TT250 vs TBR7

[BigFatAl]

Is the TT250 that much better than the TBR7?.
Would the TT250 be better for long pavement sections ?.
I have a TBR7 but thinking about keeping it for dirt and getting the TT250 for more long distance dual sport stuff

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by BigFatAl

Is the TT250 that much better than the TBR7?.
Would the TT250 be better for long pavement sections ?.
I have a TBR7 but thinking about keeping it for dirt and getting the TT250 for more long distance dual sport stuff

While I own neither bike, My Hawks have/had a lot of TT250 parts to replace the ones that broke or otherwise failed. As a whole you pay for an increase in material quality as well as better quality control standards. You also pay for the dealer support and a warranty that actually gets honored. Is it worth it? I think so.

That doesn't mean the TBR7 is a bad bike either, much like the Hawk it just requires you as the end user to do your own quality control, and to do your own warranty work. Save one way and spend in another.

[Hunnicutt]

Disclaimer: I have no experience with the TBR7.

My wife and I got TT250's for Christmas last year. I just bought a third TT250 for my daughter for Christmas this year. These are our first motorcycles. I have no prior knowledge or experience with any other make or model.

I absolutely LOVE the motorcycles, the ease of maintenance, the tech support, access to replacement parts, and the friendly voices on the phone when I call.

I installed the 112 carb jets in all 3 bikes. The stock 102 jet is far too lean, and causes the engine to run hot and pop. I also installed 6" x 1' heat shields on the exhaust pipes to protect our legs from the heat.

I own 10 acres 125 miles from my house. 123 miles of the trip are paved roads. The last 2 miles are crushed graded limestone. I made 3 round trips to the ranch on my TT250 last year. I have an Airhawk Dual Sport Seat Cushion on my TT to provide some comfort on the long haul. I ride full ATGATT (25 LBS of gear), and carry clothes and supplies in my 100 liter bag that I strap to the rear rack. The bag helps reduce some of the fatigue because the weight is on the bike and not my back. My bike is weighed down a bit, but does fine (they have a 330 lb capacity). The bike handles well at max speed, which is usually 55-65MPH depending on winds and road topography. I keep the tires inflated to factory recommended 32 PSI. That seems to help a lot on streets. The TT is perfect off pavement.

I found a nice run to my ranch that keeps me off of interstates, and winds me through nice back roads and dirt national forest trails. It's a physically demanding ride, but worth it in fuel savings. I burn 4 gallons round trip, averaging 63 MPG. My pickup burns 23 gallons round trip, averaging 11.4 MPG.

I hope my rambling helps you a bit. :-)

[culcune]

Originally Posted by BigFatAl

Is the TT250 that much better than the TBR7?.
Would the TT250 be better for long pavement sections ?.
I have a TBR7 but thinking about keeping it for dirt and getting the TT250 for more long distance dual sport stuff

I actually have a feeling the TT250 is a bit better for dirt and the TBR7 is a bit better for the street, at least from stock. I own neither bike, but am basing my thoughts on numerous threads over the years. I do understand, and the poster above brought it up when he mentioned adding a cushion, that the stock seat on the TT is a bit on the 'rougher' side. Now, you haven't said what kind of dirt riding you plan to do, and their are probably better 'dirt' bikes out there even if you are desiring a street-legal dual-sport (Orion RXB250L or the X-Pro something or another from Powersportsmax are two that come to mind, depending on which state you are in as far as street plating/registration go). Of course, the right street gearing make a world of difference as far as street capable goes.

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by culcune

I actually have a feeling the TT250 is a bit better for dirt and the TBR7 is a bit better for the street, at least from stock. I own neither bike, but am basing my thoughts on numerous threads over the years. I do understand, and the poster above brought it up when he mentioned adding a cushion, that the stock seat on the TT is a bit on the 'rougher' side. Now, you haven't said what kind of dirt riding you plan to do, and their are probably better 'dirt' bikes out there even if you are desiring a street-legal dual-sport (Orion RXB250L or the X-Pro something or another from Powersportsmax are two that come to mind, depending on which state you are in as far as street plating/registration go). Of course, the right street gearing make a world of difference as far as street capable goes.

That's right. Culcune is our official long time bench racer. But he has been on this forum from the beginning and has probably read every post on here and probably know every stat on every bike. Most of the time he is right.

[Thumper]

There sure are a lot of reviews on the TT250 out there. I guess dealer support and a warranty confer credibility. And the reviews are all mostly very positive. Megadan's comment is key though... it is basically all about service and support. You are indeed basically on your own. Jeff at peacesports and others have been known to replace faulty items or offer cash back (!), and even parts damaged in shipping. But this is unusual.

