Old rider about to get his first China bike.
 

I got in on the CSC pre-order for a TT250 a few months ago and it's finally ready. As soon as my GF decides it's time to get out of bed I'll get to go pick it up. I've been riding for about 30 years and have had mostly liter bikes for the last many years; SuperHawk 996, Ducati 999s, CBR1100XX.... It'll be odd to get on a 16HP bike, but I'm looking forward to something different. I've had LOTS of cars, bikes, boats, etc. over the years but have never bought a new vehicle or a Chinese one so this'll be two firsts in one.

I'm a self-employed mechanic and big time tinkerer, not sure what mods I'll end up doing to this bike yet. If a replacement long block is cheap enough I'll probably do some nitrous experimenting.

it will definitely be a different feeling. I have a superhawk myself. the power is not QUITE the same. :-D

Riding a 'low power' Dual Sport is a different kind of Adrenalin rush :yay: welcome to the party :lol:

Congratulations on the bike and welcome aboard !

12.6 miles.



That's how far a China bike gets before its first warrantee claim. Speedo cable broke. The way it's routed it has a sharp bend right before the speedometer, not sure it can be routed differently as it's up against the headlight, but I'll find out. It's also leaking oil at the shift shaft, but it seems to have gotten better after another little ride. The chain is loose, that's on the set-up crew and not manufacturing. It's a bummer they can't assemble a bike without scratching the crap out of stuff, the more I look the worse it looks.

CSC is known for top of the line customer service, I'm sure you will get everything worked out fast

Yup. I called and the guy told me they've had a few break, apparently it's the assembly guys not getting it routed right when they put the headlight in. He said to stop in any time and it'll be handled.

Welcome; we are glad you joined us.

Thanks for reporting the good customer service from CSC. :tup:

welcome to the forum! Don't worry about the speedometer cable, sometimes these motorcycles will develop easy little problems, but the big stuff usually works great.

by the way, how old are you? I think you'll be surprised to find out that you may be about average amongst us other old guys LOL

You were also in the process of making a discovery I myself may. I also enjoy very high performance motorcycles. Indeed one of my favorite rides right now is a 996 Ducati ST4S-ABS.

There is something that gives a elemental pleasure to riding a low powered motorcycle well. It's kind of nice not to have a motorcycle that is constantly pushing you to ride harder and faster. I am sure you and this bike will enjoy many years of good times together, and I hope you continue to become an active member of our little forum.

I know the cable is a minor thing, it just gave me that final hit of feeling that maybe I'd made a dumb decision. I'm still kinda fighting that overall feeling but that's just me. I second guess and stress over too many things.

I turned 46 mid-April. Not too old, but I assume older than the average China bike buyer. I didn't get along with my Duc, the riding position and a few other things about it made it uncomfortable and hard to ride aggressively while feeling in control. Since I couldn't just cruise comfortably and couldn't get the feel to push it it had no value other than being a beautiful decoration for the family room, that part it did very well. I find I can ride the CBR1100 more confidently and comfortably in all situations so I sold the Duc. Right after it went away I bought a '76 Moto Guzzi V-1000 Convert that is in project stage. I considered the difficulty in getting used to a low performance bike before buying it but I like its uniqueness. I'm guessing the TT will break me of all high performance expectations and the Guzzi will feel like a hot-rod.

Don't sweat the buyer's remorse too much. Once you have a chance to get this bike out where it'll run for you, it will grow on you. I had a bit of trepidation when I first rode my hawk because it was running VERY lean and I'm not a carb guy. A little tinkering and learning and I'm enjoying it now. Remember that I paid less for my hawk, but I've just looked at it as a $1300 experiment. if it didn't work out, I'd sell it for what I could and chalk it up to trial and error. However, once I've settled into this thing, and had a chance to take it on a trip to the mountains, I'm liking it more and more. My goal now is to see how many miles i can put on it before it breaks. :tup:

Excellent stable.

I'm 52, BTW... You remain a young 'un.

My ST4S is a sport tourer so it is very comfortable. Looks like a racer but seating postion more like a FJR.

I like the idea of keeping it in the family room; it would work well since I don't have a family :-)

Your buyer's remose will go away in a few miles. I think you and this bike will bond and you'll be a happy rider.

you guys are young! younger than me, anyway, and i still have my own hair and my own teeth :) and my zong zs-gy200, which hasn t given me problems since i bought it almost 10 years ago. :tup: give TLC to those bikes and they ll be a good mule to you. i hope ;)