Hawk-X 250 vs DLX vs Lifan KPX

[eatondirt]

Hi,

I'm facing some decision paralysis at the moment. I'm hoping maybe someone has some advice for a new rider who was hoping to get into offroading in general.

I've been doing tons of research on these bikes, almost pulled the trigger on a Hawk 250 until I did a little more research and realized this was a rabbithole with more nuance than simply "Buy 1600 dollar bike and take it off-road". I would like a bike but also one that I could own to keep. I tend to not throw away my purchases, ever.

For a little background, I had started this journey at a dealer looking at new Japanese name brand dual sports. Unfortunately dealers and the used market have seem to have lost their minds where I live. $5000 for a 5 year old DRZ400 with 10K miles is typical where I live on the East Coast and CRF250s going for well over $6000. The most affordable bikes I can find is the KLR 650. A 480 lbs adventure bike that would likely not play well with an inexperienced, short rider of 5'6" stature and 29 inch inseam weighing a meager 142 lbs. I'm fearful that the first time I take it off-road, it would crush me like an ant.

I want this experience to be fun and be something I don't regret if I happen to spend money on one of these bikes and decide that it was never for me after all. Which is hard to do when the dealer is quoting me $5200 for a used KLX230. Which lead me to the Hawk 250.

tl;dr:
I'd like a bike that has some premium parts to it but isn't priced ridiculously expensive. The Hawk-X was my first decision until I learned the DLX is made of mostly higher-than-average parts compared to the regular 250. But then, I learned of the Lifan KPX, a model going for 2.7K on TXPS that apparently rides and feels very similar to the CRF250.

Since I'm not really sure which one to go with, I'd like a little advice if someone has it. I'm fine with a wrench, so changing a carb is not something I fear. But things like fixing shoddy, slender forks or having to hold a bike together with loctite is not something I am familiar with. Any suggestions?


EDIT: The idea of biting the bullet on a KLR 650 and just taking my licks is also not off the table, just something I am not sure is a good way to start.

[Thumper]

Lifan KPX 250 and Templars are TALL dirt bikes. You would not want that

Look into Bashan Storm 250 DB-08. It was my first Chinese dual sport. Counterbalanced dependable CG250 engine, inverted front forks, comfy seat. It has a decent luggage rack too.

I sold mine when I got. Templar X, but it was running great when I sold it.

[Bruces]

At all costs ,stay away from TXPS or any of Manny’s other dealerships ,unless you like being lied to ,ignored ,and blamed for stuff you didn’t break .Truly a Scumbag .

[Thumper]

Here is 1st my post on the Storm

https://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?p=355615

The inverted forks are nice. I did get a Tusk folding greashift lever for it. The rack is strong and pretty wide. I really recomend this bike. Bashan has not changed it at all.

A seller in Kentucky used to have the Storm (Don Hopper?). Jeff at Peace Sports had the Bashan Recon and Brozz, but I don't think he sells them anymore. The Recon is NICE. These two bikes used to be essentially the same as the Storm, but Jeff had them outfitted with 18"/21" wheeles/tires. But they were not $1500 anymore, and unavalable now.

[eatondirt]

Originally Posted by Thumper

Lifan KPX 250 and Templars are TALL dirt bikes. You would not want that

That's a good point too, I've never seen these bikes IRL so I'm going on what I can find in pictures and videos. I could deal with a tall bike as long as it's not heavy, because otherwise I'll be picking it up from out of the dirt when I inevitably spill it.

Originally Posted by Thumper

Here is 1st my post on the Storm

https://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?p=355615

The inverted forks are nice. I did get a Tusk folding greashift lever for it. The rack is strong and pretty wide. I really recomend this bike. Bashan has not changed it at all.

A seller in Kentucky used to have the Storm (Don Hopper?). Jeff at Peace Sports had the Bashan Recon and Brozz, but I don't think he sells them anymore. The Recon is NICE. These two bikes used to be essentially the same as the Storm, but Jeff had them outfitted with 18"/21" wheeles/tires. But they were not $1500 anymore, and unavalable now.

