Huoniao 250 - any more info?

Here are couple of pics of a 2008 Huoniao 250 cruiser, recently sold on TradeMe in NZ for NZ$2,010 (about GBP£ 890). I have been unable to find info (spec, common parts, etc) on this cute looking machine. Please can any one in this leading international forum of highly knowledgeable experts and enthusiasts help with info or info sources on this?:

http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoser...31326_full.jpg

http://images.trademe.co.nz/photoser...31373_full.jpg

Is has a great similarity to the new Qingqi QM 250:


http://www.qingqi.co.nz/images/QM250.jpg http://www.qingqi.co.nz/images/tour_bottom.jpg
and the Jinlun 250-5:

http://is.gumtree.com/ad_image/live/big/275161634.jpg

...evidently many common parts typical of Chinese bikes - the Uk bike industry wot wus did the same of course e.g. bits on an 1950's AJS will fit a 1930's BSA, etc.

David, generally the engine is a 233.8cc parallel twin, as used by Honda in the CB250N and the CMX250 rebel.

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gal...B250N%2079.jpg
CB250N

http://www.hondacentre.com/images/Cr...0CNHB01PRE.jpg
CMX250 Rebel

Some of the other parts however appear to be from the common Chinese 150cc cruiser bikes. Footplates and exhausts going down one side seem to cause fairly easy ground contact when leaning!

Be careful with the tyre quality on some of these wheel sizes, Kenda are OK. Duro Sakura and Cheng-shin are almost good, depending on the size and compound!

Thanks for the info ZMC888...:thumbsup:

It's a Honda CMX 250 (233) cc engine in a Suzuki GZ frame. Note the distinctive Suzuki side panels and fuel tank. Cobbled on for your amusement is a completely different rear fender.
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photo...dera-small.jpg

Commonly done in China, as the Suzuki parts are more common but the Honda engine is better (and the Suzuki 250 cruiser version is not seen in China).

Oddly, I found my GZ150 handled much better than my Honda CMX 250, so that engine frame combo might work.

Noted, does seem to be a GZ 150 frame Jim.
So your old GZ had those tire sizes too, handles well?

My bike has the same tire sizes as the CMX an it handles well

ZMC, the GZ has a larger front tire and less rake. This improves handling at the expense of looks.

The raked out front tire on the Rebel/CMX causes less weight to transfer to the front tire in heavy braking. However, the braking forces are similar. Therefore, the front tire is more likely to skid. Added to that, the CMX has a much smaller (in width) front tire. This reduces contact patch, also decreasing grip.

Skidding a rear tire on a motorcycle is bad but not terrible, skidding a front tire is usually a cause of serious concern. Read my report in the ride reports regarding that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by iamcanjim

...skidding a front tire is usually a cause of serious concern...

---

Yep, no isssooos on that one...

http://www.crashstuff.com/wp-content...umbs_moto6.jpg


...bitch to get out mind. :naughty:

Jim,

If your handling is worse on your rebel it is probably not due to the front tire size, could be to do with the rake though. I am on my second bike with a relatively narrow front tire. In fact my old CBF150 has the same rear tire size as the CMX250 front tire and I have run Duro and Cheng-Shin on it, I've had zero problems, I think the Chinese cruiser/GZ front tire is actually for looks (like an Indian). You are probably at least partially blaming something that is not the criminal.

What brand is your front tire? How many kms have you done on it? How many more do you think it will do? What pressure is in it?

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:-...cheng_shin.jpg

If you changed tire brands to Cheng-Shin (as on the regal Raptors) this may well solve the issue. Many Chinese tires are made to last almost forever, which may suit a Chinese guy on a low salary who is who is commuting to work at fairly slow speeds. On Sakura (used by Jianshe Yamaha) and Cheng-Shin tires available in China, I can honestly say they have a similar compound to a western tire, as many bikes are exported with these tires.

Duro and Kenda (Kenda make exceptionally good MTB tires BTW :thumbsup:) make good tires too, but on the other hand make some hard compound dodgy tires for the Chinese market.

Other issues that may be causing handling problems could also be as simple as the handlebars. Often the bars get bent if the bike has been dropped, or even warp over time with cheap steel, this may only be apparent when the bars are removed and inspected. Also the CMX bars do not provide the best handling, and changing to a lower, wider, flatter bar may help a great deal. Also brake compound, worn bearings and other factors may be an issue.

Yeah. I have Cheng Shins front and back. The problem is not the handling is bad, but that it isn't as good as the GZ. Another problem is my riding style. Having ridden sportbikes all my life, I tend to overuse the front brake. On a sportbike, it's 90/10 front rear for braking. Less on a cruiser.

It's a poor workman who blames his tools, and that said my tumble was my fault, not the bikes.

You might want to change the bars if you are already running on Cheng-Shins, I'm certain that a CMX should be able to handle as well as a GZ.

True, cruisers do damage front brake confidence having that rake. But then again with bumpy, dirty roads you don't wanna be overdoing it with the front brake anyway. :diggin: