New to the site and a novice rider

[Bobby-V]

Hey all:
I am new to this site and a fairly inexperienced rider. I rode a bit when I was in my teens (back in the days when I was "invincible"). I rode both an RM 250 and a WR200.

I recently have been dealing with a back injury and have come to the realization that I am never going to ride like I used to....balls on fire and without a care of breaking bones. Being on the west coast of BC we have tonnes of beautiful Forest Service Roads and it's amazing just how far you can travel on these roads!! The views are amazing!!

I haven't yet purchased a bike and after much research and a serious look at my budgetary limitations I have pretty well decided to purchase a Gio (X-Moto is the parent corp). These are sold as Cross Fire (I believe) in Australia and Hot Bike in western Europe (Italy at least).

I am hugely impressed with the X-37 and the X-37 4V however they may be out of the budgetary range for the time being.

I am looking for honest information about the Gio X-35 and X-31 250CC Air Cooled bikes (pref 21"/18" wheels).

I also am looking for a 140 big wheel (17"/14"). Gio X-33 I think. This is for my wife. She is 5'2" and about 120 (she'll kill me for that). She has never ridden before and I would like to get her something that won't be over powered for a newbie and won't be under powered when she gets a little more confident.

Any help members can offer on china riders would be greatly appreciated.

[FastDoc]

Welcome to the forum.

Glad you joined us and I think that a good Chinese bike will suit you and your wife well. You live in a beautiful area with great places to ride and we have several members from your area who will chime in with specific advise.

Any of the bikes you mention will serve you well without killing you. They would be good to get back into riding safely and cheaply. bear in mind that for the most part a Chinabike is not a ride it and forget it machine. Even good ones usually require much minor tinkering to get them to work well for a long time. It helps if you have a wrench, some basic skills, a good forum, and a sense of humor.

I ALWAYS recommend a dualsport bike rather than an offroad only machine.

[Weldangrind]

Welcome!

she'll kill me for that

Husbands have been killed for less, I'm sure.

What part of BC are you in? If you plan to ride FSR's, the MAN requires that you have liability insurance on your toys. If you choose to join FVDRA, you can have unlimited access to the gated riding area for cheap. The last family membership we bought was $75 per year, which includes camping.

That 140 will amaze you. My son had the 125 version, and it pulled like a tractor. I re-geared it to limit his top speed and provide even more climbing power.

[Bobby-V]

@ Weldangrind

I am in the Chwk area. I fully understand the liability insurance. thanks for the info on both the bike and the FVDRA. How would one join them?

I've got access to some private land in the Cache Creek area that has some nice, unused fire roads cut through it. Even the local roads (which I have traveled by truck) are awesome. Tamihi Creek area and generally the whole Chilliwack River Valley area is quite something.

I vaguely remember that one can get pretty close to the top of Mt Cheam by FSR through Chipmunk Creek area. I'd have to look at my back roads map book.

How big is the X-31 with the 19"/16" tire package? What is it comparable to?

[Bobby-V]

@ FastDoc

Thanks for the advice. I have good tools and some patience. I will definitely use this forum for some further direction on tinkering and so on.

I have looked at some dual sport bikes like the sunray 200cc. I saw some on road reviews of the same bike under a different name on youtube.

my decision is almost completely made up but I remain open to advice and experience.

Fortunately there are dealers who has a sample of all the bikes I am interested in within about 3 hours of where I am.

[SpudRider]

Welcome to these forums! We are glad you joined us, Bobby. I think you are wise to visit the dealerships, and examine the bikes before you make your decision. If possible, take a test ride on the bikes before you make your final decision.

Spud

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by Bobby-V

@ Weldangrind

I am in the Chwk area. I fully understand the liability insurance. thanks for the info on both the bike and the FVDRA. How would one join them?

I've got access to some private land in the Cache Creek area that has some nice, unused fire roads cut through it. Even the local roads (which I have traveled by truck) are awesome. Tamihi Creek area and generally the whole Chilliwack River Valley area is quite something.

I vaguely remember that one can get pretty close to the top of Mt Cheam by FSR through Chipmunk Creek area. I'd have to look at my back roads map book.

How big is the X-31 with the 19"/16" tire package? What is it comparable to?

Check out www.fvdra.com . Totally worth it.

Somebody with an X31 will have to chime in on the seat height.

I think you're right about accessing Cheam via Chipmunk. That would be awesome! To support Doc's comments, if you decided to buy a dual sport for yourself, you could take part in the local dual sport rides, like the one hosted by Gnarly Parts in Chilliwack. Dave (the owner) organizes a different ride each year, and it ends with a BBQ at his shop. My son and I will be there this year.

[cj]

Welcome to China Riders!