Nuhaus,

I would certainly council your friend to make sure he is buying an 09 version (check vin plate on header), and possibly make sure the dealer is of good reputation who will honor his warranty commitments and register the bike.

Here is my MCN style review!

Engine 3/5
Engine design is as old as the hills, being designed in the 1960's, the original Honda version of the engine is certainly 'bulletproof', if looked after, but the Chinese built versions have lower build quality, so run hotter and are less smooth and well balanced, but are comparable in the lower rev ranges.


Ride and Handling 4/5
The front and rear shocks are capable on flat roads but are poorly damped on bumpy roads, bike geometry is pretty good and the bike is quick in town and agile and entertaining on tight mountain roads and decent Cheng-Shin tires certainly help. Brakes are fairly good, but higher grade compound pads would certainly improve stopping power and reduce possible brake fade.


Equipment 2/5
The dash is rubbish, and seems to be a cheap YBR125 copy, the kilometer readings often don't align, the speed needle can stutter, and we are unsure whether the bike is really producing the amount of revs it says, it says 7000, but the bike feels like it is on 8000 rpm. There is also no gear indicator, so you end up doing a lot of counting and memorizing your revs and feeling the bike to be certain which gear you are in.


Quality and Reliability 3/5
The bikes I would say are certainly cheaply made, and poorly finished compared with a 90's Honda for example, but then the price is reasonable so it's not a surprise. However they are not without redemption and there are nice little touches such as the nicely shaped gas tank and cap, the capable tires, perfectly adequate brakes, cool looking and comfortable seat, so you feel good on the bike. On the negative side the bike has vibrations at high RPM, mostly I believe, due to the exhaust system. Riding in the rain will cause certain cheaper bolts and a few components like the exhaust to spot rust. All the important bolts were of good quality and torqued and thread-locked properly. Cheaper less important bolts were of variable lengths in some cases sometimes rubbing on the frame.

If looked after, including being garaged or covered, being ridden in nice weather, regular oil changes and checking bolts, removing rust, bike could last quite well. If looked after lazily, bike could deteriorate quite quickly.


Value 5/5
The bikes are great value for money. They have a good power to cost ratio. But be aware you get what you pay for. I'd certainly rather have two of these and have a Chinese factory workers' annual salary in spare change, rather than a YBR250. Certainly I would suggest that the DD250G-2 might not suit someone who can't garage or cover the bike, or is lazy about maintenance or wants to ride in all weather.