Purchased in Haiti - Sukida 250-GY

[alexanderrx]

A friend of mine and I are taking a trip around the island of hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti), so I just recently purchased two motorcycles to get the job done.

I had originally set my eyes on Haojin 150-11Bs, but after my order was sold to someone else, I had to look somewhere else. In addition to a supply shortage, Large government organizations have been buying up all the smaller (and cheaper) dual sports, so I decided to get more expensive bikes (or risk us not getting any).

Enter Sukida 250-GY.

Pros:

1) Power - virtually all bikes here are 125cc or less. After learning to ride a small bike like this, I wasn't sure if power was something we really needed. After purchasing the Sukida, I now know what all the hype is about (And it's just a 250!)! It also sounds nice. :)

2) Style - I don't necessarily mind the old-school styling of many of the bikes, but sometimes they just look cheap (even though mine is too), especially in regards to the dash console.

3) Handling and Braking - Far superior than any normal street bike. Soft ride makes driving on Haitian roads a cinch. Shifting is especially easier. No stomping the shifter like I've had to do with some of the bikes I tried out.

4) Size - All other bikes I've ridden here (Street bikes) have been way too small. I'm not tall, but it felt as if my legs were getting a stretch being on them. Not with the Sukida. It's a perfect size, plus the same, if not less, weight (thanks to the plastic gas tank)

5) Quality & Price - Certainly it's not as nice as the Honda's and Suzuki's, but at $1,600 (Talked down from $2,125), it's a great value, and visibly better quality than the $750 rust buckets running around.

Cons:

1) Crappy Wiring - I don't know if it was done by the Haitian that put it together of if it is the production line, but just looking at the way the wires are all put away just worries me. Lots of dodgy electrical tape, not much anything else.

2) Cheap rubber - The rubber on my hand grips, for instance, has already started to wear off. I have like 10 miles on the thing!

3) Soft tires and terrible inner-tubes - The tires are OK, but I can't seem them holding up much past our trip. I can take a chunk of rubber out with my fingernail if I try. I haven't had a problem with the inner-tubes yet, but I've heard enough bad about them to know they need replaced immediately.

4) Factory Carb Settings - I'm still a novice, but when the coldest it get's at night is 80F, the bike shouldn't be having trouble starting.

5) Gas Gauge - Seriously, who makes a vehicle without a gas gauge? granted, these things break so quickly on the chinese bikes, it's pointless after the first 3 months of ownership, but regardless! At least it has a nice 15L tank to get me where I need to go.

6) Loose bolts - This isn't China's fault. The Haitian that got paid $0.50 to put it together didn't tighten everything like he should have. You get what you pay for...

7) Back Brake - The back brake is vital in an environmental like Haiti, where every meter hides a surprise pothole or misplaced rock. However, Sukida went cheap on the 250 GY and opted for a back cable driven drum brake. At least it stops the bike when pressed, unlike some motos i've ridden.


Check out the pics!