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  1. #1 Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob snakeeater's Avatar
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    Finally I am street legal with a Shineray X2 and want to share some impressions.

    Getting the bike

    To register a bike here in Huizhou you need to have the fapiao issued by a local dealer. Then within two weeks you have to register it. So I got an offer from the factory (“no problem, 5 days to my place”) went to the local dealer with some good reputation when actually ordering it quickly turned out that the delivery time is 4 weeks. Anyways, I paid, then everything went as planned, the dealer helped with the registration (I put on new decals before, no problem).

    I ordered it with two sets of tyres, supermoto and off-road. If came with supermoto tyres and looked like it was meant to be registered that way. But in the papers it says 21/18, anyways I changed to Enduro tyres for the beginning.

    To learn something about the bike I just took a look in the KTM XCF250 manual, quite similar. Shineray only provided me with the Chinese manual. It is sufficient to be sure which oil and brake fluid to use.

    The bike is a different beast that the Galaxy/CQR-class I rode before. With 178cm and the big wheels I can just balance it on the tips but got used to balance it quite fast. This bike is heavier and therefore more stable, you can take dirt-roads faster and compared to a smaller bike very comfy to ride on the pegs.


    Inspection close up

    When sitting on the bike the first time everything feels solid and nice. Security relevant screws like on the fork and brake discs are marked with yellow lacquer.

    By now I have put about 500km to the tacho, which brings me to the first pint of failure: no tacho signal right in the beginning. Tracked it down to the sensor cable/sensor replaced it, now works fine. Something that’s not in the manual: If you want to change between 17 inch and 21 front wheels you can set the tacho correctly. To do this, hold the left button while turning on the ignition to get to the setting.

    Next defect found: Engine leaking oil. My village mechanic fixed it with epoxy successfully.

    Then I saw the front brake hose slowly leaked brake fluid where the hose was crimped to the fitting. (even in China not acceptable).

    Then found the rear light glowing very dim and having constant power of 6V, tracked it down to the rear brake switch not opening fully. Don’t know if it was there from the beginning or from the bike getting wet, anyways, should not be. While trouble shooting this I also found two rear wires were crimped poorly, could pull them out without force, they were crimped on the insulation without removing any insulation at the cable end… just happens in China, taking it easy.

    Other than that I found about a hand full of loose screws, one holding the water cooler, one on the engine, Side stand, rear Lights… nothing major.

    With one fuel tank you can go about 200Km
    Max speed seems to be about 125Km/h, while 100km/h is a comfortable cruise-speed. Also with a passenger the bike handles well.
    The bike needs 1.3L to 14.L engine oil, oil plug has a magnet.

    And I nearly forgot: the original rear view mirror had an imperfection so the center of the image was donut-like, anyways; I came up with a stiffer, off-road friendly design.

    All in all that’s not more and not less than you should expect from any Chinese bike. You just have to look close enough - or just ride it a few months until something falls down. Going through all that stuff needed a lot of time, but made me really familiar and also comfortable with the bike.


    Recommended modifications

    • Get a pipe with better sound (taobao)
    • Aluminum Shield for the rear brake pump. (somebody on Taobao makes them)
    • 30mm Handle bar risers (somebody on Taobao makes them)
    • Hand guards, chest cushion, Neoprene front shock-socks.
    • Daylight running lights, additional brake lights, HID, power port and RAM GPS mount.
    • Two-tone car-horn with horn-relays (all together three horns now, had to change the circuit of the bike a bit and took some time to find good positions for the horns). Good on those mountain roads and in the city: when you honk people actually look at you.
    • This thing does not have a kick-start, so I already put two cables with crocodile clips under the saddle for the case. But on the other hand: right from the beginning it started very well. Under the saddle near the air filter you can also find some small space to carry emergency tools
    • I fitted a sealed chain and polyurethane guide roles. With the 52 teeth sprocket of the big wheels it is also better to get a custom rear chain guide (somebody on Taobao makes them)
    • Made an engine shield myself (no sharp corners, no screw heads)
    • The side stand was a bit short, had an extension welded on. And the mount of the spring interfered with the heel of my right boot. After grinding down the man screw, then shortening the pin of the spring (and filing new groves) I can place my foot about 15mm further in on the peg.



    All in all I am really happy with this bike and when I am done with it I am confident it will be a hell of a China-bike and I am looking forward to do longer trips. Here the bike in action in my backyard. (Lofu Mountain).

    IMG_20130601_152210 (Small).jpg

    P1070785 (Small).jpg

    P1070797 (Small).jpg

    P1070807 (Small).jpg
    Last edited by snakeeater; 06-04-2013 at 02:14 PM. Reason: attachments
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  2. #2 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    Life Is Good! ChinaV's Avatar
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    Really nice review of the Shineray. If those pictures are from LofuShan, I think I know the trail in the last picture.

