Need advice on a cheap bike

[trainingwheels]

Hi there im new at this forums thingy, rode years ago got married...(that ended my dream of beating evil canevil and the bikes) divorced now time for new bike..hehe

Im looking at a new chinese brand called "Lifan" do you guys think it worth it or not ??...
Really want 80- 93 virago...
wht you think..

[McDuck]

Lifean? Dont go near it. Get the virago they are good bikes. Not soooo good if you are tall.

[Renegade]

have some self respect man, dont do it to your self.

[Tank]

there are some better options than a lifean.

Walking is one.

Public transport is another.

There are plenty of nice little 250s out there. The virago is a keeper so is the Honda magna.

If price point is important you could look at the hobag cruiser.

[trainingwheels]

sorry guys didnt think i hit a nerve... on a tight budget, selling car... trademe GT-4 celica 89 hoooraaaa!!... looking for a 250cc crusier (licence issue) but want v-twin... man bikes arent cheap any more... had 250cb rs, 400 rebel (i cried when sold that bike)...

suggestions welcome..:beer:

[Sparky Bills]

Just take your time man.
The right deal will pop up. Just stay away from the Chinese crap.
They are nothing but trouble.

Good luck in your search :banana:

[Meekey_Mouse]

It's coming into winter too so it's the best time to be buying :banana: bikes will only go down in price from here until summer

All the best with the search :)

[bobsmith]

I've had a lifan scooter in the past... Really really really really a bad idea. I reckon stay away from these chinese stuff. Sure the PC brigades will come around and say china is growing industry, japan has been in similar situation in the past, blah blah blah, but at the end of the day. It was a good idea to stay away from Japanese crap when japanese crap was crap, and it's a good time to stay away from Chinese crap now because Chinese crap is crap now.



Does that make sense????

[skidMark]

Hi there im new at this forums thingy, rode years ago got married...(that ended my dream of beating evil canevil and the bikes) divorced now time for new bike..hehe

Im looking at a new chinese brand called "Lifan" do you guys think it worth it or not ??...
Really want 80- 93 virago...
wht you think..

Was mechanic for national importer for 2 years fulltime, as in we took em out of container. Made orders direct to factory.

Don't touch them with a pole.

Nothing more needs to be said, stay well clear of the chinese bikes.

The things i have seen.

[skidMark]

sorry guys didnt think i hit a nerve... on a tight budget, selling car... trademe GT-4 celica 89 hoooraaaa!!... looking for a 250cc crusier (licence issue) but want v-twin... man bikes arent cheap any more... had 250cb rs, 400 rebel (i cried when sold that bike)...

suggestions welcome..:beer:

Where's crashe she always up for promoting the virago, but if you want a 250 cruiser go for a genunie yamaha virago, not a chinese knockoff.

[RantyDave]

Im looking at a new chinese brand called "Lifan" do you guys think it worth it or not ??...
Ummmm, no. Have a look at the Yamaha Scorpio - good, cheap bike.

Dave

[madbikeboy]

Hey, great idea - buy one so we can watch the carnage...

<leans back and grabs the popcorn>


You're a n00b, forgive my sarcasm. I'd recommend you grab the money you're about to spend, go downtown among the homeless people, hand the money you had budgeted to all the homeless people, then go home and break all your toes with a hammer.

The logic?
burning money releases Co2, so you're better off just giving it away. And breaking your toes is less painful than explaining the next repair bill to your wife who you convinced that buying a motorcycle would be cheaper (no, really!).

:spanking::crybaby::spanking::crybaby::spanking::c rybaby:

[Tank]

Was mechanic for national importer for 2 years fulltime, as in we took em out of container. Made orders direct to factory.

Don't touch them with a pole.



Moral of the story - never buy from a company that would hire Skidmark as the Mechanic :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

[Taz]

I agree with the replies regarding the Chinese Lifan and similar. They have a long way to go before the quality becomes acceptable. A cheap chinese bike will cost you more in the long run. Plenty of 2nd hand virago's and suzuki VL250's out there.
Andy.

Like this one?
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Cruiser/auction-149876704.htm

Or new VL250 is only $5995 and New Virago is $6995.

[trainingwheels]

thanks guys could have made a mistake then i guess, well ill have to spend a bit more spos for the quality..

whts youre take on armour and skins then that new stuff better than the leathers ??....

[skidMark]

Moral of the story - never buy from a company that would hire Skidmark as the Mechanic :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:


Watch your mouth.

[Horse]

Get a Hyosung GV250.

[skidMark]

Get a Hyosung GV250.


Good point. I agree.

Not chinese so not cheap rubbish... without the japanese pricetag.

You do need to realise the hyosungs are still not even remotely near jap quality though. they are korean, better made than chinese but still far off the japanese.

It's the welding on the hyosungs that concerns me.

In saying this the parts are more readily available for the hyosungs than the older viragos etc.

and the hyosung would have a warrenty, or pick one up pretty cheap used.

[bobsmith]

thanks guys could have made a mistake then i guess, well ill have to spend a bit more spos for the quality..

whts youre take on armour and skins then that new stuff better than the leathers ??....

If you want pure protection I'd go for leathers but you can't beat cordura for the weather proof gear. When I still had a bike I had a cordura gear for the wet days and around the town and leathers for those nice days for rides out of the town. I had a crash doing about 80-90km/hr with fairly good cordura gear and still had places in my gear where the gear wore down quite a bit and lost a little bit of skin (nothing major) sure cordura didn't wear all the way down to my skin which would have been pretty bad but I reckon if I was wearing my leathers I would have not lost any skin at all. Whichever you get, get something with armour though.

[MSTRS]

You seem to be saying that a cruiser in V-twin is your choice? Have you considered other styles. Such as the Honda VTR? Or the Spada (which hXc just happens to be selling)

[Dodger]

Get a Hyosung GV250.

My first thought was also the Hyosung GV250, nice looking V-Twin 250 cruiser. (New = $6,300ish, used=$4000ishish)

[RantyDave]

It's the welding on the hyosungs that concerns me.
I haven't looked at Hyosung welds for a while. But last time I did ... holy shit, is that some nasty spattery weld or what? I've also seen a few with rust, ummm, pissing out of them.

Hyo's - they like the indoors.

Dave

[skidMark]

I haven't looked at Hyosung welds for a while. But last time I did ... holy shit, is that some nasty spattery weld or what? I've also seen a few with rust, ummm, pissing out of them.

Hyo's - they like the indoors.

Dave



Yeah even in 1986 honda had beautiful welds etc, i really worry the hyosung would fall apart under me, very disturbing to see that kind of welding on a 650cc v twin.