What bike should I exchange my 650TR for?
I have now owned my 2012 650TR for about 8 months and I believe the time has come to part ways. I have spent a lot of money fixing the bike up but I find it is too heavy and gets too hot to cope with the crowded urban environments I frequently find myself in, and the mountains where most of my riding takes place. I bought the bike right after a cross country tour that involved sneaking onto the expressway almost every day and was a total misrepresentation of the type of riding that I really do every day. :WTFamI
I really want a lightweight bike that doesn't make an excess amount of noise but will handle both doing surgery on the cancer that is Chinese traffic, get me through the mountains, and the occasional rush past big trucks on the new non-expressway highways that are going up in South Fujian lately. I was in such a rush to sell my YBR after the Yunnan trip, that I didn't appreciate how wonderful it was to zip such a quiet, lightweight machine all around the mountains and wherever else I wanted to throw it. Now every trip is a goddamned chore filled with stressful moments, because I have way too much bike for the kind of riding I'm doing. :rolleyes1:
Right now I'm looking at these following possibilities: :deal:
-KTM 390, CNY 42900 plus 4000+ in fees. This was my leading choice but I am very upset I will have to pay $6000 US for the old 2016 version when I could get the new version in the US for $5000, since China won't have the 2017 until next May. There's a used 2014 going for CNY 35000, around 8000 kms, belonged to the president of the CFMOTO dealership, test drove pretty well, but everyone say NO 2014. Unfortunately I can't find another used 390 in Fujian and I'm not sure the process of cross province transfer.:taz:
-Ninja 250 ABS. There's a used 2016 with 3000km going for CNY 31000 that already has a plate on it, owner is a Taiwanese friend that was very maintenance conscious. This bike seems totally smooth and might be just what I'm looking for, but I have yet to ride it. I guess I'm just worried that I will be too disappointed about the torque drop, and also Kawasaki-capable mechanics are hard to come by. I have my guy in Xiamen but I'm still a bit worried. Finally, although I've seen some Ninja's go offroad, doesn't seem like something I would really want to do. Supposedly 130kph restricted in China, although a Thai ECU on Taobao claims to allow a top of 169 kph. :scooter:
-CBR300R. This bike is going for cheap, CNY 35000 new, I test rode it and was pretty interested in it, although the single is certainly vibey. Seems to provide a bit more torque than the Kawa, I will have to see when I test the 250. Would be nice if like the rest of the world Kawa would sell their Ninja 300, but TIC. I can't find the 300F anywhere. Also appears to be limited to 130.:riding:
I'm also taking a peek at the KYMCO 300i Maxi Scooter cuz it's going for a steal. I've only testrode a Chinese made Maxi and I thought it was super comfortable, but of course that bike is heavy and the small tires are worrisome. Does has ABS though. :wheelchair:
Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated, but please don't tell me about the Benelli TRK 502 because I literally have a visceral unexplainable hatred for that bike. :gun_bandana:
Have a nice Day! :icon10:
Re: What bike should I exchange my 650TR for?
I am also looking far a bike at the moment and have been looking at just about everything on the market, although a distinct lack of bike shops around here makes things a little tricky. The main thing that stopped my going the 390 Duke route was the ergos, I am too tall (and probably too old anyway) for such a bike and the other small capacity bikes are all unfortunately the same for me. If such things aren't an issue for you, or you you enjoy a bit of body origami, there seem to be a few good choices. The z250 seems pretty sweet too. Those would be my pics, the kato or the kawa
Re: What bike should I exchange my 650TR for?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ShuBen
Check Kawasaki X300
is that one coming to china?
Re: What bike should I exchange my 650TR for?
http://www.chinamotorcycle.com/ShowN...7617469_1.aspx
This bike is like an answered prayer. Can't wait for it to release.
Re: What bike should I exchange my 650TR for?
I can't find any information on a release date. All they are talking about at the dealerships are the new Ninja 650 and the Z900.
Re: What bike should I exchange my 650TR for?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
stevenade
I can't find any information on a release date. All they are talking about at the dealerships are the new Ninja 650 and the Z900.
August at the earliest according to my guy in Shangers
Re: What bike should I exchange my 650TR for?
