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  1. #1 Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Steve_Halt's Avatar
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    So I firmly decided to part ways with my Asiawing LD450. Burn it/sell it, whatever.
    Question is: I need a new plateable (read: legal) bike.
    My requirements are as follows:
    1. The bike has to be reliable, I ride all the year around, whatever season/weather.
    2. Handling. The bike should handle well - I'm riding downtown, that's heavy traffic and not much riding space.
    3. It has to have adequate lighting, I ride at night as well and I know how terrible it feels to ride with a joke of a headlight.
    4. Body finish. i don't have a shed. I down't own a garage. I don't live in that fancy apartment complex. I leave my bike outside with just a cover on it. I need paint to last.
    5. Service. I would never ever want to experience it again when I go to the dealer I bought a bike with and they say something like "不好意思,没帮法" and leave you at that.
    6. Would be good (very-very good) if the bike had enough ground clearance to, say, jump up/down a curb.

    I'm not a stunt-rider, I ride very carefully, well within my limits. Often take my 4-year-old daughter on the bike. The main purpose is city commute, 1-hour-plus rides sometimes.
    I don't care about how the bike looks, I care about how it performs - I have nobody to impress. My height: 180 cm; weight: 75 kg.

    I was looking at different offerings here, starting from a 50000 yuan Benelli BJ 600 (that's the price with the plates) and 48000 yuan CFMoto 650 NK all the way to Suzuki GN 125, which will be under 20000 yuan plated.
    I'll be buying the bike around the end of November (my birthday), so have more than enough time to save up for it.

    Give me some recommendations, please.
    Thanks all.
    Steve
    Last edited by Steve_Halt; 06-26-2012 at 10:39 AM. Reason: incomplete info & spelling mistakes
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  2. #2 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
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    brilliant China bikes = BMW F800GS and F650GS in my personal opinion.
    must say, I am not very fond of PRC manufactured bikes, your opinion might vary.
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  3. #3 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    Senior C-Moto Guru euphonius's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve_Halt View Post
    ...4. Body finish. i don't have a shed. I down't own a garage. I don't live in that fancy apartment complex. I leave my bike outside with just a cover on it. I need paint to last.

    You've cast this point as being about the weather, but it raises serious security concerns about virtually any bike you buy, whether a Jialing cabbage bike or the pristine steeds TB mentioned. No bike of any quality can be expected to be left unmolested in urban China if it's left out in the conditions you describe. At a minimum, it'll be vandalized or lose parts to thieves. But the odds are extremely good that within a relatively short period of time it'll simply disappear, and it won't matter really what quality of locks and other security you use.

    Motorcycle thieves are very sophisticated, and once your bike is on their radar it's as good as gone. A thief will spot you somewhere, like your bike, and follow you home, then observe your behavior and that of your neighbors just long enough to plan a low-risk theft. You can find links in MCM showing closed-circuit video of guys jumping out of a van and simply lifting a locked bikes into it, all in under 10 seconds. And you'll get no sympathy from the police if you are locking your bike outside in public.

    You've given yourself five months to find the right bike. Use some of that time to find a safe harbor for your well-considered purchase.

    Good luck, and happy hunting -- for a bike and a place to safely park it.

    Cheers
    Last edited by euphonius; 06-26-2012 at 03:53 PM.
    jkp
    Shanghai
    2010 JH600 "Merkin Muffley" (in Shanghai)
    2000 KLR650 "Feezer Ablanalp" (in California)
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  4. #4 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Zorge's Avatar
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    How about a low-profile 110 or 125 cc "underbone"?