Bikes like the Storm I have, and from what I hear about people's experience with TBR7, Hawk, and others here on the forum ALSO get good reviews-just as many smiles per gallon

For me, a warranty service issue or dealer service is just an inconvenience. You have to deliver the bike and leave it there, then pick it up. And most maintenance and warranty type problems are easy to deal with. And fixing it yourself means you know exactly what was wrong and tightened the bolts yourself. This is a confidence booster for me. Also, the TT250 costs about a $1000 more than what I just paid for a TBR7. Bottom line for a TT250 costs more than $2500. That's a 40% premium!

[Hunnicutt]

I took these pictures shortly after I got to the ranch on October 30.

[flopsweat]

Originally Posted by Hunnicutt

I took these pictures shortly after I got to the ranch on October 30.

Dang man so you just strap a big ol' dry bag straight to the rear with no little rack plate? I have a couple of those because I kayak camp often, and was wondering myself if they will go right on there without a rack. Good to know!!

[Hunnicutt]

Originally Posted by flopsweat

Dang man so you just strap a big ol' dry bag straight to the rear with no little rack plate? I have a couple of those because I kayak camp often, and was wondering myself if they will go right on there without a rack. Good to know!!

I mounted the rear rack to the back of the bike. I strap the bag to the rack. The bag is so big it completely covers the rack.

https://cscmotorcycles.com/rear-rack-aluminum-tt250/


This is the bag I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/WILD-HEART-Waterproof-Kayaking-Motorcycle/dp/B089Q2YPYL/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=WILD%2BHEART%2BWaterproof%2BDu ffel%2BBag%2B40L%2B66L%2B100L&qid=1643202867&sr=8-2&th=1


The bag acts as a backrest for my long rides to the ranch.

[flopsweat]

Originally Posted by Hunnicutt

I mounted the rear rack to the back of the bike. I strap the bag to the rack. The bag is so big it completely covers the rack.

https://cscmotorcycles.com/rear-rack-aluminum-tt250/


This is the bag I bought:
https://www.amazon.com/WILD-HEART-Wa...67&sr=8-2&th=1


The bag acts as a backrest for my long rides to the ranch.

Ahh I gotcha, hah I keep trying to figure out a workaround from buying the $90 plate, so when I saw your pic I thought "it works!". Makes sense. I have a couple large yellow dry bags with all kinds of tie downs I can use.

[alex_in_az]

I never expected to get any support from the dealer, so I just went with the cheapest bike, figuring they're all made from the same parts and they'll all be about the same quality. I expected things to break/fall off and they did and I fixed them myself

[ScoTT250]

I’m new to the forum and new to the TT250, but can offer initial impressions. I went with the TT250 because living in CA there aren’t many options for plate-able Chinese dual sports. Obviously more expensive than some of the other options for other states, but so far I feel like the bike is a good value. I’m not sure about elsewhere in the country, but bike prices are A LOT higher than what I remember when I was buying/selling a few years ago. $3k was leaving me with few options in the used Japanese dual sport market so I decided to try the TT250. Everyone at CSC was very friendly and from talking to the guys in the shop I could tell they know motorcycles.

I’ve only done a few short stretches on road with it - if I was going to do more then I would absolutely drop some teeth on the rear sprocket. The bike felt about as stable at speed as I would expect from something this size. However, holding 55 was a struggle and I needed to be at 65 to keep with traffic. It sounds like a lot of people re-gear and I think this would probably help.

Dirt-wise, now that I’ve swapped the tires for Kenda K772s, I’m very pleased. The TT250 feels lighter than I expected and is now fun to ride through the sand.

Happy riding,
Scott

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by ScoTT250

...
...
Dirt-wise, now that I’ve swapped the tires for Kenda K772s, I’m very pleased. The TT250 feels lighter than I expected and is now fun to ride through the sand.

Happy riding,
Scott

Welcome to the forum ScoTT.

BTW, Your choice on the Kenda K772 brings up an important point for the OP. This excellent desert/off-road tire is NOT available in a 17 rear tire (just 18" and 19"). Furthermore, the K772 front tire is ONLY available in a 21" size.

My Bashan Storm, and many of these Chinese crate bikes do not have a 21 inch front tire. I have a 19" front wheel, and a 17" rear wheel. So I have severely limited choices for tires. CSC was smart to go main stream on the TT250 for wheel sizes. Not a monumental issue, but something to keep in mind...

[buzz]

TBR7 great bike for a great price, 1300 mile not one problem. Bought from Walmart, and they save my butt. Ended up getting my 2021 TBR7 for free , thanks walmart. good luck

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by buzz

TBR7 great bike for a great price, 1300 mile not one problem. Bought from Walmart, and they save my butt. Ended up getting my 2021 TBR7 for free , thanks walmart. good luck

A free TBR7? from Walmart? is hilarious. Tell me it isn't so! Like getting a free case of avocados from a vegetable vendor after the market closes. How the heck did that happen?