Buying my first bike

Hi everyone!

As you may already noticed, i'm new here and this is also my first post. I've been reading some of the posts on the past few days and i'm now asking for your knowledge.

So... my first bike will probably be one of those Qingqi 125 SM/Kreidler Supermoto 125/etc.

1 - Are those series of bikes REALLY all the same? I mean, one of the local bike shop is selling the i-Moto 200€ cheaper than the Kreidler. Is the Kreidler really worth those 200€ or is it just the same?

2 - How hard is the maintainence of this bike? I'm a n00b! All i want is to ride the bike without any problems, how often will i need to maintain the bike?

3 - What other bikes would you recommend to a n00b like me for the first bike? My budget is 2300€ more or less.

Thanks

Welcome! Our resident expert on the Qingqi, Forchetto, will probably chime about now...

the maintenance isn't too bad for these things if all you want to do is ride around town.

If you brake the bike it in right (see forchetto posts on this sight) all you need to do is keep changing the oil (which is easy) and keep all the bolts on tight and you should be ok.

There is lots of farkling you can do, and most of these guys do it, but it isn't really required.

In any case, after a few weeks you will be keen to have a play around with the bike! Thats what its all about :thumbsup:

OM,

The level of maintenance on any bike depends on how hard you ride it. A 125 will probably be worked pretty hard nearly all the time. Like KMarty said, break it in right, change the oil and check the various bits and pieces and you should be alright.

The QingQi's use Suzuki DR200 based engines, even in their 125's so I'd go with that. Lots of people all over the world seem to be quite happy with the bikes and you can find a few reviews of them around the web and on MCM.

Not sure about the I-Moto bike you're talking about but I don't think it's QingQi manufactured. Would you happen to have a web page link or a pic?

CC

Thanks everyone!

@Carl,
Here is the link to the i-moto local dealer (looks like it is down ATM), and here is the kreidler.


kreidler:
http://www.1000ps.at/images/gebrauch.../g_G355236.jpg


i-moto (this is a photo of the old model, the new one comes with rear disc brake)
http://www.arpem.com/motos/modelos/i...sm-125-ldb.JPG




btw, how often will i need to change the oil? Is that on the manual?
Thanks!

OH yeah, that's a QingQi alright. :thumbsup:

Check the following thread for the owners manual. Service manual is also available in Portuguese. :thumbsup:

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353

The 125 is mechanically very similar to the 200 so mots of the info in the manuals should be usable. That should just about cover you!

Paz,
CC

Thanks alot!


So, you're saying that kreidler and i-moto are EXACTLY the same? Then why the 200€ difference in price?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OldMan

Thanks alot!

So, you're saying that kreidler and i-moto are EXACTLY the same? Then why the 200€ difference in price?

---

Kreidler is an old and much respected name in motorcyling. It's also German, with all that implies in quality and workmanship. The fact that a prestigious firm such as that have adopted a Qingqi and put their name on it shows they believe its a good one...:icon10:

I should think the extra 200€ difference can be accounted for by stricter quality control requirements of the German importer and decent after-sales service, spares supply and pre-delivery inspections. These things are ofted lacking in lesser importers.

Having said that the Spanish/portuguese importer of the Qingqi is quite good and has a good spares stock and reasonably good pre-delivery inspections. The bikes are delivered to dealers or private buyers completely assembled and ready to roll, they come attached to a big palet and not in a crate in bits ready to be assembled (often badly) by just anyone at the shop.

This is their web site in Portuguese: http://www.qingqi-iberica.com/pt.htm

The Spanish bike market is well down at the moment due to this crisis. The importer is clearing excess stock by putting them on ebay. The bargain of the century must be the cross version of the 200cc Qingqi at only 1090€ delivery and tax included!!!. Here's the ebay page:

http://cgi.ebay.es/NUEVA-ENDURO-200c...%3D5%26ps%3D63

@forchetto,

Thanks for all the info!

