Yamaha YBR250 to an adventure/tour bike

Hi,

I was looking for a reliable touring Chinese bike (cos i have no mechanic skills) for some time and i couldnt find any. There are a lot of bikes with mixed reviews and opinions.
Yamaha YBR 250 has great reviews but its a street bike but i was looking at Suzuki V-Strom which is a great adventure bike and it simply is a street bike with big windshield and bigger fork travel distance (and some other wee things;)

I figured i could change front suspension to a enduro one, and that would increase the clearance as well. I said that i have no mechanic skills so before i buy the bike and decide to go on with this project i wanted to ask someone more clever than me. How hard is it going to be to find the right forks (where to find them...any suggestions?) Im guessing the biggest problem will be with fitting the brakes, if i want to keep original wheels which i do cos of the cost
do you think that its worth doing or i should just drop it?
Frame also looks good for mounting skid plate.

I have no experience in modifying bikes but there is always the first time ;)

no basic mechanical skills or knowledge = forget about it, just picture the whole scenario as it seems you have no access to a machine shop and tools or mates that could assist in extensive bike modifications as it's most probably not a plug and play parts swap and might cost you more $$$$'s in the end compared to a decent dual-sport / enduro type bike purchase in the first place..... your $$$$'s = your call.

ps: reviews and opinions are like arseh#les, everyone has one.....

i do have an access to a machine shop cos my good friends father is a bike mechanic. He could help me out i recon.

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in the end compared to a decent dual-sport / enduro type bike purchase in the first place

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what do you have in mind? i dont want to go over 400cc

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Originally Posted by modron

what do you have in mind? i dont want to go over 400cc

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no idea to be honest as I have no interest in the smaller MIC bikes <400cc (not because of engine displacement but they are mostly tiny machines in size).
reckon the guys have discussed and given opinions / reviews about a broad selection of MIC <400cc bikes and a search should show results.

ps: by machine shop I mean a proper metal workshop equipped with mill / lathe / drill / saw / CNC / etc... and someone who knows how to operate the equipment properly to fabricate parts like spacers, etc..etc.... not your China hole in the wall motorbike shop equipped with just a big hammer and two screwdrivers.....

fair enough about the workshop, I didnt realize that it will be such a difficult task.


I had few ideas about Chinese dual-sport bikes but than went through search and now Im confused and worried about buying one in fear of it breaking in the middle of nowhere

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Originally Posted by modron

I had few ideas about Chinese dual-sport bikes but than went through search and now Im confused and worried about buying one in fear of it breaking in the middle of nowhere

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might be better to stay home.... because if you don't try you will never know...... safe travels!!!

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Originally Posted by TB-Racing

might be better to stay home.... because if you don't try you will never know...... safe travels!!!

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Yeah, and something will break if you go do a long trip no matter what bike you have.

dont be like this people, i just asked a question cos you have more experience in those things.

I know that any bike can brake but if i buy good make it will be less likely to do so. I rode 125cc for 14000km in latin america and never had any problems with it so i know that its possible.
Anyway, riding is not a purpose of a trip for me (i know for most of you is) i get my buzz from seeing and experiencing new places and a motorcycle is simply a tool to help me with it........a bit different point of view......dont hate me for it ;)

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Originally Posted by modron

dont be like this people, i just asked a question cos you have more experience in those things.

I know that any bike can brake but if i buy good make it will be less likely to do so. I rode 125cc for 14000km in latin america and never had any problems with it so i know that its possible.
Anyway, riding is not a purpose of a trip for me (i know for most of you is) i get my buzz from seeing and experiencing new places and a motorcycle is simply a tool to help me with it........a bit different point of view......dont hate me for it ;)

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For me it is the whole experience. Seeing new places, seeing new people, getting time to think about life, and enjoying the easy and effortless down to earth freedom only travelling by motorcycle can give to you.

Anyway, I recommend you read excellent travelling reports here. After that get whatever bike you fancy and hit the road.

i propose to get some technical knowledge first. In your case i had bought a super cheap crappy 250cc and rip it to pieces to see how it works. Then read a lot, get some suitable tools and repair and reassemble it. See how it works. Mechanical things are not too difficult if you understand parts function and correlations. Most headache for me are electrical issues all time.
Currently i am looking a bit closer at the Shineray X5 400cc. I am thinking about to buy one to have a lightweight bike for discover the bad roads in BJ region. If its reliable i will consider longer trips.
From a German friends who owns a motorcycle repair shop in Germany i learnt that Shinerays over there are acceptable quality now. Not on japanese level but at least acceptable.

Hi Modron, i'm guessing you didn't exactly get the answers you were looking for. My advice for your situation would be to get the YBR250 and leave the suspension stock. I would call the YBR more of an 'all purpose bike' than a street bike in the modern sense of the term. Its suspension and ground clearance will get you through pretty much anything china has to throw at you, even if you've to go a bit slower than on a dirt bike.

You're scared to get stranded in the middle of nowhere and rightly so. You probably don't have to weeks to spend in a workshop learning how to rebuild an engine, you'd rather spend that time riding. The X5 and other new bikes look like they might have potential, but until their reliability is proven the best bike for you is still the YBR250.

