Lifan X-Pect 200 now available

[culcune]

American Lifan just posted on their Facebook page that the X-Pect 200 is now available. I hope that someone gets one and gives us a full rundown, but even more so if that someone is ME! This will be me in a month or so...

[dpl096]

It would be sweet if you did!

[Megadan]

I wss kind of hoping they would have used the liquid cooled 6spd motor from the KPR, but I am assuming they were aiming for a price point. The rear drum is mildly disappointing as is the square tube steel swing arm. If I had to chose between the new DLX Hawk and this though, I would take this just for the Lifan quality. Definitely makes a good alternative to the TT250 for roughly the same price.

[culcune]

I was told that was the case--the liquid-cooled/FI engine, when I called Lifan months ago and happened to speak with Tony Sun, the president of American Lifan, on a random call. Or at least what I am quite sure he told me. I know it is a little primitive with its rear brake and swingarm, but I like the simplicity and back to basics of the bike. With an established Lifan network south of the border, I can envision taking this on a low-budget adventure to points south with some confidence; at least to the end of Baja and back.

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by culcune

I was told that was the case--the liquid-cooled/FI engine, when I called Lifan months ago and happened to speak with Tony Sun, the president of American Lifan, on a random call. Or at least what I am quite sure he told me. I know it is a little primitive with its rear brake and swingarm, but I like the simplicity and back to basics of the bike. With an established Lifan network south of the border, I can envision taking this on a low-budget adventure to points south with some confidence; at least to the end of Baja and back.

Lifan is slowly gaining ground, they used to sell car under other brands. Now they sell it using their brand. Same goes for my motorcycle, made by them but sold under other brand.
I hope they keep going

[pete]

those forks do look small...


..

[NzBrakelathes]

So another hawk like bike

[culcune]

Originally Posted by NzBrakelathes

So another hawk like bike

Lifan's dual sports have been around longer than the Hawk. This site was founded in 2006 or so by Frostbite who was a member of a Yahoo! group called Lifan GY-5 or similar name. He owned 2 of the Lifans, and thought that a forum would be a better place to discuss Chinese motorcycles. I had started a group called Jetmotogroup (after Jetmoto, a San Francisco brand that imported and rebranded Shineray bikes) and me and the other guy who started GY-5 were two of the first groups discussing them. Frostbite wondered out loud about starting this site, and the rest is history. Hensim started selling a bike around 2009 that was one of the first dual-sports from China called a '250' but was really a 223 or 229 or whatever it was, and was one of the first over 200cc Chinabike. That was the Hawk's predecessor. I believe Asiawing had a bike around the time of Chinariders' infancy that was older than the Hensim that sold a '250' dual-sport under the Odes name, but it seemed like a one or two-container bike as no more discussion about them came about. Then again, it seemed to be the same thing with the Hensim bikes a few years after. The Hawk is a very 'new' bike, even though its popularity make it seem like it was always around and was/is the standard that seemingly every manufacturer copied.

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by pete

those forks do look small...


..

They are small, i don't understand why they keep using those forks and swingarm. They have this chasis and swingarm at their disposal

It's just an Ok chasis and swingarm, in fact that bike is quite popular for MX begginers.

[Megadan]

Eventually somebody will get the combination of parts right. I think what a lot of us want is a cross between the two types of bikes sold on the market. If you took my Hawk, put a 6spd 250 in it, and then added the Fast Ace suspension with its 10 inches of travel front and rear, and other billet and alloy hardware from an XTR 250 LC, I think I wouldn't want for anything else. I wouldn't even care about EFI or water cooling (though both would be nice). If I could get THAT combination for less than or equal to $3000. I would be happy.

[NzBrakelathes]

Everyone buys their bits from the same markets in china and screw together as to what ever brings money - they don’t care about the bikes etc no one at the factories really is into bikes cause that’s a “poor farmer transport “
Wealthy just drive cars etc

They all have the better parts mixed into cheaper Henson hawk have Usd fork digital gauge and rear drum as in the parts bike I got via my wholesaler from them
They are all non mech designed largely but catalogue assembled to your “liking” and what brings the usd$ from outside and into the big boys pockets which then gets used against westerners.

If only you knew what you inadvertently supported with your nice usd$i

[roundhouse]

Originally Posted by Megadan

I wss kind of hoping they would have used the liquid cooled 6spd motor from the KPR, but I am assuming they were aiming for a price point. The rear drum is mildly disappointing as is the square tube steel swing arm. If I had to chose between the new DLX Hawk and this though, I would take this just for the Lifan quality. Definitely makes a good alternative to the TT250 for roughly the same price.

I suppose they are just doing this to keep price point down but the drum brakes I do not get. Wouldn't a disk brake and caliper cost less?

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by NzBrakelathes

what brings the usd$ from outside and into the big boys pockets which then gets used against westerners.

If only you knew what you inadvertently supported with your nice usd$i

Sorry but that's an invalid point. The big boys will get the cash from the west, even if people don't buy motorcycle from them
You own a PC? Then you are supporting the CPC
You own a cellphone? You are supporting the CPC
You own a Japanese, European, 400cc and less motorcycle? Then you it's most likely you have some chinese made parts.

High rates suicides, questionable ethics, Human rights disputes. Everyone that can read knows about it. Also everyone that the Orient is not a big fan of the way the west lives.

But not buying a chinese motorcycle, is not going to change a thing. The big companies like Apple are the one that can change things, but you think apple stop making Iphones in china??? That would be a disaster for them, so they are going to stick with the
"PROUDLY DESIGNED BY AMERICANS MINDS IN CALIFORNIA!!! made in china "

The west needs china, in the same way china needs the west.

[dpl096]

I don't know guys....I just like the bikes and love riding 2 wheels. The rest of the political bs is, for me, just noise that the wind in my face washes away.

I also believe as Dan does... Someone is going to put the complete package together at some point and then - wow look out ! Lifan, Zong, Bashan ect...don't care who I will continue to enjoy watching the evolution of the 250 revolution in our bike world.

[JerryHawk250]

Well Culcune the X-Pect is officially out for sale. So what color are you ordering. lol http://shopapmc.com/New-American-Lif...ded_p_116.html