Vbike 250T Review (250T vs. V4SW) Lots O'Pics

[KentuckyDonkey]

By-the-way- anyone know how one adjusts the front drum brakes on these things? Yes...the brakes on this one SUCk, too! (The cables are properly adjusted)

What a freakin' POS!

[fishman10]

on some of the smaller quads i bought for my kid I used cheap plastic mudflaps fom pep boys,,cut to fit and slid into place between the fenders and foot boards using longer bolts and zip ties at the footboard.On larger atvs I've used the plastic sheeting from old above ground pools,people throw it out all the time,and youcan heat it and bend to fit ,it is usually blue,but with a can of krylon fusion takes paint well.

[KentuckyDonkey]

Good ideas, Fishman! I read somewhere too, that someone bought an $8 garbage can at Wal*Mart and cut plastic from that! I don't know why I didn't think of that! I'm usually very innovative and known for "thinking outside the box".

Back to the 250T: Another way to distinguish the later model from the old: The older ones (like mine) don't have the cross-shaped hub caps (that cover the lug nuts) and which are color coordinated to match the body color. The old ones just have the black rubber center caps.

But of course, just because you see a pic of the newer model (as on Vbike's site) does not mean that that is what you will receive.....

I'd bet that the NEWER model 250T is great- as it should be just like the V4SW only with a few upgrades.

[Danthalis]

You know, after seeing your pictures, I can honestly say I like the look of the V4SW better. MAybe it would be different in person, but the V4SW seemed like a get down to business sport beast, whereas the 250T doesn't seem to have that flare to it. I am so temped to roll the dice and order one, luckily we got some news bills in so I have to put it off for a few weeks anyways. Hopefully by then vbike will get their poop in a group. MAybe if I ask Tim if he will promise me a newer version.... well if I do get one, I'll let you all know.

Thanks again KD for the review!

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Danthalis

You know, after seeing your pictures, I can honestly say I like the look of the V4SW better. MAybe it would be different in person, but the V4SW seemed like a get down to business sport beast, whereas the 250T doesn't seem to have that flare to it. I am so temped to roll the dice and order one, luckily we got some news bills in so I have to put it off for a few weeks anyways. Hopefully by then vbike will get their poop in a group. MAybe if I ask Tim if he will promise me a newer version.... well if I do get one, I'll let you all know.

Thanks again KD for the review!

Personally, based upon KD's detailed report, I would not order the 250T from Vbike unless Tim promised to send me the newer model. If Tim got a product from China that is not built as advertised, he probably should not ship it to his customers. He should resolve the matter with his supplier, and advertise the older version as another model.

Spud

[KentuckyDonkey]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Personally, based upon KD's detailed report, I would not order the 250T from Vbike unless Tim promised me to send me the newer model. If Tim got a product from China that is not built as advertised, he probably should not ship it to his customers. He should resolve the matter with his supplier, and advertise the older version as another model.

Spud

Yes! It's not worth the gamble. The V4SW or the [supposedly even better] newer 250T is a lot of bike for the money....but this older 250T is a piece of crap.

[KentuckyDonkey]

Another observation about this old-model 250T: It seems very unstable compared to the V4SW. I almost flipped it the very first time I rode it- and even though it is not as fast as the V4SW, I find myself rarely going over half throttle, as the irregularities of my pasture which were smoothed out by the V4SW, feel very destabilizing on this- like it's going to bounce off of every little thing.

[jason]

is your width the same as the the v4sw.cause when i phoned tim about a month ago he mentioned a new model,the "T".but when he put up his write up in it i believe it has the same width as the v4sw.he told me it would be more stable cause it is wider and has bigger tires.im a liitle shy now about ordering it if i cant get 100% garantee im getting the newer style and it is wider.

[KentuckyDonkey]

Originally Posted by jason

is your width the same as the the v4sw.cause when i phoned tim about a month ago he mentioned a new model,the "T".but when he put up his write up in it i believe it has the same width as the v4sw.he told me it would be more stable cause it is wider and has bigger tires.im a liitle shy now about ordering it if i cant get 100% garantee im getting the newer style and it is wider.

I believe the rear is a little narrower than the V4SW's. Front seems to be about the same. I believe this old-style 250T has a shorter wheelbase/overall length and sits higher- that and the narrower rear add up to a very unstable combination! (And I'm not talking about fancy riding....just basic transportation around my farm. The V4SW I could ride anywhere, and felt very safe even at top speed. This thing...I've basically learned that I have to ride it extremely conservatively on even faitly smooth ground, as the least little change in direction seems to become amplified)

Basically, I'm not comfortable riding this at much over about 15MPH. Whereas I loved getting the V4SW up to 40-45MPH.

I'd be curious to see how the newer 250T is (the one I was supposed to get)- but I still don't know if it would be up to the quality of the V4SW, as the V4SW is made by a different company.

I'm really wondering what's up at Vbike. Tim says he's out of the V4SWs, yet on the site, it says "in stock" and lets you add them to your cart. Seems that only one other dealer has the V4SW (I forget what they call it...), so I'm wondering if they aren't discontinued? (I never should have sold mine!!)

