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Post by solesurvivor on Oct 10, 2007 8:09:27 GMT -5
After much research, Ive decided to wait more time before the purchase of a 250 c.c chinese scooter....
I currently have a 150 c.c scooter that runs nicely....but there were some things about the chinese 250 cc scooters that I wasnt aware of...
almost all of them are liquid cooled which means radiator, water pump, and they have other things that im not fond of like fuel pumps...etc......I very much like the simplicity of air coooled 150 c.c scooters and do not want to jump up to something more complex that has more components that can breakdown.....
I also am very unimpressed that the majority of these 250 c.c scooters dont have a backup kickstarter, but most of the 150 cc scooters do. This means that when a starter or solenoid goes up on a 250 c.c scooter, you will have a scooter that just sits in your garage while you wait for your part to arrive at your house....This also means that if you are unlucky enough to have starter problmes while on the road, there is no backup kickstarter.....so you either have to puch the scooter home or have someone come pick you up in a truck...
For now, my 150 c.c scooter seems to have more beneficial advantages then the current crop of 250 c.c chinese scooters being offered....these benefits include simplicity, lighter weight, less components to malfunction and a backup kickstarter for emergencys....
The only 2 things my scooter is lacking { that I persoanlly would like to be improved} and that the 250 c.c scooters would offer is...
more leg room, seat space and 15 + mph faster on top end....
those few things are not worth me spending about $1800 to buy a more complex machine that doesnt even have a kickstarter....and very well may have probelms with the cooling system, fuel pump,etc...
Just my 2 cents worth........and im sure the majority of 250 c.c owners are happy with their purchase.....but im not ready to take the leap.
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Post by YellowScooter on Oct 10, 2007 13:41:46 GMT -5
I feel the same way about the 250s comming outta Bejing. I just don't have the faith in them enough to risk it being my mode of transport.
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Post by solesurvivor on Oct 10, 2007 14:50:08 GMT -5
well im glad im not alone on my quirky way of thinking  |
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Post by newc77 on Oct 10, 2007 17:04:37 GMT -5
Well best of luck with your decision. We have both a 150 and a 250 from China and we are lucky enough to have two good ones. I like riding both and I must say I miss the kick start on the 250. With Lance the difference between the two was less than a thousand. I find my 250 to be more comfortable for me om long rides Good luck.
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Post by poohbear on Oct 11, 2007 1:51:27 GMT -5
I am not currently looking for more than what I have now (150cc) but I have been following the 250cc saga... I might be interested in a new ride of this size in a few years after I get more stable and stateside (should be able to get pretty much the bases I put in for). Right now, the China 250s just seem to be to prolific with problems, everyone is jumping into the arena and none seems to have the basic engineering down quite yet. Hopefully, this will all get sorted out real soon as the 250-300cc displaced scoots open up a lot of roads and distance travel. Just looking down the road a bit. Stay safe in your travels one and all.  |
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Post by Gary on Oct 11, 2007 8:42:50 GMT -5
I bought a cheap 'ol 250 cc chinascoot off the Internet after having a 150cc and am very happy with my purchase. The added power and extra room and storage are great.
The scoot had a number of initial quality problems. It took a few months to work out the mostly minor bugs. But now that these been ironed out, the scooter has turned into reliable, fun, and cheap transportation. I'm having a blast with it as my regular commute to work. I have nearly 7,000 km on the scoot now and its been months since I've had any sort of problem.
So if you have a bit of wrench turning skill, and the inclination to do some fixing, a cheap chinascoot can be just fine. The upgrade to a 250 is huge.
Gary
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Post by solesurvivor on Oct 11, 2007 9:19:08 GMT -5
I guess my dream 250 c.c chinese scooter would be a reliable air cooled version that also had backup kickstarter....
those 2 things are more important to me then things like remote control starters, alarm systems, radiators, water pumps, fuel pumps,etc.....
all that stuff is just more things that can break down or cause problems...
But I realzie the propspect of a reliable air cooled 250 ccc chinese scooter is far fetched.....
for now, the simplicity of my 150 c.c outweighs the benefits of the 250 c.c scooters.......I would imagine in another few years, the reliability of the water cooled 250 scooters will improve and there will be more sellers of them, which will create competiton and drive the prices lower....which ios what seems tio have happened with the 150 cc scooters over the past few years/...
I wouldnt doubt that in 2 years, water cooled chinese 250 scooters will be selling for $1200--1500.......in them enatime, asl ong as my 150 c.c scooter holds up, I will hold out on the purchase of a 250 c.c liquid coooled scooter that doesnt have kickstarter.....
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Post by Dennis D on Oct 11, 2007 9:54:36 GMT -5
You could always watch for a used Honda Helix. They've been around since 1986, and if you can find a relatively low mileage one, it might still have more miles left than many of the current crop of chinese 250cc scooters. If you're patient, there are deals to be had between $1500 and $1800 dollars.
