Another Pitster Pro LXT 400 Review - Page 4

Oengus · 11-09-2010, 02:30 AM

Yeah they sell a dual sport version, and it is also advertised for $1,800.00.
I would not say that Pitster does not stock parts for the LXT400 but they do not seem to have any indexes for parts. I like part numbers and schematics I am not seeing that on their website. I wonder if Xingyue offers that to them?

They likely only get orders filled periodically and probably with shipments of actual units. I have to laugh they probably have no system that tracks par levels. Inventory management systems use probability metrics based on parts consumption. If you only get an order say quarterly then it would automatically reorder parts based on the least likely amount that would run out before the next shipment. It can also calculate costs based on shipping and also factor in lost sales.

I really only want a way to enter my VIN and then get a set of schematics and linked part numbers.
Like this site has, except they use only model numbers, parts can change from year to year on a model that makes a VIN number more precise.
http://www.loncin.ca/schematic.aspx?...&SchematicID=1

That type system can have smart programing behind it, it can have par level and as one thing is purchased the par changes and that can then trigger a reorder.

I think that the industry like bikes....but does not like the business end of it. They assume what about the customer? I try not to assume they do not have their shit together, but they make that difficult.

The 250 at $1,800.00 delivered is a very fair price.

SpudRider · 11-09-2010, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oengus

...I would not say that Pitster does not stock parts for the LXT400 but they do not seem to have any indexes for parts...

Pitster Pro does not stock parts for the LXT 400; if you doubt this, contact them, and ask them if they do.

If Pitster stocked any parts for the LXT 400, they would certainly have a few stator covers in stock. :(

Spud

fishman10 · 11-09-2010, 11:19 AM

Still , no parts have arrived and no word from pitster, on my speedometer cable.I'm bummed .

FastDoc · 11-09-2010, 12:03 PM

I'm bummed for you, and for myself. I really wanted a 400!

SpudRider · 11-09-2010, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishman10

Still , no parts have arrived and no word from pitster, on my speedometer cable.I'm bummed .

Thank you for the update, Fish. As with FastDoc, I am also dismayed to hear of your predicament. :(

I'm sorry to say it appears Xingyue is only interested in selling complete motorcycles, and not supporting them with parts. I believe Pitster Pro has good intentions, but it appears Xingyue is not highly motivated to ship a few parts to Utah for a handful of bikes sold in the United States. :( Zongshen America might be slow in sending parts to its customers, but unlike Xinyue, and American Lifan, Zongshen does keep a large supply of parts stocked in its Miami warehouse.

I wonder how Xingyue designed/acquired the water pump to support the Rotax top end in LXT 400 engine? Getting NX250, or Rotax parts seems to be a viable, if unconvenient option; however, obtaining Xingyue parts portends to be much more difficult. :(

Spud

FastDoc · 11-09-2010, 12:52 PM

Maybe what we need is a Yamaha cloned Zongshen GY400.

Wild_Alaskan · 11-09-2010, 04:37 PM

looks like pitster is going to go down the same road as american lifan. selling bikes with no parts support doesn't last for very long. anybody that does a little research before buying finds that AL has a horrible reputation. If pitster wants to last, they better fix their problems quick.

also if they can get parts for their bikes why not keep a few on hand and sell the part off of them, if they use similar to jap bike prices they will only need to sell a quarter of the parts on the bike for the bike to have paid for itself, for example if you could sell this much off of a bike

fenders $30, $20, side panels$50, $50, head $200, cylinder $150, piston $130, outer cases $80, $80, handle bars $15, starters $80, pumps $60, wheels $150 $150, headlight $45, tail light $35, seat $50, steering head bearings $40.

so say you were able to sell that off of a parts bike you make $1415 which i would guess is around what the bike costs you, plus you may be able sell what is left that doesn't break very much for even more profits. or throw it on ebay

think · 11-10-2010, 06:49 PM

A parts bike huh, there's a good idea

So I decided to test top speed today. With the stock set up I was able to get it up to 79.3 MPH. Not bad for stock. I imagine if you were to take off the charcoal emmisions canister and the air box and replace all that with a uni-filter. Replace the heavy rear tail light / license plate/ reflector assembly with a DRC Edge II LED tail light http://www.wheelingcyclesupply.com/s...24/index.shtml and perhaps replace the front sprocket with a slightly larger one you could achieve 80+ MPH easily, but honestly 79 is fast enough for me

Aside from parts being a pain to come by, I'm still really happy with this bike. Parts are an ongoing problem for all Chinese made bikes. Sometimes you have to improvise when it comes to these things I guess. Today was a great day for riding down here in Southern Illinois

71 degrees and a slight breeze. I hit this little spot I know down by the Mississippi River and played around in the sand and hit a few little jumps. I absolutely love the suspension on this bike. When you land a jump it's like landing on a cushion of air. Just wonderful

Happy riding everybody!

SpudRider · 11-10-2010, 07:05 PM

Thanks for posting the update, and the nice photo, Think!

