be found at the show :frump:

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/qq1.jpg

http://www.contactdi.com/2010/qq2.jpg

Cheers!
ChinaV