2007 Tank Touring Deluxe

[Gary]

Ran across this new (to me anyway) 2007 Tank 250 scooter last night. Looks like the Viva (and other) Roadster; 13" tires, CARB certified, priced very reasonably in the $2200 range.

www.scootersgeorgia.com/tatode25newd.html

Gary

[jallenb]

Hey Gary,
FYI Be aware... I am also in the market for a faster scoot... 250cc or above and a seller/mechanic of Tank told me to avoid their 250cc because a radiator part overheats quickly and breaks which is what it supposed to do but it is impossible to get parts. He has a new one that has been waiting on parts for 3 months.

[scooterollie]

I wonder how "new" that scoot is? Some 250 Tanks from last year did have problems but that has been taken care of. Wonder what "radiator part" he is referring to? As for getting parts from Tank, not much has changed in that department. If he is waiting for a part to be replaced under warranty from Tank, he may have a long wait! The parts are basically universal, not that scarce, and can be ordered from just about any source.

The one pictured on ScootersGeorgia's website has the CFMoto engine. When everything is right, they don't have overheat problems. My '06 Bali 250 (2250 Kms) has the radiator behind the gas tank, no modifications, and it cools fine in weather up to the mid-90s. Fan only comes on when idling for a time, in stop-n-go traffic or on a long uphill climb at speed. Needle on gauge is usually just below 1/2 way point after warm up. Fan does not run constantly, only comes on if needle climbs to just above 1/2, runs for a few minutes, dropping needle below 1/2, then shuts off. Placing the radiator up front or using baffling would be better, no question, but the other way is adequate.

[Gary]

That is interesting. Some of the earlier Tank Touring 250's had cooling problems, but I haven't heard of any problems recently. Also, one of the clainmed features of this new model is that they have relocated the radiator so it will cool better.

I've had no trouble at all getting parts for my Tank 150 or my Viva 250 (which uses he same parts as the 'old' Tank 250).

I think Tank made a mistake though in sticking with the 'Tourer' name for their new model. They should have called it the Tank Roadster like everyone else. Its a totally different scoot than the old tourer.

[90GTVert]

I have been working on sourcing one of the new style 250 cc scooters with the 13" rear wheel and the CFMoto engine, but so far I have not found the right deal on one that will intice me to buy it. Tank is talking, but I'm not into loaner or freebie scooters that they have final edit on what you write about them, so I doubt that will happen. When I find it, rest assured, I will be hard on it and give a straight run down on what is good and what isn't so good. I may wait till late winter when they have more incentive because of full warehouses and they want to get information out for spring. Stan

scooterollie said:

I wonder how "new" that scoot is? Some 250 Tanks from last year did have problems but that has been taken care of. Wonder what "radiator part" he is referring to? As for getting parts from Tank, not much has changed in that department. If he is waiting for a part to be replaced under warranty from Tank, he may have a long wait! The parts are basically universal, not that scarce, and can be ordered from just about any source.

The one pictured on ScootersGeorgia's website has the CFMoto engine. When everything is right, they don't have overheat problems. My '06 Bali 250 (2250 Kms) has the radiator behind the gas tank, no modifications, and it cools fine in weather up to the mid-90s. Fan only comes on when idling for a time, in stop-n-go traffic or on a long uphill climb at speed. Needle on gauge is usually just below 1/2 way point after warm up. Fan does not run constantly, only comes on if needle climbs to just above 1/2, runs for a few minutes, dropping needle below 1/2, then shuts off. Placing the radiator up front or using baffling would be better, no question, but the other way is adequate.

[Admin]

ndnparts said:

I have been working on sourcing one of the new style 250 cc scooters with the 13" rear wheel and the CFMoto engine, but so far I have not found the right deal on one that will intice me to buy it. Tank is talking, but I'm not into loaner or freebie scooters that they have final edit on what you write about them, so I doubt that will happen. When I find it, rest assured, I will be hard on it and give a straight run down on what is good and what isn't so good. I may wait till late winter when they have more incentive because of full warehouses and they want to get information out for spring. Stan

Stan is more than correct in his decision not to accept loaner or freebie scooters if Tank wants final editorial decision on what he writes. I've had some experience with Tank and it wasn't good at all. Since Momma told me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, I should keep my mouth shut, I chose not to write a review on a scooter they sent me. How 'bout holes in the plastics for wiring that looked like they were poked out with a hammer? Total lack of support on helping me get a review scooter running that got no spark. Some people are very happy with their Tanks, but I don't know anybody happy with the company. If anybody from the new management at Tank wants to contact me and explain how they have changed their ways, I'm all ears. But if they are still wanting final edit on reviews, it's obvious they haven't changed their ways. I've never had a company ask for final edit control on a review. That's just f'd up. A great big thumbs down from Dawg. Some of the scooters may be a bargain but why would you want to put $$ in these people's pockets?

scooterollie said:

I wonder how "new" that scoot is? Some 250 Tanks from last year did have problems but that has been taken care of. Wonder what "radiator part" he is referring to? As for getting parts from Tank, not much has changed in that department. If he is waiting for a part to be replaced under warranty from Tank, he may have a long wait! The parts are basically universal, not that scarce, and can be ordered from just about any source.

