You'll tear your breeches!

[Mortblanc]

Anyone know anything about a Chinese motorcycle?

It is a Hensim Hawk 250cc dual sport, a street legal dirt bike.

I found one on Craigslist real cheap.

My Mom might just jump from her grave a kick my butt for getting on a motorcycle!

[Straight Shooter]

Never heard of that one MB !...….japs make real good motorbikes on the other hand or better still a TRIUMPH BONNEVILLE CHOP …...dribble.....dribble ooohhhh full t.t. out !

[Midnitemo]

i bought a a Lifan 110cc monkeybike , brand new unregistered in a crate for £250 delivered , it was woefully bad , the finish just disintegrated , chrome turned to rust almost immediately , paint was so thin it polished away , frame powder coating fell off , seals failed , steel was thin and brittle , alloy furred up.....basically it was absolute rubbish.i'd never entertain a chinese bike again at any price.

[Mortblanc]

I was afraid of that Mo.

A red flag went up when I realized that all of the computer reviews were done by 16 year old Hispanic teen boys that were 5'4" and weighed 300 pounds! They were very proud that their feet would touch the ground and the bike would pull from standing without stalling out!

All of their accessories were made from cafeteria trays and Tupperware boxes and held on with sheet metal screws and gaffer tape.

I think I will change my efforts to the Indian production sector. I have a good lead to a Royal Enfield Himalayan at a good price point. I might go that direction.

[Midnitemo]

That's a coincidence that you are looking at the RE Himalayan, I was recently on the brink of buying one but my local BMW dealer sold me a GS 310 for just £200 more than the Enfield , it was the end of the sales quarter and they needed to sell three bikes on the final day , she rang me and offered the deal provided a signed that day , it was a no brainer , new motorhome steed was purchased last september at a saving of over 18% £ 845 of list with the first service thrown in for free. My 125 honda does an admirable job but it was very cramped and underpowered for two up use., the BMW is far more accomplished. the BMW like the Enfield is built in India.

[Mortblanc]

I am glad they are making your bike in India!

Our consumer reporting agencies show that German made BMW cycles have a 42% major failure rate in the first 4 years with the cost of the repair being equal to the cost of a new Jap bike of the same type!!

Even Ducati does better!

The lowly little Yamaha brand slides in on top with a 7% failure rate.

The RI Himalayan is becoming a favorite of the bike riding/camping segment over here. Some call them adventure riders but mostly they are old guys that ride bikes and camp out!

They pull like a tractor and seem rock solid, and when they do break they can be cobbled together to get you home. They do seem a bit heavy to me.

I hope your bike serves you well, it is a fine looking machine.

I am having to be more careful in my selections now due to the old age thing! If I drop a 200 kilo bike out in the woods I would have to walk out and hire three men and two small boys to go back in and help me pick it up!

The 250cc-300cc range is about the limit to my weight handling capabilities.

[Midnitemo]

I was a little dissapointed with my last BMW it was a fantastic machine and made a great all/rounder / grand tourer but things had slipped in terms of quality control from the previous couple I had bought , there were a number of recall's over the nine years I owned it with the final straw being an approaching failure of the final drive unit at a paltry mileage , sub 30000 miles at a cost to fix by BMW of £1500 + Labour , i didn't take them up on it , i pulled the rear end of and shipped it to a reconditioner for £400 and did it myself , I'm hoping the new one is going to be better put together as the India plant is a new concern and I'm hoping they are giving it there all to make a success of it , i have three years warranty so i'm not overly concerned but i am loving the blend of light weight and fairly nippy performance , as a rider's bike it has the Enfield licked (lighter,faster,more frugal, better braked , more dynamic handling) but i do wonder if the Enfield may outlast it , only time will tell on that one.

[Mortblanc]

Well Mo, I suppose we will find out which will last, to some extent.

I just bought a RE Himalayan.

I got to thinking, I am not nimble and quick, I am not light and fast, I am not quick to start and hardly stop on a dime. But I just keep hammering on through rain, snow, pain and abuse. Hopefully the Enfield will too.

What I really wanted was a back road/green lane bike that would serve as a pack mule since I can no longer back pack to my destinations as I once did. The RE will be my new sherpa.

And God but that engine sounds like a proper motorcycle should! One cylinder thump like the old Triumphs.

[Midnitemo]

yeah the Jury is still out on that one , i wonder if i picked the right one , common sense said the BMW and i have a huge affinity with the brand but the Enfield was tugging at my heartstrings , i hope your new bike brings you much joy

[Mortblanc]

I am sure I will enjoy it in spite of second guessing myself between that and the BMW.

My decision was almost the same sequence of events you have described. The RE dealer just gave me a better deal then BMW offered. Since I am not concerned with the 10 horsepower less in the RE I went for it. Another factor is the condition of the road system in my area. I might as well live in a third world nation as far as the road conditions are concerned. I think the RE will hold up to our broken and battering road surfaces a little better.

I am going to register and insure it today, so I only drove it up and down my lane a bit yesterday. This bike has low end torque like I have never seen in a 25 HP motor!

I will not be riding for some time ahead since I woke to a 2" snow covering this AM, and it is supposed to warm up to about 15c and rain for a couple of days and blow a hooly all the while. The bike is safely in the shed.