A new rider looking for the responsability of a chinabike

[Scribe_of_Alara]

So here's my humongous essay on where I'm at so far:

I'm a college student in RI who is decently equipped with tools and pretty mechanically inclined, but limited in experience. I got my license last year but haven't gotten a bike.

I've look at various options for first bikes and I really can't get past my love of retro standard bikes. I just love the UJM/Cafe look. I'd love to own an old Honda CB350 or something, but small displacement UJMs are rare and expensive in my area and are 60% of the time completely trashed or have been destroyed by a kid's Cafe attempt. Or it's a nice cafe that they want $6000 for.

I've been looking at the various chinese bike selling companies out there and Venom looks like they are the best I have seen. Looking at getting a chinabike, I am most concerned about the titling and registration more than anything.

I built myself a motorized bicycle without really realizing it was impossible to get street legal in RI since anything in the state that burns gas and rolls on pavement needs registration with the state, meaning a MSO and Title and to get a VIN riveted to the frame of my 150 dollar walmart bike with a 100 dollar ebay motor. Yeah...

Luckily I should be able to take it to Mass and ride it there, but I gave up on the project after legal hurdles and am just getting back to turning wrenches. Besides, I want something that can get over 50, not that is stuck less than 30.

I've been looking at the various chinabikes, the first thing that appealed to me was the price. I think a few other people may have had a similar feeling. But, I also really have a strange sort of appreciation for a motorcycle that comes in a box and you have to put it together. Plus, there is also an appeal to me about a vehicle that actually requires you to be able to turn a wrench. I've never done it, but I do know how to set tappet lash, and I have feeler gauges and sockets and wrenches. Heck, I know what points are. I doubt there are more than a dozen people my age in my entire university who do.

However, my initial frustration came from what I saw on YouTube. It was all Hawk 250s and other dual sports. There were absolutely no road bikes anywhere there. I think this makes sense to me, though. Most folks who ride road bikes want to ride, and don't want to get dirty. They don't want to ever be in the position of the nightmare of breaking a chain 200 miles from the nearest gas station. The crowds are completely different.

However, I want a bike I can and have to work on, and that is cheap, and that looks cool. I'd like to be able to do 55 comfortably, but I'm more than willing to change a sprocket to get there comfortably.

I also just really like analogue things. I'm a cassette tape fan, even if MP3s sound better.

Looking at the bikes out there, the first one I was able to find that was really appealing to me was the CSC SG250. However. at about $3000 delivered, and covered in digital stuff, I wasn't really a fan.

Eventually, I found a bike I like. I really like the Dong Fang DF250RTG. It's a cafe style retro road bike, and is basically everything I could want for, though I might've preferred an option with a kick start, but I doubt I would actually use it anyways. I do like that it comes with a 17t front sprocket, since I'm sure I will be doing a bit of 50mph highway riding, since that's the only way to get around some places of the state.

Also, Venom has it, and they ship the title/MSO with the bike, and I've read a handful of good reviews from other folks on this forum.

Belmonte also has it, as does Red Fox Powersports, which I do not trust at all. Belmonte seems like they are okay, though, and they are cheaper than Venom, though not by much. I can get a $50 discount from JerryHawk250's code.

I really actually like that there isn't much content of it on YouTube. This means that I get to actually be something of a Pioneer, if you will. I would have not just an incentive but in some ways, an obligation to shoot and post any content I can, from impressions to mods to whatever.

It's just perfect for me. However, I do have a couple of questions:

Are warranties worth anything? I've heard more stories of "it took months to get a single part" and "it wasn't in stock" or sometimes "It cost $80 and there was a $10 dollar alternative on Amazon." I don't know if this is a negativity bias or if it just isn't worth bothering with folks sometimes.

So instead, I really have the impression of, "If something goes wrong, it's my responsibility, and no one else is going to fix it." It's not an antique 1970s bike, and resale value is 'No,' so originality doesn't matter. All that matters is it runs safe and fun. So my basic theory is that I should tell the sellers to sod off and just fix stuff myself.

So I'm also kinda concerned in that I don't have a welder. What if an engine mount breaks or something like happens on the Magician 250? I am 100% sure that sending it back to the supplier isn't an option due to shipping costs, and I doubt any shops around here will fix it for me. Does anyone think that someone might be able to help if I ask around, or should I honestly just grab myself a harbor freight MIG and have at it myself? (after a bit of practice of course)

I also have a rather important question regarding shipping: my driveway is a pretty steep hill with a curve. It's not possible for a tractor-trailer to back up it, and it's probably too steep to push a boxed bike on a dolley up without like 4 or 5 people. Could they load it from the semi into the back of our pickup, and then from that we unload into the garage? I'd need a ramp, but I need a ramp anyways.

I really want this responsibility in my life. I've never had anything like this. I don't know if it will actually be an option for me, but I'd like any input anyone has. Especially on color

Also, I'm a Zoomer so I'm not used to forums like this, would it be better if I broke all this up into like 4 or 5 posts for different topics and questions?