MYXP200

[Oengus]

I took the XP to a memorial day cookout, that was in Fairview Park, the other side of the county. When I ride across I usually go through the city, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County is an East/West city. So I like heading north to the lake before heading west.

I stopped at East Ninth, this is were the Rock-n-Roll Museum is and also Browns Stadium….

The Museum and Great Lakes Science Center behind it.



View north from the harbor up Ninth street.




The harbor, the William G. Mather Museum, a retired iron ore boat.



Science Center



Browns Stadium


I headed west from the city along the lake front to Rocky River, which is a river that leads into the Metro Parks. This is the boat launches near the mouth of the river.

I forgot my memory cards and could not take any more pictures. It's nice area the mouth of the river has a marina with some homes on the river and surrounding bluffs.
The river defines a part of the Metro Parks called Rocky River Reservation and is part of a large park system called the Emerald Necklace. It's a series of connected parks that ring the urban area, like a necklace.

I took the parkway to get to the party both Fairview Park and the Rocky River are on the Parkway, that being the park runs through both cities. I could not take pictures at the party…I ran out of storage, the old camera uses 16MB memory cards…I only brought one!

[Jim]

Thanks for sharing more pictures... That really looks like a nice city. Are you allowed your bike up there by those benches? 8O

That river looks nice and peaceful, and good weather to get out there too!

[SpudRider]

Once again, thank you for posting the nice photos, Oengus. Next time, please remember to bring more memory cards! It looks like it was a beautiful day for a ride.

Spud

[Oengus]

Originally Posted by Jim

Thanks for sharing more pictures... That really looks like a nice city. Are you allowed your bike up there by those benches? 8O

That river looks nice and peaceful, and good weather to get out there too!

Nope, if a police officer saw me do that I would get a ticket or a warning. I look around first and then do not stay long. I stick the bike in alot of places I should not, I treat it like a ten speed, which I probably should not.

Yeah there were people with these plastic kayaks and it realy made me think about getting one.

[Jim]

We go out camping during the summer to a little river with some inflatable rafts, except I'm worried this year it will be dry since we didn't get any snow in the winter...

That river there looks like it would be nice to go kayaking or boating in.

What is that square for? The one behind the red fence?

[Oengus]

Originally Posted by SpudRider

Once again, thank you for posting the nice photos, Oengus. Next time, please remember to bring more memory cards! It looks like it was a beautiful day for a ride.

Spud

I took them out and set them on the table, but never put them in my pocket.....it was a beautiful week, it rained on Monday though and some today. We had storms thunder and lighting and high winds and some flooding.

I have to take the XP in for it's first service it's at 900km now. I think maybe Thursday. I may tool around Lorain County and the Black River, thats Lorain/Elyria, Sandusky and the Islands, further west, would be fun....that could be something for later in the summer. I am working on a family vacation in that area it's a real nice area a big bay and a series of islands in the lake. They have ferries that take you from the bay to the islands. I'll get my parents to rent a place, then put the bike in the back of the pick-up....then everyone in the family will come....the real-estate is way cheap these days and my parents are talking about it being a good time to buy in that area. Something on the lake with dockage, they have boats.

[Oengus]

Sandusky is were Cedar Point is, they have the Millennium Force tallest roller coaster in the World.


If the family gets too be too much I can grab a room here, and just do the lizard on the beach and swim in the pool? If I get bored I can go drop my self 310 feet...then find a beer garden to recover from it all.

[Oengus]

Originally Posted by Jim

We go out camping during the summer to a little river with some inflatable rafts, except I'm worried this year it will be dry since we didn't get any snow in the winter...

That river there looks like it would be nice to go kayaking or boating in.

What is that square for? The one behind the red fence?

The river is at the mouth, but it too shallow up stream, there is good canoeing in the Cuyahoga and the national park though, not in the Rocky River only at the mouth, it's dredged to the point of the boat launch then is very shallow after that. It's ideal for a jet ski though it leads to the lake and open water, then theres a beach at the mouth and another further west.

The fenced in area is for X-Sports they have skateboarding and host events in that area, I think City Halls solution to skateboarders? They I think banned them, then built an area for them. I am not fond of it, I think its lame.

[Jim]

Gotcha... That looks like a good vacation too.

[Oengus]

Got the XP200 back from the dealer, 1000km service. Sat on a KLX250SF and thought how much I would like to have it, then asked and was told $5,200.00 OUCH….not that much.

I took the XP on ride around....here are some pictures.

Some shots of the XP and the Chinese Garden in Rockefeller Parkway.






