Apollo DB36/RX250

oouthere · 07-23-2018, 12:40 AM

Picked up the bike and went over it pretty good, I thought...lol

Took it out twice for a few laps on a small motocross track with the largest jumps being 30'-40'. Here's my take on it...

a. The bike is VERY heavy even compared to my old WR450F.

b. For my weight, 6'2" @ 235lbs the rear shock is fine.

c. Twenty foot jumps are fine for this machine with no bottoming, never managed enough speed to hit the larger ones. The machine only kicked out one time while tracking up the faces. It rotates great for getting the front wheel pointed back down on the landings if you desire.

d. Even though heavy, it plants well in turns and holds a good line going through berms.

e. Great for older riders as there isn't really enough power to get into trouble. I'd say 50% - 75% of the time you'll have it pinned riding old man motocross, maybe more when you get more use to the bike.

f. The 12 tooth sprocket worked well on the front, the gearing was a little lower than expected but has fantastic low end grunt with perfect gear spacing imo for the small and tight motocross track. The shifting is as smooth or smoother than the CRFs/YZs.

g. If you are a smaller rider, 120lbs or so, you'd be better off riding a used TTR125. The TTR ergonomics are very close to the RX250 and infinitely lighter. Yes, the 125 has less power but it's all based on power to weight so overall you'll probably be faster and definitely will be able to pick-up the bike after laying it down. A lighter rider will have difficulty picking-up the Apollo 250, it's an anchor.

h. The brakes are weak so you have to be a little aggressive while applying them, but this is simply in comparison with my WR and TTR. They are fine as is though.

Now for the rest of the story. The riding day got cut short due to a flat on the rear tire. While checking for lose bolts I did not check the wheel lock or tube. After the second run I noticed the wheel lock was angled very badly so I tightened the front and the rear. About a minute after tightening the rear the tire blew, the tube had already rotated to far and when I tightened the valve stem it straightened and sheared.

Next is the rim spoke/inner tube protector ring. It is about 1/2 as wide as it should be and does not cover the spokes, the original is useless as installed. The good news is the original tube was a good quality heavy tube and the tire is well made for dirt riding. It is fairly soft and sticks great to the ground.

A beautiful bike! Only time will tell how she holds up

Here's a photo of the 250RX and TTR125L together for comparison:

Rich

2LZ · 07-23-2018, 11:16 AM

Thanks for the report. I remember just a few short years ago the last thing a person wanted to do with a China bike was leave the ground.

07-23-2018, 12:40 AM	#1
oouthere Join Date: Jun 2018 Location: Wiggins, MS Posts: 46	Apollo DB36/RX250 Picked up the bike and went over it pretty good, I thought...lol Took it out twice for a few laps on a small motocross track with the largest jumps being 30'-40'. Here's my take on it... a. The bike is VERY heavy even compared to my old WR450F. b. For my weight, 6'2" @ 235lbs the rear shock is fine. c. Twenty foot jumps are fine for this machine with no bottoming, never managed enough speed to hit the larger ones. The machine only kicked out one time while tracking up the faces. It rotates great for getting the front wheel pointed back down on the landings if you desire. d. Even though heavy, it plants well in turns and holds a good line going through berms. e. Great for older riders as there isn't really enough power to get into trouble. I'd say 50% - 75% of the time you'll have it pinned riding old man motocross, maybe more when you get more use to the bike. f. The 12 tooth sprocket worked well on the front, the gearing was a little lower than expected but has fantastic low end grunt with perfect gear spacing imo for the small and tight motocross track. The shifting is as smooth or smoother than the CRFs/YZs. g. If you are a smaller rider, 120lbs or so, you'd be better off riding a used TTR125. The TTR ergonomics are very close to the RX250 and infinitely lighter. Yes, the 125 has less power but it's all based on power to weight so overall you'll probably be faster and definitely will be able to pick-up the bike after laying it down. A lighter rider will have difficulty picking-up the Apollo 250, it's an anchor. h. The brakes are weak so you have to be a little aggressive while applying them, but this is simply in comparison with my WR and TTR. They are fine as is though. Now for the rest of the story. The riding day got cut short due to a flat on the rear tire. While checking for lose bolts I did not check the wheel lock or tube. After the second run I noticed the wheel lock was angled very badly so I tightened the front and the rear. About a minute after tightening the rear the tire blew, the tube had already rotated to far and when I tightened the valve stem it straightened and sheared. Next is the rim spoke/inner tube protector ring. It is about 1/2 as wide as it should be and does not cover the spokes, the original is useless as installed. The good news is the original tube was a good quality heavy tube and the tire is well made for dirt riding. It is fairly soft and sticks great to the ground. A beautiful bike! Only time will tell how she holds up Here's a photo of the 250RX and TTR125L together for comparison: Rich Last edited by oouthere; 07-23-2018 at 01:16 AM.
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07-23-2018, 11:16 AM	#2
2LZ Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Volcano, Ca Posts: 7,112	Thanks for the report. I remember just a few short years ago the last thing a person wanted to do with a China bike was leave the ground. __________________ "Light a fire for a man, and you heat him for a day. Light a man on fire, and you heat him for the rest of his life." 2007 Suzuki DRZ400S (SM convert) 2009 Q Link XP 200 1967 BSA B25 250cc Starfire 2022 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 2023 Royal Enfield Scram 411 1948 Royal Enfield Model G 350
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