    Cheers!
    ChinaV
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  3. #3 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
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    Congratulations and very good solid review, report and pics, keep it coming as we need some real bike riders contributing to MCM, gets boring pretty fast seeing only the usual posts about bike prices, registration, license, etc.... ride safe!
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  4. #4 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob snakeeater's Avatar
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    Yes, Lofu Shan, access from X293 (also nice to ride). China is small :)

    Just saw next week is dragon boat festival, I gues a good opportunity to explore Xinfengjiang Reservoir area, still inspired by your ride report :)
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  5. #5 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    C-Moto Guru milton's Avatar
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    Good review. I own a x2 as well. Your report pretty much sums up my initial experience with it.

    I have logged 8500km on mine already. Something good to have:
    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=...id=17751565957
    I have one of these for my GDW saddlebags.

    And a must-have:
    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=...id=22994868280

    This re-work of the seat really saved my butt during my last trip to Yunnan (about 3000 km). You send in your stock seat to the Taobao shop, which would add in additional foam and replace the stock cover. This is the only thing that actually works after searching around for a solution for a long time and many failed attempts.

    Also, keep a close eye on the spokes, especially the rear ones. My rear rim/spokes literally fell apart after 4000 km. Replaced almost over half of them and still failing. Right now Barry and I are trying to upgrade the spokes/rim to something more decent (a Taobao shop by the name of Comstar). Currently we are struggling with the angle of the spokes, holes on the new rim, and the technique of weaving the spokes to the rim/hub, with the help from Comstar. No final resolution yet but I will keep everyone posted on its progress.
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  6. #6 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    Duct tape savant felix's Avatar
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    Very useful review, thanks! I applaud your level headed patience and realistic expectations.
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  7. #7 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob snakeeater's Avatar
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    Thanks for your advice Milton! Will keep an eye on the spokes.

    For the rack: I will make one myself, will keep you posted. The seat is in my shopping charty since I ordered the bike, still trying to resist and be a tough guy. You now recommending it does not make it easier

    Any upgrades to increase power? On taobao I saw some suitable retrofit EFI
    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=...id=16871571516

    Good or bad idea?

    No point to invest in a race carb. For dual-sport riring, I also need low-end power.
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  8. #8 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob juice's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by snakeeater View Post
    I ordered it with two sets of tyres, supermoto and off-road. If came with supermoto tyres and looked like it was meant to be registered that way. But in the papers it says 21/18, anyways I changed to Enduro tyres for the beginning.
    What brand of tires did you get (Chinese)? And if so, are they any good?


    The bike is a different beast that the Galaxy/CQR-class I rode before. With 178cm and the big wheels I can just balance it on the tips but got used to balance it quite fast. This bike is heavier and therefore more stable, you can take dirt-roads faster and compared to a smaller bike very comfy to ride on the pegs.

    Quote Originally Posted by snakeeater View Post
    When sitting on the bike the first time everything feels solid and nice.
    How does it feel now, after riding it for some time?

    Quote Originally Posted by snakeeater View Post
    With one fuel tank you can go about 200Km
    Max speed seems to be about 125Km/h, while 100km/h is a comfortable cruise-speed. Also with a passenger the bike handles well.
    How would you describe the power down low (torque)? Does the bike have any grunt to it, or do you find yourself wanting for more power overall?

    Quote Originally Posted by snakeeater View Post
    Going through all that stuff needed a lot of time, but made me really familiar and also comfortable with the bike.
    Money aside and knowing what you now know, if you had to do it all over again would you have chosen the X5 instead?

    Quote Originally Posted by snakeeater View Post
    All in all I am really happy with this bike and when I am done with it I am confident it will be a hell of a China-bike and I am looking forward to do longer trips.
    I am probably fishing for the impossible here because riding skills differ from person to person, but if you could tell us a little bit about how the bike actually feels in the off road environment, it might aid in my decision.

    As coincidence would have it, before reading this post I was just speaking with a friend whom I consider to be a pretty good rider. He told me that he rode the X2 and didn't like it, or think much of it (to each his own I guess).

    I gather it to be a carbureted version. How's the throttle response in the technical stuff? Does it lag?

    In the end it may very well come down to, bite the bullet buy one and see for myself.

    Great write up, though.
    Last edited by ChinaV; 06-06-2013 at 11:31 PM. Reason: Quote Fix
    2010 BMW R1200 GSA
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  9. #9 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob snakeeater's Avatar
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    For tyres I got a set of 350RMB dual sport "turtle tyres" from taobao. That was the only 21 -18 seeming to be commonly available here.
    For knobbys there are more options, starting from 300RMB. The original Shineray knobbys cost about 650RMB, which indicates that there can be some quality differences.

    So I would much rather get some more expensive dual sport tyres. Was considering the X5 tyres, but the profile is not agressive enough for my taste.

