Vbike 250T Review (250T vs. V4SW) Lots O'Pics

KentuckyDonkey · 04-23-2009, 12:16 PM

So...I ordered a Vbike 250T and 300 Monster, intending to replace the Vbike V4SW which I had sold (V4SW was awesome...but the fenders weren't big enough to keep the cow manure off of me, and it didn't have a provision for a decent way to mount a sturdy hitch ball). The bikes arrived on Monday. Had them dropped in my neighbor's driveway, as a tractor-trailer can not make it into my place.

ASSEMBLY: The crates arrived undamaged! The 250T came more fully assembled out of the crate than the V4SW- therefore it was faster and easier to put together. I just needed to install the handlebars, rear rack, front bumper, front shocks into the upper shock mounts only (rest of front susp. including tie rods and hub assemblies were already all together)...put the wheels on, and a few little other things and it was ready to go. Half of the lug nuts were the wrong size- so right now, each wheel only has 2 nuts on it- Tim at Vbike is sending the missing ones.

This being the third China bike I've assembled, I knew what to expect- so I checked the bowl drain screw on the carb- because they are often loose, and allow gas to come pouring out when you gas 'er up. This one was tight- so I was good to go! I put gas in the tank and heard the disconcerting sound of gas pouring on the ground! Quick! Where's the gas shut-off?!!!! Turns out, the fuel line was not plugged into the carb- but just flapping in the breeze! I connected it, turned the gas back on, and viola![sic], it fired right up!

Not having much gas, I just let it idle a few minutes, then drove it home and around my property once (I almost flipped it/fell off of it!! Scary! ).

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: O-K, the deal with the 250T is that it is supposed to be an updated, improved V4SW, with better fenders, bigger tires and a decent hitch mount. Turns out, while this 250T does have better fenders (Still not full utility-style fenders, but for as sport bike, these do work better than the ones on the V4SW and have kept the crap off of me so far), this one does NOT have bigger tires, nor does it have a better hitch.

If you look at various pics on other sites selling these bikes (Google "KMD ATV-57"), most of them do appear to have the upgrades. My theory is that Vbike has an older shipment of these bikes- i.e. ones that were earlier models and hence, do not have the upgrades.

Also, I thought this would have the same Lifan motor as the V4SW. While it does have a Lifan(I think...) it appears to be an earlier version- not the same one as on the V4SW (I loved the motor on the V4SW!!). This motor does not look as good and appears to have some mechanical differences.

Purely cosmetic: The green color on the 250T is definitely not as nice as the V4SW green (personal taste, I know) and the graphics on the 250T look retarded ("Flying Machine No.8" ?!! WTH is that?!)- I thought that the V4SW looked pretty nice with it's stock graphics. The 250T's coolant hoses are just covered with cheesey springs...whilst the V4SW's were covered with nice shiny flexible conduit.

250T:

V4SW:

It appears that most of these Chinese bikes are a mish-mash of various parts and components- and that the manufacturers makes changes frequently, and you really don't know exactly what you are getting when you order them (even the importers don't know, I believe)- so be advised,l that even from the reputable importers/dealers, like Vbike, what you get may be different than what you see in the pics on their website/what they tell you/listed specifications.

Back to the 250T: This bike also does not have the nice performance exhaust that the V4SW had, and it is not as fast as the V4SW (It is still reasonably fast for a 250- but not a beast, like the V4SW- it just doesn't seem to have as much horsepower- even though on Vbike's site, they'd have you think that it is as fast/faster than the V4SW.

The rack on 250T is not as big nor as sturdy as the one on the V4SW.

The front A-arms and rear swing-arm on the V4SW were powdercoated and looked like the finish would last a good long time. These same components on the 250 are just painted...with what appears to be rather thin paint, and I foresee quick deterioration and rust/bad looks.

Pet peeve: The pod on the handlebars that contains the electronic shift indicator display is just snapped on- it does not have a screw to secure it, as the V4SW does- therefore, it is free to flop around somewhat, as it does not fit very tightly, and will indeed rotate on the bars. (These shift indicators are really a nice feature though- they spoil you!)

250T:

V4SW:

The MAJOR ISSUE though, is that the 250T does not shift all that well. The V4SW shifts silky smooth. With the 250T, it is very difficult to get into reverse from neutral or to downshift. Seems the tranny always wants to stick between gears.

250T:

V4SW:

Overall, while the V4SW was of top quality Japanese-quality build- the 250T seems to be a somewhat less quality. It is not really cheesey, like some Chinese bikes...but is definitely a downgrade from the V4SW- and considering that the 250T costs $100 more than the V4SW, it seems silly to pay more money for less bike.

ULTIMATELY: Even if you don't mind less bike for more money, I would not recommend the 250T because of it's poor transmission.

This review will be updated as I ride the 250T more- but ultimately, I will be selling it shortly. (I had bought this and the 300 Monster with the intention of seeing which one best suited my needs, and selling the other. I really miss my V4SW now. I'm thinking that getting splattered with goo from too-scant fenders may have been an acceptable price to pay for the awesome quality of the V4SW in a <$1300 bike!!)

300 "Monster" review coming soon!

