Interesting! What made you change your mind about the X5? Price? Reliability? So is that the bike you're going to ride out to Turkey later on this year?
Could you post more pictures please? Back, front, sides etc. I'd especially like to see the outside/inside of the panniers. The side panniers seem kind of narrow at first glance (as in laptop-sized), but from other angles they seem pretty decent. What is the build quality on those? Are they aftermarket or did they come with the bike? Judging from stock pictures I'm guessing they come with it? Pretty neat. I ride a Shineray 200-GY7 and love it. So much so, that I'm considering importing an X5 or another China bike to Cambodia.
The extra power and torque of a 400 would be really nice, but the price tag of the X5 is a bit steep for me. Difficult to justify spending 4000$ on a bike (+shipping, + RIDICULOUS import taxes once it get here). No clue what shipping would cost, but probably looking at +6000$ all in... I could buy a used XR400 for 3-4k, so not sure it's worth it (although I love the look of the X5, the price seems a tad off). But I've had a really good experience with my Shineray. The engine is pretty much bullet-proof, although cosmetics go easily (most of what was going to break broke before I bought it). I'm ordering parts via taobaofocus right now. New tank (my old one's threads just broke off a week ago... They're made of once piece of plastic so it's a shame. My mechanic here could shave off what's remaining of the threads and make a new metal "plug" for it for around 10-20$ (no screw top, just a plug with a new metal "ring" inside the opening). But a new tank costs around 50$ so I figure I might as well splurge (getting new rear shocks as well, side panels, front mud guard, air filters etc). Can't seem to find an oil filter though...
Anyways, I digress. Is this your bike for the big trip? I like the fact that many Chinese bikes now come with panniers and big racks. You wouldn't be going fast on a 200, and they aren't the most comfortable bikes around for long-distance given their light weight, but a simple carb 200cc engine is pretty reliable. Given that yours is brand new, I'm guessing it's pretty comfy though. I figure importing one of these would cost me 4-5k,.. Not exactly cheap (new Honda CFR 250s are around the same price in Thailand), but it seems well-suited for long distance. I'm also tall (6'5") so I'm happy to hear it's ok for tall riders. That's a reason I stick to dirt bikes or dual-sport. Everything else is just too damn small!