[vtr99]

With Mother's Day this past weekend, I didn't get to do much with my bike. Now it's cold and raining again, so any real ride report will be delayed.

I can give some detailed positives and negatives about the Hensim 250 after putting about 100 miles on it.

1. The engine is excellent. A bit cold blooded when first started, but virtually all 4 strokes are. Once warm, the thing will idle all day long, and pulls much harder than the 200GY engines. Electric start works great, but I used the kick starter just for grins to try it out. To my surprise it started on the first kick while cold. In my experience most Jap bikes start on the second kick. I give the engine an A+.

2. Transmission shifts smooth, precise and positive. Feels just like any Jap bike I've driven. A bit difficult to get into neutral while the engine is running and cold, but improves when warmed up. I expect this to improve quite a bit as the tranny gets broken in. I give it a solid B.

3. Front forks are superior with about 6 inches of travel. They are plush while hopping curbs, and over rough terrain, and give just the right amount of road feel on the pavement. I have tried to bottom them out without success. I will see how they do when really pressed off-road, but they seem very progressive for stock springs. A+

4. Rear shock... Well the specs say about 2 inches, and they may be right. I don't think this is because of travel though, it just has a very strong spring. I ended up taking the pre-load all the way to the bottom, and it is still a bit stiff for my taste. It does seem to be loosening up after some use, but takes away any comfort gained by the wide seat. I expect the rear shock will do well in rough off-road situations, but it's too stiff for good long distance comfort. C-

5. Brakes are really nice for a bike in this price range. Much larger discs than I expected, and the double piston calipers give you more stopping power than you will need. Just the right amount of proportional control helps for quick stops without locking the brakes, but have plenty of power to do so if you wish. As with most brakes, the front has much more power than the rear. Front A, rear B+.

6. Controls are much better than expected. Maybe not up to the quality of top Jap bikes, but work perfectly and are right where they should be. High beam is surprisingly bright for a bargain 250, horn is nice and loud, turn signals have a positive switch feel both in turn mode, and cancelling the signal. High beam, turn, and neutral indicator lights work as they should, and the spedometer is lighted. Clutch and front brake lever both feel just as they should. I have always liked grippy metal footpegs, and these don't dissapoint. Your feet will not slip off of these. Rear brake pedal has the same searated grippy texture. B+

7. Exhaust note sounds like any Honda or Kawasaki. Nice and quiet with that distinct thumper sound. It may be a bit restrictive, but it won't bother your neighbors either. For a stock exhaust it is quite acceptable. B+

8. The gearing is more off-road oriented, but there is no doubt I could climb any hill you can find. Cruising speed is about 50 to 55mph, and top speed with this gearing looks to be about 65 to 70 mph. I plan on looking for a larger countershaft sprocket this week (+2 teeth) to see what that does for cruising speed. I'd like to be able to do 65 without stressing the engine. Overall quality is very good. Welds look good, but not excellent. There are a few things associated to fit and finish that fall short of Japanese quality bikes that cost 4 times as much, but you can't deny this bike is a super bargain. I still can't get over what a deal I got, and my friends say the same thing. Overall rating I give the Hensin HS250DB a solid A at the going price. You will be hard pressed to beat this deal.

I will post more info as I spend more time on the bike.