Chinese Import Motor Bikes

[biggy7]

hi guys

im planning to do my CBT and was thinking of getting a cheap 125cc to use for about a year to get used to the roads and practice.

Ive seen LOADS if these Chinese import bikes on the bay so was wondering if anyone has any experience with them?

My initial idea was to get a Honda CG125, used one can be had for about £600 ish, but if i can get a brand new Chinese import for say £500, then wouldn't it be worth buying?

i hear mix stories regarding them, some say they are very good and worth the £500 and others say they are crap.

anyone any advice?

thanks!

[grint]

Gonna do the same thing in the summer...but was thinking of a DTR.

[tiggerbiker]

they are shite m8!

dont touch them - they are thrown together with really cheap parts, they break very often and parts can be a bugger to track down.

get a cheap SR125 or CG125 and with a bit of spit and polish, you could sell it next year for more than you paid!!

or perhaps just do the whole DAS/restricted before the law changes on september 29th and get a bigger bike

[biggy7]

they are shite m8!

dont touch them - they are thrown together with really cheap parts, they break very often and parts can be a bugger to track down.

get a cheap SR125 or CG125 and with a bit of spit and polish, you could sell it next year for more than you paid!!

or perhaps just do the whole DAS/restricted before the law changes on september 29th and get a bigger bike

thanks dude

what "bigger" bike would you recommend if was to do DAS? im clueless!

[tiggerbiker]

thanks dude

what "bigger" bike would you recommend if was to do DAS? im clueless!

it does rather depend on what style of bike you like.
either suzuki bandit 600, suzuki sv650, honda hornet 600, yamaha fazor 600/fz6, kawasaki er6. something like those would be ideal as a first bike.


BTW - i'm a fully qualified m/c instructor so if you need any advice on training, give me a shout m8

[biggy7]

it does rather depend on what style of bike you like.
either suzuki bandit 600, suzuki sv650, honda hornet 600, yamaha fazor 600/fz6, kawasaki er6. something like those would be ideal as a first bike.


BTW - i'm a fully qualified m/c instructor so if you need any advice on training, give me a shout m8

thanks for the info dude, im really thinking of doing DAS now, then save for one of the bikes you have mentioned, makes sense really as i would have to sell the 125cc anyway and upgrade.

yeh i totally forgot you were a qualified instructor

where are you based again mate? oh and apologies in advance for the zillion questions that i might have in the near future

[tiggerbiker]

thanks for the info dude, im really thinking of doing DAS now, then save for one of the bikes you have mentioned, makes sense really as i would have to sell the 125cc anyway and upgrade.

yeh i totally forgot you were a qualified instructor

where are you based again mate? oh and apologies in advance for the zillion questions that i might have in the near future

i'm in hertfordshire - probably a bit too far for you but i will give you all the help i can m8.

when you book the CBT (get that done now, not as part of a course) make sure the school offers gurantee'd pass CBT's then if you take more than 1 day to get the CBT done, it wont affect your DAS training or cost you any more cash.

also, when you have booked it - let me know and i will post up what is legally required on a CBT (then you can make sure you get what you paid for)

[ekkl]

Lad at work bought a Hondu 125. Think he got it for around £500 and it wasn't that old. Maybe a year or two old!

He had to sort out a sprocket and had something done to the brakes, nothing much, just replaced the pads I think. Didn't cost him much at all. He sold it a year later for about £250.

If you want something just to get about on and get used to the road traffic these days It's busy) then just buy something you can run into the ground.

I done my DAS training all in one go. Done the CBT on the Sat, couple of days riding, test on the Friday. Failed on the fucking U-Turn. Had to wait a while before I could re-take and it cost me a few hundred quid extra for the extra few days training as I hadn't thought I would fail.

Passed second time around though. The U-turn was one of the first things we done. Pulled up in a quiet road. He told me what he wanted me to do, push the bike round to the other side of the road then ride it back to where I started from. Done it no problem but to be honest it was a bit hit-and-miss if I got it right. I didn't have any technique to it, the amount of times I practised it and ballsed it up was about 90%!! On the day though I just done it. I had done millions of the bloody things prior to that and just couldn't get it right, real luck that I got it right on the day though so make sure you go and practise it lots!!