I'm seriously thinking about buying the i-moto version for 2 reasons:
- cheaper
- the local shop selling them is also the dealer of Kawasaki and KTM, it's a big shop

OM,

Just be sure to ask your dealer if they have parts in stock. Also, ask them how long it takes if they need to order parts!

CC

@Carl,

Thanks for the tip! I just sent them an e-mail and they said that if they have the parts I need, it'll took only one day, otherwise it'll took one week.
Sounds good to me. :)

So is it time to pull the trigger on a new ride? :thumbsup:

Will this be your very first bike? Are you totally new to riding?

CC

Yes, that's really my first bike!

I've been riding a bicycle for some years and I'm confortable with two wheels, but motor bike will be the first. I'm still at the driving school getting my driving license, so it may take some time until I buy this bike.

That's great! Welcome to the world of motor-cycling!!! What are the learning requirements in Portugal? How long does it take?

Also, 125cc might not sound like a lot but it can still get you going pretty fast! I'm putting on my old man hat when I say, please be careful and wear the safety gear! :scooter:

Paz,
CC

I'm getting the unlimited license for bikes and cars at the same time. I need to aprove on a theory test with 30 questions (10 specific for bikes) and then the practical test to prove that I know how to drive. It depends a lot of the student, but it can take a few months.

And believe me, I'm probably the most safety-maniac-guy I know. I also use helmet and gloves when I'm riding my bycicle. That's not a problem to me. I know I'll need to respect the bike so I don't get surprises.

oldman, have you considered the Qingqi branded bikes as Forchetto mentioned that they are distributed in Spain and Portugal by the same Qingqi importer? I know that you considering the 125, but the 200 wouldn't be too much more as a beginner's bike. My first bike was a Suzuki DR 250s enduro--quite tall for my short-ish size, but I never dropped it, and owned it for several years before selling it :eek2:.

@culcune,

I would certainly buy the 200cc (if it isn't much more expensive) but I can't get any info about the dealer of Qingqi in Portugal. I sent a mail to the guys at qingqi-iberica.com asking if this bike is being comercialized in Portugal.

Btw, that 200cc model doesn't have rear disc brake?!

OM,

Culcune raises a good point about the 200. Some 200's may have rear brakes, some may not...it depends on what the importer has specified.

To be honest, a rear drum brake on a bike that size and weight is totally fine. Although the brake foot lever will be softer on a drum brake, the stopping power may actually be better than a disc system in some cases. The drum brake doesn't look as cool but I know from experience it stops perfectly well with more than enough power to lock the rear wheel.

If it came down to 200cc w/ drum versus 125cc w/ disc...I'd take the 200cc in a heart beat. You won't notice a performance decrease with the drum brake and the 200cc's will make the bike more satisfying to ride for a longer time (especially if you have any hills where you live!). You may get tired of a 125 very quickly.

CC

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by OldMan

Btw, that 200cc model doesn't have rear disc brake?!

---

Strangely enough it hasn't. It appears that only the bikes manufactured by another division of Qingqi have them. They're called Pioneer XF200-2V and also the rear hub assembly is like the Honda 125-175 range rather than the Suzuki DR200.

Street cred apart, the rear drum works very well and complements the excellent front disc. This feels a bit wooden at first but soon settles down and becomes an excellent stopper.

Jinan QingQi also manufactures the bikes with rear disk brakes. In particular, the 125s sold to South America. I'm still not entirely sure what the relationship between Jinan and Pioneer Shandong is.

CC

The local dealer of i-Moto said "there's only this 125cc model".
I guess i'll have to stick with that then :D

Hey guys,

I've been looking around for some other alternatives to this bike and found these two:

http://en.bashanglobal.com/product_show.aspx?id=126

http://www.apollovehicle.com/Motorcy...B125M_326.html


I really like this last one! But what I'm looking for (and I hope someone around here could help me on this) is for dealers of this bikes in Portugal and prices.

Also, if you have already heard/seen something about these bikes, comparing it to the QingQi SM 125 which one is "better"?