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  1. #1 Good bike for beginner? 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Hi,

    i'm planning on getting a motorbike here in Shanghai. This would be my first motorbike, atm I just have an e-bike. I'd like to use it for commuting to work, weekend fun/trips out of Shanghai and perhaps one day going on a long trip across China.

    Am not sure which bike is both suitable for me while also being suitable for China. I need something not too powerful, 250cc is about right. Other requirements are that is has ABS, because as a new rider and this being China, i can imagine situations where I could over break and lock the wheel up. I have locked the wheel on my e-bike before by breaking too hard and done a 180. My e-bike is a torque monster, 5000w motor, 5000w controller with 96v battery. I think a 250cc bike will feel 'tame' compared to that e-bike, since the e-bike has no gears and it's just full acceleration from stop to 100kph.

    I love the look of the Yamaha YBR250, not no ABS. Also like the Duke 390 but i think it's a bit small for me (i'm 6 foot 1) and i don't think it'd be comfortable on longer rides.

    All advice and suggestions most welcome. This is my first post here!

    I'll just add i'm going full legal, as in the motorbike licence, insurance, registration. As for the licence plate, I went to a shop that sells motorbikes here, they had a small honda 150cc, a large benelli bike. While I was there I asked about pricing and they were offering bikes with licence plates from cities outside of China for quite cheap. I asked about the licence plates, and they said if the police stop you and you don't have the Shanghai plate, they will fine you 200rmb. They also said i'd probably only get stopped twice a year. Is there any truth to that? I have no idea yet. Better to spend the money on the bike than the 50k rmb A plate, but if recommended/necessary of course i'll go for the Shanghai A plate.
    Last edited by apoftelbrau; 06-23-2014 at 11:03 AM. Reason: make post more concise
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  2. #2 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    Senior C-Moto Guru ZMC888's Avatar
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    Hi and welcome Apoftelbrau! Although, I'm drinking Kaiserdom hefe-weissbier right now.

    I reckon if you can get a Shanghai B or C plate and save your hard-earned. Plate, insurance and license is enough, screw their childish by-laws. If you see the cops accelerate, do a U-turn or turn right!

    Choose between
    KTM Duke 390 (48,000?)
    Suzuki GW250 (24,000)
    YBR250 (24,000)
    YBR125 (10,000 ish)
    CBF150 (10-12,000)
    I wouldn't buy anything Chinese or even a CFMOTO, Benelli or Loncin.

    Personally I'd even have a look at imported Thai made bikes. Specifically a Honda CB500X if you have the budget. I think it's not too much bike for a beginner if you are over maybe mid-20s or have a mature attitude, but it's a bike that's all you'd ever need and you wouldn't really need to buy and sell multiple bikes over your riding career. Your ebike seems equivalent to at least a 125cc bike, and modern Hondas are very easy to ride and safe enough if you have some experience on a 125 or equivalent.
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  3. #3 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    Haha good catch, actually i miss-spelt it, it should be Apostelbrau. Im having a few drinks, waiting for the netherlands game at midnight. Hup Holland Hup!

    It's a nice list, it's just most of them are very small bikes physically. I'm 6'1 with longer-than-average legs compared to my torso. I want something I can go on long trips with and feel comfortable. I know obviously the market here caters towards Chinese people, but there has got to be something.

    One thing I like about the YBR250 is that it isn't too 'flashy', which means it won't stand out as much if riding through random small towns in China, even if it is a Yamaha. I actually like those bikes that the moto taxis ride around here in Shanghai, i've asked them and mostly i hear they cost 8k rmb. But reliability, long distance, ABS, large frame/high seat... is what i'm after basically.

    As for the e-bike, i hope it's given me some experience in riding here (and it is an absolute cluster **** in the e-bike lane, can't be much worse in the car lane here... imho the car lane is much safer) but also experience with riding on something with torque. I doubt an fz-09 would get to 100kph faster (unless ridden by a pro). It's crazy what electricity can do with the right components... top speed is of course demolished by any decent motorbike. Thanks for the welcome, i'm from Scotland btw.

    Also I wouldn't run/evade from the cops here, radio-waves are faster than anything else There was one time when 'i just felt like it' and passed a chinese cop on his motorbike. Hit 100kph in seconds and he was gone.... but that was on a road i ride every day and know where cars might come from etc so i'm very comfortable on it.

    About the B/C plates, just how much are they atm? Wondering how much they can fine me for riding around on those plates here, I live within the inner road which afaik requires an A plate. Imagine the riots if a licence plate was 5k quid in the UK... people keep telling me to drop my 'western sense of justice/culture' but it's hard.
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  4. #4 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    foreign China moto dude bikerdoc's Avatar
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    OP welcome to MCM. You will find lots of useful information, and plenty that would answer all your questions and view points concerning, bikes, plate options...

    For starters, you won't find a Hu A plate for 50K... the going rate is an easy 100K+... 130K is the mean.
    If you can go for a Hu C plate at the very minimum if 130K for the Hu A is out of your budget. The worst that can happen with a legally plated MC with the Hu C plate is the 200kuai fine. But, get any bike into your name... don't settle for anything less, as some of the dealers and sellers round the traps might tell you that plating in your name...can't be done. BS. It might just have to be in your Chinese name, if so then make sure that everything ties in, your DL, your insurance etc.

