Zongshen Sierra 200 Report

[SpudRider]

Marty and Carl,

Thank you very much for your kind remarks. Indeed, I consider myself very blessed to live in such a beautiful land.

Yes, my Zong did come with fork protectors and barkbusters; however, I decided not to attach them. I think that my bike looks better, weighs less, and is easier to clean and maintain without them.

I have said many nice things about my 2006 Zonshen Sierra 200. However, to give a fair report on the motorcycle I should mention a few things I dislike. First of all, this motorcycle is heavy for its size; the manufacturer claims a dry weight of 298 pounds (135 kg). I have not personally weighed my motorcycle, but this figure seems accurate to me. For the dual-track trails I enjoy riding, this is an acceptable weight. Nevertheless, it is not fun to turn this bike around on a tight trail, and I certainly don't enjoy lifting it after I drop it. However, I do enjoy taking trips of several hundred miles on the secondary roads to visit nearby towns and enjoy their beautiful scenery. Over the highway the extra weight and wide saddle on this motorcycle make it much more comfortable to ride, especially when the Idaho winds are blowing at 25 miles-per-hour!

I am generally very pleased with the quality of this motorcycle's components. This motorcycle is very solidly constructed, and this undoubtedly adds to its weight. However, I do plan to make several alterations to this bike. Although it is adequate, the left switchgear could be nicer. Also, after I replaced the incandescent turn signal bulbs with LEDs, I noticed that the turn signal lenses are very flimsy. I bought some replacement turn signals, and I plan to install them at some convenient time in the future. Finally, the tires on this bike are an unusual size for a dual-sport motorcycle, especially the rear tire (130/90-15). I have found many options available for street tires, and the Cheng Shin Barracuda tires that came with my motorcycle are very nice. However, I have found only one option available in a DOT knobby rear tire, the Kingstone 130/90-15 tire that is available only from Zongshen. Fortunately, this is a very good tire; it grips well in the dirt and wears well on the street. I am now ready to replace this tire after 7,000 miles.

I did forget to mention earlier that I needed to replace the original chain after 4,000 miles; I have installed a Tsubaki 428HQR chain that has stretched very little over the last 3,500 miles.

I paid less than $1,200 in United States currency for delivery of my motorcycle; I consider it an exceptional value at that price.

Spud