New Zongshen 250GS Owner in AZ!

recently bought a Sierra 200 and a 250GS Zongshen. I am impressed with the sport bike, but I am going to sell the Sierra. It is in Fresno, CA and has less than 20 miles on it. I just assembled both bikes. The speedo on the GS stopped working after about 12 miles was wondering if any othter GS owners had this issue and was it the guage or the hub drive?

I went to http://www.lewpackinternational.com/ to make the purchase, the jury is still out on them as I havn't yet recvd my MSO papers in the mail. Further, also not impressed with the level of help from "mannie" at Zongshen America thus far either.

I have been riding for over 30 years and have owned 19 diff bikes, my current everyday rider is a Zrx1200r.

edward
http://bmfwest.home.att.net

Welcome aboard!!

As for the speedo problem, I have snapped my share of them between the three powered Chinese bikes. Just purchase a generic core kit from JC Whitney. For some weird reason, thier chinese cables last well over 500 miles when the original chinese only last 100-150??!!?

Well if you ever decided to get up north, we are in Seligman. Hundreds of miles of good riding for all skill types. As if my signature doesnt say enough. Culcune is another here from AZ, but is only here till the next bus arrives as he missed the 3:10..

right on, thanks for the invite!

edward

well, my MSO's did in fact arrive today, some 11 days after I picked up the bikes in L.A. Now we will find out out what California really says about tagging these things. I am going to upload a .pdf that came from Zongshen America ref: Warranty coverage. I will post a link here when it is done. Its to big to post in this forum.

bmfwest
03 Kaw Zrx1200r
06 Zs250gs

I wasnt making a whole lot of progress dealing with Zongshen ref: my busted speedo, SO I decided to fill out their dealer application. I got an email back with this .pdf, and a cple others, but I feel this should be made availible to any potential buyer, not obtained in an under-handed manner post purchase!

http://home.att.net/~bmfwest/Warranty.pdf

bmfwest
03 Kaw Zrx1200r
06 Zs250gs

Have heard alot of problems with the Zongshen Bikes when it comes to warranty and parts. Sam on CR had one, and had nothing but problems when it came to getting warranty procedure, then getting parts. Everyone of the chinese companies have cheesie warranties. This is one of the ways they keeps the price down.

They do make one of the better engines though. I have had the lifan, Zonshen, and Jialings apart now.

The Jialing had some of the best parts, and noticed the Honda <H> stamped on many parts. Same symbol that was on alot of the old CT-70 motor parts.

The Zongshen seems to have a best clutch basket of the 3. Also to note, they seem to have better harden parts in the internal engine.

The Lfan of the 3 has a different count on the gears in the final drive. They also use the 4 spring clutch vs the 6 of the other.

I am thinking about purchasing a new, in-the-crate, 2006 Zongshen Sierra 200. The bike is being sold as excess stock, with no warranty, for a greatly reduced price ($950). Based upon my research, this looks like a pretty good deal. However, if this motorcycle is going to have a lot of mechanical problems, perhaps I should buy something else. What do you think. :confused1:

:bowdown:

There was one user on here (from South America IIRC) that waws happy with his ZongShen but he said he had parts available in his country. That's not the case in North America and would strongly recommend against it unless you want to have a parts bike sitting around.

CC

ZONGSHEN FIELD TESTING UPDATE: SIERRA 200, ZS250 SPORTBIKE, AND STORM V 250 CRUSIER

This has been a long time coming and I may have to write this in sections to be fair to all 3 bikes. I have ridden the most miles on the sport bike, about 600 or so. I believe it is ready for its first valve adjustment now, which I dont have time to do. It is a good thing, because yesterday while riding it I hit a rail road track to hard and bent the front rim causing rapid decompression of the tire. I was able to ride it with a flat some 12 miles or so home whithout much problem which was a suprise. The speedo had stopped working after some 12 miles as I posted before, however I was sent a new hub drive as well as a new cable from Zongshen America, this before I have even taken it apart. It came in about a week after I ordered it. To date however I have not gotten a repsonse to my request for prices for the following: brake pads, clutch discs, throttle/clutch cable, and complete carb, even though I made the request using the parts numbers contained in the supplied parts manual. I rode this bike roumd trip from Fresno to San Jose 166 miles each way (to san jose friday night, and back on sat afternoon). The route was ca 180 west from fresno to mendota to I-5 north to ca 152 west, over Pachaco Pass thru Gilroy to us 101 north. It was 100+ temp when I left fresno at 5:00pm. The bike climbed the pass at 55 mph on the steepest parts with my 240 lbs on board. I was VERY impressed with the guts of this little thumper! Since the ride over took place when the bike had around 200 miles on it, it really was fully broke in yet, and got 46 mpg for 3 hours riding at 95% throttle+ I was really suprised it didnt blow up. btw, this bike does not have a oil filter, it is just a oil screen that you clean and reuse. I am using Castrol 4 stroke bike oil in 20-50. So, now we will find out if I can get a front wheel for it. Its seat is way more comfortable than the vtwin, but I only have about 100 miles on the vtwin thus far, having just unloaded it yesterday morning. The vtwin "storm" is a clean little bike with lots of chrome that really catches the eyes with a nice gloss silver finish that the sport bike should have, but more on the Storm on the next post!

