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  1. #1 Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    This is pretty cool for a baby chopper....

    I found this today at a local dealer (Jin Mau) in Chengdu. I went looking for this specifically.

    Its looks well-made. The parts that should be billet are billet, The parts that should be cast as cast. The chrome plating looks nice; no pits. really good welds. Some of the best I have ever seen. Paint and anodizing are really good. I couldn't find a single flaw on the one on the showroom floor

    It is a heavy bike. The rear tire is very big for the size bike. So, is the front tire. It seems like I was picking up a much bigger bike when I stood it up off the stand.

    I am going to bet that won't be mistaken for a rocket ship. That little motor may be plenty once it is up to speed, but I don't think it going to break any records getting there. I don't know. I haven't ridden one yet.

    If you can't read the specs in the pic, here they are:

    2500mm x 900mm x 1160 mm
    Double cylinder water cooled
    Bore 62mm x Stroke 53mm
    C/R 10.2:1
    320cc
    Power - 15.5 KW/ 20.8 HP @8000 Rpm
    Torque - 22.0 @6500 Rpm
    Wheel base 1835mm
    Max Load 150kg
    Max. Speed 118km/h (75 MPH)

    Quoted price 23,000 RMB (3,367.50 USD) I didn't bargain. I just asked. I'm sure I could get them down to about 18,000 RMB, perhaps even lower.

    I have a lot more to research before buying. Parts availability, warranty details, license fees, drivers license, check out other bikes, a look into the financial stability of the mfg's, etc, etc.

    Anyone that has anything to say about this bike/model/mfg should feel free to chime in...at this point, when it comes to knowing anything about Chinese made bikes...I am a complete idiot!

    All input is welcome!

    Anyway, here's a couple pics...
    Attached Images
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  2. #2 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    LH1953,

    Be careful with those stats, they are probably incorrect..mostly! From previous experience Regal Raptor claim 15.5 KW for their 250cc twin (233.8cc exactly). I think they claim 17KW for the 350cc (320cc) bikes.

    I think the cruiser style bikes that they make are better than their regular street bikes, mostly because the cruisers can get heavy without upsetting their customers too much, which means water cooling and bigger shocks, which are more capable of taking the weight. They also pretty decent jobs of chroming and painting. But check some of the bolts for tightness, even ones you might not expect. We had a friend who bought a 250cc water cooled chopper and it stayed in great condition for ages, even though it was left outside.

    I paid 10,000 for my air-cooled road 250cc bike, (see other thread), it's decent, but has a few finishing issues, but can be upgraded into a decent bike.

    In the west 350cc is pretty small I agree, but in China with everything going slower it kinda feels faster. I would suggest that Regal Raptors are possibly the best of the Chinese cruisers, but do some research first, maybe Jialing engines are better or Kymco might be able to get a better made cruiser.
    Without consciousness, space and time are nothing; in reality you can take any time -- whether past or future -− as your new frame of reference. Death is a reboot that leads to all potentialities.
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  3. #3 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    Administrator-tron CrazyCarl's Avatar
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    350 is PLENTY of power in China and anything more than that can become dangerous pretty fast. I suggest getting a smaller, lighter bike with plenty of parts support and suspension travel to learn the ropes of riding in China. Keep it for a year or so and if you feel like a low rider will fit your bill, switch over then. Don't forget, on a lower bike you will have less visibility of traffic and vice-versa.

    Also, please consider spending more time researching the driving license if you haven't already. You will enjoy your time riding in China much more if you have the proper documentation... especially now that the rules are clamping down a bit on riders.

    CC
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  4. #4 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Appreciate the advice Carl. I downloaded the drivers exam and read it. Then took the test in my living room. I missed 6. I'll read it over again and then go schedule to take the real test.

    I've been riding for about 40 years. China is a different animal, but I have ridden in most every continent including SA and Africa. I made a trip from Berlin to Johannesburg back in the 80's. That was a year of my life. Going slow and being aware is 95% of the battle. I'm a putter. In America, I had a custom ( I built it myself) with a 100 CID/100 HP Revtech, softail, 200 rear tire, 38 degree rake. It weighed 375 pounds and was a rocket....but I never got it over 80 MPH. Put 26,000 miles on it in 3 years. I have probably close to 500,000 miles on two wheels. I'm also an ex superbike racer from the 70's. (Kawasaki 900Z)

    For me, traffic is not a problem. Cagers don't like the speed I'm going, they are free to pass me. I don't care. Most of my riding will be on rural/suburban roads..who know...I may even get passed by an ox cart.

    I've been checking out the V-twins. I like some of them, but they still don't look as good as the Regal Raptor Spyder 350. Now, if the Spyder 350 was a V-twin, that would be perfect! Everything I am reading about them says that they are probably the finest quality bike made by the Chinese. I hate being broke down.

    I think once I have my drivers license in hand, I will go ahead and order one for delivery in March 2010.

    If anything better comes along, I still have time to look and read. If they announce models with a bigger motor, I may wait for that. Spring is still a long time away...
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  5. #5 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    Senior C-Moto Guru culcune's Avatar
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    LH1953, have you seen this part of mychinamoto....?

    http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=49

    The section has some pretty cool Regal bikes to check out
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  6. #6 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    Administrator-tron CrazyCarl's Avatar
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    LH,

    Not trying to deride your riding abilities, skills or experiences but just floating my standard disclaimers about riding in China. A couple people have managed to meet their ends in China on motorbike and it's something I'd REALLY like to avoid if at all possible.

    Only a few years ago the traffic in chengdu was pleasant to ride in.. especially at night when you could cruise all through the city with no traffic or cops. It was a lot of fun to head out on a cool evening to meet friends, check out all the little sao cao stands and explore the nooks and crannies of the city.

    There's a member here who's worth contacting...goes by name of DHFox. IIRC, he lives in the north side of town, owns a truck, CJ750 and my old dauntless Jialing JH150GY2.

    Also, if you happen to meet any of the Chengdoo magazine staff, please say hello for me. Have you pretty much settled into the city?

    CC

    Quote Originally Posted by LH1953 View Post
    Appreciate the advice Carl. I downloaded the drivers exam...
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  7. #7 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Carl, I take all advice to heart. I listen to everything and apply it where it fits best. I didn't come to China to meet my doom, so I know what you mean.

    We are pretty settled where we are now for the foreseeable future. Our son goes to school just a few blocks away, my wife's sister lives a few blocks away and the rest of her family is within 2 km.

    I have managed to memorize some of the bus schedules and routes. As I said earlier, I don't read or speak Chinese and Chengdu is not a English speaking friendly town so wherever I go, I pretty much have to have my wife in tow to navigate.

    Traffic in this part of the city is bad, most of the time. It gets much better after about 11 pm, but by then, we are settled in for the night.

    I didn't come here to teach or work. This job just kind of fell into my lap and they made me an offer I couldn't turn down. If it was any more than the two day a week schedule, I probably would have said no. I am "officially" retired and I will not be returning to the U.S. This is home now. With a little luck ( and probably a lot of groveling), I hope to move out of this monster city after our son is out of school. But that won't be for at least another 4 years.

    I have a lot to do. We are headed to HK to change my visa so I can legally work and then when we get back, I need to find a school for my wife to learn English and a school for me to learn Chinese. I am also working on my TEFL so I can hope to be a more effective teacher. In and among all of that, there is family stuff, helping my son with his homework, trying to teach him not to be so reliant on his mother, and sneaking off to Hooter's for some English conversation and a few beers now and then. Now we add to that researching motorcycles, studying for the drivers exam and trying to figure out the bureaucratic abyss called Vehicle Registration.

