Close to Chinese...

[culcune]

Excalibur Motorsports has now picked up the TGB ('Taiwan Golden Bee' always love that name) lineup from Taiwan to complement their Chinese offerings...

http://www.atv4usa.com/tgb/

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the good information, Culcune.

[Adjuster]

When I click the link I just get a bunch of spinning squares.


/

[culcune]

I did too, so I hit refresh and it worked.

[jct842]

In keeping with the title of this thread, "close to chinese" it occurred to me since I wasn't at all sure, to check Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and see: It says Taiwan is composed of over 95% chinese people, so its real real close to chinese!

[SpudRider]

Taiwan is Free China. Any product from Taiwan is Chinese.

[culcune]

I meant that it is close to China 'Chinese' vs. Taiwan 'Taiwanese' even though China considers Taiwan part of itself while, apparently, the Taiwanese have other ideas!

My worry with this is that Excalibur will get spoiled by TGB and do away with their other products, such as TMEC!

[Weldangrind]

I like TW stuff in general, most notably shop tools. My old drill press is from TW, and it's well built.

[culcune]

Wade and I spoke yesterday, and he told me TGB has sent some 150cc scooters for EPA testing. My guess is the two 50cc 2-stroke bikes, the Key West and the X-Race, will have 150cc 4-stroke bigger brothers soon.

We were also discussing Hawaii, and the 2-stroke engines actually work against TGB--the vast majority of 49.XX cc engine scooters are classified as mopeds for easier licensing purposes, but since the 50cc 2-stroke is rated at just under 5 horsepower, they can't be classified as mopeds. My guess is other states would have the same issues, but Hawaii is a HUGE market for scooters. Too bad TGB won't make models utilizing 49.XX cc 4 stroke GY6 motors supplied by a Chinese company. The scooter itself is solid as compared to Chinese scooters, and the Chinese engines have proven themselves solid provided you change the engine and gear oil (although there are exceptions to that rule), so a moped for all the moped states would be a good low-level bike TGB bike. You would probably spend more, but have to worry much less about losing parts like you would on Chinese scooters

[jjn]

The story I got is that, the Honda Ruckus used to be classed as a 49cc "moped" here in Hawaii. Then, someone doing the inspections or something actually rode one and found that it would go around 40 mph. A moped is supposed to top out about 30. The older Rucki are grandfathered in as mopeds. You buy a new one, and it is considered a motorcycle. Mopeds are exempt from manadatory insurance, exempt from annual license tags, but do require an annual safety inspection (which is basically checking lights and horn). Yearly license tags run about $88.00 and the inspection, I think is about $12.00. Even so, the Ruckus is way populat here. So is the two stroke SYM DD50, and it is still considered a moped. Lots of folks buy those, and lean on the engine a bit, so many run well over the 30 mph. The Kymco Agi,ity 50 is, I believe, still considered a moped here, as are many Chinese 49cc scooters.

There was a bill in Hawaii to make mopeds require the expensive nnual licensing.

[culcune]

The TGB bikes top out at 45 mph.

[culcune]

Here is me at Excalibur Motorsports sitting on the two TGB models--the X Race 50 and the Key West 50. Rode both of them and the Key West was my favorite of the two. The X Race is made for younger people, and the Key West is made for cruising, and comes standard with a rack ! The Key West has a flat seat which makes it better for taller riders, while the X Race has a tiered seat (bump in the middle for passengers). Same exact engine in both bikes. Soon to have 150cc scooter(s) added to the lineup, as well as a 264cc scooter.

[culcune]

Unfortunately, Excalibur is phasing out its Chinese products to make room for the TGB bikes, which are moving! However, they will continue to carry the Madass 50 which is made in China. I got to ride that, too, and as 'underpowered' as it felt, it was a solid bike. However, it is 'underpowered' because it is a scooter in 50cc form made for states which recognize mopeds. The TGB bikes are not mopeds as of yet because they make too much horsepower and can top 45 mph. TGB will create a 'restricted' model (officially restricted) for moped states.

[SpudRider]

Thanks for posting the good information and photos, Culcune. You did an excellent job modeling the bikes.

[culcune]

Thanks, but I would have rather had some cute, young female model on these things (working on it!! ) There is some video, including one in which Wade rode as pillion on the Key West while I rode the two of us through the parking lot...I know there are a couple videos of me on the scooters filmed by Alan, too (he was not a passenger) including the Madass, taken with my other camera which is a video camera. I will have to figure out how to upload those, as well as have Wade send me the ones he made with his camera.

I should mention, I got to meet an older gentleman, and a young woman, at Excalibur. The older gentleman is the owner or CEO or some head honcho of TGB, and the young woman is the head of marketing or vp (not sure of her official position).

The only thing I did not get to do was drive to CSC, which is relatively nearby (less than half hour) and ride the RX3, which was unfortunate :(