Here's a thread about the Yamaha's closest rival which contains some good info for you.
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ll=1#post48627



Don't be put off thinking only off road looking bikes can go off road. I did 200km of dirt on an old CB400SS with the wife yesterday and had loads of fun.

https://xs32sq.bay.livefilestore.com...460.jpg?psid=1

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Originally Posted by felix

Hi Modron, i'm guessing you didn't exactly get the answers you were looking for. My advice for your situation would be to get the YBR250 and leave the suspension stock. I would call the YBR more of an 'all purpose bike' than a street bike in the modern sense of the term. Its suspension and ground clearance will get you through pretty much anything china has to throw at you, even if you've to go a bit slower than on a dirt bike.

You're scared to get stranded in the middle of nowhere and rightly so. You probably don't have to weeks to spend in a workshop learning how to rebuild an engine, you'd rather spend that time riding. The X5 and other new bikes look like they might have potential, but until their reliability is proven the best bike for you is still the YBR250.

Here's a thread about the Yamaha's closest rival which contains some good info for you.
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ll=1#post48627



Don't be put off thinking only off road looking bikes can go off road. I did 200km of dirt on an old CB400SS with the wife yesterday and had loads of fun.

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+1 to Felix's wise counsel. The Suzuki and Yamaha are excellent all-round motorcycles that have racked up hundreds of thousands of kilometers under the joyful butts of innumerable Chinese and expat riders. They are among the very best motorcycles available in China, and well supported technically pretty much anywhere in the country -- including all the good bits out west.

I suspect that these bikes will hold their resale value, especially if they are reasonably well maintained.

cheers!

In China you drive with a china bike in the same way as in India you drive with Royal Enfield. In U.S.A. you drive with a HD.

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Originally Posted by modron

How hard is it going to be to find the right forks (where to find them...any suggestions?) Im guessing the biggest problem will be with fitting the brakes, if i want to keep original wheels which i do cos of the cost
do you think that its worth doing or i should just drop it?

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Where the heck do you think you're going to get a V-Strom in China?

Stick with the YBR250, spend some cash on good tires + touring accessories and then get on with it. Make sure you're 100% legal with license, registration etc. Share some adventures with us on the forum.

Cheers!
ChinaV

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

Where the heck do you think you're going to get a V-Strom in China?

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We have 3-4 parallel motorbike importers in Shanghai region and for the right amount of $$$'s they can and will import any bike with the appropriate import documents (fully legal import for legal rego).

Had a meeting out at Minhang District in Shanghai today and the meeting place was located on one of the Shanghai import vehicle streets, was very surprised to see 12+ Ford F350 Super Duty and Toyota Tundra being delivered to a car dealer today, massive pick up trucks, some of them dually trucks, exactly what's needed for Shanghai traffic.....

felix and euphonius, i really wanted some reassurance so thanks for that!!! I think Ill go with the YBR (once i sort out my license issues) simply cos ill be calmer to have a Japanese bike. X5 seems like a perfect bike for what i want but its impossible to buy where i live. I asked in all the dealers in my small/huge Chinese city and they never heard about the Shineray brand haha they just sell Japanese or local zhejiang bikes, which are plenty btw..... If i order X5 i might not be able to register it without guanxi. And there are still the brand new model problems.....

ChinaV - misunderstanding. I didnt say i want to get V-Strom, just said that i was looking at it and compared it to street bikes. V-Strom is too big for my liking



thanks for answers!

I have 2 month holiday booked for May and June ;) should be fun!!!! just need the license first....hah

I would also hesitate a little on the Shineray X5 400 dual purpose (dually) / adventure (ADV) bike since it is new to the market and an unproven design, plus Shineray had a prototype doing different motorcycle shows for several years but it is only now making it to the market. That could be an innocent sign and might be suggestive of Shineray really doing good R&D, but TIC and one can never be sure. The proof as is often said "is in the pudding".

As for the YBR250 I would advise that you might like to find the dual purpose model of the YBR which has higher mud guards and an overall more "off-road" stance to it, though I cannot vouch for what other differences the dually model might have over the standard road model. I have only seen the YBR dually in 150cc configuration, but I'd guess there is likely a 250cc model. I'm not sure that the dually model I've seen shares the same model name of YBR? I will swing by my local Yamaha dealer today and have another look to see if they have any in stock. The ones I have seen there in the past have been 150cc.

Anyone else?

I totally agree with the above comments, as an owner of both the YBR125 and YBR250 bikes, as well as a few others. A YBR250 is a great all-around bike for China. Tremendous value-for-money, and you might be able to find a near-new one at a good price, as many YBR owners are selling them to switch over to the GWs (people want the latest and greatest fancy thing).

As ChinaV notes, your best investment might be improved tires (over stock) with a more aggressive tread pattern. A YBR can be fixed pretty much anywhere, as there is a large network of dealers, and most mechanics have familiarity with the YBR series. And there are also many after-market add-ons (e.g., racks, bags, hand guards, etc) for the YBR series.