View of InnerHarbor





Memorial Plaza




Same spot as above facing North

[Oengus]

I took a good long ride this weekend, from Shaker Heights to North Olmsted. I do not take the XP200 on the interstate, but I did take it on the Shoreway which has highway speeds, got up to around 50 mph and think that is about as fast as I want to go on the 200cc dual sport. Basically one stretch, from an on ramp to an exit ramp. The bike has yet to be fully opened up, it has 1200km on the odometer currently.

I took a southern route this time and should have taken some photos but I was running late. The route took me from the Heights through the Cuyahoga River Valley. There is a road named Granger, I was on that and it has a very steep grade, it was crazy going down it. I had thoughts of Chinese components the whole time, I stayed in 5th gear and only occasionally offered a little throttle. It seemed to take the bike beyond the engine speed and that seemed hard on the engine. So I gave it some throttle every so often. I thought if I pulled in the clutch I would take off, could get up to 80mph easy coasting?

Going from that location, that being a southern approach to the West, took me from the highest point to the lowest point in the county. I am just not used to that being born and raised in NEO, I am just not that accustomed to steep grades, they make me uncomfortable.

I took snap shots on the way home, my preferred route is northern through the city and along the lake.

Here are some shots I took, seem like the vibration of the bike makes my hands shake so none of the pictures are that clear, I basically vibrate after long rides.

Corner of St Clair and W6th Street, stopped for a coffee.


Whiskey Island, western lake front, this is a park just west of the mouth of the Cuyahoga.



In the distance is an abandoned US Coast Guard Station.
This is the western edge of the park looking south from a causeway that connect the park to the station.





View East of the city from the Causeway.


The arch you see is the RTA that was posted in early photos. The area just beyond is the Warehouse district and the first photos was taken in that area.
Here is the XP at Edgewater State park..

[Oengus]

The XP is manufactured by Jinan QingQi and is for the most part a Suzuki DR200.

Qingqi has my permission to make a more utilitarian version of the model:



Not exactly like the DF version pictured above, but a more utilitarian version of their model.
Round head light and round meters with a metal cage, less fairing and a good luggage rack.

[Oengus]

The 250cc version is in the pipe but does little to differentiate itself from its lesser sibling.
The 250cc is also based on Suzuki technology and sports a 20hp engine.

Here is a photo of that model.


Qlink’s web site has been broken for some time now, they may not even know that?
I noticed that there is no longer a link to the closeouts, but there is also no link for the BUY NOW? You can click on it but it will not place that item in the shopping cart? Wow how to loose business.

The 250cc is being tested….the rumor is or was when the 2008-2009 are all sold then when the 250cc is ready they will stock them.

Getting closer and tighter with dealers I would suggest and lowering the price on parts, please some are off the chart overpriced.

The DR200 variant should be expanded on and so should the 250cc line, they actually have a 250cc street version that is not bad and something I would seriously consider.



This is only a 125cc version, but it comes with a 200cc or the 250cc, the last two I would consider. Under $3,000.00 for a 250 and under $2,500.00 for a 200cc. The 250cc does not share the same frame as the others, but share the same design elements, just as the 200cc does not share the same frame as the comming 250 but they look the same.

The 250cc are larger frames, they have their own component parts, but they look consistent across models.

What is good is a 250cc with 20hp and from time tested proven Suzuki engine technology.

[Oengus]

I am indifferent to the Qlink business model, one of its key suppliers is growing and expanding and they do not seem to be aligning on that. They are detracting from the brand name that they should be aligning on.

QingQi America should be the brand and it can and would endure, Qlink may not its on paper not rooted in actual real manufacturing. There are no motors in Qlink motors….they are in fact distributors. The best actually in their market and methods used, but what is behind them is actual manufactures and if not interconnected on the actual brand and names they could be replaced.

In realty it is not in Qingqi ’s best interest to build the brand of others, particularly if the brands are only that of a distributor. If the best at manufacturing then its that name that needs to be grown on that separate brand name and should not be associated with other brand names.

It’s not to say that one distributor cannot distribute multiple brands, in fact they should since the products are all within a limited market segment. In that manufacturers from china can only offer a sliver of their domestics lines in the US and collectively they can take shares of a segment of the US market and that is the 50cc-250cc motorcycle and scooter range. That’s a matter of variety pricing and branding is crucial, not creative brand names, but actual brand names that are the actual manufacturers brand names.

The best distributor would have facilities on both sides and function to fully define and track products. It's all about a pull system not a push system. That’s about availability and variety, it is also about very good systems to monitor and support products.

[katoranger]

I would like the DF model. That rack looks beefy. Good for strapping slides too. :wink: