I wonder what will happen when the Korean and Chinese run the Japanese out of business, if that would be possible...they wouldn't have anything to copy.
And of course it's OK to bash any and all Asian bikes. We know it's just a feeble attempt at revenge for some of the unkind but true things we say about Harley once in a while. Bashing is the American way, and I'm surprised the Harley hop-up parts catalog accompanying every new Harley doesn't include a primer on japanese bike bashing. I bet within 5 years boatloads of Chinese Harleys will be coming to the US. Harley beancounters know something about cheap labor, too.
John
"83 XJ900RK
IT'S ABOUT OIL, MONEY, AND POWER, ALL OF THE TIME.
Of course it is necessary to "Bash" japanese bikes. After all it takes a hammer to fix them don't it. I mean, after all, real wrenches don't fit 'em. What else to do?
Man you guys are sure defensive about your rice burners...........
GarryS ---- "We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience."
To get back to what the original thread was before certain individuals got offended and somehow managed to bring this around to another Harley Bashing thread. The following might be of interest to the original poster.
I arrived at 9:00AM sharp with my winter riding apparel and helmet in hand. We
introduced ourselves and headed off to "The Bunker" where the Alphas are kept.
Don and Linda's Alphas are loaded with options and kept spotless. My first
impression after seeing one close up was how much this bike was a 3/4 scale of
the full size cruisers on the market. Fit and finish was equal to anything I've
seen coming out of Japan, the USA, or Europe.
Don pointed out that these Alphas were broken in and the warmup was quicker than
when they were first new. At idle, the bikes made a pleasant, civilized,
rumbling sound. No need to worry about getting the neighbors upset with the
stock mufflers. The instrumentation/warning lights/turn signal indicators were
nicely laid out and easy to read.
I'm fairly certain that at 6' 2" and a little over 300lbs. the Alpha was not
designed for my 32" inseam and 37" sleeve length. In spite of my dimensions,
the bike was up to the challenge. If you've never ridden before or your just
getting back into it after being away for a while, you needn't worry about being
disappointed if you choose the Alpha.
Depending on your needs, it's an excellent commuter vehicle. The gas mileage is
excellent and it carried me at 80mph on the level when I had the room. Most of
our riding today was up and down the Laurel Highlands to Somerset and back
through the twisties. I had to downshift into third a few times and wind it out
to 10 grand on the tach to keep it going 60mph up some of the inclines but that
was the exception in only a few areas. Going downhill, the single disc and drum
setup offered plenty of whoa! when needed. Cornering as expected on a
lightweight bike like this was what I would describe as "flickable" meaning you
could change direction in a hurry without having to muscle it through the
curves. I soon learned before getting out of town that leaning it over in a
curve was limited only by the crash bars, just something to keep in mind when
your skills and conditions allow it.
The drivers seat was actually too low for me. I had to be very cautious when
walking the bike while sitting on it. The passenger or pillon seat is about an
inch higher than the drivers seat and would put pressure on my tailbone while
riding. I think if I were to make this bike a daily commuter the rear seat
would have to come off (no two up riding when I'm on it) and the drivers seat
would have some additional work to allow me to move back about two inches while
riding. I would also add hi-way pegs to allow additional stretching out my legs
when riding for more than an hour.
I have 35 years of riding experience on a variety of motorcycles small and large
and this bike is extremely smooth with no vibration to speak of even at maximum
rpms. I am seriously considering this bike for my commuting (65 miles/day) and
with a 15 and 13 year old anxious to get their licenses it would be ideal for
them to learn on.
The bottom line is this, it is an excellent value for the money, not the
cheapest, but certainly plenty of motorcycle to satisfy most peoples needs.
Don't think of it as ONLY a 250. With 28 hp and only 360lbs, the power to
weight ratio is very similar to some of the bigger more popular cruisers on the
market.
Bill
GarryS ---- "We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience."
I bought a Chinese motorcycle from a distributor in Tucson AZ via ebay. Bid and won a Zongshen ZS 150 for $910 (brand new in crate). It was actually a really good value. Dual sport 150cc sorta like a copy of an old Honda engine. Things that were skimmped on: fasteners were low grade; front forks were pretty skinny; hi beam bulb blew out within a week, odometer cable broke within 241 break in miles and the weld on the gas tank where the petcock attaches developed a crack so I had to seal the tank, but overall it was a great value. I actually registered it for street use in Phnx AZ area. I was getting 90 mpg, it topped out probably around 60 mph (odo broke before fully broke in so I dont know for sure how fast it went) I probably put around 1000 miles on it before I sold it for $700. the local Checker(s) and Pep Boys have been selling similar 125CC dirt bikes for $1000.
I felt this was a good value because if I wanted a brand new Japanese dual sport in the 150 to 250cc range I probably would have paid $2500 or more. If the zs150 was only a few hundred dollars less(than japanese bikes) I would have never bought it. Since I was able to get it for less than $1000 I was very willing to give it a chance. In fact, if I had to pay for shipping I would not have bought it. Some ebay sellers sell these Chinese bikes for up to $1500 plus $300 for shipping. I watched this particular seller and previous auctions for the same bike go up to $1100. Point is: I got into motorcycling because I could get something street legal for under $1000. I sold it because ultimately I needed something bigger, moved on to an 02 DR650 and then eventually my 03 SV650.
I found out shortly after I bought it- that Zongshen is the biggest motorcycle maker in China making a million bikes a year plus another million motors. I read somewhere that Harley is negotiating to use them to distribute Harleys in China and went to them because of their track record and because they turn out the most bikes.