The shed is getting a little crowded!:

04-23-2009, 12:16 PM	#1
KentuckyDonkey Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 331	Vbike 250T Review (250T vs. V4SW) Lots O'Pics So...I ordered a Vbike 250T and 300 Monster, intending to replace the Vbike V4SW which I had sold (V4SW was awesome...but the fenders weren't big enough to keep the cow manure off of me, and it didn't have a provision for a decent way to mount a sturdy hitch ball). The bikes arrived on Monday. Had them dropped in my neighbor's driveway, as a tractor-trailer can not make it into my place. ASSEMBLY: The crates arrived undamaged! The 250T came more fully assembled out of the crate than the V4SW- therefore it was faster and easier to put together. I just needed to install the handlebars, rear rack, front bumper, front shocks into the upper shock mounts only (rest of front susp. including tie rods and hub assemblies were already all together)...put the wheels on, and a few little other things and it was ready to go. Half of the lug nuts were the wrong size- so right now, each wheel only has 2 nuts on it- Tim at Vbike is sending the missing ones. This being the third China bike I've assembled, I knew what to expect- so I checked the bowl drain screw on the carb- because they are often loose, and allow gas to come pouring out when you gas 'er up. This one was tight- so I was good to go! I put gas in the tank and heard the disconcerting sound of gas pouring on the ground! Quick! Where's the gas shut-off?!!!! Turns out, the fuel line was not plugged into the carb- but just flapping in the breeze! I connected it, turned the gas back on, and viola![sic], it fired right up! Not having much gas, I just let it idle a few minutes, then drove it home and around my property once (I almost flipped it/fell off of it!! Scary! ). INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: O-K, the deal with the 250T is that it is supposed to be an updated, improved V4SW, with better fenders, bigger tires and a decent hitch mount. Turns out, while this 250T does have better fenders (Still not full utility-style fenders, but for as sport bike, these do work better than the ones on the V4SW and have kept the crap off of me so far), this one does NOT have bigger tires, nor does it have a better hitch. If you look at various pics on other sites selling these bikes (Google "KMD ATV-57"), most of them do appear to have the upgrades. My theory is that Vbike has an older shipment of these bikes- i.e. ones that were earlier models and hence, do not have the upgrades. Also, I thought this would have the same Lifan motor as the V4SW. While it does have a Lifan(I think...) it appears to be an earlier version- not the same one as on the V4SW (I loved the motor on the V4SW!!). This motor does not look as good and appears to have some mechanical differences. Purely cosmetic: The green color on the 250T is definitely not as nice as the V4SW green (personal taste, I know) and the graphics on the 250T look retarded ("Flying Machine No.8" ?!! WTH is that?!)- I thought that the V4SW looked pretty nice with it's stock graphics. The 250T's coolant hoses are just covered with cheesey springs...whilst the V4SW's were covered with nice shiny flexible conduit. 250T: V4SW: V4SW: It appears that most of these Chinese bikes are a mish-mash of various parts and components- and that the manufacturers makes changes frequently, and you really don't know exactly what you are getting when you order them (even the importers don't know, I believe)- so be advised,l that even from the reputable importers/dealers, like Vbike, what you get may be different than what you see in the pics on their website/what they tell you/listed specifications. Back to the 250T: This bike also does not have the nice performance exhaust that the V4SW had, and it is not as fast as the V4SW (It is still reasonably fast for a 250- but not a beast, like the V4SW- it just doesn't seem to have as much horsepower- even though on Vbike's site, they'd have you think that it is as fast/faster than the V4SW. The rack on 250T is not as big nor as sturdy as the one on the V4SW. The front A-arms and rear swing-arm on the V4SW were powdercoated and looked like the finish would last a good long time. These same components on the 250 are just painted...with what appears to be rather thin paint, and I foresee quick deterioration and rust/bad looks. Pet peeve: The pod on the handlebars that contains the electronic shift indicator display is just snapped on- it does not have a screw to secure it, as the V4SW does- therefore, it is free to flop around somewhat, as it does not fit very tightly, and will indeed rotate on the bars. (These shift indicators are really a nice feature though- they spoil you!) 250T: V4SW: The MAJOR ISSUE though, is that the 250T does not shift all that well. The V4SW shifts silky smooth. With the 250T, it is very difficult to get into reverse from neutral or to downshift. Seems the tranny always wants to stick between gears. 250T: V4SW: Overall, while the V4SW was of top quality Japanese-quality build- the 250T seems to be a somewhat less quality. It is not really cheesey, like some Chinese bikes...but is definitely a downgrade from the V4SW- and considering that the 250T costs $100 more than the V4SW, it seems silly to pay more money for less bike. ULTIMATELY: Even if you don't mind less bike for more money, I would not recommend the 250T because of it's poor transmission. This review will be updated as I ride the 250T more- but ultimately, I will be selling it shortly. (I had bought this and the 300 Monster with the intention of seeing which one best suited my needs, and selling the other. I really miss my V4SW now. I'm thinking that getting splattered with goo from too-scant fenders may have been an acceptable price to pay for the awesome quality of the V4SW in a <$1300 bike!!) 300 "Monster" review coming soon! The shed is getting a little crowded!:
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