Motorbike!

C

chrisdr

Member
Oct 7, 2012
223
1
18
Hi guys,

I am not sure about anyone else but the recent posts about motorcycle trips has made me want to get a bike again! Did a 6 week trip up through Vietnam a couple of years back and would love to try a few smaller trips around here. Is there any clubs that meet up here? Im in the Capital but willing to go up to the North coast every now and then.

So I need a bike, I have been keeping an eye out but haven't seen anything that takes my fancy yet... If anyone knows of anything for sale please let me know. I don't want to spend a fortune ie max 100k dop - I know it limits what I can get but I am sure I can find something. Used to have an R1 but thinking I might want to go on some trails at some point - I love the KTM 650 but out of my price range for now... :-(

Thanks in advance!

Chris
 
B

bermyboy

Bronze
Dec 13, 2007
775
1
0
You wont get what your looking for for less than 100,000 pesos buddy bikes are exspensive here !
 
C

Castle

Silver
Sep 1, 2012
2,982
1
0
Ok, I kind of got into the same mood, just as the OP. Didn't feel like opening a thread just to ask, but since he did, I might as well ask the same question, with a twist:

Win 200k DOP, what good bike could I get that is forgiving to an owner with rusted biking skills, good to go anywhere within reason (not cavebiker's or frank12's level - mainly paved or gravel roads). I'm not much into sports bikes, but I don't want a dirt bike either. Is there anything in between? The rest of questions are the same as the OP's (clubs, etc).

It's a lot of questions, I know, but...
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
Meet Brutus, half an ATV:

Brutus-06-635x507.jpg
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
Castle said:
Ok, I kind of got into the same mood, just as the OP. Didn't feel like opening a thread just to ask, but since he did, I might as well ask the same question, with a twist:

Win 200k DOP, what good bike could I get that is forgiving to an owner with rusted biking skills, good to go anywhere within reason (not cavebiker's or frank12's level - mainly paved or gravel roads). I'm not much into sports bikes, but I don't want a dirt bike either. Is there anything in between? The rest of questions are the same as the OP's (clubs, etc).

It's a lot of questions, I know, but...
Click to expand...
First of all go back to the states for a long weekend and take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic Rider Course. Knock off the dust, refine the skills and refocus on safety skills.

I think this is possibly the best bike (single-up) for most roads on the island, the Yamaha TW200:

2012_Yamaha_TW_200.jpg


Not the biggest, not the fastest, but just a solid torquey 1-cyl 4-stroke 200cc engine, go-anywhere tires (14" rear with a 180/80 tire, 18" front with a 130/80 tire), great ground clearance and compliant suspension, a small displacement Motard well under 300lbs.

It may be around RD$200-250k.
 
C

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
I would consider going with a CG200 to start out with. It is plenty of bike for getting around town and for travelling the back roads. Plus they are cheap, maybe RD40k at most. It has a max speed of probably around 90 or so. It is also great because it is narrow enough to fit between cars in traffic.
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
Chip said:
I would consider going with a CG200 to start out with. It is plenty of bike for getting around town and for travelling the back roads. Plus they are cheap, maybe RD40k at most. It has a max speed of probably around 90 or so. It is also great because it is narrow enough to fit between cars in traffic.
Click to expand...
Not a bad selection.

I rode a CG200 a guy bought new for around RD$45k. Not bad, but kinda sorta cheap with ill-fitting parts, thin chrome and cheesy components compared to real Yamahammers, Honda's and Suzuki's.

I wouldn't take one on a dirt road for any length of time. They are NOT built for that tire and suspension-wise. Stuff will begin falling off unless you disassemble one and reassemble with red loc-tite. PLUS they will rust.

You get what you pay for. Your Yamahammer is a good example of a good bike that is not inexpensive.
 
F

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
30
48
I agree with Cobra boy..."you get what you pay for." Why waste $45,000 on a Chinese bike that you're going to hate after 6 months. There is a reason why they only cost $45,000--cheap parts, cheap suspension, cheap motor, steel frame (nearly all Japanese bikes have gone to aluminum frame), "Carburetor (Old technology...all good bikes have fuel injection today)!" etc.

Do yourself a favor and spend around $250,000 and get yourself one of the most positively written about, bomb proof bikes: Yamaha 250X. it's Fuel injected and can go 60,000km before a recommended valve check...that is Fu%^$#ing amazing! The Yamaha has 7 or 8 inches of suspension, aluminum-bomb-proof frame, it's fuel injected, parts are readily available--including off Amazon.com, and the Yamaha is so suprememely better than any Chinese bike made that it is if they were made on two separate planets. That's no joke!

The Yamaha 250X comes in two different set-up--one is street legal Supermoto, the other is in Enduro with knobby tires that will take you anywhere--you could easily drive around this island 100 times before you ever needed to change the oil or repair anything more than a flat tire. AdventureRider.com has people traveling around the world on this bike and writing about it...it's that bomb proof.
Frank
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
frank12 said:
The Yamaha 250X comes in two different set-up--one is street legal Supermoto, the other is in Enduro with knobby tires that will take you anywhere--you could easily drive around this island 100 times before you ever needed to change the oil or repair anything more than a flat tire. AdventureRider.com has people traveling around the world on this bike and writing about it...it's that bomb proof.
Frank
Click to expand...
The only problem for many of the dirt-bike based motards is the seat.