    Reliable, nimble, comfy, enough sturdy, and at the same time, unattractive to "borrowers".
    Ask me nothing - I DO NOT speak english. Really...
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  5. #5 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    C-Moto Guru TexasAggie's Avatar
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    Keeping the rubber side down.....most of the time.
    Nanjing wheels:BMW F800GS / Texas wheels:BMW R1200GSA & 70' Bultaco El Bandido
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  6. #6 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    foreign China moto dude bikerdoc's Avatar
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    I read your other post ASiawing 450 - drama yesterday, didn't have the heart to reply with my advice... but see you have come to your senses.. no point to throw good money after bad, or flog a dead horse! One thing though is that a mate was seriously interested in one of those since they are lamost ideal for Chinas roads or what they refer to as roads, could be legally plated and so forth... a little too basic for my liking. The friend was trying to convince me to buy one as well, but the more I thought about it and after all our collective experiences with motorcycles and China over a collective 25 plus years, decided to give the LD540 a pass... glad I did.

    Given some thought to your wants and checklist...

    I'd recommed a CFMoto Jetmax (Jiema) 250cc scoot. Before you scoof, it is a maxi scoot, and for a Chinese made it isn't half bad.

    Sure I've mooded the hell out of mine, to better fit me, but of the shop floor it's prett much ok. You might like to do a search to find my comprehensive review here on MCN.

    From what you describe I think it'd tick almost all the boxes as per your wish list. Bonus is that it has plenty of room, and I take my 5 year old son, sitting on the front section of the riders seat (ie. sits in front of me), and he loves it. I can always prop myself on the riders back support section of the seat if things get too tight up front. What I like about this is it gives my son a great view, loads of protection from the elements, and we can chat to one another. Another great thing is that with a scoot even a bigger than your average maxi scoot, most Chinese are oblivious that there is a foreigner riding it. Usually they have to take a second or third look. It might not always be the case since I ride with all the gear all the time (ATGATT), so that makes me stand out from the norm, but there you go.

    The scoot rides like most motorbikes, and certainly better than the average Chinese moto. Price wise I think it not badly priced for what it is and what you get. Great thing is there lots of storage under the seat and if you add a topbox you can more than run errands on it. I sometimes do a fairly big shop, and get by more than ok. Sure, I have to be creative at times, with placement of bought items, but it will beat a motorcycle hnds down. As for covering it with a cover then it has few poking out points to get snagged so will cover up nice.

    I'm with the others though, get yourself new digs or find a undercover lockable space to rent nearby, that's in a secure compound. Another thing is, only stay at hotels that either have a dedicated motorcycle park with security guard (ply them with fags) or a place where they will let you park in the lobby late at night. Any place that provide either - I don't stay at. And get and use a good lock - maybe two... I got a high tensile imported lock from that is rated 9 out of 10 its like a wrapped chain in a sleeve - heavy as, with an untypical key and looking mechanism. Sorry can't be sure but I think it was called Masterlock? (will check when I get home). Anyway bought it for around rmb200-300 from B&Q. Do a search on taobao...

    So looking at your list...

    1. All season riding... yep no worries there better than most motorcycles I own which is why it is my preferred choice when I want to throw a leg over - a bike.
    2. Handling... yep, aint no superbike but it handles unlike the average Chinese scoot, and bonus is it is a doodle in stop go traffic... if you mood it like me, it gets even better, but I doubt you'd be disappointed out of the shop.
    3. Lighting... ok of the shop floor, but I mooded mine with HID xenon and it is great... two lights up front help too, makes the profile standout from all the others around.
    4. Finish and paint work... mines lasted well, though it spends its time parked in garages or under cover, but being that its a scoot enclosed and what not, I feel it would serve you well, and like I said - throwing a cover on it will be less of a chore, with no snag points like a motorbike.
    5. Servicing, is simple... I do most of my own, and CFMoto have a TMall shop on taobao so you can buy the air filter, oil fliter and so forth for little money and its easy to change these items youself. The only big deal is the drive belt and getting access to it every 20000 km, but if you are like me and sick to death of knuckle dragging spanner monkeys then I prefer to do all the work myself. Get yourself a good electric portable impact driver and descent set of tools and you will be good to go. It's what I did to get into changing the drive belt myself and its easy as..
    6. Jumping kerbs, ok got me there, I do sometimes but, taking it easy, a enduro or trail bike it aint... but that's the only comprmise, that and not being able to ride single track... well unless it's dry...

