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#1 |
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 4
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I spent a year or so wrenching on a beater dirtbike, so I'm not afraid to get my hands a little dirty.
But, my free time is more limited now, so I don't want to spend every weekend keeping a bike on the road. That also means I won't be riding that much, so I'm hesitant to drop $5k on a Japanese dual sport. So, I'm considering a Chinabike as a calculated risk.
Given these concerns, is a chinabike right for me? If so, which one? |
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#2 |
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: De Soto, MO
Posts: 1,917
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Can't answer all your questions, but for the price difference I would definitely go with the higher-quality brands/models. More enjoyment and less headaches, esp. if wrenching time is a consideration.
My money would be to wait until the Lifan KPX250 gets here. Or get a Brozz. I have a Lifan X-pect, fine bike, but the 250 has very significant upgrades to tires and suspension, plus power and a 6-speed!
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2021 Lifan Xpect--sold 2022 Lifan KPX 1972 Honda CT90--The Carrot 1969 Honda CT90--The Tomahto Cheesy is the WDK (workplace drama king). Now retired. Nope, back in the saddle. Climate: The Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A24fWmNA6lM How our government really works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjadCd0VRBw Question all authority.....think for yourself Last edited by TominMO; 03-28-2022 at 10:00 PM. |
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#3 |
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Houston area
Posts: 1,902
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On the dual sport question;
I'd get a dual sport if you have a good place to ride. A good place does not have to be a grueling trail or motocross track. Forestry roads, fire roads, mining roads, etc are plenty of fun and they will take you to the wilderness. -If you don't have a good place to ride a dual sport, I would get a street bike for the lower seat height. (I'm only 5'9"). Just my 2 cents.
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"Its not WHAT you ride; its THAT you ride" |
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#4 | |
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Northeast
Posts: 934
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Quote:
No assembly other than handlebars, no thread lock goo, no maintenance at all. Instead of a “backroad development “ approach (see that thread), I took the back road riding approach. I did nothing at all. Just rode it. I had one big electrical snafu at 2500 miles which was solved by this forum and took a total of probably 4 hours of time. That is the ONLY thing I’ve had to do to the bike. They have fixed this issue on 2021 and newer models. I now have 4000 miles on it, half on dirt. I did NOTHING to this bike except tighten the chain and change the oil. Absolutely nothing. I was in the exact same situation you are. I wasn’t going to ride too much and figured gamble on a Chinese piece of crap, hoping I wouldn’t have to spend time every other week fixing it. I got it as a diversion. A toy. As it turns out, it is one of the most reliable things I’ve ever owned. Operates like a Japanese car. Press the button and go. I would not hesitate to ride the TAT on this thing. Next up in about 1000 miles? It’s almost time for some new tires. I agree about the new 250 Lifan. Wow that’s a nice bike. Very direct answer? My labor schedule is 15 minutes every few months. Tighten chain, change oil. Then keep riding.
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2020 Lifan x-pect |
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#5 | ||
Join Date: Mar 2022
Posts: 4
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#6 |
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Dayton Pa.
Posts: 920
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Hello no efi bikes for me,can you fix an efi problem?. TBR7 and not one problem,have to rejet carburetor,these bike run very lean from factory.A little bit of maintance you'll be fine,they are easy to work on. Don't think you can even find parts for efi systems.Lifan,hawk dlx are fuel injected bikes. not for me,just my thought.Good luck with whatever you buy. I have 1400 miles on my TBR7 and love it,and just now adjusted the engine valves,they were tight. Upgrades are easy,but it will run fine stock. Carburetor rejet is a must do.
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#7 | |
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Earth, USA
Posts: 196
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#8 | |
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Earth, USA
Posts: 196
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#9 |
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: De Soto, MO
Posts: 1,917
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The 2020 Xpects had an issue with the wiring loom rubbing, which has been fixed in the 2021 model year.
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2021 Lifan Xpect--sold 2022 Lifan KPX 1972 Honda CT90--The Carrot 1969 Honda CT90--The Tomahto Cheesy is the WDK (workplace drama king). Now retired. Nope, back in the saddle. Climate: The Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A24fWmNA6lM How our government really works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjadCd0VRBw Question all authority.....think for yourself |
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#10 | |
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: De Soto, MO
Posts: 1,917
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Quote:
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2021 Lifan Xpect--sold 2022 Lifan KPX 1972 Honda CT90--The Carrot 1969 Honda CT90--The Tomahto Cheesy is the WDK (workplace drama king). Now retired. Nope, back in the saddle. Climate: The Movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A24fWmNA6lM How our government really works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjadCd0VRBw Question all authority.....think for yourself |
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#11 |
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Northeast
Posts: 934
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You will find a really big disagreement here about EFI versus carburetors. I have no idea why anyone would ever get a carburetor. All that means you have to work on your bike more. I don’t want to start the argument here, but, if you get an EFI bike you won’t have to do anything. Even if you leave it sitting with the fuel in it for months. You just start it up and go. It acts just like a Japanese car.