I'm glad you are having nice weather; the weather has turned crappy in Idaho. :(

I have read the LXT 400 speedometer is optimistic, as with most motorcycles.

If you have time, please check the accuracy of the speedometer by comparing its readout with a GPS receiver, or a radar display.

Spud

fishman10 · 11-10-2010, 07:20 PM

As spud suggested ,I tried to order some parts for my lxt400, just common stuff,,,a cdi box, cables , brake pads,,,,pitster parts guy said he would call me back with what he had and didnt have,,,didnt call back yeserday or today guess he lost my #,, as well the speedo cable that was supposed to be be in this week ,is now coming next week.I'm not in full slamming mode yet and will try and refrain.

FastDoc · 11-10-2010, 08:08 PM

Great pic, Think. The bike is as pretty as the weather.

I'd consider 80 plenty fast enough as is, and I'd not be in a hurry to change anything if it runs well as is. I'd also likely not regear it, as this will affect it's off road ability. IIRC, you have a 6 speed so it's all good.

Ride it carefully though. Don't break anything. :?

SpudRider · 11-10-2010, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FastDoc

Great pic, Think. The bike is as pretty as the weather.

I'd consider 80 plenty fast enough as is, and I'd not be in a hirry to change anything if it runs well as is. I'd also likely not regear it, as this will affect it's off road ability. IIRC, you have a 6 speed so it's all good.

Ride it carefully though. Don't break anything. :?

X2 on everything Doc said.

The Chinese CDI units have been known to fail on a variety of bikes; I had a CDI unit fail on my Zong. I think LXT 400 owners would be prudent to follow Fishman10's example, and try to secure a spare CDI unit right now.

If the CDI unit fails, you won't be riding until you find a spare somewhere, and only heaven knows if, and when, the slow boat will arrive from China. :(

Spud

Dragon · 11-11-2010, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by think

With the stock set up I was able to get it up to 79.3 MPH. Not bad for stock.

Is that Chinese miles/hour or gps?

Weldangrind · 11-11-2010, 03:34 AM

Thanks for the photo Think. Did you get a Think plate?

think · 11-11-2010, 05:22 PM

Sorry to hear the weather has turned cold already in Idaho Spud. Hopefully it will be a short winter this year

Ok so the Chinese speedometer is a little optimistic. I calibrated a digital speedo from walmart to the precise mm and that is where I got the 79.3 MPH from. I was going with the wind mind you

At that point the stock speedo said that I was doing about 85. It seems to be 5 mph or so off once you hit 55.
As for the Think plate

It turns out I would have had to wait longer and pay more for it so I took one that they had on hand. Sometimes it's better to be anonymous anyway I guess

It would be nice if the speedo cables were universal on these types of bikes. It looks as though the top end (cluster end) of the cable is the same as my Hensim, but then where connects to the hub it looks to be the same size but there is a slightly different connector. It would also need to be a little longer too I believe. Too bad there's no way to get Xingyue parts directly.

11-09-2010, 11:19 AM	#48
fishman10 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: central PA Posts: 770	pitster parts Still , no parts have arrived and no word from pitster, on my speedometer cable.I'm bummed . __________________ 2015 zongshen rx3,,(Sold),,,2016 bashan storm,,2005 Harley ultra classic.
	0

11-09-2010, 12:03 PM	#49
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	I'm bummed for you, and for myself. I really wanted a 400! __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

11-09-2010, 12:52 PM	#51
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	Maybe what we need is a Yamaha cloned Zongshen GY400. __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

11-09-2010, 04:37 PM	#52
Wild_Alaskan Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Alaska Posts: 914	looks like pitster is going to go down the same road as american lifan. selling bikes with no parts support doesn't last for very long. anybody that does a little research before buying finds that AL has a horrible reputation. If pitster wants to last, they better fix their problems quick. also if they can get parts for their bikes why not keep a few on hand and sell the part off of them, if they use similar to jap bike prices they will only need to sell a quarter of the parts on the bike for the bike to have paid for itself, for example if you could sell this much off of a bike fenders $30, $20, side panels$50, $50, head $200, cylinder $150, piston $130, outer cases $80, $80, handle bars $15, starters $80, pumps $60, wheels $150 $150, headlight $45, tail light $35, seat $50, steering head bearings $40. so say you were able to sell that off of a parts bike you make $1415 which i would guess is around what the bike costs you, plus you may be able sell what is left that doesn't break very much for even more profits. or throw it on ebay __________________ Dune buggy build http://chinariders.net/modules.php?n...wtopic&t=14470 400cc lifan build vid: http://youtu.be/20HoU8OK_Y0 other fun: http://tinyurl.com/wildalaskan
	0