[jason]

what does tim say about this?
is ti i've got your money and live with this older style atv

[KentuckyDonkey]

Originally Posted by jason

what does tim say about this?
is it i've got your money and live with this older style atv

Heh...pretty much!

He has tried to make some very minor efforts- i.e. he said "send back the tires and I'll send the bigger ones" - but that wouldn't help much, as not only would they cost a fortune to ship and put the bike out of commission for a few weeks, but I'd then need to change the gearing, too! -And that doesn't address the other issues, like the different motor (He's trying to convince me it's the same motor...I'll post pics here and see what you guys think!)...and the lack of a sturdier hitch (I asked him on the phone before ordering if this had the sturdier hitch, and he assured me it did...but of course it didn't)

Have some other issues as well, plus issues with the 300 Monster...and the little efforts that he has made to address the problems are not quite enough- especially considering I've spent $4500 with him since February. I would have rather appreciated it if he knew the actual products he was selling, and gave truthful answers (or simply an "I'm not sure") when consulted pre-purchase...rather than telling you one thing, and assuring that what one orders will be "exactly what is shown in the pictures on the website", and then when it comes, it is not.

I spoke to my credit card company, and they said that I could dispute part of the charge, seeing that the bikes were not as advertised- but I'm saving that as a last resort- I'd rather work it out ammiccably if possible.

Here is one of Tim's emails- only addressing some of the problems which I had mentioned in the email to which he is replying:

>>>>i dont see any problem here richard ,you asking for more parts ,we ship it to you , 250cc-T old or new model they all the same ,if you say your atv with smaller tire ,send these tire back we replace it , same thing as 300cc monster ,rack is not line up send it back ,we replace it <<<<

And here is my response:

>>>>>Tim, It's not just the tires or the rack- are you going to send me the newer style motor for the 250T too? Or the axle housing with the new-style trailer hitch? And how much is it going to cost me to ship all this stuff back?(several hundred dollars!), not to mention all the labor I'd have to do and that the ATVs would be out of commission for weeks. This shouldn't be, seeing as it was not my fault that I received an older model 250T than the one pictured on your website/described by you on the phone. You screwed up (I realize, it was probably not your fault, but rather the manufacturer's- but none-the-less, it is your responsibility to make it good for your customer).

I've given you much positive publicity on the internet and amongst my friends and neighbors locally, based on the good experience i had with you on the V4SW purchase a few months back- and I've purchased 3 bikes from you and intended to buy more in the near future- and I'm not a fussy customer- I know that certain issues are to be expected with Chinese vehicles, and I am O-K with that...but getting something that is substantially different than what I ordered- that is quite a different story, and all I am asking for is a little compensation so that we can both come out of this matter in a way which will be fair to both me and you., and can continue to do business<<<<<

I'm really getting disgusted- Gonna try and sell these, and I think I'll just forget about ATVs for now :( (Don't want to pay the price for the Jap ones, especially as seeing that they seem to purposely make everything inaccessable, so that you're more likely to give in and take 'em to the dealer for service.)

[warrior91]

Mabey after some more break in the shifting will be less notchy.
Getting rid of a well running bike because you got dirty seems not to be a wise idea... :wink:
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I know all about sport bikes and cow pastures...well experienced.
The price you pay for broadsliding is sh!tspray.

[KentuckyDonkey]

Heh yep, yep, yep- never should've sold the V4SW. I just thought being it was so good, one of the "new & improved" (and more expensive) models would be perfection. Boy, was I wrong! (Well, maybe Iffin I woulda actually been sent the bike that actually pictured and described on their website.....)

[Cal25]

I'm kinda surprised that Tim would not be aware of the differences between the bikes. When I went and picked up my bike from him last year, He insisted on opening the crate up and doing an inspection before we put it on my truck. He verified all the fasteners were there. Luckily he spotted a missing bolt for the handle bar clamp. Then he re-strapped the crate and I was on my way.

I feel that he had to see what you had in the crate based on my experience.

[KentuckyDonkey]

Originally Posted by Cal25

I'm kinda surprised that Tim would not be aware of the differences between the bikes. When I went and picked up my bike from him last year, He insisted on opening the crate up and doing an inspection before we put it on my truck. He verified all the fasteners were there. Luckily he spotted a missing bolt for the handle bar clamp. Then he re-strapped the crate and I was on my way.

I feel that he had to see what you had in the crate based on my experience.

I can't figure Tim out. He insists that he "checks them all before they leave", yet I had to send him pictures of mine to prove the differences. (Funny- everything I tell him, he insists that it's not so- and I have to send him pics before he'll believe it).

Then he tells me that he inadvertantly got a mixed shipment of 250T's that contained both the old and new models....then he tells me that the only difference between the two is the size of the tires (yet the bike pictyured on his site has the newer motor, better hitch, different graphics, etc.). And of course, when I asked about all of this on the phone prior to ordering, it was "exactly what you see in the pictures...".

Tim seemed like a nice guy- but I now have to conclude that he is a BS artist.

This bike actually says Sunl on the emissions label- which means it was manufactured for Sunl (Sunl is just an importer, like Vbike)- so how did Tim end up with this? Must have been one of their rejects or a stray left over at the end of a run.