    None of the Chinese MC manufacturers are making MCs with ABS, not one. CFMoto are assembling the KTM Duke 200s & 390s which do have ABS, but it's not a wholly CFMoto product. I'd suggest you look at a Kymco scooter, all imported... the Xciting models from Taiwan all come with ABS standard... Xciting 250s are around 40K, Xciting 400s are 79K and the big daddy Myroad 700 is 108K, but you get a whole lot of bike IMO for that money and these prices are not too far off from most other markets, but many people snare down their nose at scooters, but maxi scooters are more like MCs than the ol' school scoots. Scoots tend to blend in more to the landscape, so you are more likely to blend in and not stand out as a pair of dogs b***s.

    The Honda CB500X is an awesome ride, I know as I rode a CB500X all over Northern Thailand, roads, switchbacks, mountain tracks and 4x4 trails... 15000km. Excellent MC and really well suited to China. But, the CB500X is not legally imported into China through the Honda distribution channel. With that being said, the CBR500R and CB500F are, and they share the same motor/engine. Great starter MC's and they come with ABS too... as does the CB500X. There are the Kawasaki ER6F (80K) and ER6N (70K) with the 650 twin cylinder motor and ABS... though like the Honda ADV (CB500X)... the ADV Kwaka 'Versys' KLE650 is not imported through the Kwaka distributor in China.

    Don't know why these two ideal MCs (CB500X & KLE650) aren't imported, as they make the most sense for riding the trails that pass as roads here in PRC.

    YMMV...
    Last edited by bikerdoc; 06-29-2014 at 04:36 PM.
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  5. #5 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    I was looking at the CB500F today, i like it. How is the frame size for someone of my height?

    As for the 130K mean price of the A plate... it's a joke. Every Chinese person in Shanghai has 'face' and the most important thing is having a car... it's a status symbol. You could make it 250k, 500k and it wouldn't slow down car adoption rates even a tad. I'm making the assumption that the high price is an incentive not to buy a car by the government though, could be wrong.

    Thanks for the insight that no Chinese manufacturers are making bikes with ABS. And I didn't know that the duke 390 wasn't a CFMoto made bike. My problem with non Chinese made bikes is just how hard they might be to get licensed and then maintenance/repairs. There is no way i want to do some dodgy deal and buy one that either can't be licensed or which was stolen also. I saw the FZ-07 for a ridiculously low price in one shop. It's called a different name here as you know but it is the same bike. Dodgy isn't good.
    Last edited by apoftelbrau; 06-23-2014 at 03:43 PM.
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  6. #6 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    quite devastated... my e-bike ran out of battery, left it overnight with a lock on the front wheel and it's gone today. Just love riding, and it was a beast. I don't even think a thief took it, i think it was towed by the police. Problem is I can't go in and get it back, the law is a gray area when it comes to custom e-bikes here, some people say 10 to 15 days in jail for having a custom one. Was one of the fastest e-bike in Shanghai, so if there is any truth to that law i had best let the bike RIP.

    The CB500F only has a seat height of 785. Won't that be a bit small for me... i'm 6 foot 1 with longer legs than average compared to my torso. Apart from size concerns i like the look of it!
    Last edited by apoftelbrau; 06-29-2014 at 03:57 PM.
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  7. #7 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    foreign China moto dude bikerdoc's Avatar
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    Probably stolen... sorry to read of that... while it might be confiscated, I'd be odds on that it was stolen. Nothing a couple of guys in one of the small vans can't make quick easy work of in under 30 seconds.

    As for the CB500... no one can really answer that for you, only you... go take another look and get a sit on one, and try it out for size... pity the CB500X is not here, as that is the sweetest model out of all the CB500's IMO.
    Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist
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  8. #8 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    foreign China moto dude bikerdoc's Avatar
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    The issue over SH Hu plates and pricing, is way more complex... too long winded to get into on a forum. Sorry. CFMoto don't manufacture the KTM Duke 200's / 390's... they assemble them from CKD kits. But, since many manufacturers outsource different aspects of motorcycles (and cars, turcks, buses, vans, SUV... in fact almost everything these days), one could debate the semantics of 'manufacture, build, assemble.'

    Good thing is, with the likes of Qianjiang tied up with Benelli, having bought the company and CFMoto with KTM, surely one would hope that some of the technology and management transfer and culture would occur (in a good way) and that we can all be the beneficiaries of that.

    YMMV
    Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist
    - Pablo Picasso
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  9. #9 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    C-Moto Not-so-Noob
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    I saw the Benelli BN 600 in the shop, definitely 'big' enough for me. I'm not sure about the looks or build quality though. I was quoted around 45k rmb. But it just has a cheap 'toyish' look to it imo.

    Much prefer this:

    http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=...05&ns=1#detail

    but who knows if it is legit. For the price it should be though I guess. Again the seat height is pretty low too.

    I used to live in Holland for a very long time, and i was 'short' there. The bikes here just aren't really made for 6'1 people. In any case im desperate to get back on 'two wheels' but a moto is a much bigger investment than an e-bike, so i need to make the right decision.

    BTW if it was confiscated/tow by the police, any chance of getting it back? It was registered in my name/address with the blue tag etc.
    Last edited by apoftelbrau; 06-29-2014 at 05:49 PM.
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  10. #10 Re: Good bike for beginner? 
    Senior C-Moto Guru zhu's Avatar
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    Re ABS ; There I a kind of ABS built into your fingers, it works like this . Don't squeeze too hard !
    e
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