The one pictured on ScootersGeorgia's website has the CFMoto engine. When everything is right, they don't have overheat problems. My '06 Bali 250 (2250 Kms) has the radiator behind the gas tank, no modifications, and it cools fine in weather up to the mid-90s. Fan only comes on when idling for a time, in stop-n-go traffic or on a long uphill climb at speed. Needle on gauge is usually just below 1/2 way point after warm up. Fan does not run constantly, only comes on if needle climbs to just above 1/2, runs for a few minutes, dropping needle below 1/2, then shuts off. Placing the radiator up front or using baffling would be better, no question, but the other way is adequate.

[monty57]

I test drove a Tank 150 and a 250 at two different B & M stores prior to purchasing the Roadrunner. In both cases I was told they were '07s. I felt they were very poorly assembled and checked out by the dealer and the fit and finish compared to the RR was not as good.

I did not know about any cooling issue with the Tanks at the time and test drove them in some pretty cool weather. Both seemed to experience the high speed starving and one quit a couple of blocks from the store.

I have been happier with the RR than I think I would have been with Tank.

[90GTVert]

Actually, I started earlier in the year working on obtaining a Strada SS300, but the import company never got back with me, so I dropped the idea because they flaked out. Another company contacted me wanting me to look at the CFMoto powered 250, and then Tank was in touch. Because of lack of good communications and customer support after the sale, I nixed both of these. Tank is (of course) claiming full reorganization and improved support, but communications on other issues in the last few weeks have mostly been ignored (even with Investor Relations), so I doubt they have improved at all. Just for the record, Roketa and several others never bothered to return inquiries about product. I never even tried Ricardo or Lance since it's hard to run down who actually imports this stuff. Jonway is a joke by the way.

Other than my own morbid curiosity about knowing what is different and being able to help people with repair or service questions, I have zero need for another scooter (I also have a Majesty that never has problems). The benefit is primarily for the import company and hopefully, consumers of the product to make better decisions.

So far, I have not seen any brand of Chinese scooter that I think is head and shoulders above another, so I am more concerned with after sale support for the buyers.

Several weeks ago, a new member (Vroom Scooters) posted a bunch of hype here about their scooters, so I contacted them to see what was up. No reply at all. So, clearly they were looking to dump units on the public and then not support them, since my question was about parts for their scooters and not about reviewing one. No reply to me means no support for you if you buy one.

Consumers need to demand support or this crap will continue. Flood their phones and email with demands for honest information and support. If you want to make a good buying decision, talk to scooter owners and evaluate the dealers. The brand name on the body means very little. If the dealer or importer doesn't follow through, the scooter is nothing more than a door stop in my mind.

I have said it before, and I'll repeat that I think the warranty on Chinese scooters is nothing more than sales hype if you don't have support. So, I consider them to be sold as is. Again, the seller is your only real support mechanism here, so choose wisely or you will be on your own. Even if you get a lifetime warranty, what does that mean? Life of the scooter (ends when the scooter quits)?

This is just a rant, so feel free to ignore it. It just gets frustrating seeing all of the same QC problems over and over and the problems with dealer support or importer indifference. Stan

[Gary]

I don't want to buck the big Guru Dawgs, but I bought a Tank 150 Urban sporty two years ago, and its been a great little ride. My son has the scoot now, using it for his commute to college. He's really happy with it. I know one other fellow here in San Diego who has a Tank 150 and he too is happy as a clam with it.

The overall quality of the Tank was quite reasonable; fit and finish of the body parts was good, the wires were all bundled neatly, nothing has fallen off, etc, etc. I've had to replace a part or two here and there; getting replacements has been no problem, either from Stan or from scooters.georgia. I've also had no problems getting parts for my Viva, which is basically the same as the 'old' 2007 Tank 250. The Viva has also had no overheating issues (except for a couple of 'loss of coolant incidents' that were easily fixed). I would expect the newer Tanks to be the same.

So, for someone who is looking for a cheap, CARB-certified scooter and has the skill (and, more important, the inclination) to tinker a bit, I wouldn't hesitate a bit recommending buying a Tank off the internet. On the other hand, if the person has neither the skills nor the inclination to tinker, I'd agree with the others and say stay far away from Tank or Viva (or RoadRunner, etc), and go with Kymco, Vespa, Honda, or one of the other name brands.

Cheers,
Gary

PS: Don't smite me too hard .

[monty57]

My 2 cents.