    Those are some pretty nice bikes in the Raptor Forum. I am going to say that I have no interest in customizing the bike I will buy. That of course, is a lie. Customizing will come as things break, fall off, wear out, become unsuitable, etc. First order of business will be to minimize the handlebar "buzz". A bag of sand and a tube of silicone should take care of that. Next would be isolator hand grips and foot pegs. Third of course would be more power out of that motor. If I can find a dyno in this town, I can get a torque curve profile and have a new cam made to my specs. I built racing engines my entire life, so if there is 35 HP in there, I'll find it. Many years ago, I made a quick change two-piece rear sprocket for my KW Ninja 1100 for high speed long distance travel, so I may dig out my drawing board and go to work on that if I find that we are riding at speeds that make the motor rev too high for comfort.

    Other than all of that, it's just day to day living in the Du!
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  8. #8 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    LH1953,

    If you are so keen on having more power, and want to stay in China long term why not just buy a real Harley?



    One of the new sportster 883's would be high enough for visibility and the rake is nice enough to handle well. They are registrable in China, but do cost a heck of a lot.

    I wouldn't worry about top speeds in China. The bike should be able to cruise fine at 100 (62 Mph) KMh. The fastest I've ever been over here is 140 Kmh (80 Mph), even then I needed the right road at the right time of day, with the right conditions. Also instead of worrying about power, I would get some Dunlop tires from Hong Kong, and think about changing the carb, and at least improving the brake pads.

    Lots of rural roads are covered in sand, dirt and small rocks, without knowing what is even around the next bend, wouldn't the Daytona 350 be a better bike for the conditions?

    Without consciousness, space and time are nothing; in reality you can take any time -- whether past or future -− as your new frame of reference. Death is a reboot that leads to all potentialities.
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  9. #9 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    I've owned Harleys. I'll never own another one. They are the most over-priced, mediocre bike made. I imagine that in China, they are even more over-priced and parts would be an issue here in Chengdu.

    Another reason is that I live here. I work and am paid in RMB, live on the local economy and I would not even consider spending more than 20,000 RMB on a bike. Plainly speaking, I just can't afford it. I have a wife, a son that needs to go to college in a few years and a mother-in-law that needs financial help. High priced toys are out of the question. If you have a Chinese wife, then you know that the bare minimum of money that will go into savings every month is 30% of your salary. That is a bare minimum and any time more can go into savings, it will.

    If I ever decide that a big bike is a necessity, I will take a bike that has potential and modify it so that it looks like it was made that way.

    You might be right about the Daytona. I'll take a closer look at it. I do like the longer front-end though. Here is Sichuan, there are plenty of roads that are paved, even so that dirt roads are only used when absolutely necessary.

    As I have said, I'm a putter. Paved roads, nice weather, comfortable ride...if I can't have all three...I'll just keep my ass on the couch.

    With this forum and all my new found friends, I'm sure I could get one of you to ship me stuff (hi-po parts) if I can't find it locally.
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  10. #10 Re: Regal Raptor DG-350E-6 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    When I said covered in sand dirt and small rocks, I meant the actual road surface, not dirt tracks, but then some places that actually should be roads are dirt tracks!

    There are nice roads, sometimes really stunning roads, with beautiful views, but usually you've got go down some so-so roads to get there, this means having something with less rake than a spider offering you a better view to enable you to unleash that 23hp! Also ground clearance is an issue on the roads.

    I too have a Chinese wife, I understand the financial difficulties and how much money they save, and I support myself inside the Chinese economy as you do, that 's why I bought a regal Raptor myself too. Otherwise I'd have something imported.

    If you want a Regal Raptor find a good dealer, remember that what you buy could be the first one of its type to be registered in that region, this could be a problem, so pay a deposit and wait for them to get the bike in, and to register it in your wife's name. When it arrives and has plates and documentation, pay in full. Also check the VIN plate to make sure it is an 09 model or 2010 if that is when you buy it.

    Without consciousness, space and time are nothing; in reality you can take any time -- whether past or future -− as your new frame of reference. Death is a reboot that leads to all potentialities.
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