250cc options in China.

[dewsnap]

Researching 250cc bikes in Shanghai as my first beginners bike. I know there's plenty of knowledge in this forum so i was hoping someone could shed some light.

I was looking into the Honda CBF 250cc but the dealer said only the 125cc versions are available in China. Also looked at the 250cc Regal Raptor but i've heard some bad reviews saying that it's heavy, underpowered and overpriced. (that's not a statement btw, it's a truly beautiful bike) The Honda Shadow 150cc is also appealing but it's not gonna offer anything more than my little 150cc scooter.

I'm struggling for ideas...

I saw a review of the Loncin 250cc on this forum which looks amazing but i don't know any Loncin dealers, and to be honest i've never heard of them before. Any thoughts on that bike or a close equivalent?

My dream bike would be the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, but it seems they're not readily accessible either. It looks like the Yamaha YBR 250cc is my last available option but i'm stuck on the fence on that one.

My mandarin sucks so it's hard to get any decent information from dealers, hence my begging for answers from this forum. Euphorius has already been a great help. Thanks for that.

[andre555]

check here, lots of options named...http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...?2401-Now-what

[euphonius]

dear dewsnap,

Good lord, I wouldn't wish a Ninja 250 (or any sport bike) on even my worst enemy in this country. that is NOT an ideal newbie bike for you, as alluring as it might seem. You want something with a safe upright riding position, not the semi-prostrate posture of a crotch rocket. thankfully, china limits us to dual sport type bikes and low-slung cruisers like the raptor. at risk of offending our low-slung members, I'd also be loath to ride a cruiser -- raptor, harley or otherwise -- in china, since the low, laid back semi-recumbent position, as with the sport bikes, puts you at a disadvantage for seeing what's around you and responding to all the shit that local drivers will throw your way.

as you can see, qingqi features prominently in chinaV's dreams -- but also his nightmares, as they are not one of the better service providers among china's bike makers, and far inferior to the good folks at Yingang, as you'll come to understand as you read through ChinaV's thread. (edited)

I've heard there's a Qingqi dealer out on Wuzhong Lu somewhere (which is kind of your neighborhood, if you are in Xinzhuang; at least it's in Minhang). As a matter of fact, it was a guy riding a Qingqi 250 who told me when we were stopped together at a red light. here's a list I just found in baidu, and the wuzhong lu outlet is the first on the list. no idea what models they stock...

上海东洲汽车销售服务有限公司 上海市闵行区吴中路669号 021-52060678
上海东洲铃木旗舰店 上海市中山北一路1028号 021-65426524
上海东州大柏树店 上海市虹口区汶水东路101号 021-65160678
上海乐嘉源摩托车销售有限公司 上海市三鲁路农机站 021-54336198
上海罗罗摩托车销售有限公司 上海罗店镇罗升路212号 021-56864685
上海易余摩托车销售有限公司 上海市南汇区航头镇富航路19号 021-58229625

cheers

[dewsnap]

You're certainly not wrong. The Ninja is a truly 'wild bike' and totally not practical for the Shanghai streets. Although that Loncin 250 that's posted on this site seems to be targeting the Ninja market. I wonder if it'll take off.
Well i've spent the day dragging the missus around the bike dealers, and i think i've narrowed down my search for the perfect 250.

We both instantly fell in love with the Regal-Raptor DD250. I was fully prepared to get the credit card out there and then, but she rightly kept me grounded. 14K for a bike of that quality is absolutely astounding, maybe i shouldn't convert everything into pounds but 1500 quid is a complete steal, and would afford very little back in the UK.
The other bike that had us drooling was the Shineray XY 250. We're both leaning towards the Raptor, but if anybody knows anything about either bike plz send infoShineray XY250.jpgRegal-Raptor DD250.jpg

[jape]

I think you really need the GF to sit on them with you for a mile or two on a trial run if she is a factor as a regular passenger! Neither of those seats look very comfortable and I see so many passengers with their heads up above the rider which looks off balance too. I hate weight up high on bikes even if the passenger does get a view.

My experience with a passenger is that the old-fashioned machines have best seats, then dual-sports as long as you pay regard to the exhaust and make sure it has guards. The worst passengers tend to look around and sit up and lean the wrong way, and on a dual-sport they sort of hug you closer which helps! I took a GF once on one of those high-up pillion seats and she grabbed me round the head with her hands over my eyes ... on the dual-sport her hands go in my pockets and she falls asleep ... thought of fixing a back rest and strapping her to it but at that point we weren't getting on too well so I considered that if she disappeared off the back somewhere in the bush it wouldn't be huge problem ... Hmm, GF and luggage? I hope she is asian and typically lightweight, lol. Maybe a sidecar ... or a bike each?

Jokes aside, my last regular passenger was about ten stone (not that she admitted it) and the 200cc was fine, hardly noticed the difference except in acceleration, once it wound up it was fine with the weight. But I am not sure even a modern 250cc is really enough for a longer haul with a passenger if you have any highway riding to do, so the JH600 might be worth a second, closer look. Have you looked at the posts by Pfaelzer, Euphonius and Milton to mention a few? I know Milton has taken his GF round the place a bit, he has posted here about it. Then again, many here take the GF on the back of the Galaxies and Qlinks so they will soon tell you how it goes.
What sort of roads you going to travel, you say Shanghai streets but from what the lads here show us, you are very soon on gravel or other bumpy roads once you start taking day trips and you are sure to do that soon?

[dewsnap]

Haha. Nice.
The missus isn't really that keen. She's an outdoors enthusiast and i somehow managed to sell the bike by suggesting camping trips on the weekends.
She just thinks the bike is pretty. I'll use the bike for weekend trips out to the country and the like.