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Pricing,
specs, build a bike . . . this is a hot way to look at the new models! My
rating is WOW!
Compare bike specs for Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Aprilia, side-by-side! A solid article comparing 250cc bikes -- lots of info here An excellent article comparing 250cc bikes!
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2008 (January through . . .) Hey VTwin Mama, Dear
Weasel, Given that dealers carrying this make of motorcycle are still a bit far flung, he noted that it was of extreme importance that you have the service support needed and that you're confident that they stand ready to assist. One good way to do this is have a heart to heart chat with the service manager to gauge your impressions. Otherwise, he noted that as a solo rider, the bike had plenty get up and go and even with his passenger, he did not want for power when it was needed (he specifically addressed highway passing power). The rider was about 5'8" and the it fit him to a tee ... even at my 5'10" I felt that the forward controls were well placed and comfortable. I will be attending the Cycle World Show in Atlanta this coming weekend, and in taking a look at the Exhibitor list, I see that Hyosung will be there with their bikes, so will be making a special effort to look more closely and address any problems they have had with engine design/reliability. So, I wouldn't rule out this bike as a new purchase because when you buy used, you can run into all sorts of "stuff" as well. The Yamis and Suzukis have proven track records, but even they produce a lemon bike on occasion, and once used, you're at the mercy of what the previous owners did in terms of riding and maintenance. I'd dig deeper into service support and gauge your thoughts then. – Mama Wednesday, January 16 For Weasel who was wondering about the Hyosung 650 cruiser: LOVE MY HYOSUNG!!!! And my guy loves his! Monday, January 28 Dear VTwin Mama,
I want to introduce myself. I am the National Technical Support Manager
for American Lifan located in Dallas, Texas.
I am
sorry to hear the problems from this one rider who it seems purchased
their Lifan bike from an UN-Authorized reseller. She just paid good
money to learn a lesson that she could have avoided paying for. Lifan
motorcycles are only sold in the United States from the factory at
Lifans ONLY US Distributor located in Dallas, Texas. American Lifan has
around 400 dealers across the USA. We currently do not have any dealers
in California due to the high emission laws. We also do not sell Lifans
on the Internet. We also will not support Lifan products that have not
been purchased through on of our many authorized American Lifan Dealers.
Lifan Motorcycles are great bikes and when they are assembled correctly
and prepped at our Authorized dealers, they are pound for pound far
better than any other bike in its class. We can also boast we have the
best prices. American Lifan bikes are not of the cheap quality bikes
that you see from other Chinese or Korean manufacturers or at places
like Pep Boys, Tractor Supply, Flea Markets, Ebay, Internet or some
guy selling them on the side of the road.
Please let your readers understand, If you want to purchase a Vehicle,
ANY vehicle, ours, theirs, whomever.. DO NOT BUY IT ON THE INTERNET!!!
Go to an AUTHORIZED DEALER, meet the seller face to face, someplace you
can drive back to when you have a problem, need service, warranty work,
accessories, etc...
ANY vehicle you purchase on the INTERNET and have shipped to you, will
not have a VALID WARRANTY. NO Manufacturer is going to WARRANTY a
vehicle that is built, put together or serviced by a consumer. The
purpose of having dealers is to insure that the product is built
correctly, prepped, serviced by trained professionals to insure the best
quality of the product and to insure the integrity of the company
producing the product.
You hear the Internet is a great place to buy things... the trouble is,
ANYONE can make ANY CLAIM they wish on here and they don't have to worry
about backing it up, or if its true or not. It lets them sell things
without worry that you the consumer will come over to my place of
business and rough me up if I steal your money. It is YOUR MONEY, be
smart with it. Do business with honest to goodness REAL PEOPLE who
actually run businesses HONESTLY and that you can SHAKE their hands.
These are machines and machines break down.. If yours breaks down, who
is going to help you???
You do not save any money buying it on the web. If you want to buy a
Lifan product and I can say that you are making a very good choice in
doing so, you need to visit an Authorized American Lifan Dealer. I
invite you to visit our Official Website for more information.
Thanks again and keep up all you hard work on your website.. it pays
off. – D. Moore, National Technical Support
Manager, American Lifan Industry Inc.
Dear D. Moore, Dear VTwin Mama, I understand I'll need to practice quite a bit before making the trek,
but I'd like to know for later. What are the most inexpensive (first bike
range and I wouldn't want to beat up a $10,000 bike this much), reliable
bikes you know of that you would ride for example from Alaska to Mexico?