My opinion of Chinese and Korean manufactures: If you want a copy of old technology you may be able to get a great deal. But until they distribute a whole lot o' bikes to the US; (which should make it more cost effective) stick to the proven japanese bikes where parts and service are more readily available.
I've had no problems with my Hyosung (Alphasport) GV250... In fact, I find it to have much better performance and comfort than the japanese 250's. I also got mine for cheaper than a honda rebel, brand new! I've been having a blast so far... the only issue is that the nearest dealer is 30 miles away, so that is a valid argument against buying one.
Found this. Thought I might add it to this thread.
Dear Alex,
One of the members of the Alpha Riders Club posted your URL to the group
list. As it stands the Hyosung Aquila, as it is know in other parts of the
world, is being imported into the states by Power Group (
Alphasportsmotors.com) and is tagged with the Alpha name. We on the list do
not expect this to last much longer as the newer bikes are sporting the
Aquila name plate.
I first saw an alpha on a showroom floor when I went to have work done on my
wife's Kawasaki 440 carburetors. At first glance the GV-250 appeared to be
a Harley sitting there until I took a closer look. The Hyosung name threw
me and I had never heard of that brand before. But I had never heard of
Honda back in 1960 either. I could not believe the thing was "only a 250".
I laughed.
The dealer knew I was an experienced rider and threw me the keys for a test
spin. I took him up on the offer, still laughing.
The bike 'fit' and had a feel of comfort that I did not expect. I did not
expect the ticking of the electric fuel pump when I turned the key, either.
I took it for a short ride down a back road and was impressed by the
throttle response. It handled well and exuded a feeling of confidence. I
was not laughing when I returned to the dealership. My wife was looking
real hard at the bike and liked the candy apple red color. She sat on it
and gave me a look of surprise . Her feet were flat on the floor with room
to spare. I looked closer. Seat height is around 25 inches and the Alpha
is probably one of the lowest bikes around. The pistons were slightly off
set and I would do a nice job of cooling the in line V-Twin along with the
oil cooler. Welds were about as perfect as any that I had seen as a quality
control buyer in an auto plant. Fit and finish were superb. After debating
for almost a month I decided to buy the bike for her birthday. Naturally I
'helped' break the bike in properly for the first 1000 kilometers. (Half
throttle only) Once broken in I was told by the dealer that I should visit
the red line (12,000rpm's)., I hesitated to do this to a new bike but on a
very long, straight section of road, I did just that. I discovered that
there is a power band that begins at 7,000 rpm's. This is where the Hyosung
GV-250 really begins to shine. Oh, Yeah, this puppy runs like a bike much
larger than the 250 cc's it uses. She and I took a lot of rides during that
summer. I on her 440 Kaw and she on the alpha. My larger 750 and 1100
Yamaha's sat in the garage. This bike put the fun back into riding that had
been missing in the race for power and displacements. I tried to out run
her on the 440 to no avail. She kept asking me why I was slowing down. She
didn't realize that her alpha was running my pants off. This was in 2002
and This particular Alpha was with one of the first bikes brought into the
country.
Since that time I bought myself an Alpha and one is coming for my son.
That will put three of them in the stable to replace the Yamaha's and other
machines that I had no further use for. I have logged well over 10,000
kilometers on my bike and live at the edge of the Allegheny mountains in
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The bikes travel on all types of roads
from flatlander super slabs to twisty deer infested mountain roads. They
perform well and can tackle 11% grades with surprising aggressiveness. No,
they won't climb Everest in fifth gear, They are after all, 250's. I would
seriously challenge any other 250 to try and keep up with the Hyosung. I
have gone on tours with Harleys and every other big machine imaginable and
had no problem keeping up with the big dogs. I can cruise on the level
comfortably at 70 plus with a few more oats left in the feed bag.
Hyosung has just introduced a GT-650 crotch rocket with a GV-650 V-Rod look
alike slated to get off the boat shortly. (shortly could mean next month to
a year from know in Korean). This is a larger version of the GT-250 which
has been attracting the younger set for a while on these shores. So far the
reports I have read on the Alpha rider's club list have been favorable.
Mostly oooos and ahhhhs cause the bike looks good. Break in periods are
occurring as of this writing and I don't expect any serious performance
reports until they are ready to "visit the red line" the GV-650 should
cause a few heads to turn due to the styling and Star Wars appearance of the
body work. This bike is a new generation machine and sports a lot of
electronic innovations from what I "hear". I'm an old cruiser man myself
and would like to see the same look as our 250's in a larger version for
super long distance two up hauling. I do miss the two up riding the wife
and I used to do. The 250 is really a one on one machine for the older
heavier types like myself.
After market add-ons are a problem as with any new named bike. Windshields
and the like that are made for this bike are hard to come by. The demand is
certainly there for these items and would be a great thing for an earnest
entrepreneur to get into.
Bottom line. Do I thing that the Koreans will give the Japanese a run for
their money? I cannot attest to the Venox 250 (Test rode on and was
disappointed after riding the Alpha) or others but my personal experiences
with Hyosung scream 'YOU BETCHA". The Koreans are secure in the idea that
they can produce a better machine for less money. I believe they can live
up to this claim if the Alpha is any kind of bench mark on what they are
capable of producing. Capacity would have to be increased to supply the
market once this machine really takes a bite into the American market. More
direct Company involvement with dealerships ( few and far between,
especially good ones), parts supply lines and after market accessories would
also need to be addressed. Lots of polishing of the network type things.
Once in place the Korean motorcycle industry is going to be a giant to be
reckoned with.
GarryS ---- "We learn from experience that men never learn anything from experience."
The GT650 is here, somewhere. I can't find one, but I should've know that one would end up on ebay. So here it is. If anyone finds anymore info on these bikes please be sure to post. I'd love to have one.