11-10-2010, 07:05 PM	#54
SpudRider Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Idaho Posts: 25,054	Thanks for posting the update, and the nice photo, Think! I'm glad you are having nice weather; the weather has turned crappy in Idaho. :( I have read the LXT 400 speedometer is optimistic, as with most motorcycles. If you have time, please check the accuracy of the speedometer by comparing its readout with a GPS receiver, or a radar display. Spud __________________ Spud "Never argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level, and beat you with experience." Mark Twain 2015 Zongshen ZS250GY-3 (RX3) 2006 Zongshen ZS200GY-2 (Sierra 200) 2005 Honda XR650L 2004 Honda CRF250X 1998 Kawasaki KDX220 Mods made to my Zongshen ZS200GY-2: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=6894
	0

11-09-2010, 02:30 AM	#46
Oengus Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 826	Yeah they sell a dual sport version, and it is also advertised for $1,800.00. I would not say that Pitster does not stock parts for the LXT400 but they do not seem to have any indexes for parts. I like part numbers and schematics I am not seeing that on their website. I wonder if Xingyue offers that to them? They likely only get orders filled periodically and probably with shipments of actual units. I have to laugh they probably have no system that tracks par levels. Inventory management systems use probability metrics based on parts consumption. If you only get an order say quarterly then it would automatically reorder parts based on the least likely amount that would run out before the next shipment. It can also calculate costs based on shipping and also factor in lost sales. I really only want a way to enter my VIN and then get a set of schematics and linked part numbers. Like this site has, except they use only model numbers, parts can change from year to year on a model that makes a VIN number more precise. http://www.loncin.ca/schematic.aspx?...&SchematicID=1 That type system can have smart programing behind it, it can have par level and as one thing is purchased the par changes and that can then trigger a reorder. I think that the industry like bikes....but does not like the business end of it. They assume what about the customer? I try not to assume they do not have their shit together, but they make that difficult. The 250 at $1,800.00 delivered is a very fair price.
	0

11-10-2010, 06:49 PM	#53
think Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 31	A parts bike huh, there's a good idea So I decided to test top speed today. With the stock set up I was able to get it up to 79.3 MPH. Not bad for stock. I imagine if you were to take off the charcoal emmisions canister and the air box and replace all that with a uni-filter. Replace the heavy rear tail light / license plate/ reflector assembly with a DRC Edge II LED tail light http://www.wheelingcyclesupply.com/s...24/index.shtml and perhaps replace the front sprocket with a slightly larger one you could achieve 80+ MPH easily, but honestly 79 is fast enough for me Aside from parts being a pain to come by, I'm still really happy with this bike. Parts are an ongoing problem for all Chinese made bikes. Sometimes you have to improvise when it comes to these things I guess. Today was a great day for riding down here in Southern Illinois 71 degrees and a slight breeze. I hit this little spot I know down by the Mississippi River and played around in the sand and hit a few little jumps. I absolutely love the suspension on this bike. When you land a jump it's like landing on a cushion of air. Just wonderful Happy riding everybody!
	0

11-10-2010, 07:20 PM	#55
fishman10 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: central PA Posts: 770	pitster parts As spud suggested ,I tried to order some parts for my lxt400, just common stuff,,,a cdi box, cables , brake pads,,,,pitster parts guy said he would call me back with what he had and didnt have,,,didnt call back yeserday or today guess he lost my #,, as well the speedo cable that was supposed to be be in this week ,is now coming next week.I'm not in full slamming mode yet and will try and refrain. __________________ 2015 zongshen rx3,,(Sold),,,2016 bashan storm,,2005 Harley ultra classic.
	0

11-10-2010, 08:08 PM	#56
FastDoc Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Southeastern Washington desert Posts: 14,761	Great pic, Think. The bike is as pretty as the weather. I'd consider 80 plenty fast enough as is, and I'd not be in a hurry to change anything if it runs well as is. I'd also likely not regear it, as this will affect it's off road ability. IIRC, you have a 6 speed so it's all good. Ride it carefully though. Don't break anything. :? __________________ Happy to serve.
	0

11-11-2010, 03:34 AM	#59
Weldangrind Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Sardis, BC, Canada Posts: 25,977	Thanks for the photo Think. Did you get a Think plate? __________________ Weldangrind "I figure I'm well-prepared for coping with a bike that comes from the factory with unresolved issues and that rewards the self-reliant owner." - Buccaneer
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11-11-2010, 05:22 PM	#60
think Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 31	Sorry to hear the weather has turned cold already in Idaho Spud. Hopefully it will be a short winter this year Ok so the Chinese speedometer is a little optimistic. I calibrated a digital speedo from walmart to the precise mm and that is where I got the 79.3 MPH from. I was going with the wind mind you At that point the stock speedo said that I was doing about 85. It seems to be 5 mph or so off once you hit 55. As for the Think plate It turns out I would have had to wait longer and pay more for it so I took one that they had on hand. Sometimes it's better to be anonymous anyway I guess It would be nice if the speedo cables were universal on these types of bikes. It looks as though the top end (cluster end) of the cable is the same as my Hensim, but then where connects to the hub it looks to be the same size but there is a slightly different connector. It would also need to be a little longer too I believe. Too bad there's no way to get Xingyue parts directly.
	0