If you are willing to look at 250's, i personally really like the kawasaki z250SL, the Suzuki DL250 V-Strom, The KTM duke 200 and the Yamaha YS250. Why? They are assembled in China making them affordable. They also have comfortable seating positions for those of us who will ride all day. The z250sl was a pleasure to ride.
I jumped through the hoops a few times now. If i had to do it again I would still buy the Duke 390. I would not want the new one. It is already a small bike and they shortened the wheelbase even further. I certainly don't regret spending what i did on it. It spanks everything off the line. Its super light. It has been reliable. enough torque down low to accidentally wheelie. Its a blast to just ride. Hands down, if your sub 50k its the biggest bang for your buck. If i wanted to save some money, Z250SL ABS all day.
if your willing to spend a little more... I might look into the swm 500sm, however I am not convinced the juice is worth the squeeze yet. If I was in this price range i would look at a lot of other enduro or adventure bikes.
Yeah, the 2014 390 version or older was riddled with issues. From over heating and engine leaks to even the alloy wheels cracking. The 2015 release was a major update.
Re: What bike should I exchange my 650TR for?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
stevenade
I have now owned my 2012 650TR for about 8 months and I believe the time has come to part ways. I have spent a lot of money fixing the bike up but I find it is too heavy and gets too hot to cope with the crowded urban environments I frequently find myself in, and the mountains where most of my riding takes place. I bought the bike right after a cross country tour that involved sneaking onto the expressway almost every day and was a total misrepresentation of the type of riding that I really do every day. :WTFamI
I really want a lightweight bike that doesn't make an excess amount of noise but will handle both doing surgery on the cancer that is Chinese traffic, get me through the mountains, and the occasional rush past big trucks on the new non-expressway highways that are going up in South Fujian lately. I was in such a rush to sell my YBR after the Yunnan trip, that I didn't appreciate how wonderful it was to zip such a quiet, lightweight machine all around the mountains and wherever else I wanted to throw it. Now every trip is a goddamned chore filled with stressful moments, because I have way too much bike for the kind of riding I'm doing. :rolleyes1:
Right now I'm looking at these following possibilities: :deal:
-KTM 390, CNY 42900 plus 4000+ in fees. This was my leading choice but I am very upset I will have to pay $6000 US for the old 2016 version when I could get the new version in the US for $5000, since China won't have the 2017 until next May. There's a used 2014 going for CNY 35000, around 8000 kms, belonged to the president of the CFMOTO dealership, test drove pretty well, but everyone say NO 2014. Unfortunately I can't find another used 390 in Fujian and I'm not sure the process of cross province transfer.:taz:
-Ninja 250 ABS. There's a used 2016 with 3000km going for CNY 31000 that already has a plate on it, owner is a Taiwanese friend that was very maintenance conscious. This bike seems totally smooth and might be just what I'm looking for, but I have yet to ride it. I guess I'm just worried that I will be too disappointed about the torque drop, and also Kawasaki-capable mechanics are hard to come by. I have my guy in Xiamen but I'm still a bit worried. Finally, although I've seen some Ninja's go offroad, doesn't seem like something I would really want to do. Supposedly 130kph restricted in China, although a Thai ECU on Taobao claims to allow a top of 169 kph. :scooter:
-CBR300R. This bike is going for cheap, CNY 35000 new, I test rode it and was pretty interested in it, although the single is certainly vibey. Seems to provide a bit more torque than the Kawa, I will have to see when I test the 250. Would be nice if like the rest of the world Kawa would sell their Ninja 300, but TIC. I can't find the 300F anywhere. Also appears to be limited to 130.:riding:
I'm also taking a peek at the KYMCO 300i Maxi Scooter cuz it's going for a steal. I've only testrode a Chinese made Maxi and I thought it was super comfortable, but of course that bike is heavy and the small tires are worrisome. Does has ABS though. :wheelchair:
Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated, but please don't tell me about the Benelli TRK 502 because I literally have a visceral unexplainable hatred for that bike. :gun_bandana:
Have a nice Day! :icon10:
Great thread. So did you make your decision? I’d be interested to know what bike you went with, it sounds like your well informed. I’m also looking at new bikes and just starting out with the research. My first choice is the KTM 390 Duke, I love the Z650 but it’s a bit out of my price range.