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Post by WarrenS on Oct 11, 2007 10:36:47 GMT -5
A Helix doesn't have a kickstarter either. My car doesn't have a crank either. ;D A kickstarter seems to me an indication that the manufacturer has no faith in the electric starter.
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Post by rockyhogg on Oct 21, 2007 14:20:05 GMT -5
end of days awaits us all when it comes to componets reliability. prevenative maintenance is key to dependability. a good visual inspection and sense of feeling that something doesnt seem right, should help in noticing a failure before your stranded with it. I dont have $8,000 to spend on a honda goldwing, but if i did i would expect it to be more reliable than a $2,000 lance duke. so with that i would decide how far i'm going and is there any balance on my credit card to get me and mine home before i set out...ride safe!
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Post by newc77 on Oct 21, 2007 17:30:24 GMT -5
The wife and I wanted to try scooting but didn't have $8000 to sepnd on mainline scoots to see if we really liked it. Less than $4000 for two pretty fairly respected China imports from a fairly good dealer worked well for us. We did our homework. reviewed lots of bikes, read up on this forum, and went with Lance. So far just this year we have been more than satisfied and are happily scooting. In a few years we can always save up and upgrade if it all works out. Right now, we are scooting for fun, loving it, and we still have some money in the bank.
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Post by aristide1 on Oct 21, 2007 19:40:25 GMT -5
end of days awaits us all when it comes to componets reliability. prevenative maintenance is key to dependability. a good visual inspection and sense of feeling that something doesnt seem right, should help in noticing a failure before your stranded with it. I dont have $8,000 to spend on a honda goldwing, but if i did i would expect it to be more reliable than a $2,000 lance duke. so with that i would decide how far i'm going and is there any balance on my credit card to get me and mine home before i set out...ride safe! Silverwings are $8000, Goldwings are $18,000. Man, it's just nuts out there. But I went with a low mileage use Reflex. I haven't had any issues with the thing. While I am sure a lot of good bikes come out of China, with my luck I'd get a loser. |
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Post by kelvincasper on Oct 21, 2007 21:11:26 GMT -5
Hi:
Look for a used 250! I got mines for 1000 on ebay! And it is a 2006 Yamati 250 like the roket's and viva's. It runs fine. I paid less for it then my 150. It does have a much nicer ride then the 150 especially on a long trip. And i like the extra power on it.
Kelvin
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Post by mrdavies on Oct 25, 2007 22:50:05 GMT -5
I agree ! I had a 150 cc... and miss it. It was much more reliable then my 250 R. Race. The wheels just don't seem balanced, and I still have the "stall at open throttle" problem on the 250.
mark
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Post by rverr on Oct 26, 2007 6:53:26 GMT -5
 I like WARSTEIN'S way of thinking,We have a 2000 125 and a 2005 150 scoot with cranks that we never have used with a crank on a 250 you would probably turn it over trying to crank it. To me the radiator is just another item to maintain just like your car only much cheaper, having owned several radiator cooled honda scooters without cranks in the past I don't see this as a good reason not to go to the 250 with the leg room speed 's to 70 mph a greater stopping power and better handling.--- JUST ONE OLD MAN'S OPINION.---KEEP ON SCOOTIN!!!  '
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Post by "Big Guy" on Oct 27, 2007 20:04:32 GMT -5
...I also am very unimpressed that the majority of these 250 c.c scooters dont have a backup kickstarter, but most of the 150 cc scooters do. This means that when a starter or solenoid goes up on a 250 c.c scooter, you will have a scooter that just sits in your garage while you wait for your part to arrive at your house....This also means that if you are unlucky enough to have starter problmes while on the road, there is no backup kickstarter.....so you either have to puch the scooter home or have someone come pick you up in a truck... I have one three word answer for this concern: Automobile Club of America. Was that 4 words? Oh well...  Until my father passed away a few years ago, he also would not by any car newer than a 1979 using the same rationale... I loved my last 250, and I love this new one as well. Fortunately, I have never had any of the problems I see all over this website, but if I do, AAA is there when I need them for $69 a year, and this is just a sport to me, so waiting a week for a part is no biggie. |
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Post by ngrumpy on Oct 27, 2007 23:44:26 GMT -5
Good Choice, though the used Helix is not a bad idea.
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I like WARSTEIN'S way of thinking,We have a 2000 125 and a 2005 150 scoot with cranks that we never have used with a crank on a 250 you would probably turn it over trying to crank it. To me the radiator is just another item to maintain just like your car only much cheaper, having owned several radiator cooled honda scooters without cranks in the past I don't see this as a good reason not to go to the 250 with the leg room speed 's to 70 mph a greater stopping power and better handling.--- JUST ONE OLD MAN'S OPINION.---KEEP ON SCOOTIN!!! 
