Yamaha YBR250 didn't make sense to buy in 2009

**ZMC888** · 08-27-2009, 12:49 AM

Whilst this bike is almost certainly the best road-going legal 250cc bike in China..........

I'm not talking about the running costs for this bike, I'm talking about the depreciation on the new value. The reason being is that, for anyone selling this bike you'd be lucky (according to the opinions of most Chinese riders) to get more than 12,000 RMB for the bike after one year, meaning a massive 13,550 RMB ($2000 USD!) depreciation over the first year from the new price of 25,500 RMB ($3,700 USD).

Then 8,000 RMB 2nd hand value at the most after two years.

The reasons for this depreciation has a lot to do with older unregistered CB400 type bikes in the marketplace, and other cheaper alternatives for potential buyers, and the fact that the bike is just plain silly overpriced to begin with, 15,500 RMB ($2,300 USD) would be a fair price for the bike IMO, and the overpricing of this bike has warped the prices of other bikes in the Chinese motorcycle market.

So on a personal level the YBR250 doesn't make sense unless I want to keep it for the vast majority of its service life (5 years +), however this is something I don't want to commit to, with an eye on potential 400-600cc road legal Chinese or joint venture bikes possibly being available. So the Regal Raptor DD250-2 it is then

.

**ChinaV** · 08-27-2009, 09:06 AM

I agree that the bike has a high price tag, but I have also heard some people paying just a tad over 20k out the door with rego and insurance included. Any new vehicle will take a 20% hit five seconds after it's purchased, that's just one of the sad things about buying new.

I met up with a Regal Raptor DD250-2 on the road in Hunan and it looked alright, but it's not even worth comparing with the Yamaha. If you spent 20k on the YBR, took care of it, and sold it in two years for 10k, it's not such a bad deal. Tokyokid just got one, and he seems to be pretty impressed with the quality.

The fact that 15 year old, 400cc Japanese bikes are still holding some value shows how far the Chinese manufacturers have to go. They can make them cheap, but they're just not made to last.

In 2008 we saw a huge influx of new 250cc bikes that got us all worked up about having some choices. Here we sit more than a year later and almost none of them have been made legal for China purchase. I wouldn't get your hopes up on the over 250cc models, I think it will be well into 2010 or 2011 before any of the larger bikes can actually be registered in China (JH600 excluded).

Good luck with the new bike, glad you will be on the road again.

Cheers!
ChinaV

**ZMC888** · 08-27-2009, 09:40 AM

V

I asked in dealers all over the place, and I was consistently told 24,500 last year and 25,500 this year. I would have seriously considered the bike for a tad over 20,000 actually, but in my area, seems I'm not well enough connected

Anyway too late now...

**iamcanjim** · 08-29-2009, 11:43 AM

Remember what you are paying for in the YBR250. Yamaha refuses to produce teh YBR250 in China, probably a wise move, as the Chinese govt. seems to still be unwilling to enforce intellectual property rights. If they produced it in China, it would be quickly copied. So, you are paying the 100% import tariff. The price would be closer to 13 - 14,000 if it was made in China.

That is also why the resale is so low. The inherent value of the bike is much lower than the retail value.

**ZMC888** · 09-07-2009, 12:18 AM

iamcanjim, I was under the impression that the YBR 250 was made in China, by Jianshe Yamaha, which is why I thought the price was too high. If it was made elsewhere, and imported particularly from Japan, I would have bought one as 25,500 RMB is a bargain for a Japanese imported bike, with all the sky-high Chinese import taxes.

V, I forgot to mention that there are plenty of 400-500cc engines being manufactured mostly for quad bikes, but with a few tweaks can make a delightful mid-sized single road bike or high-power dirt bike. Asiawing can't get their act together, I know. But surely some Chinese manufacturer would be capable of putting a decent 400-500cc single together for export and the home market. They are really missing a trick as loads would sell just in the commuter and learner market in the west.

Whether the communist authorities could tolerate a 450cc single overtaking their black Santana and allow CCC certification here in China is another matter, but it is a hope or maybe a dream I have that maybe, just one day in the near(ish) future I could be riding a reasonably priced, road legal, street motorcycle with around 30KW of power.

**iamcanjim** · 09-07-2009, 08:45 AM

I am fairly sure that the YBR 250 is not made in China or Japan. I know there is a factory in India and there are probably others in other Asian countries. This means you won't get better than Chinese quality for the price.

**tokyokid** · 10-05-2009, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by ZMC888

Whilst this bike is almost certainly the best road-going legal 250cc bike in China..........

I'm not talking about the running costs for this bike, I'm talking about the depreciation on the new value. The reason being is that, for anyone selling this bike you'd be lucky (according to the opinions of most Chinese riders) to get more than 12,000 RMB for the bike after one year, meaning a massive 13,550 RMB ($2000 USD!) depreciation over the first year from the new price of 25,500 RMB ($3,700 USD).

Then 8,000 RMB 2nd hand value at the most after two years.

The reasons for this depreciation has a lot to do with older unregistered CB400 type bikes in the marketplace, and other cheaper alternatives for potential buyers, and the fact that the bike is just plain silly overpriced to begin with, 15,500 RMB ($2,300 USD) would be a fair price for the bike IMO, and the overpricing of this bike has warped the prices of other bikes in the Chinese motorcycle market.

So on a personal level the YBR250 doesn't make sense unless I want to keep it for the vast majority of its service life (5 years +), however this is something I don't want to commit to, with an eye on potential 400-600cc road legal Chinese or joint venture bikes possibly being available. So the Regal Raptor DD250-2 it is then

.

Take the YBR125 for a ride and after the YBR250, than you know why it worth to pay that much more.
I paid 20,800 rmb and it was worth every penny. Dont forget it has even a fuel injection system, no stupid adjusting of the carburetor anymore. I did 5539m / 18172ft without any problems. Dont know any other bike here I would abuse that much ;)

**tokyokid** · 10-06-2009, 10:18 AM

but your right that the bike is too expensive for the chinese market, even the YBR125 is too expensive for chinese buyers, for them a 125cc should be in a range of 3-5.000rmb

**ZMC888** · 10-07-2009, 11:41 PM

Originally Posted by tokyokid

I paid 20,800 rmb and it was worth every penny.

I would of paid 20,800 RMB for it, but I was only offered 25,500 RMB for it, from all the local dealers

, do you have some special connections at Jianshe Yamaha, or did you and some friends buy a few at the same time?

I'd also love the opportunity to be able to test ride the YBR250.....but in my area this is not possible.

What brand tires does the bike come with in China?

**tokyokid** · 10-08-2009, 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by ZMC888

I would of paid 20,800 RMB for it, but I was only offered 25,500 RMB for it, from all the local dealers

, do you have some special connections at Jianshe Yamaha, or did you and some friends buy a few at the same time?

I'd also love the opportunity to be able to test ride the YBR250.....but in my area this is not possible.

What brand tires does the bike come with in China?

I love price research and bargaining :) Got it from a dealer in Jiangxi. They are actually forbidden to sell them for under 23.800rmb.

I think they put Kenda tires on the bikes.

Yeah testriding is unknown in China for motorbikes. I remember after i bought the ybr125 and drove on it the first meter after i paid i just wanted to return it :) No way that little shit would bring me to europe haha The 250 feels so different from the 125.

If you want the bike, it has 9000km on the clock and is just 3 month old. At the moment on the way to Chongqing for new clutch and a body make-up. It has alarm, original back tire and offroad back tire and side boxes for lots of stuff, but you can take them off too. Asked price is 15.000rmb but remember it was used intensely in Tibet.