[tiggerbiker]

Lad at work bought a Hondu 125. Think he got it for around £500 and it wasn't that old. Maybe a year or two old!

He had to sort out a sprocket and had something done to the brakes, nothing much, just replaced the pads I think. Didn't cost him much at all. He sold it a year later for about £250.

If you want something just to get about on and get used to the road traffic these days It's busy) then just buy something you can run into the ground.

I done my DAS training all in one go. Done the CBT on the Sat, couple of days riding, test on the Friday. Failed on the fu(king U-Turn. Had to wait a while before I could re-take and it cost me a few hundred quid extra for the extra few days training as I hadn't thought I would fail.

Passed second time around though. The U-turn was one of the first things we done. Pulled up in a quiet road. He told me what he wanted me to do, push the bike round to the other side of the road then ride it back to where I started from. Done it no problem but to be honest it was a bit hit-and-miss if I got it right. I didn't have any technique to it, the amount of times I practised it and ballsed it up was about 90%!! On the day though I just done it. I had done millions of the bloody things prior to that and just couldn't get it right, real luck that I got it right on the day though so make sure you go and practise it lots!!

clutch control and balance are the keys to a succesfull u-turn.
the secret is knowing that the bike follows your eyes.

[majorkonig]

at the moment i have an aprilia rs 125 and planning on doing my main test soon (just done my theory,2nd attempt lol) on my rs 125 its really hard to do the u-turn in a road due to style of bike(any tips) i could do a u turn on a road the size of a motorway

[tiggerbiker]

at the moment i have an aprilia rs 125 and planning on doing my main test soon (just done my theory,2nd attempt lol) on my rs 125 its really hard to do the u-turn in a road due to style of bike(any tips) i could do a u turn on a road the size of a motorway

yeah, dont even bother - RS125's are not acceptable to the DSA for motorcycle tests.
turn up on that and you will not do the test

[majorkonig]

ive only got to do a 1 hour observation on my bike,after that i hire 1

[tiggerbiker]

ive only got to do a 1 hour observation on my bike,after that i hire 1

i dont see the point of that?

when i do assesments, i give my students the use of one of my bikes - after all, that is what they will be riding for the course and test

and of course you will of had to of done lots of u-turns on your cbt (and figure 8's, slow slalom, etc)

[majorkonig]

yeh that would make sence,but thats how they said they will do it at nfl in bilston

[tiggerbiker]

yeh that would make sence,but thats how they said they will do it at nfl in bilston

my honest advice in that case is as follows........ go to another riding school, look for a BSM accredited one near you

[majorkonig]

cheers for the advice,ill look them up if there is not 1 local to me i think i'll try bike wise they ment to be good but they in stafford.

[lmsaddler]

hi guys

im planning to do my CBT and was thinking of getting a cheap 125cc to use for about a year to get used to the roads and practice.

Ive seen LOADS if these Chinese import bikes on the bay so was wondering if anyone has any experience with them?

My initial idea was to get a Honda CG125, used one can be had for about £600 ish, but if i can get a brand new Chinese import for say £500, then wouldn't it be worth buying?

i hear mix stories regarding them, some say they are very good and worth the £500 and others say they are crap.

anyone any advice?

thanks!

hi m8

i had one of those chinese bikes, was nothing but head aches from day one, get a good second hand cg or suzuki en, both bullet proof engines and minimal maintenance

[malo]

Had two Chinese bikes...both absolute shite. Both rust buckets and totally undepowered, and badly made.

[Bodman]

Ive also heard those Chinese bikes are crap . I agree with Tigger, get something like a Bandit, There are millions of them about so the 2nd hand market is flooded with them so you should get a good deal.


But get an unfaired one. Look nicer in my opinion and if your learning then the fairing are expensive to fix if your have an off.


//Bod