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Zen Dog |
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Zen Dog World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 18:50 - 30 Sep 2012 Post subject: |
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SamWise72 wrote: | but there's no way have let me take it on the plane. |
Yeah they would, i've done it before now. Wear it if necessary, and mutter darkly to the people in the surrounding seats that you have a bad feeling.
Very interested to see how this experiment works out though, theres nothing like a bit of empirical data. The chinese bike manufacturers have to realise sooner or later that no-one is going to pay them more for their bikes until they've established a reputation for a basic level of quality (or they just make them look shiny, which they're already trying). And in order to get that reputation they have to seriously improve quality. Have they realised it yet or not? We shall see.
You know that the denizens of BCF will say "I told you so" if you fail, and "its a one-off good un" if you succeed though right?
Zen Dog ____________________ Current - '94 VFR750FR, '00 VFR800FI Previous - '10 Street Triple R, '92 MZ ETZ301, '05 TTR250, NSR125R, KMX125, "Honda" Win (chinese copy of an old Honda design with a C90 engine)
My bike trip around S.E. Asia 2010/2011 |
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Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :
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symonh2000 |
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symonh2000 Crazy Courier
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Karma :
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C1REX |
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C1REX Traffic Copper
Joined: 20 Sep 2012 Karma :
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Posted: 19:55 - 30 Sep 2012 Post subject: |
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I wonder about the end result.
Thanks for testing and sharing with the community. ____________________ MCForum meetup - One of the biggest motorcycle clubs in UK |
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mysterious_rider |
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mysterious_rider World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Sep 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 21:07 - 30 Sep 2012 Post subject: |
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It looks like a chinese baby version of the v max. |
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Qwiktune |
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Qwiktune Nitrous Nuisance
Joined: 01 Jul 2011 Karma :
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Posted: 11:41 - 01 Oct 2012 Post subject: |
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Just to add my 2 cents, i did just under 16k miles in about 8 months on my chinky 125, still going strong. It is however a shell of its former self. The clocks removed due to them packing up, starter motor dieing and being removed so it kick start only.
Its actually been reliable. Always got me to work, and never broken down. I dont use it anymore, but its still in the garage and still works as backup if i need it for any reason. ____________________ CBT Passed: 25.05.11, Theory Passed: 12.07.11, MOD1 Passed: 01.04.12, MOD2 Passed: 20.07.12
bikes: Lifan LF125(stolen), Sukida sk125, GPZ 600r, CBR 600F |
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Rogerborg |
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Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 13:07 - 01 Oct 2012 Post subject: |
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SamWise72 wrote: | Maybe not the YBR, but Rogerborg had this same bike |
No he didn't, he had a Huoniao aka Lexmoto Vixen made by Dihao (like the Arrow) rather than a Zongshen. Much of a muchness though, it'll come down to whether you got a good batch of parts in yours.
Have you ditched whatever joke brand plug is in it and put in an NGK? I'd suggest going one up the temperature scale from the recommended one, so if it's a D8EA, try a D9EA (or DPR9EIX). That should help the plug to run a little cooler, although I also experienced some trust issues after extended thrashings.
Oh, and you may want to have a play with the sprockets to optimise the gearing. It's unlikely to get you any more top speed, but I found putting on a +2 tooth front sprocket gave a much more relaxed ride.
Good on you for trying it, and at least the mileage isn't going to depreciate it by much. ____________________ Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike |
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SamWise72 |
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SamWise72 Trackday Trickster
Joined: 16 Sep 2012 Karma :
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SamWise72 |
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SamWise72 Trackday Trickster
Joined: 16 Sep 2012 Karma :
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Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 17:36 - 01 Oct 2012 Post subject: |
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SamWise72 wrote: | Ah, my mistake, I'd interpreted a previous post as you having the same. Made a trip with my new 55w bulb this morning. 2h 10 mins riding, no battery problems. We'll see how we go with the grips there too.