There is an "ADV-style" model of the YBR 125, called the YBR125-G. It is essentially a YBR125 with knobby-style tires, higher mudguards, a kickstart, a rear rack, and a slightly different set of handlebars. I tried one for a few months, and although the "G" is nice, if you can afford the extra 10K rmb for the YBR250, I would go with the YBR250. It is superior in many ways (including EFI). The "G" seems to be more of a fun machine for the odd day in the dirt.

I also own the Jialing JH600, and it is a great bike for China but it is also more expensive. In the under 400cc market, the YBR250 still reigns, in my view, as the best bike for China.

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Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou

There is an "ADV-style" model of the YBR 125, called the YBR125-G. It is essentially a YBR125 with knobby-style tires, higher mudguards, a kickstart, a rear rack, and a slightly different set of handlebars.

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Where have I seen that before???

http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ull=1#post7848

Cheers!
ChinaV

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

Where have I seen that before???
http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...ull=1#post7848
Cheers! ChinaV

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very-very common bike on the big island (Hainan), seen them all over the place and looked at them in a Sanya shop but again = small size (not talking about the engine here), might get one for our son later on.....

I did plan to get YBR125G but 125cc is a bit small. On my last trip i missed a bit of power.
I went to my local yamaha dealer and they said they can 250 for me (they only have 125 there). Registration and basic insurance is RMB3000, is this normal price? I have no idea and dont want to be ripped off.

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Originally Posted by modron

Registration and basic insurance is RMB3000, is this normal price? I have no idea and dont want to be ripped off.

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Of course you're getting ripped off, that's why you need a Chinese girlfriend or wife. Every province and town is different when it comes to registration costs, so I can only tell you that the last 250 I registered in Guangdong was about 2300 with insurance. Since the YBR is a lot more expensive, 3K sounds OK.

Cheers!
ChinaV

Speaking of the YBR125, I saw the latest version yesterday in Yang Jie's shop in Shanghai. Oddly, he said it's still carbureted yet street legal. Beautiful bike. Here's a low-light, space-constrained phone image:

Attachment 10053

Yang also has what I think is a CB1000R, which I photographed through the window to marginal effect. He's asking just under 200k RMB for it. And it's legal.

cheers!

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Originally Posted by euphonius

Speaking of the YBR125, I saw the latest version yesterday in Yang Jie's shop in Shanghai. Oddly, he said it's still carbureted yet street legal.

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I haven't figured out the carb/EFI situation, either. Post 2008, the YBR125s exported to Europe are EFI, but the ones sold in China are still carb.

Although I am having bad luck with 10th Anniversary bikes (sigh), Yamaha has just issued one for its YBR125 (2013):

http://www.yamaha-motor.com.cn/mc/pr...detail_21.html

If I see one at Qili, I'll probably buy it. I'm a sucker for Anniversary bikes, and I am a fan of these 125s. BTW, my red YBR125K sold (full price) within 2 hours of being posted online in local Chinese classifieds - they have a serious following here - or maybe it was due to the A plate craziness.

Back on the YBR250, our clubhouse just purchased its first hydraulic lift. We already have pretty much everything else (but no painting!), and I'm debating on whether to move a dyno I have from down south to up here. Anyways, once ChinaV or Felix or Franki (or some similar ADV expert) decides that Beijing's lifestyle is irresistible (again, clean air, zero traffic & pretty girls), I'll be doing a YBR250 ADV conversion - been thinking about it for a while, just never had the proper shop space in Beijing.

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Originally Posted by ChinaV

Of course you're getting ripped off, that's why you need a Chinese girlfriend or wife. Every province and town is different when it comes to registration costs, so I can only tell you that the last 250 I registered in Guangdong was about 2300 with insurance. Since the YBR is a lot more expensive, 3K sounds OK.

Cheers!
ChinaV

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Lic and reg are not much at all. the expense is the tax! which varies and depends on what price is on the receipt. my first bike receipt was two..fold....one price for the bike and another for 'extra parts'...which was about half and half of what i paid for the bike...the parts receipt listed many things that came on the bike..no i did not have a bag of parts..they do this as a practice to help curb the cost of the tax.....my second,,much more expensive moto was somewhat reduced receipt..as the tax department might of questions low price for a big bike....
anyway when you lic the bike you will be given the receipts for all expensives so you are not likely to be ripped off unless you use an agent who adds extra costs.

Thanks!
Well Ill be getting YBR250 when Ill have my license, which may take bloody ages............

btw, will the YBR's EFI work well in high altitude?

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Originally Posted by modron

Thanks!
Well Ill be getting YBR250 when Ill have my license, which may take bloody ages............

btw, will the YBR's EFI work well in high altitude?

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Good choice that YBR250. Rock solid machine. The EFI automatically adjusts for altitude. Whereas with a carburetor you need to use smaller jets to allow for less oxygen, so mountain riding the YBR250 makes much more sense than the YBR125. I heard a rumor that Yamaha had stopped selling the YBR250 in China so then there is the Suzuki GW250.

I had a ride on a YBR250, and one of the only things I really disliked was the handlebar which seemed to me to be very 'urban commuter'.
Attachment 10094
Could I recommend a Renthal Fatbar? :deal: $71.99