Absolute noob looking for a budget Chinese cruiser. Thinking of getting RR DD125E-5F.

[DrDustCell]

That's the Regal Raptor DD125E-5F (link). I'm thinking of graduating from my unlicensed scooter by getting a license and buying a real motorcycle that I can take around Zhejiang and her nearby provinces.

If anyone here has any experience with it or with the brand, please drop a few lines! I've read some threads in here as well, and it seems the reception is kinda mixed.. And if ever I'm not getting this, are there other sub-10k yuan (limited undergrad student budget) cruisers around that I can get?

[ZMC888]

Honestly! I'm just gonna say it: WHY a cruiser? Is it the image? The Jon Bon Jovi leather-tassle homo-erotic style that attracts you? Or is the the laid back comfortable style. Really cruisers only make sense in mid west America where there are no turns and it's 300 miles of straight Highway to the next service station and you think you are a rebel. For a Chinese city they suck, especially an underpowered one. If you want to ride a reliable motorcycle that suits urban and out of town riding for under 10K buy....


Sundiro Honda CBF150

2010-yamaha-ybr-125.jpg
Jianshe Yamaha YBR125


Haojue Suzuki EN125

1996_GN125_black_480.jpg
If you're desperate for a Cruiser, I think Wonjan Suzuki still make the GN125

I have a Regal Raptor, they are at best OK, if you are experienced and can keep on top of maintenace and repair they can serve you reasonably well, it's my 6th bike and 3rd in China. My previous bike was a Sundiro CBF150. The quality was waaaay better on that. If you intend on keeping the bike outside the Regal Raptor could be a disaster and will rot in front of your eyes. The Japanese made in China stuff whilst inferior to Japanese made bikes will have at least a fighting chance.

Not attacking you.....just being dead honest.

Cheers Z.

[DrDustCell]

Hey Z, thanks for being frank, I'm new to this so I want to get it straight.

It's the seat size and assured butt comfort for hours that's making cruisers so damn attractive to me. The riding position just.. looks so relaxed. I've ridden quite a few scooters, and if there's anything I learned from them, it's: seat size, seat softness, great riding position are of top importance for a commuter bike. I've tried (to get on) to a YBR125 and a Haojiang 125-8b before, and it seemed like I could suffer from a butt and back ache if I rode that in traffic for a couple of hours, especially having to put my foot down in every red light. *** Disclaimer: I've never ridden a motorcycle before ***

I also feel that cruisers are beautiful. Sexy sport bikes and macho no-nonsense offroads don't really cut it for my aesthetic taste. Standards are ok. This is a distant second concern compared to the above though. In fact, prior to your list, I've also been eyeing the Haojiang 125-8b as a "backup" purchase for around 6000 yuan:



As for maintenance, I don't want to shy away from that. I'm inexperienced, but in my opinion I should learn about these things while still being an undergrad. I might not have much time later....

[ZMC888]

The thing is the Cruiser might look relaxed, but the thing is a dynamic riding position will help you control the bike better. The reason that mountain bikes, motocross bikes, enduro bikes, dispatch rider commuters look the way they do and not Henry Fonda in Easy Rider is because the best position to to sit to a control a motorcycle is pretty much universal except for high speed racing machines. Haojiang I don't know, I'd stick to a joint venture bike.

You'll still need to maintain any bike, change the bulbs, tires, brake pads, oil, chain, sprockets, levers now and again etc...just with a crap bike you'll have to do repair too.

Personally I'd buy a CBF150 or YBR125, but it's your money.

[zhu]

the gn 125 or haojue version is a nice comfy bike
without all the bullshit twin pipes, footboards and other hardly dividson look a like dead weight

the gn is very common as a training bike in aus and nz
comes with a 20k warranty here in china
usually priced at around 5000 yuan

[DipStick]

Hi Dr DC,

I'm a newbie rider too. Let me tell you a story. In my teenage years, I drove a 50cc moped and dreamt about a real motorcycle. Fast forward 25 years and I'm finally in a position to treat myself to a bike. So I had to face the eternal question: what is a good beginner bike. There is only one answer to that question: it depends who you ask. Which did not help me much, since I read or heard all kinds of advice.

But one first pattern emerged: it also depends what you want to do with it. Blazing dirt trails or speed racing? Answering that one is easy. But how about me, average Joe, who would like to do a little bit of this, a little of that? Even better, average Joe who has not yet figured out what he wants to do with said bike?

The second pattern that emerged from the answers to the eternal question was a little more useful to this average DipStick. Get a bike you like, which fits you, and that you can control. Now we're getting somewhere. I sort of knew what I liked: cruisers are so cool, crotch rockets are so damn hot! Yep, that's just me, cool and hot! ;))) OK, OK, maybe I'm not, but I sure would love to be. Isn't that what bikes are about anyway (at least in part)?

Keep in mind that the other part of the eternal question is also about engine displacement. Opinions are split between 250cc and 600cc as entry level (125cc's are not that popular in North America).

First things first: take a riding course. So I went and took the Canadian equivalent to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. And what do you know, they had 125s and 250s for the students. The 125 was a standard bike (Honda Titan) and the 250 was a dual-sport (Kawa Sherpa). Dual-sport? What's that? Never considered it before... So I went for the Kawa because I figured I might as well learn on a larger bike. The instructors agreed, but more on account of my height. I loved it.

