Hello from Brazil - riding the Sundowns.

[PandaBeat]

Look! Argentinean version (Im from there lol) has a DISC rear brake!

Tenes razon! ni me habia dado cuenta del freno de disco!

:o

[Ricardo]

Many thanks for the input - PandaBeat and andres357mag. Really good info.

[PandaBeat]

Many thanks for the input - PandaBeat and andres357mag. Really good info.

nenhum problema ricardo!

[Ricardo]

Dear fellow riders

I have new material already published at the Internet about my Sundown STX Motard. Unfortunately I didn't have a good outcome concerning my ultimate adventure with my bike.

I had an unpleasant and unwanted surprise regarding my bike's clutch and gear box. All sets went "to space": clutch, primary and secondary transmissions. As simple as that. This never happened to me before, in all those 41 years of motorcycling I have. This is a deceptive result for a quite happy "love affair" of three years.

Please check it out at my page: http://www.caldas.com.br/30anos/Motorcycling_2011.html .

After that my only option is to return to the "Japanese handlebars".

Cheers!

[euphonius]

Dear Ricardo,

Very nice blog you've posted. I browsed through a lot of pages, and really enjoyed seeing your slice of Brasil!

I also was amazed to see the list of Qingqi permutations that you noted you'd received from Forchetto via MCM. The list is so good I've grabbed it and reproduced here in this thread!

The following information was passed on to me by my wise and very experienced fellow rider (from MyChinaMoto.com forum) Forchetto. I think it is a very useful piece of info.

The original maker is JINAN QINGQI, Model QM200GY-BA (also known as QM200GY-B(A)) for the super motard version. Also made by an outfit known as Shandong Pioneer and called XF200GY-B this is some sort of subsidiary of the main factory.

In USA it's the QLINK XF200
In Brasil STX 200 Motard Sundown

In the UK it appears as:

Pulse Adrenaline 125 (XF125GY-2B)
Sinnis Apache QM200GY
Superbyke RMR200
Pioneer XF200-2V

In Argentina it is a Beta Motard (http://www.betamotor.com.ar/)
In Chile/Colombia QMT200 or GXT Euromot
In the Philippines it's a Sinski Motard 200R
In Paraguay Genesis GXT200 B
In Honduras a KMF
In Spain it's marketed by Qingqi importer direct or I-moto as a Tiger sm 125
In Turkey it's a Ramzey QM200GY
In Checkoslovakia it's a YUKI 250 SM (too close to YUCKY for comfort...)
In Russia it's called QINGQI DRAGON 200 SUPERMOTO
In France Hooper 125 SMR
In Germany it's imported by the prestigious Kreidler as a Supermoto 125 DD
In Australia Arqin motorcycles RT200SM
In Sweden and Norway they call it a TMS Supermotard 200cc
In the Ukraine its a SkyMoto Dragon-200
In South Africa its a Viper 200

I hope you've sorted out your gearbox problems. The motard looks fantastic, even if you don't score it as highly as a Japanese or Brasilian-built Japanese bike!

cheers!

[Ricardo]

Dear jkp

I hope you understood the very core of my deception regarding the gearbox problem. I am still a huge fan of my Motard. On the other hand I need a bike that I can count on, that I can rely on regardless of any other particularity.

All the best for you!

Thank you for your input

[moilami]

That I would call a big dilemma

[Ricardo]

Hi Moilami, last but not least... Before solving this big dilemma I decided to put my bike on the road again. This time in order to make a trip that could show to all a portion of the Mid West Region of Brazil.

As follows:

In order to commemorate my 41 Years of Motorcycling I decided to make a trip through the States that are in the Mid West Region of Brazil (Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso). This way I could put my motorcycle on the road again, and organize my thoughts: how many good trips I was lucky to do during all those years, and how many good moments I treasure fondly in my memory.



I nurture my passion for motorcycling in a simple and sincere way: riding a bike makes me happy, complete. It doesn't matter to me the size and power of the bike, neither the road to take (asphalt, gravel, dusty roads), what matters most to me is to be riding a motorcycle. And to share my adventures with fellow motorcyclists and enthusiasts in general through the Internet.



The Mid West Region of Brazil offers to us a variety of landscapes and interesting stretches of roads to be covered in a motorcycle. Doing this trip I can contribute in a way to give an extra incentive to my fellow motorcyclists to put their bikes on the road.



Encompassing an area of 1.606.371,505 km², the Mid West Region of Brazil is a big territory, being the second largest region of Brazil territorially speaking. On the other hand, it is the least populated region in the country and has the second smallest populational density, losing only to the North Region. Due to the fact of having a smaller number of inhabitants, it has some urban densely populated areas and big empty spaces.