I'd like it to be fairly simple too so fixes on the road aren't a big deal
and can be done myself with the right knowledge. I might be asking too
much but here's hoping... Dear Ika, First, varying elevations IMHO means that you should be seriously looking at fuel-injected bikes ... they automatically adjust the gas/air mix no matter where you are! I've heard from riders who do altitude variations all the time with a carburetor-based bike with little affect (some loss of power at the very highest points), so don't rule it out completely. I'd also choose a shaft-drive bike for simplicity. When I read long distance travel accounts, I have noted that most riders opted for something in the 500cc to 800cc range. These have plenty of power and at your height, you should have no real issues with arm/leg reach to controls and the ground. In your case, looking at the bigger touring bikes then brings you out of your price range comfort zone. My immediate "short list" would be the Suzuki Boulevard C50T (touring). At 819cc, it is fuel-injected, shaft drive, 544lbs, 27.6" seat height, a 4.1 gallon gas tank (so about a 160 mile range or so) and about $8,000. It's easy to push around (when you need to), a nice mid-range bike that shouldn't overwhelm you during the skill polishing phase, is complete with saddlebags and windshield, and a big touring bag could easily be strapped on to the pillion backrest. You could have a dealer immediately change you to a lockable saddlebag option, you already have floorboards for comfort, and could add an engine guard and outside highway pegs for a change of leg position. The only thing I don't see is a backrest option for the rider (it's nice support) and it's air cooled (vs. liquid cooled), and means in really hot climates you want to keep your eye on things. If want to think used, the C50 use to be called the Volusia 800 (it changed in 2005), and that's the name you would find in classified ads (the Volusia has been around since at least 2001). So, is that the only motorcycle? Of course not, but for my money that's what I'd look at first. If you take out the fuel-injection part of the equation, then that opens up the list to include Honda Shadow 750s, many Kawasaki models, the Yamaha VStars and other Suzukis (still with shaft drive, but you'll have to do your research). These are some nice 650 and 750cc bikes (carb) with lower price points. – Mama Update: the C50 and Volusia are liquid-cooled, but the Volusia was still a carb bike. Friday, March 21 For Ika who is searching for a bike and my notes on the Boulevard C50/Volusia: The predecessor to the C50 called the Volusia, it's carbureted, not fuel injected. Fuel injection was one of the changes when they made it the C50. Second, the C50/Volusia is liquid cooled, not air. – Yo (note from Mama: my appreciation for the corrections, which I've added to the original posting.) Thursday, April 10 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Stressed Out, First, determine if you have a preferred style. Most people are adamant that they want a cruiser look or a sport style. Next, determine what engine size range category is most appropriate for your skill level and the type of riding you will be doing. 250-500cc to get started on but can still run fast enough on highways. 500-900cc for a nice mid-range bike if you've done well in a motorcycle riding course and feel you'll outgrow a smaller bike quickly. Now, go to a tool like WantFacts, click on Research New, Motorcycles, Search by Feature. Click on manufacturers you would consider, the type of style, and choose the highest cc displacement range you think you would consider. Leave all the other variables alone for now. Call up the list and print it out (there could be several pages). With a pen in hand, click on 2007 and 2008 models and down seat height and weight. The lower the stock seat height, the better chance you have for good leg to ground reach (flat footed at a stop), especially if you're 5'6" or shorter. Motorcycles can be modified for shorter riders in a number of ways and you should be prepared to discuss options with a dealer salesperson if necessary. Then look at $$. Do you have a budget set for this purchase? Highlight the MSRP. Now it's time to visit dealers. With your list in hand, sit on bikes! Have the salesperson assist you, if necessary, in getting it off the sidestand. Note your leg reach to the ground ... are you flat foot or tippy toe? It's best to wear your riding boots (if you have them) or even hiking boots as sneakers rarely are what you'll be wearing when riding. Check your arm reach to hand controls ... is it comfortable with the front wheel straight forward and also turned all the way to one side? Check your leg reach to foot controls ... too stretched out or too tucked up? Last but not least, lean the bike slightly to the left and then to the right. Can you hold the weight of the bike on a slight lean? Continue tilting it to get a feel of the weight overall ... this will give you a sense of the center of gravity. Sit on another bike and do the same thing. Take time to jot down notes. Even sit on bikes that are not necessarily of interest so that you can more quickly see what will or will not work for you! After a bunch of bike sits/leans, you will begin to form an opinion on balance. Tires, rake, trail, wheelbase ... bike designers give a lot of thought to the correct "ratio" of