    Bonus is, they are fast rides (theres a Jetlux that is faster, but it offers less protection from the elements and has smaller wheels).
    Honestly the Jetmax is not as good as a TMax or Burgman (I've a Burgman executive 650 and that is the bees knees of maxis), but for the money and being able to legally plate the Jetmax in China, it's been reliable as, except for the battery crapping out after a year (I've an alarm, and bought a trickle charger which worked great on charge the 3 months while I was away in OZ and NZ (until very recently)).
    You could always look at a Kymco xciting 250 maxi scoot which are legally available, but cost 3-4 times the Jetmax. Having seen one first hand though, the finish is way better than the Jetmax... but I can't justify the money on a 250cc... if I could get the Xciting 500 I'd be in... even if the price was closer to double the xciting 250's.

    Now I see what you say about the BJ600, CF650NK or 650TR, but one of the things that puts me off... is the lack of a centre stand... I don't want a bike without one... when I need to work on a tyre, chain or just the rear in some isolated place, the last thing I want to have to do is find something to hold the bike up with, or lay the girl down. Nope it got to have a centre stand, I have a XS1100 Dragstar Classic and not having a centre stand is one pain in the arse!

    I do think that the G650GS (single cylinder model) though would be a nice compromise for China conditions. More so than the F650GS or F800GS (both twin cycliners models). The singles engine is made here so it cost considerably less...


    BD
    Last edited by bikerdoc; 06-27-2012 at 05:09 AM.
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  7. #7 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Steve_Halt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TB-Racing View Post
    brilliant China bikes = BMW F800GS and F650GS in my personal opinion.
    must say, I am not very fond of PRC manufactured bikes, your opinion might vary.
    Agreed. Is there a place where I can get F650GS? If there is, how much will it be with all the paperwork?
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  8. #8 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Steve_Halt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by euphonius View Post

    You've cast this point as being about the weather, but it raises serious security concerns about virtually any bike you buy, whether a Jialing cabbage bike or the pristine steeds TB mentioned. No bike of any quality can be expected to be left unmolested in urban China if it's left out in the conditions you describe. At a minimum, it'll be vandalized or lose parts to thieves. But the odds are extremely good that within a relatively short period of time it'll simply disappear, and it won't matter really what quality of locks and other security you use.

    Motorcycle thieves are very sophisticated, and once your bike is on their radar it's as good as gone. A thief will spot you somewhere, like your bike, and follow you home, then observe your behavior and that of your neighbors just long enough to plan a low-risk theft. You can find links in MCM showing closed-circuit video of guys jumping out of a van and simply lifting a locked bikes into it, all in under 10 seconds. And you'll get no sympathy from the police if you are locking your bike outside in public.

    You've given yourself five months to find the right bike. Use some of that time to find a safe harbor for your well-considered purchase.

    Good luck, and happy hunting -- for a bike and a place to safely park it.

    Cheers
    You're right about the storage place. It's OK, I had it sorted out yesterday. Problem solved.
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  9. #9 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Steve_Halt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Zorge View Post
    How about a low-profile 110 or 125 cc "underbone"?

    Reliable, nimble, comfy, enough sturdy, and at the same time, unattractive to "borrowers".
    should also be reasonable price, to add to the list, that is.
    Don't know, really. Rode an undergone in Shanghai once. Feels weird, half-bike/half-scooter. Read somewhere they race them in Thailand... Have to check the shops see what they have on offer.
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  10. #10 Re: Need Help Choosing a Bike 
    Senior C-Moto Guru Steve_Halt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bikerdoc View Post
    I'd recommed a CFMoto Jetmax (Jiema) 250cc scoot <...>
    Wow. I haven't really considered a scooter. I read your review and, yes, that sounds like a reasonable option. Never rode a maxi-scooter before, will ask someone around for a test ride.
    Are there any downsides to the scooter you have? Anything you aren't satisfied with? How does it ride with a passenger?
    Thanks!
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