Bmfwest
2003 Kaw Zrx1200r
06 Zs250gs
06Zs250-5
06 Zs200 "sierra" (black)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bmfwest

I rode this bike roumd trip from Fresno to San Jose 166 miles each way (to san jose friday night, and back on sat afternoon). The route was ca 180 west from fresno to mendota to I-5 north to ca 152 west, over Pachaco Pass thru Gilroy to us 101 north. It was 100+ temp when I left fresno at 5:00pm.
06 Zs200 "sierra" (black)

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Very familiar with that ride. I graduated HS at Los Gatos High . Graduated from SJSU in 1993, and was stationed at Moffet Feild till 1994 when it was closed. I hate the Gilroy heat in the summer smells like garlic and dirty farm workers in town. Stay on 101, and you miss it almost all together. My father still lives in El Granada (N of Half Moon Bay on Hwy 1) , but have not been back since 98. Ilet him come out, I will chose suicide over bay area traffic or a family reunion. :lol8:

Glad you are enjoying the bike. I have only heard negative word from other owners. Glad to hear a positive one. Guess thier warranty procedure has gotten better.. :riding:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SpudRider

I am thinking about purchasing a new, in-the-crate, 2006 Zongshen Sierra 200. The bike is being sold as excess stock, with no warranty, for a greatly reduced price ($950). Based upon my research, this looks like a pretty good deal. However, if this motorcycle is going to have a lot of mechanical problems, perhaps I should buy something else. What do you think. :confused1:

:bowdown:

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i would not get one with no warranty. I paid 1100 for mine WITH The warranty.

I finally sold the Sierra in Phoenix. Now im going to sell the GS next. the reason is that the lil v-twin "storm" is a much better made bike, all around. after riding the v-twin around town for a few weekends, and totaling over 1000 miles on it, and then getting on the "sportbike" for a little ride, it is a no brainer. the v-twin handles as good, if not better, is more "attractive" with is all chrome finish, gets equal gas mileage, is quiter, and I think will be more durable than the GS. I undersatnd that Zongshen is redoing the GS completely for 2009, and i will assume that means a real double cradle frame, and better suspension. I also understand that Zs will discontinue the the Sierra 200. further I have been told that the Storm will remain unchanged for the 2009 line-up, which will begin to arrive in the US in late Dec, or early Jan. (this from Zongshen America) As far as parts go, as of this writing I have had NO PROBLEMS getting parts from Zongshen. I destroyed the front rim of the GS, and had a new one within a week. Also, the speedo problem required a new instrument, as swapping out the new (and heavily greased) hub counter and cable did not fix the problem, indeed, about 12 miles after I got it going again, the indicater needle broke off inside the gauge. I reproted this and got a whole new instrument set sent to me within a week, free of charge, no questions asked. One issue Zongshen America does have it seems is very very poor packing of the parts they did ship me. I dont expect much trouble selling the GS, since it seems to draw people everywhere i take it. I will post in a different thread about my Storm model, and i will seek modification advice/reviews from other Storm owners about the exhaust/smog system.

Bmfwest
03 Kaw Zrx1200R
06 Zs 250-5 "Storm"
06 Zs 250GS

BMF,

Great that you've had a chance to test all these bikes! Did you happen to take and pics of them when they were all together? Also, earlier you said that there were problems getting parts but that now it's gotten easier. What do you attribute to the change?

CC

well, since I am not a dealer, ZA would not ship parts to me directly. So, my issues surrounded the dealer that i got the bikes thru, who was not a real pre-existing bike dealer, just a small company that set istelf up to be one, for china bikes. they are still trying to get their act together. the process picked up, since i did in fact buy all 3 bikes thru the one dealer. as for the pics, sorry, I didnt take any at all, and indeed i have sold the Sierra, and like I said before, I am now going to sell the GS.

For interest sake: In South Africa, parts on the Zongshen bikes are no problem, because Kawasaki SA imports and sell them through their dealerships. One of the problems I have heard 2 dealers speak of is a shortage of stock on the 200-gy2 (sierra), because they sell so well.
I have one, bought secondhand with 6000km on the clock - 2 years old, for the equivilent of just under $1000 US. there is a lot written on them on the 'chinariders' forums.

hey guys, I have a Zongshen 250gs sport but when i bought it the windshield was cracked. Im looking to sell it but i want to find a new windshield before i do. anyone know where they sell them at?

Pepperoni...

Check this link...

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/showthread.php?t=451

It's good to search the forums first for people who have already tried to answer a similar question.

CC