So I would not shy away from the EFI bikes at all. Rather, I would try to seek them out and get them. They just run and run. No worries about working on them. Same with EFI outboards, EFI generators, they just keep on going. EFI is why I wouldn’t hesitate to take my xpect across the country on the TAT. You just press the button and go.
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2020 Lifan x-pect |
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#12 |
Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Northeast
Posts: 934
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I can verify this is very much correct. I have a friend that has the 2021 and it was properly wrapped and shielded from the factory. Mine, the 2020, was not. I had to wrap it myself.
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2020 Lifan x-pect |
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#13 |
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Central VA
Posts: 1,259
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I was in the same boat as the OP a few years back before buying a DBX1 for my son and then the Brozz 250 for myself and lastly the Titan DLX for myself again now that my son moved to the Brozz.. some factors that you are thinking of:
- Price: cannot be beat.. 2k or less for a bike that will be fun and do almost everything that the 3x more expensive bike can do, and get you to the same places.. - Version: sorry to add fuel to the fire, but part of the fun is tinkering and adding much needed power to these 250s.. so carb it is, pick your cheap aftermarket carb $25 and some $10 jets, get it dialed in, and forget about it.. that is, until you gut the exhaust and possibly replace the intake then dial it in again if needed.. no worries about fuel pump, ecu, wiring or tuning issues - Power: a couple added horsepower and maybe a gearing change go a long way in making the bike better but you'll never stand a chance with a similar Jap or other known brand bike, so just accept that and move on.. 20 hp is prob the most you can wring out of these bikes - Maintenance: simple... valve adjustments and oil changes are all you need to keep on top of.. ofcourse, like any bike, keep an eye on spokes, check for loose nuts, etc, locktite and grease what you can - Value: cannot be beat. most every part can be found on Amazon or Ebay and for cheap.. so, break a clutch, no prob.. find on Amazon for $10.. new card, $25, brakes.. cheap.. etc.. - Warranty and Support: some are better than others.. CSC is great. Peace is great as well!. TXPower: so so PowerSportsMax: ok. All will help if you know what the issue is and can identify the needed part that they should send you and you will need to work on it yourself.. So having a cheap bike but then paying a dealer to work on it negates the value gained from a cheap bike, so get an easy to work on version and learn to work on it yourself, a wealth of knowledge on this forum and YouTube Hope that helps
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2024 Zuma Storm 150 DLX 2019 Beta 430 RRS 2018 VStrom 1000 XT Former China Bikes: Tao DBX1, Brozz 250, CSC RX4, Titan DLX, Templar X |
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#14 |
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 99
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Do you want to be able to modify the bike by swapping intake/exhaust? Then get a carbureted model and be ready to tinker with the carb to get it running properly.
Do you want a bike that just works so you can ride and modify other things that aren't part of the engine? Then get one of the higher-quality EFI models like those offered by Lifan. I have rebuilt and tinkered with many carbs in my day. For this bike, I wanted to try something fuel injected so I went with the Lifan X-Pect. It's been flawless and it just works. I also have a Suzuki DR200. I have rebuilt the carb and adjusted it. The Lifan is easier to ride because you just fire it up, let it run briefly and go. No messing with a choke and having a bike that doesn't run well until it's fully warm like most carb'd bikes. |
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#15 |
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 472
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I've got 2 different China Bikes. The Bashan Storm is way better build quality than the Magician. I bought the Storm used from a guy that knew nothing about it, and it had problems that should have been fixed when it was new. After an oil change to synthetic, replaced the starter relay, eliminated the remote starter/alarm, new chain, larger main jet, and a new battery runs great. Since I basically resurrected it, I've had to do no maintenance other than another oil change in over 4 months.
The Magician is a similar story; however, I put it together. I will put heavy duty tubes in it soon. It vibrates a bit.
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2018 Bashan Storm(sold) 2016 Magician 250 |
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Tags |
beginner, dual sport, questions |
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