Most folks sit on one for long periods. Dirt riders stand on the pegs most of the time.

Those hard, skinny-ass seats are extremely uncomfortable when used for any length of time.
 
C

Chip

Platinum
Jul 25, 2007
16,772
429
0
Santiago
With all due respect to two accomplished riders the CG is a good bike if you don't plan on going offroad or eating potholes for fun. :)
 
B

bermyboy

Bronze
Dec 13, 2007
775
1
0
I got a CG 125 it keeps on going and going mind you I only use it to got betweene sabaneta Cabarete and Sosua no farther !!!! Frank and Cobra boy know what they are talking about you can not beat Japamese bikes Frank imho has the best bike for this country his Supermoto that I will say is an awesome bike and pretty fast but way more $$$ thab 100,000 peso !
 
C

chrisdr

Member
Oct 7, 2012
223
1
18
bermyboy I have to disagree. I think you can find something ok for 100k... ok isnt going to be amazing but for something that used a few times a month I think its possible.

Seen a Yamaha wr250 for $2500 - 2004 mind you and I am sure it will need a bit of work but looks interesting. Seen a few other options but they are road bikes - saw a nice CBR 600...
 
F

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
30
48
chrisdr said:
bermyboy I have to disagree. I think you can find something ok for 100k... ok isnt going to be amazing but for something that used a few times a month I think its possible.

Seen a Yamaha wr250 for $2500 - 2004 mind you and I am sure it will need a bit of work but looks interesting. Seen a few other options but they are road bikes - saw a nice CBR 600...
Click to expand...

I agree. If that is your max amount, you cannot go wrong with a WR250. The parts are everywhere and it's a great bike. period. i've owned a few here on this island over the years--including a Yamaha YZ250. But the WR is an Enduro model and has lights and a Stator--which supplies electricity to the lights, so its more practical if you want to see what you're running into at night.
 
A

arrugala

Bronze
Nov 7, 2010
967
2
0
Chinese taste good but your hungry in a short period of time ... the same applies to the motorcycle made in China ... In a short period of time if you are using it to travel with or near the ocean it's t.ts up , fertilizer!!!!!! Now if you just stick around town , and watch pot holes , and do constant maintenance , like eating three Chinese meals aday !!! No problem ! And parts ? Lol in Thailand u can't give a bike from china to a Thai. it's either honda , Yamaha , or Suzuki .!!!!
 
F

frank12

Gold
Sep 6, 2011
11,847
30
48
Cobraboy mentioned an excellent bike here--Yamaha TW200. that's another bomb proof bike. on Adventurerider.com, there is an american who toured around america on the TW200 and wrote an excellent journal, with fanatastic pictures of all the places he visited. i believe he pulled a enclosed ricshaw like luggage behind him--which carried his cooking gear, sleeping bag, tent, and assorted stuff. the thread that he started and the journal that he kept is truly amazing to read. he went everywhere on that yamaha--completely across america and he tired to keep driving to china if he could have reached the mainland.

frank
 
cavebiker

cavebiker

Have a dream, live it. Set a goal, achieve it.
Feb 10, 2012
133
44
28
Wisconsin North
www.justadventuretravel.net
frank12 said:
Cobraboy mentioned an excellent bike here--Yamaha TW200. that's another bomb proof bike. on Adventurerider.com, there is an american who toured around america on the TW200 and wrote an excellent journal, with fanatastic pictures of all the places he visited. //
frank
Click to expand...


cobraboy And frank recommend the TW200, Iz?e got?sta revisit my opinion. I like the way that bike looks, like the tires a lot, but I just can?t get it out of my mind when I test rode one. FreeFall from advrider offered Heidi and I to ride his new TW200 at a Midwest rally one year. Heidi loved it but I could not get the front wheel up, and that?s always my first gauge with a small dirt machine. Does this bike have a centrifugal clutch I wonder? But hey, it?s a four-stroker, if it has low-end tourgue (which I bet it has) I could be perfect for DR touring.
 
cobraboy

cobraboy

Pro-Bono Demolition Hobbyist
Jul 24, 2004
40,964
936
113
cavebiker said:
cobraboy And frank recommend the TW200, Iz?e got?sta revisit my opinion. I like the way that bike looks, like the tires a lot, but I just can?t get it out of my mind when I test rode one. FreeFall from advrider offered Heidi and I to ride his new TW200 at a Midwest rally one year. Heidi loved it but I could not get the front wheel up, and that?s always my first gauge with a small dirt machine. Does this bike have a centrifugal clutch I wonder? But hey, it?s a four-stroker, if it has low-end tourgue (which I bet it has) I could be perfect for DR touring.
Click to expand...
Lot's of low end torque.

It's a go-anywhere mountain goat, not a "jump over a log" motocross bike. It'll do anything you want...except cruise at 65mph. HOWEVER: there are active TW groups and many make some fairly easy mods to get 80mph out of them, mainly rejetting and opening the fuel orifice.

The fat tires make them really comfortable, kinda cushy.

Simple and bullet proof engine, great traction even on sand and rocks. It's a true dual-sport, not a dirt bike that is OK on pavement.

There are faster 200cc street bikes. There are better 200cc dirt bikes. But for all conditions, they are hard to beat.

Guys even pull trailers with them:
tw200-01.jpg


Here is a TW doing wheelies:

[video=youtube;7y33vl8dUXI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7y33vl8dUXI&feature=related[/video]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom