Pros/Cons

[dpl096]

Completed my first oil change today and wanted to do a 200 mile review of my initial impression of the bike. Start first with the negatives and get them out of the way. Mind you these are my impressions alone.

Cons: 1) The seat sux. It's just not comfortable for me for rides longer than about 30 minutes. Mind you I have some lower back issues but even folks without those have said the same. I think Zongshen could improve on this at the production point and raise the overall experience of a strictly stock ride considerably. 2) Indicator lights on the instrument are a tad bit too small and as such difficult to see on a beautiful sunny day. There's 6 lights. If Zonshen doubled their size and then split them 3 to the left and 3 to the right of a digital display it would greatly improve visibility. Mode and trip buttons could be separated one to the upper left corner and the other to the lower right corner if need be. 3) The front brakes just arent as good as they should be. They are serviceable but just not as high in quality as the rest of the mechanical components. That's it and I fully admit these are personal preference issues and not mechanical failures, keeping in mind the weak front brakes. Now to the Pros!

Pros: 1) Seated on/in the bike is ergonomically comfortable, minus the seat. I found it well designed and my center of gravity lower that one would expect. 2) Handlebars and control are laid out as is typically found on most bikes with the exception of the headlight flicker switch and the aux buttons which are superb. I would love to see that flicker switch as mandatory motorcycle equipment . Love it! I install the 30mm Tusk risers and found they complimented Zonshen's original engineering nicely. 3) Handling of the bike is sound and confident. I've running the Kendas and absolutely love them on hardtack and find them more than adequate on moderate trails and off road adventures. The bike tracks nicely and you can flick it around with ease. 4) Panniers and trunk are resin but I think they do a pretty damn good job. They close securely and I think look pretty good. The truck could have been larger to accommodate a helmet but it isn't that big of an issue and I knew that when I ordered. I can always put something larger on if I wish. 5) Windscreen and turn signal do the jobs they were designed for. I may update my windscreen to a Winyoochanok model and I have already ordered the Detours rear lighting kit to add additional lighting/visibility to the rear of the bike. 6) The transmission prior to the oil change was solid but notchy and like other I've had trouble finding neutral at times. I changed oil today and filled up with Mobil Delvac and can already notice a smoother shift. I expect with wearing in, getting more used to the bike and maybe trying other oils it will keep improving. 7) The engine is solid. I'm still under my 500 mile break in mileage but I feel this engine is more than enough to run down the road at comfortable speeds without the thing wanting to fly apart. You're not going to win any races or rip around slower traffic but it sure gets you down the road. Anyone who says a 250 engine is too small for the American market doesn't know what they're talking about and probably haven't ridden these small cc bikes in a long time and probably never a Zongshen. 8) Overall fit and finish. I can't praise Zongshen/CSC enough on this. The finish on this bike is top shelf. The fit of the parts is tight and it's not a rattle trap moving down the road. The quality of the metal, paint, plastics are great. The craftsmanship on the milled components is outstanding. This bike is a deal breaker for the big fellas. I've owned many different Asian brands and I will confidently stack the overall fit/finish/quality of this bike against anything comparable in purpose and price. On a final grade of 1 to 5, subtracting for the cons, I rate this bike a very solid 4.3 .... better seat earns it 4 points immediately.

I cant say this enough. If you're on the fence about ordering one of these bikes . . STOP! Call Ryan and get one ordered. You're missing out on a hell of a motorcycle, a tremendous amount of enjoyment & fun and an incomparable bargain.

Closing this out I would like to thank Joe for coming across such a great motorcycle and recognizing it's potential for the North America market. Additionally I would like to thank Steve Seidner and his wife for taking the gamble, investing their money and bringing a fantastic motorcycle to us.