For what it is worth I think the issue still remains in the quality control effort at these factories. Because of that, I am sure a great scooter slips through once in a while as well as a total piece of junk now an then. The average scooter leaving these factories still leave a lot to be desired. Stripped bolts, poor electrical connections, continued use of known sub-standard parts are the norm. Why? Because somebody will still buy them. When an importer orders a container of scooters, even those who have placed their own people on site to pre test the units, still have no knowledge what is being shipped. The test only confirms that they start, run for a short time and nothing falls off quickly.

The only answer can be as Stan suggested, a constant barrage of complaints to the offending importer. When they receive enough complaints, they will either cease to exist or will start hammering on their suppliers to make improvements or stop buying from that company. Unfortunately there is still the matter of the remaining contents of that one container sitting in his warehouse. If we aren't snapping the things up then they will surely be sold at some point at a reduced cost. Then it is up to the buyer to beware and expect to get what they pay for.

All that being said, quite a few of these thing are still bargains when you consider that many are priced under $2000 including shipping. In most instances two grand in todays world doesn't really buy that much when it come to transportation. Hell, there are some bicycles that cost more than that, let alone a fairly complicated mechanical device.

Well, I sure that sounded like I am talking out of both sides of my mouth and maybe I am but I see both sides of the issue reading most of the posts found here and on other sites. I was lucky and got one of the Chinese scoots that has had very few problems and is still running. Then there are folks who have suffered through and exterminated the bugs and are now pretty happy. I guess the bottom line is we are all involved in a new era of importation and as one of the early converts to Japanese vehicles, I can remember a time when simple part for my first Toyota HiLux truck could takes weeks to get if it could be gotten at all and look were we are now.

We need to keep the heat on the importers and force communications about their products. We also need to support local shops who are selling and fixing these units. The key word here is fixing. By doing this we will help build/push the Chinese scooter industry into a more quality conscious group especially when they find there is more profit in quality pieces than there is in junk.

[powerride]

TANK is good name for junk..

[90GTVert]

No smite at all, Gary. My point was not so much with the product since they are what they are, but the support is horrible after the sale. Sure, the products can be improved as long as people are willing to pay for the improvement. I have owned 3 Tanks, and they have all been fine, but the company as a whole is terrible at communication, dealer training, dealer policing, and consumer support when a dealer vaporizes. I have experienced the same with many other companies, so they really aren't unique in this failing.

My point was that people do need to assess their skils at wrenching, make good dealer decisions when purchasing, and for everyone to demand more from these companies in the form of support after the sale. Stan

gary505 said:

I don't want to buck the big Guru Dawgs, but I bought a Tank 150 Urban sporty two years ago, and its been a great little ride. My son has the scoot now, using it for his commute to college. He's really happy with it. I know one other fellow here in San Diego who has a Tank 150 and he too is happy as a clam with it.

The overall quality of the Tank was quite reasonable; fit and finish of the body parts was good, the wires were all bundled neatly, nothing has fallen off, etc, etc. I've had to replace a part or two here and there; getting replacements has been no problem, either from Stan or from scooters.georgia. I've also had no problems getting parts for my Viva, which is basically the same as the 'old' 2007 Tank 250. The Viva has also had no overheating issues (except for a couple of 'loss of coolant incidents' that were easily fixed). I would expect the newer Tanks to be the same.

So, for someone who is looking for a cheap, CARB-certified scooter and has the skill (and, more important, the inclination) to tinker a bit, I wouldn't hesitate a bit recommending buying a Tank off the internet. On the other hand, if the person has neither the skills nor the inclination to tinker, I'd agree with the others and say stay far away from Tank or Viva (or RoadRunner, etc), and go with Kymco, Vespa, Honda, or one of the other name brands.

Cheers,
Gary

PS: Don't smite me too hard .

[medman1952]

As I see it Stan hit the nail on the head.

If you have the mechanical ability to work on the scooter, most any will do that fits your power/styling needs. (also is legal to ride in your state) On the other hand, if you are the kind of person that does not know how to change the oil in your car. It is best to buy a scooter from a dealership that is local and has been around for a while.

["Big Guy"]

Hi all,

I have to toss my 2 cents in here. I got started a few years back buying a Tank from a local dealer. It had quite a few problems that the dealer resolved. He went out of business, probably from the amount of service calls.

I have since bought 3 more scoots via the Internet, a new 250 just last week from a reputable seller. A SunL and 2 Roketas. They had some small problems here and there, but the dealer stood by their 12 month warranty.

I think the bottom line here is, you have to be mecaniclly inclined and willing to make mods and repairs, and you MUST buy from a dealer that stocks parts, even if it costs you $200 more up front.

I hate the fact that I have to return the defective part before the replacement ships, because it causes a week or more of down time, but the other side of the coin is, I can always get parts.

That's my 2 cents!