Top speeds?

[kelly5150]

That would be an easy choice for me, now that I Owne one of those bikes and can attest to how nice they ride compaired to Japenese bikes.
One thing to consider in this debate or comparison is the very available parts of the Japenese bikes, ANY year you choose to buy, you can get allt he parts .
That being said, I have two places that I know of that stock parts for my entire Viva bike, whenever I want some too . You have GIO that I know also stocks every part for thier bikes, and even sells parts on E-Bay for them .
I am in the thinking new bike compaired to used bike here . I don't buy alot of used bikes , so I would buy a new XR, CRF, or TT way before I bought a used one in the first place . I like new bikes . Once in awhile I do buy old bikes, but never dirt bikes .
If you put soem better componants on the China bikes, good sprockets, etc, then I thinkt he bikes are quite comparable, and certainly cheaper .
This is toss up compairison, so you need to decide for yourself .
The Japenese stuff is built better, better parts supply, but the bikes your talking about are quite compairable to what we have and what we are looking at . Keep the Hummer out of this picture though, it doesn't look like the bikes were compairing or are talking about, whatsoever. That is the ugliest bike I have ever seen in my life, JMHO .
250 motor is the same, but thats it . Enough said.
I would buy the GIO, good company and lots of parts, new bike, awsome bike and lots of Nutts !
I love mine, it rides great , very adjustable and is atall beast . Coems with massive ugraded parts, stock .
Longevity in motor lasting ability is yet to be determined, but its such a simple Motor, XR Honda , it will be a snap to rebuild when time comes anyway .

Thats jsut my two cents, worth one cent of course. Don't get me wrong, i like all the bikes you mentioned, the Japenese ones, but I don't buy used dirt bikes, so this is a no brainer. The fact i have the GIO-Viva and love it, makes it another no brainer for me..

Cheers out , kelly5150

[MrMurray]

Thanks, I appreciate your opinions. Actually I've ridden a Gio 250 already and it took whatever I threw at it. Of course, I haven't ridden a dirtbike in quite some time...I'm just a trail rider. The bike had a 19/16 wheel setup, buy Gio's can now be bought with 21/18 setup, which would be better for me as I'm about 6'1".

Does your Viva have 21/18 wheels? And if so, what's the seat height?

Thanks again

[kelly5150]

Yes, it has 18" 21" set-up. Now I have to go out to the free-kin garage to measure the seat hight, at the lowest point mind you .
BACK ! 37" is the lowest part of the seat where you should be sitting , the dip in the seat, or is that the dip on the seat if your talking about me ? Its tall, I like it !
And I second the " it can take all I can throw at it " , me too . I gave up racing for real years ago , so am rusty but this bike can do for me what I can't do for myself . My Japenese bikes always amazed me too when I was just about to bite the big one, they took over and the suspension saved my butt . Same thing with this one, but a little less forgiving than the Japenese stuff . But, it still ahndles quite nicely , and its got power to spare , for me that is .

Cheers, Kelly5150

[katoranger]

Kelly, I would have to disagree on the parts availability for Jap bikes for any year.

Honda is good about still making parts available, but they can be very expensive.

I was not able to buy alot of parts for a 1980 GS450 unless I found them either used or someone had one NOS leftover.

Parts for bikes less that 15 years old yes.

Allen

[kelly5150]

Your right,
I was being kinda vague and generalizing I suppose ?
The parts are there for alot of older bikes, but your right, they can only be found if someone else has them besides the dealer .
Honda prices suck bad by the way, they are thieves on thier prices .
They wanted $14.00 for an axel bolt I needed ? What !!!!!! :twisted:
We went to a bolt and nut shop, $1.00 ................Now your talking !
Remember Hiroshima , thieves !!! LOL !

Later, thanks for correcting me by the way , Kelly5150 out

[MrMurray]

Hi Kelly,

Thanks for going out in the garage and measuring for me 37" seat height sounds like it'd fit me just fine. A few of the trails I did ride on were so rough/rocky you barely got the bike outa 2nd or 3rd gear, so top speed for me isn't an issue...I'd take low end torque any day. So far, it looks like a Gio 250 will be the newest addition to the garage!!! I'll keep you posted on what happens. Thanks again!!!!!

[kelly5150]

Yup,
sounds like a good plan, but then again I am quite bias now because I have one and like mine .
My only real complaint about the bike is the Perimeter frame and that it is hard to reach the idle screw, and you will use it quite a bit as it warms up .
I will figure that one out for me eventually with some Modification , but have been too busy . I will put an extension on the screw, braze on an extension, kinda like the S&S carbs got going on if your familiar with street bikes or not ?
Anyway, good luck, congrats, Later, Kelly5150 .
They are very cool looking bikes .
A No-Toil air filter for a KX250 works pefect in the airbox by the waya and sure helps it breathe right . You will laugh at what they got in there protecting the motor from dust .

Later, Kelly

[kelly5150]

Honda correction .
I typed the Honda part cost wrong in my last post about the axel bolt. I meant ot say-type AXEL NUT , $14.00 , yes the freeking NUT ! :twisted:
God knwos an axel bolt would be thousands am sure . By the way that was without a washer with the nut . Nagasaki Too !!!!

Later, Kelly

[MrMurray]

Thanks for the info Kelly,

The replacement air filter from a KX250...would that be the 4 stroke KX or the 2 stroke, as the parts numbers are different...

Thanks again,

Craig

[BIGHIRT]

Hey just wanted to add to the discussion about Sunl,Roketa and Viva having the same engine and frame of looking alike. All three of these companies don't make their own bikes they buy them from othe manufactuers and put their stickers on them. Zhejiang Qianjiang Motorcycle Co., Ltd. is one of the companies that sell a lot of ditbikes to these companies. FYI
I have sold products for all three of these companies and had nothing but problem getting part so droped all of them. But i sill fix their stuff when it rolls in my shop.

[kelly5150]

Yo Mcmurray,
no help here , I threw the plastic wrapper and paperwork for it away months ago and I don't honestly remember . I do remmember it said it would fit a Suzuki too, but I don't remmember which model of that bike either . If it is any consolation it was for a Kawi in the 2000 era ?

Sorry bud, sometimes your the bull, sometimes you get the horns.

Kelly out