New member in Ohio. Convince me to buy Chinese please.

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by peacefullyslow

TRUE, 230ccs do not make a real model 250. I've tried to find out from owners if their registration says 230 or 250. Around here there are highways restricting bikes under 250cc and your license endorsement is restricted as well.

Check with member OneLeggedRider. He and his cousin Jay (McFailbutter) both have Hawks registered in Ohio.

[kirbo7106]

Welcome to the site! Keep us posted on what you finally end up buying. I have a standard Hawk. I’m probably a 80/20 street/off-road rider trying to be a 60/40!

I live in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida, so there’s not a huge dual sport community. When I was shopping around all I could find was decent bikes priced like new bikes or bikes in my price range that needed a total rebuild.

If I could do it again, I would go with CSC just because of the great customer support!

Enjoy the Ride!

[Goob]

Peacefullyslow says:

"Because I plan to use this as a commuter, I'm forced to buy a minimum 250cc to avoid some regional highway restrictions. So I looked at their flagship 250. While the rear brake parts still hang down below the frame, at least the front brake line doesn't loop in front of the fork like the new CSC. Bump a rock, cut a front line! Hop a log, bend the rear linkage! Really? If I can't stop it, I'd be crazy to start it."

I think it would help if Peacefullyslow decides if he is going to commute or go off-road. By choosing one or the other for the main mode helps narrow down what bike and how to set it up. I chose the CSC TT250 because I do not plan on bumping a rock or leaping a log on my way to work.

My modifications, with the exception of the eventual replacement of the knobbies with street tires (Conti Go!), do not preclude using for mild trail riding; though I never plan to do this.

As far as the highway, we don't have the 250 limit in Colorado. I don't need it for my commute, but have made a few runs to get somewhere faster. I can go about 65 at 7000 rpm, which is as fast as I would want to go on a small bike. I have the 47 tooth rear sprocket that CSC sells to increase top speed. Still has plenty of torque in lower gears for around town.

Mine is straight-up to do a city commute and I try to ride year-round with the exception of snow days. I also have added capacity to haul my regular 4 bags of groceries so I don't have to sacrifice a day riding just to go shopping. The rear rack folds up into a large "milk" crate. Here are a few of my latest photos.

Ride On!

Goob

[peacefullyslow]

Originally Posted by MooDog

I'm in pretty much the same boat as the thread op here.. Started out with a layaway on a 125cc Pit Bike.. Then I started looking into DS bikes. My work commute is 25 miles one way and my car just gulps too much petrol. I like the idea of being able to flick off the rural backroads and hit a few trails every now and then. A small displacement DS is a way better choice for my particular needs. I've owned a couple chinese scooters with pretty good luck. Super easy to work on and damn reliable for what they are. Part of the fun for me is turning the wrench, so a Chinese DS is a smart buy. Stock up on loctite!
Now I'm down to which one to get.. These boards are a wealth of information. JerryHawk250 has a great channel and I've been checking out Motocheez as well.

I'm really thankful for these content providers on youtube. I've watched several videos on these budget bikes and have learned a lot from the reviews. Some owners torture these bikes far more than I probably will and still put in a good word for dependability. It's those reviews that have me now considering buying a Chinese bike. When I hear about tire and tube trouble that could have been avoided with the inclusion of rim locks or, broken spokes because their too thin and stretchy and probably weren't all tightened at the factory and, all the disassembly, reassembly and checking I'm going to have to do before the first ride and subsequent rides, I start to question. Then I end up on a forum, asking questions.

Thanks for the info, I'm glad I got to hear that you have had some pretty good luck with these.

[franque]

The FSE250E, R, and the XTR all come with, if I remember correctly, all of the equipment necessary to street register the bikes. If you call them and get a chance to talk to Gary, the owner, he'll work with you. I know the MSO comes stating motorcycle, so it shouldn't be too hard to get it titled. If they don't come with the necessary stuff, he can put a kit together for you. Everything I've seen implies they have great customer service, and they're putting out an extremely durable, high quality product. SSR might be a good option, too, if one step down from GPX in quality, their OE makes effectively identical parts (in the case of the 250), for Suzuki, and it's a true 250 with an oil filter. Oh, and GPX's chassis and body parts are a copy of Husky/KTM. If I were in the market, I'd be getting an FSE250R.

[Sport Rider]

did not price any repairs, nor did I take it apart to see what the problem was. it could be a simple bearing replacement. chinese bearings, grease and oils are pretty lame. one thing to do for longevity is to replace all fluids and wheel bearings early in the bike's life. I rode mine pretty hard both on-road at 55 to 60 MPH, running 7500+ RPMs as well as some off-road lumps, bumps and holes. Never had problems with rims or spokes. Steering head stayed solid. broke the shift shaft off in a wreck. easy repair and parts were cheap.

wish I had more to tell you. I was in the same position as you and jumped in just to try. I was surprised that it wasn't the "junk" I expected it to be, particularly for the price. I would buy another except I'd want a larger motor. the motor screams at higher speeds I run when commuting to work. A 350 or 400 with more torque would be nicer.

[Airhead]

FSE250R? $5350 fully assembled? Seems to defeat the purpose of buying a Chinese bike. I could buy a new KLX250 for that price or less once I wave cash in their face. Guess I'm missing something.

[peacefullyslow]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

did not price any repairs, nor did I take it apart to see what the problem was. it could be a simple bearing replacement. chinese bearings, grease and oils are pretty lame. one thing to do for longevity is to replace all fluids and wheel bearings early in the bike's life. I rode mine pretty hard both on-road at 55 to 60 MPH, running 7500+ RPMs as well as some off-road lumps, bumps and holes. Never had problems with rims or spokes. Steering head stayed solid. broke the shift shaft off in a wreck. easy repair and parts were cheap.

wish I had more to tell you. I was in the same position as you and jumped in just to try. I was surprised that it wasn't the "junk" I expected it to be, particularly for the price. I would buy another except I'd want a larger motor. the motor screams at higher speeds I run when commuting to work. A 350 or 400 with more torque would be nicer.

Swing arm linkage bearings and bushings have been a bigger problem since the advent of the mono shock. I like the mono shock architecture, simplifies adjusting, assures equal tension side to side and, reduces weight. Must be good, they're sill being used on most bikes that benefit from those features. Gearing a bike to find a happy medium between highway and trails is pretty easy these days. Up in the front, test, down in the rear, test, back down in the front, test. More HP isn't always the answer, I got caught up in that trend and found myself riding a 650 in the dirt, not fun!
Ran a short Baja event with it, it really shined there but, learned that it's better to squeeze more HP out of what you got with fuel air and fire before turning to bigger displacement. Just one of those lessons in life that I'm glad I survived to use.

[peacefullyslow]

Originally Posted by kirbo7106

Welcome to the site! Keep us posted on what you finally end up buying. I have a standard Hawk. I’m probably a 80/20 street/off-road rider trying to be a 60/40!

I live in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida, so there’s not a huge dual sport community. When I was shopping around all I could find was decent bikes priced like new bikes or bikes in my price range that needed a total rebuild.

If I could do it again, I would go with CSC just because of the great customer support!

Enjoy the Ride!

I appreciate the suggestion, several have commented on the superior customer service at CSC. The used bike market is unquestionably INSANE right now. Knowing what it takes to refurb a used machine, registration (upwards of $300) and a few mods has relegated the used bike market to mostly collectors and those that own bike shops. To get a bargain on a used bike that doesn't cost 70% of new on the current market, right now, is hard to do. I'm still not convinced that buying Chinese is the best avenue for me. Too many shortcuts and oversights in construction that I see as being potentially dangerous and would require a lot of the same work replacing parts as if I had bought a vintage bike. Cheap wheels, all of the bearings and races are soft steel, undersized spokes, no rim locks on the back wheel (really?). The rear brake assembly looks like it was just globbed on below the frame as an afterthought. I live in a heavily wooded area and log hopping is a must, without CLEAR clearance, I may as well walk the trails. There are Chinese bikes that don't have these glaring shortcomings but, they are almost twice the money and they still have quality issues related to material selection and to make them street legal is another $700.

Buying new is $7,000. Buying used is $5,000. Buying Chinese is $4,000. I need to critically asses the value of the money saved over the value of my time and satisfaction with my purchase. It's not as easy as I had hoped.

[franque]

Originally Posted by Airhead

FSE250R? $5350 fully assembled? Seems to defeat the purpose of buying a Chinese bike. I could buy a new KLX250 for that price or less once I wave cash in their face. Guess I'm missing something.

It's a much higher quality bike than a KLX, and the KLX has many of its components made in China anyway. You're just paying for a name with the Kawi. The suspension alone is superior, fully adjustable front and rear, and the forks are, if I remember correctly, a knockoff of Showa Twin Chamber forks. It also effectively has a knockoff of a modern KTM frame, and all the parts are cheaper, too. The KLX simply can't compare.

[peacefullyslow]

Goob says:

"I think it would help if Peacefullyslow decides if he is going to commute or go off-road. By choosing one or the other for the main mode helps narrow down what bike and how to set it up. I chose the CSC TT250 because I do not plan on bumping a rock or leaping a log on my way to work. "


I say:

Goob, saw the pictures, nice setup. I'm a little troubled with your inference that I'm having trouble deciding on my USE of the machine. That decision has been made. 80/20 street/trail. If all I wanted is a commuter, there are better choices than the off road geometry bikes. I don't know your experience level so I can't disagree with your thoughts, however, you did make it clear that you have not ridden trails. Perhaps if you had you would know that bumping rocks happens and hopping logs is not only necessary riding style but also the primary intent of the dual sport machines. Go anywhere (even places where they haven't yet put streets).
Ride on, ride safe. Have fun?

[Airhead]

Buying Chinese is $4,000?? I suppose you could if you wanted to, but I'm quite happy with mine for less than $2500 delivered, fully assembled. Of course no rim locks but does any dual purpose bike come with them as standard? I use my bike primarily as a commuter with occasional dirt and trails but I don't expect it to perform like a dirt bike so I don't rush it. I owned a KLR250 and KLR650 for years. The 250 was great on or off road. The 650 was way too heavy and tall for off road and it wasn't that great on the highway either. Light is right for off road.