The Brozz was one that I looked into first, but it and the Bashan Recon are sold out basically everywhere.

I've only seen the Storm mentioned but never seen an in-depth look at it, so it's another added to the list. There are not a lot of dealers around where I am at who carry these types of bikes, so I would have to find one who ships to South Georgia.

Originally Posted by Ranger Bob

Lifan X-Pect? $2100 at Venom using the discount coupon.

Another to the list, I've never heard of this one. 5 speed with fuel injection and better parts makes it seem like it's a slightly better version from the Hawk EFI?

Originally Posted by Bruces

At all costs ,stay away from TXPS or any of Manny’s other dealerships ,unless you like being lied to ,ignored ,and blamed for stuff you didn’t break .Truly a Scumbag .

Thanks for the heads-up, I didn't know that about TXPS or who Manny even is. Which other dealerships are his? Is Venom an okay place to shop?

[Ranger Bob]

Lifan X-Pect? $2100 at Venom using the discount coupon.

[vividpixel]

Maybe the regular Templar, non-X/M, would be a good choice because it's shorter, but still very capable of any terrain and easy to pick up.

I started with the TT250 based on the Hawk 250. Dealership-assembled and quality controlled as with all CSC bikes, and it was easy to get my hands on parts within 2-3 days as I damaged them.

Suspension on it is adequate for simple off-roading. Airing down tires makes a big difference but I'd still rather be on my Templar X for any rough stuff. The Seat Concepts seat does make the height very low so if you go with any Hawk-style motorcycle, I recommend getting that accessory. I felt confident slowly navigating uneven terrain or getting the bike out of a tricky spot. Rare that a foot ever had to dangle.

On the street it would do great with more power, not saying this as a speed demon but just in a realistic sense. To really keep up with street traffic (50-60mph) you need to change the gear ratio but this cuts down on the hill climbing you can do off road.

Depends on your definition of off road, and the terrain you face. I don't have experience riding on other terrain except desert stuff but with how it feels lifting a 300lb motorcycle a few times, I wouldn't touch something like a KLR650 unless my off roading was on easy dirt roads.

[eatondirt]

Originally Posted by vividpixel

Maybe the regular Templar, non-X/M, would be a good choice because it's shorter, but still very capable of any terrain and easy to pick up.

I started with the TT250 based on the Hawk 250. Dealership-assembled and quality controlled as with all CSC bikes, and it was easy to get my hands on parts within 2-3 days as I damaged them.

Suspension on it is adequate for simple off-roading. Airing down tires makes a big difference but I'd still rather be on my Templar X for any rough stuff. The Seat Concepts seat does make the height very low so if you go with any Hawk-style motorcycle, I recommend getting that accessory. I felt confident slowly navigating uneven terrain or getting the bike out of a tricky spot. Rare that a foot ever had to dangle.

On the street it would do great with more power, not saying this as a speed demon but just in a realistic sense. To really keep up with street traffic (50-60mph) you need to change the gear ratio but this cuts down on the hill climbing you can do off road.

Depends on your definition of off road, and the terrain you face. I don't have experience riding on other terrain except desert stuff but with how it feels lifting a 300lb motorcycle a few times, I wouldn't touch something like a KLR650 unless my off roading was on easy dirt roads.

My terrain is mostly easy dirt roads, mud, but more urgently: Sand. Sand and gravel pits where I live can easily become over ankle-deep, and I know how poorly things can go when you lose traction in sand. Which is where my concern for getting a KLR comes from: I could easily see myself going down in some of the sand pits and not being able to lift the bike back up.

I saw people talking about the templar and the templar X, most of what I could find on it tells me that it is not a street legal bike. I don't know if that's accurate, but I'm yet to see a video or a picture with a license plate on it, and XPro's site lists it as a dirt bike for off-roading only. Is that accurate?