Having in mind to link in this trip the three State capital cities that are in this region (Goiânia - GO that is the departing and arriving point, Campo Grande - MS and Cuiabá - MT that are the two other vertices of the triangle) I will be covering only a small portion of this huge region. But I will be adding two more States to my list of Brazilian States that I visited riding a motorcycle. After that will be resting only the States of Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Rondônia and Roraima to be visited (from the 27 States Brazil has).





Another important city of the Mid West Region of Brazil is Brasília, the Brazilian capital city is situated in the Federal District. But taking in account that I lived there for some years, and it has been mentioned many times in the pages that compound my website about motorcycling, I leave it aside in this trip report.



Any way I will be returning to Mato Grosso do Sul, where I had briefly in 2007 with my Sundown Hunter 90 (Chapadão do Sul - MS and Cassilândia - MS) during the trip I did to Chapadão do Céu - GO.



The following link encompasses the most important aspects of this Brazilian Region:http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regi%C3...este_do_Brasil



I left Goiânia - GO Monday morning the 30/05/2011 by 08:15 AM and headed south to Rio Verde - GO, from there I went to Campo Grande - MS - the capital city of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul - passing through Camapuã - MS, and returning to spend the night at Sonora - MS.



On Wednesday morning the 01/06/2011 I left Sonora - MS early in the morning, then I crossed through Cuiabá - MT - the capital city of the state of Mato Grosso and in the afternoon I arrived at the town of Chapada dos Guimarães - MT where I spent the night. Next morning, on the 02/06/2011, I left the town and headed to the lookout, from there I could take many photos of the region (the Chapada dos Guimarães lookout allow us magnificent views. Views of a wide horizon, free of polution and noise of the big cities. There I took contemplate the views. There is located a landmark that is the geodesic center of South America established by Marshall Cândido Mariano Rondon, a man from Mato Grosso that contributed a lot to the Brazilian life (communications, establishment of frontiers, etc.). Later Rondon established a new geodesic center that is located in downtown Cuiabá - MS.





I left the town of Chapada dos Guimarães - MT early morning on Thursday, the 02/06/2011 taking the directon of Barra do Garças - MT. From the lookout where I stoped for appreciating the views and to take the photos I could see the city of Cuiabá, distant 60 km from there.









At Barra do Garças I crossed the Araguaia river, at the state borders between Mato Grosso and Goiás. After taking some photos I headed to Goiás city, having Goiânia - GO (the capital city of the state of Goiás) as my final destination. I arrived there on Friday by midday, having spent the previous night at Jussara - GO.





I rode through the Mid West Region of Brazil, along 2.544 km in four and a half days. My motorcycle consumed 90,96 litres of gasoline resulting in an average of 27,96 km/litre. This is an excelent average in my opinion. What contributed much to reach this average was the fact that during long stretches of road I rode on fifth gear, and sometimes used the fourth gear to overtake the very few vehicles I encountered on those roads.

Overall I met my target: to do a "short" ride through the Mid West region of Brazil, to free my mind from the urban stress, and above all to ride my bike. Becouse to ride a motorcycle and to travel on it is necessary for me, in reality is vital to me to do so.

This ride was great! Another trip to add to my list of previous good rides.

For those intending to do the same route I recommend:

In Chapadão do Sul - MS go to the National Park of Emas (Parque Nacional das Emas), in the neighbour locality of Chapadão do Céu - GO (http://www.parquenacionaldasemas.com.br/parque.htm);

In Coxim try a wonderful lunch based on fresh fish from the river crossing the region (http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coxim);

In Chapada dos Guimarães - MT enjoy the magnificent views, and wide horizons. This is Nature at its best.(http://www.chapadadosguimaraes.com.br/);

In Barra do Garças - MT / Aragarças - GO be amazed by the river beaches at Araguaia river margins.(http://www.mochileiro.tur.br/barra-garca.htm);

And finally in the town of Goiás - GO (the old capital city of the state of Goiás) you can appreciate the rich colonial past of a very well preserved Historic and Cultural Unesco's site.(http://www.cidadedegoias.com.br/).

[euphonius]

Fantastic report, and a wonderful travelogue through a region that, in geographic terms, probably could not be farther from my desk here in Shanghai! You are giving me the itch to ride your continent.

The picture beside the vast cornfield, and your comment about petrol mileage, made me wonder: Are you burning Brasil's famous biofuel in your Sundown 200? If so, how does that work? Any necessary modifications to the carb?

Finally, I really respect your philosophy about riding: No matter where, no matter what -- just ride.

Thank you!

[Ricardo]

Hi Euphonius, many thanks for your input. I am burning (my bike's) Supra gasoline from Petrobras, it is gasoline with additive. I make a point to use it, provided it is available where I am refuelling.

In reality Brazil has great outdoors, and China certainly too. Many other countries as well. Currently I am taking the most from the opportunities I have to crisscross Brazil in my bike.

Cheers from Goiânia - GO - Brazil

Ricardo