Later, I went to various dealerships (back home in Canada before moving to China) and looked at various models and sat on them. I was still undecided about what I liked best. But I knew I wanted a 250cc. I sat on the Honda Rebel in a showroom. I still think it's one of the best looking small cruisers out there, but after my 2 days on the Sherpa, I hated the riding position of the Rebel. How can one possibly control this thing in a city environment? Not much leverage on the handlebars, and very poor visibility.

Since I am biased in favour of Honda (I was very happy for years with my Honda car), I also checked out and absolutely adored the (then) new CBR250. Sporty looking, full fairing, but with a less forward-leaning riding position. It was priced to compete with the Kawa Ninja 250 as an entry level bike, and came with optional ABS brakes, unheard of in that category!

In the end, I decided that the best fit for me was a dual sport. I loved the idea of being able to go from asphalt to dirt path at the drop of a hat! Ideal for a multipurpose use!

So I came to China with the set idea of getting a dual purpose bike. I researched the JH600 (see several excellent threads from Euphonius including this one on bike registration) but in the end thought a 250 would suffice. I was also worried about all the posts here on MCM here about constant maintenance and repairs of some of the Chinese brand bikes. Like ZMC's post above. I heard about the joint venture Yamaha YBR 250, searched some more and was comforted by reviews on the Forum (thank you Soberpete!). And thank you Fred.

When I saw the pictures of the YBR250, I forgot all about dual purpose bikes (I'm mainly going to use it to commute to work) and finally decided that a "city bike" is the one for me. So I went ahead and bought one. I should get it sometime this week, keeping my fingers crossed .

If price is an issue, the 125cc version also has good reviews.

Bottom line: unless you plan on going trekking out of town on a regular basis like some MCM members do, a city bike is probably the best choice for commuting. As a new driver in a busy Chinese city, you need to be able to control the bike for tight quick turns and have a good field of vision, so in my mind a cruiser is not the best. As ZMC said, joint venture Japanese brands have a " fighting chance" in being hassle free, mechanically speaking.

Above all, the best bike is the one you're in love with. A bit like wives and girlfriends...


DipStick

[DrDustCell]

DipStick, a LOT of excitement and emotion sure went into that reply! Rest assured I've digested every single word you typed: I read and reread and reread it.. haha. I can totally resonate with the "I'm surrounded by so many bikes; I want them all! ...but I don't know a lick about 'em" vibe at the beginning of the post as that's where I stand right now. Oh, and add to that student budget constraints.

Anyway I've taken a closer look at the price tags of everyone's suggestions (from Taobao only, cheapest believable price, brand new)
CBF150 - ￥11,000
YBR125 - ￥9,900
EN125 - ￥7,000
GN125 - couldn't find on Taobao..

First off, the CBF150 and the YBR125 are totally outside my budget already. Every thousand counts.. I still have to purchase plates, insurance, locks, alarm, gps tracker, as well as a gps device.. not to mention tools for maintenance.. If I get a CBF150 I'll probably have to eat only once per day in the canteen for 2 years! Hahaha!

I should probably make my intentions perfectly clear for getting the motorcycle. During school months, I'll be using it as a commuter bike to go from dorm to class, (or hospital.. I'm taking medicine) to go outside to eat or withdraw cash, to go to clubs (no drinking though!), impress and ride with friends, go pick up nice young girls.. things an undergrad would do. Essential stuff and stupid stuff. You get the point

During vacation months and weekends, I'm planning on going on short 100-500km road trips (at least in the first year of ownership) in Zhejiang. I've a nice DSLR and I haven't been using it as much as I should.. Probably go camping in one of the many mountains around Hangzhou as well. Am planning on accumulating enough skill over the years to go on trips to Jiangsu, Anhui, and Fujian provinces.

Back to the main issue: I'm going to heed the wisdom of the more experienced bikers here, so I'm going to limit my purchase to joint-ventures only. Right now, the top of my list is Sundiro-Honda because that's the closest dealer (<5km) from where I am and it's also the place where I bought my last scooter. I'm not shutting out Wuyang, Jianshe, and Haojue though, but it seems less likely I'll be getting from them since I'll probably want closer customer service. (me = n00b) We'll see. I've started canvassing various prices from Taobao and I'll be going to the SDH dealer tomorrow or the day after to inquire.

There's a couple SDH bikes that have caught my eye, may I request some input?

1. SDH125-51/51A (CBF125) =LINK=
This seems like the 125cc version of the CBF150 if I'm not mistaken. Taobao price ￥7900.




2. SDH125-53/53A (CB125) =LINK=
What's the difference between a CBF and a CB if they're both 125cc? Less reliable? Beats me.. Taobao price ￥5800.



Thanks for all the patience..

[ZMC888]

OK, go with the CBF125. Front disk brake, you really need that in traffic. However if you can find the CB125 with a disk, maybe go for that. I think the CBF is better bolted together with a more modern, better balanced engine.

Also buy a bicycle if you don't have one already. Motorcycling or any driving no matter what anyone tells you is an incident per kilometer thing. Better trained riders, more experienced riders, more careful riders and more aware riders and drivers just increase the space between each incident. If you regularly use a motorcycle for short trips under 3km you'll end up unfit, more prone to accidents and exposing your bike to potential theft, a smart move would be to set a minimum distance before you'll use the motorcycle or maybe only doing short distances with a cute passenger.

[zhu]

Yeah drum brakes suck
get the biggest brakes you can and learn to use them

[ShuBen]

... just an idea ....

What about second hand market? Is there no chance to get one?
In Beijing you can find various offers, partially including plates.