these types of things so that a bike handles well on the road for the intended purpose. I wouldn't jazz too much about it in the beginning. Take your notes home, give some thought to the budget, shorten up your list, and then go back to the dealer to sit on the bikes. Fall in love with one, discuss modifications/additions you want and get to the bottom line of it all. Happy shopping! – Mama Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Briana, Monday, April 21 For Briana who has a Moto Guzzi Nevada Classic: I also ride a Moto Guzzi Nevada Classic 750, my first bike, since I started riding last year. You are exactly right in everything that you mentioned about how the bike handles! The Nevada is "more zippy" than it would appear to be, and I often overtake my husband on his Moto Guzzi Breva 1100! Curves are fun with the easy handling of this model. I also find myself filling up at 100-120 miles, but that is about the time I take a little break anyhow. I love my Guzzi! Like you, it's a perfect bike for me! I wish more women knew enough about this bike to check it out! – Guzzi Girl in CT (note from Mama: one way to bring that bike to more people's attention is by supplying a photo of you sitting on your bike for the Motorcycle Fit Charts. That way, someone shopping, can get a better feel for what a rider looks like on the bike ... at different heights! A call to ALL Guxxi riders ... I need pictures of all models, so please take this step to help out!) Monday, May 19 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Kelcy, Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Andrea, Although I have lots of neat new tools and charts by seat height and engine cc size that include the MSRP, I'll give you a quick run down of the least expensive bikes on the 2007/2008 market. Model, seat height, cc engine, year, weight, MSRP
In this list, the Sapero, Hyosung GT250 and that Ninja are sport style motorcycles; the rest are cruiser style. The CF Moto, QLink and Hyosung are the newest import manufacturers but are quickly gaining a following but one has to really inquire about service availability (i.e. don't buy from an unapproved source). At 5'7" you should have no problem getting your feet flat to the ground at a stop as long as you have good riding boots with a solid thick sole. Don't skimp on that step, especially for the Ninja. With this short list on hand, I'd visit all the dealers and check out the makes/models for yourself. Sit on each of them, checking your arm reach to hand controls and leg reach to ground and foot controls. Ask about trade ins (some dealers do offer that type of program and may know of a used one coming in from a rider ready to move up in power). And yes, those 250cc bikes can handle highway speeds, so they are practical for the new rider as skills are built up. – Mama Monday, June 2 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear Cali, At your height, leg-to-ground reach issues are not quite as tough. Still, as we've often noted, many of the sport style bikes do start out at higher seat heights than found in the cruiser line of motorcycles. Since you're getting a good feeling from the Ninja 650R, why not take a look at the Motorcycle Engine CC Chart ... here you'll be able to scroll down to the Sport section and take a look at similar sized bikes, their seat height, weight, and MSRP. That'll give you an idea of what else to look at to compare to the Ninja. While we often compare things by cc engine size, how a bike is geared has a lot to do with it's "zip" factor ... how peppy it is. Sport bikes tend to be geared to be faster off the line, while cruisers are looking to offer nice easy power at higher speeds to kick back and relax. So, in this part of the equation, it really has to do with what type of riding you are anticipating and let's fact it ... the image of you on a bike! – Mama Saturday, June 7 Dear VTwin Mama, Dear James, So, if this bike is of interest, I'd start with the insurance question, because without it, you may not be able to register it (most DMVs want evidence that you've got insurance). Why not pose this question to EvoSales? At the same time, to ride it legally on roads, one must have the "M" on one's license. That means your girlfriend would need to take the motorcycle exam, either through an approved riding course or with the DMV. IMHO, the Dream Chopper is a toy. While I don't consider anything wrong with the 3/4 size (other than visibility to other vehicles on the road), that chopper front end rake is most definitely not a typical set-up. Turning from a stop, handling twisty roads, etc. takes practice and skill, and that exaggerated front end doesn't make it any easier. I seriously doubt that even an experienced rider could take the DMV riding test and pass on that bike. I'd advocate taking the $1300 you're considering spending and finding a decent used 250cc bike like the Honda Rebel, Suzuki GZ250, Yamaha VStar 250, or even the CF Moto V5 (QLink Legacy 250). While these retail for $3,000 to $3,600 new, you would have no problems with insurance and registration as well as the all important service availability. I can't answer the question about whether the Dream Chopper would hold up. All bikes need routine maintenance and the adage that you get what you pay for is as true in motorcycle purchases as anything else. – Mama
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