Absolute noob looking for a budget Chinese cruiser. Thinking of getting RR DD125E-5F.

[DipStick]

Hi Dr DC,

I'm a newbie rider too. Let me tell you a story. In my teenage years, I drove a 50cc moped and dreamt about a real motorcycle. Fast forward 25 years and I'm finally in a position to treat myself to a bike. So I had to face the eternal question: what is a good beginner bike. There is only one answer to that question: it depends who you ask. Which did not help me much, since I read or heard all kinds of advice.

But one first pattern emerged: it also depends what you want to do with it. Blazing dirt trails or speed racing? Answering that one is easy. But how about me, average Joe, who would like to do a little bit of this, a little of that? Even better, average Joe who has not yet figured out what he wants to do with said bike?

The second pattern that emerged from the answers to the eternal question was a little more useful to this average DipStick. Get a bike you like, which fits you, and that you can control. Now we're getting somewhere. I sort of knew what I liked: cruisers are so cool, crotch rockets are so damn hot! Yep, that's just me, cool and hot! ;))) OK, OK, maybe I'm not, but I sure would love to be. Isn't that what bikes are about anyway (at least in part)?

Keep in mind that the other part of the eternal question is also about engine displacement. Opinions are split between 250cc and 600cc as entry level (125cc's are not that popular in North America).

First things first: take a riding course. So I went and took the Canadian equivalent to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. And what do you know, they had 125s and 250s for the students. The 125 was a standard bike (Honda Titan) and the 250 was a dual-sport (Kawa Sherpa). Dual-sport? What's that? Never considered it before... So I went for the Kawa because I figured I might as well learn on a larger bike. The instructors agreed, but more on account of my height. I loved it.

Later, I went to various dealerships (back home in Canada before moving to China) and looked at various models and sat on them. I was still undecided about what I liked best. But I knew I wanted a 250cc. I sat on the Honda Rebel in a showroom. I still think it's one of the best looking small cruisers out there, but after my 2 days on the Sherpa, I hated the riding position of the Rebel. How can one possibly control this thing in a city environment? Not much leverage on the handlebars, and very poor visibility.

Since I am biased in favour of Honda (I was very happy for years with my Honda car), I also checked out and absolutely adored the (then) new CBR250. Sporty looking, full fairing, but with a less forward-leaning riding position. It was priced to compete with the Kawa Ninja 250 as an entry level bike, and came with optional ABS brakes, unheard of in that category!

In the end, I decided that the best fit for me was a dual sport. I loved the idea of being able to go from asphalt to dirt path at the drop of a hat! Ideal for a multipurpose use!

So I came to China with the set idea of getting a dual purpose bike. I researched the JH600 (see several excellent threads from Euphonius including this one on bike registration) but in the end thought a 250 would suffice. I was also worried about all the posts here on MCM here about constant maintenance and repairs of some of the Chinese brand bikes. Like ZMC's post above. I heard about the joint venture Yamaha YBR 250, searched some more and was comforted by reviews on the Forum (thank you Soberpete!). And thank you Fred.

When I saw the pictures of the YBR250, I forgot all about dual purpose bikes (I'm mainly going to use it to commute to work) and finally decided that a "city bike" is the one for me. So I went ahead and bought one. I should get it sometime this week, keeping my fingers crossed .

If price is an issue, the 125cc version also has good reviews.

Bottom line: unless you plan on going trekking out of town on a regular basis like some MCM members do, a city bike is probably the best choice for commuting. As a new driver in a busy Chinese city, you need to be able to control the bike for tight quick turns and have a good field of vision, so in my mind a cruiser is not the best. As ZMC said, joint venture Japanese brands have a " fighting chance" in being hassle free, mechanically speaking.

Above all, the best bike is the one you're in love with. A bit like wives and girlfriends...


DipStick