    That being said, I rode the same "turtle tyres" for three years on my CQR, keept it outside in rain and sun. The profile is a bit worn down in the middle, but held up really well. If you look close the rubber looks more brittle now, than the new one, but nothing I would be concerned about. Did not have a singe flat. Now mounted the Shineray knobbys since I will use the bike just offroad now. As a side note regarding the 6000rmb CQR250: even after three years and compared to the "better" bikes I rode in the mean time, (including the Galaxy) I like it. Engine seems to run not as smooth and the preceived quality is not as high. But the power is still good, good torque and it handles well. Now that I am used to the X2 it feels like riding a bicycle, still good fun.

    So back to the tyres, for what I do they are perfectly fine. They give safe handling on the street, never failed me so far. And the profile is definitely offroad capable. I was having some good fun on hard sand and muddy holes yesterday, where X5 tyres would not go anywhere.
    If I wanted to go really aggressive on-road I would have more faith in the supermoto tyres. Still I feel the concrete road surfaces will anyway be the limiting factor. On the other hand I do not like to go more than a few Km on-road with real knobbies, bacause they "swim" a bit and braking capabilities are notably reduced. This is not the case with the turtles.

    Not having riden a bike of this form factor before, it just feels better and better. Engine runs smooth low and high, gers including Neutral do shift nicely. I also had the quote for the X5 on the table and would not have minded the price. But for my taste, in China I want a bike with full offroad capabilities and a weight you can control in out of control situations. Then rather modify it to suit ADV riding. In the contryside it can always happen that you notice a serious pot hole too late and have to go through it faster than woud like. With a real offroad bike you just get on the pegs and take it, no worries about the forks. And when not touring you can take the bike to the river/forest/mountain/construction site in the evening or weekend and have some fun.

    If looking for a pure travelling bike, then the X5 for sure. If looking for pure offroad I would get the AiKeshi with NC250 engine, with a bit more power it seems to be the best of cinese offroad bikes now. But it can not have a street license. For me the X2 is just perfect, no regrets. The power is definitely good, with good low end torque and throttle response, I do not rev it high often. With the girlfriend on the back it is still fine, do not feel any lag of power. If you are used to ride a 450cc of the same class that might be different for you. Of cause, if I could have a bit more power I would happily take it for the fun
    For your reference, I do not consider my skills to be like a really good rider, just riding for pleasure.
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  10. #10 Re: Shineray X2X review, Guandong 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob snakeeater's Avatar
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    Small update here:

    A few weeks ago I was on the trail, the bike had about 600KM on it. That day I noticed some slight, irregular touching noise at the front disk. Of cause investigated it carefully, but came to the conclusion that the brake disk just must be slightly off balance. The disk did not get hot during riding, so I did not worry too much. Then that day when starting to head home suddenly the noise got louder and I could watch small silver balls escaping my front-hub one by one. Thankfully I was not too far out. Still the way back to town at walking speed, wobbeling front wheel and grinding aluminum was not pleasant.

    At the shop the guy right away went out to get the most expensive NSK bearings he could find in town. - then his junior assistant hammered them back into the wasted hub on the floor and said I am GTG. That made my day

    IMG_20130608_182816[1] (Small).jpg

    Well, can't blame the bike, just the monkeys who assembled it. Wrote a friendy mail to Shineray with pics, but no reply. The dealer anyway said no point to try, warranty is just on the engine...


    Good occasion to switch to Supermoto tyres while fixing the offroad wheels.

    While stripping down and reassembling the wheels completely (with heating the bearings, pullers, etc.) I noticed several things:

    Front bearings (size 6906) just have a metall seal (those are not really tight).
    Rear bearings (size 6005) have a rubber seal
    There are additional seals size 35*47*7
    The bearing seats are aluminum. The seals are also oon the aluminum, were not greased and already grinded themselves into the aluminum and lust their fit.
    The rims on the bike and also on my other bike are actually one to two sizes too narrow compared to the offroad tyres.
    For the spokes there are two different lengths each wheel for inner and outer spokes (you can spend a lot of time with a wheel if you notice this too late)

    So I got some broader rims, import double rubber sealed bearings front and back plus the other seals. Reassembled everything with plenty of grease, including the spokes (!) You want the tightening torque to be as tension in the spokes, this tension keeps them tight (like the stretch of a screw). If the threats are dry you loose a lof of your torque as friction in the the head and in the threats. So you feel you applied a lot of torque (you did) but in fact your spokes are not very tight.
    I also found KT966 dual sport tyres, which seem to be better than the turtles (which are still very good value). The KT966 has reinforced sidewalls (a PITA to mount) and is designed for hot weather.


    Anyways, the supermoto tyers were fun too. And last weekend I found out they are also quite offroad capable.

    IMG_20130707_065628_960 (Small).jpg

    IMG_20130707_074832_122 (Small).jpg

    IMG_20130707_102041_252 (Small).jpg

    That trail went pretty deep into the forest and was really adventurous. Have to come back with proper tyres and gardening tools


    BTW I also got my seat reholstered, it is a great improvement, thanks milton.
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