On the downside, I also got myself a Fog City visor insert which was not an unqualified success. It did cut down on fogging, but it made general unfogged visibility worse, and vision in less than half light going against car headlights a LOT worse. Worse still, but the time I got to the office, there was fog on the visor INSIDE the insert, which now had nowhere to go. I think that'll be going in the bin. |
I was given a pre-launch Fog-City for evaluation back in oh! 1993? I found it absolutely brilliant, and didn't have any 'soft focus' problems with it, until it was well past its sell by date... however.
Conclusion of my evaluation was:
1/ they dont 'fit' bi-curve visors very well. Ie if the visor curved from top to bottom as welll as from side to side, they are difficult to get to fit neatly, and if you do, the bends can create some stress polarising
2/ if fitted to a visor that has been used even just ONCE before the fog-city is attached, then they don't 'stick' very well, and will often 'leak' or start to peel. I reccomended that you buy a new replacement visor to fit Fog-City to and keep as a 'bad-weather' visor.
3/ They are 'good' but if your hat is poor for venting to start with; a function of both the helmet design and its fit on your head (where your nose and mouth are in relation to the vents really), then they wont 'cure' misting completely, only reduce it, and then in certain circumstances. Shoei I fitted demo two, was pretty damn good for not misting to start with, and the Fog-City, almost eliminated what little mist it did get, usually noteable on colder days, and by clearing faster.
Misting, is, unfortunately an inherent 'problem' with biking, no-one has 'solved' since full-face helmets came into common usage in the 1970's........
Your experience with Fog-City, isn't that they are 'always' rubbish, more that your expectation was higher than they can deliver, and your circumstances not so favorable you would see benefit.
Back to the drawing board; as with much of biking, down to trial and error and experimentation! You still have pin-lock inserts and thousands of visor treatments to play with yet!
BUT; may be worth looking at different helmets, too, and not necesserily expensive ones.
Cheaper hats, often are made from a smaller range of shell sizes; as Roger points out, bigger shell more padding to get smaller head hole. Often gives more circulation space around an awkward shaped face for venting to work better.
Had a mate, many years ago, decided to buy a 'Bell' helmet; who offered the laregest range of seperate shell sizes; I think they claimed five, where most makers used one, two or three.
Unfortunately, fellow had a reletively small head, but rather large, 'Roman' nose, and a Bruce Foryth chin... He put on a 'small' Bell, but unfortunately, his nose over hung the chin-piece so closing the visor tried chopping his nostrils off!
Best hat he tried on was a cheap OKI or something; which I think must only have had one shell size, becouse it was HUGE and he had loads of space around his face, though his chin still stuck out the bottom a long way and was still breathing directly on the visor!
He compromised and bought an AGV...... I remember having to tape him into it on at a very wet Mallory Race, 'ducting' his nose and mouth from the visor with tank-tape.... he was not happy when he came to take it off..... he had a tash! ____________________ My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?' |
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N cee thirty |
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N cee thirty Banned
Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Karma :
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ScaredyCat |
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ScaredyCat World Chat Champion
Joined: 19 May 2012 Karma :
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SamWise72 |
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SamWise72 Trackday Trickster
Joined: 16 Sep 2012 Karma :
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ruck bodgers2 |
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ruck bodgers2 Scooby Slapper
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Easter Bunny |
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Easter Bunny World Chat Champion
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SamWise72 |
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SamWise72 Trackday Trickster
Joined: 16 Sep 2012 Karma :
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Posted: 07:29 - 02 Oct 2012 Post subject: |
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Badgers be already dead! Maybe I should now aim for a live one? Not gonna litre though, that incident made me shit my pants, maybe I'm not cut out to be am animal culling stunt rider. |
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mattb_uk |
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mattb_uk Two Stroke Sniffer
Joined: 15 May 2007 Karma :
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symonh2000 |
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symonh2000 Crazy Courier
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Karma :
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Posted: 09:39 - 03 Oct 2012 Post subject: |
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I am finding it interesting too.
I know some Chinese bikes have issues, but from the ones my Dad and Brother have owned they are really not as bad as is often made out.
That is why I am currently torn between a brand spanking new Lexmoto Street and a Secondhand YBR125. ____________________ Four strokes is two strokes too many. |
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.Chris. |
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.Chris. World Chat Champion
Joined: 09 Jun 2007 Karma :
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Posted: 10:29 - 03 Oct 2012 Post subject: |
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I'm quite looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Rather you than me though ____________________ Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F |
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Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike tl;dr
Joined: 01 Jun 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 10:41 - 03 Oct 2012 Post subject: |
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symonh2000 wrote: | I am finding it interesting too.
I know some Chinese bikes have issues, but from the ones my Dad and Brother have owned they are really not as bad as is often made out.
That is why I am currently torn between a brand spanking new Lexmoto Street and a Secondhand YBR125. |
OK, well let me make the choice simpler for you to consider:-
Quote: | I am currently torn between a brand spanking new Lexmoto Street Generic Brand Chinese Built, crudimentary Commuter and a Secondhand YBR125 Quality Assured Brand, Chinese Built, crudimentary Commuter, Some-One ELSE has already paid the first big hit of depreciation on. |
Forget the names. They are both Chinese built bikes. They are both, entry level, basic, utiliterian commuters.
One is brand new, full list price with a dubiouse warranty.
Other is second hand, depreciation paid, with potentially questionable history & maybe no warranty.
One has zero miles on the clock and a registration number that will impress people for six months.
One has a few miles on the clock, but they recognise the name on the tank.
Both with get you from a to b; but one of them has slightly better stats that suggest it will do it a little easier, as it has an extra 15% more go. Its also the one that is in the part suppliers catalogues if you want service spares.
Its not a difficult choice. I would love to give the Genny-Chinks a better crack at the wip, but bottom line is, that they still dont 'quite' cut it.
Add on Ed:- a thought has just flashed into my muddled brain. Whatever happened to the 'Maudes Trophy'? An award given for outstanding feats of motorcycling. I may have to go see what I can find out.
However. if there has been a Maudes Trophey contender in modern years; two South American Chaps that spent three years going round the world on a pair of Yamaha YBR's must be contenders for one.
People like Roger or Sam, here, trying to find the 'truth' of the Chinese bike, and reporting long term every-day use and ownership; might be interesting, and revealing; but probably JUST as revealing is the fact that we are watching these blogs with such trepidation, to see IF these generic Chinese bikes can do what no-one would bat an eye-lid if attempted on a YBR or CBF or even a twenty five year old Suzuki GP100.......
Take that notion however you will. ____________________ My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?' |
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symonh2000 |
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symonh2000 Crazy Courier
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Karma :
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Rogerborg |
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Rogerborg nimbA
Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :
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Posted: 12:06 - 03 Oct 2012 Post subject: |
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symonh2000 wrote: | I have yet to see a 2 year old Lexmoto to compare though, so either people are keeping them or they are scrapped pretty quickly. |
3 year old "Lexmoto Vixen".
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kuy3l8b8Lo8/T4BgMxdZlPI/AAAAAAAAAMo/qattQ4l9sFU/s320/1.jpeg
The paint is a (voluntary) re-spray, but everything else is original. It was well looked after, but also used through 3 winters, although just for local shopping trips towards the end.
I really had no complaints. Nothing went wrong that I didn't do myself by fiddling with it. No rust, nothing fell off - although I did go in with ACF-50, spring washers and LocTite early doors, and pre-emptively deal with the side-stand switch which is a known weak point.
Resale value, I dunno. With the ink still wet on its first MOT (no advisories), I straight swapped it for this.
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_JZqz6X6W9U/T4HZcY_v-AI/AAAAAAAAAM0/pqhvJcxtq_Q/s320/new.jpeg
However, since the OTR price was £720, I doubt I could have lost much on it over 3 years. They're £920 or so now though.
All that said, I still don't actively recommend them. Spending the same money on a used Japanese branded bike is less risky. You do need to get lucky. ____________________ Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike |
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SamWise72 |
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SamWise72 Trackday Trickster
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Bigond |
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Bigond L Plate Warrior
Joined: 02 Oct 2012 Karma :
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symonh2000 |
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symonh2000 Crazy Courier
Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Karma :
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 11 years, 208 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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