Hello from Lima, Peru
 

Hello, this is my first post here, I'm an expat living in Lima, Peru, I've been a motorcyclist for decades but know nothing about Chinese motorcycles. I'm going to buy another moto and am considering a Mavila Cavalry http://www.mavila.com.pe/x/index.php...2_articleid=46 Mavilas are manufactured by Loncin. The Cavalry sells for about US $1675 including plates, the first three services and a two year/20,000 km warranty, the dealer is well-respected with a great service department. I'm wondering if anyone is familiar with this moto or Loncin, specifically, the quality. I'm not expecting a lot at this price but need reliably. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Gary

Welcome to the forum.

Looks like a very nice bike, and it sounds like a good deal too, especially with the service arrangement.

Loncin is one of your better China manufacturers. I don't know what that engine is a clone of, in the one pic I see it looks like an OHC.

Comfortable looking seat, looks like a Zong seat.

You'd like it. Especially if you have a sense of humor, know how to do basic motorcycle mechanics, and hang out with us. In particular check out the Dual Sport Prep Thread in the Maintenence Section.

I've been riding 28 years, maybe a hundred different bikes, hundreds of thousands of miles and I just love my humble little Chinabike.

And this forum too.

Welcome to these forums, Gary; we are glad you joined us! :) Loncin has a good reputation for manufacturing engines. Can you tell us more about this motorcycle? How large is the engine? How big is the fuel tank? Several components on this motorcycle seem similar to parts on the Hensim 250, and one of the Roketa bikes. ;)

Spud :)

No entienden el español ni siquiera un poco?

http://www.mavila.com.pe/x/images/Li...LRY_Tec1MD.jpg

200 OHV single cylinder 4 stroke
air-cooled with balance shaft.

Wow, thanks for the quick replies, here is a photo of the Mavila.

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...12_wwNMZ-M.jpg

Gary

That is a nice looking motorcycle, Gary. :) Perhaps they made an error in the specifications; they list the rear wheel as 19-inches in diameter. :?:

Spud :)

That bike looks very much like something else I've seen here, just not sure what.. Q maybe?

Welcome! Glad you found us. American ex-pat?

Nice looking machine. The exhaust has a similar angle to the Q-Link, but the engine has a sight glass like a Honda clone. I like the CRF-inspired tank plastic. Like Doc says, nice looking saddle.

Those are interesting units near the bikes. What are they? Is that guy packing heat?

Spud, alot of modern dirt bikes run a 19" rear wheel. It may not be a typo.

Otherwise most of the specs point it out a typical 200cc chinabike. I can't translate all of it. My Spanish is not the good.

Oengus got the main part.

It says 5speed, wet clutch, telescoping forks, single rear shock. etc.

Spud, yes it does have a 19" rear wheel. Weldangrind, Yes, American, I lived just down the road from you in Seattle. Yep, he is armed, common everywhere down here. Those are Bajaj mototaxis (India) but most mototaxis are Chinese built. Doc, thanks for your imput

Gary

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/Motorcycl..._AZyXM-M-1.jpg

Mototaxis in Peru

Mototaxies look cool. No sharp turns though! 8O

I don't think its a Q.

Unusual displacement. May be a unique engine of Loncin design. 193.3cc.

I thought I noticed something strapped to a belt.

Here's a dumb question. How are people supposed to see out of those 3 wheeled contraptions? The one in front, in particular, has its windshield almost compleatly covered with advertisement.

Doc,
A lot of these mototaxis are dressed up in religious or family themes, your right I don't know how some of these guys can see out of the window, that said, I ride in one whenever I get a chance. Typically, they have 125 or 150cc engines I've seen them high in the Andes, chugging along miles from town carrying families, construction materials and even livestock. They are great vehicles.

Gary

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._cKixJ-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._ZkwQY-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._pcUvb-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...55_jdpb4-M.jpg

I want one of these.
http://www.mavila.com.pe/x/index.php...2_articleid=38

Welcome aboard! :) Cool pics!

Cheers,
Stew

katoranger,
Here are a couple more

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._4W5PS-M-1.jpg

Velorex in Northern Peru

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...32_G6pCJ-M.jpg

Sigma in Colombia

Fun pics. I'm guseesing they go like what, 40 MPH or so?

oldgringo,
Thanks for the great photos of Peru.
Brings back memories of our trip to Cusco and Machu Picchu back in the late 1980's.
I remember hoards of VW beetles being driven like crazy and constantly blowing their horns in Lima. Have the three wheelers replaced the VWs?

Doc,
40 mph downhill maybe, I rode 30 miles in one on a very rough road last December, the trip took almost two hours!
Barnone, the mototaxis aren't allowed in the downtown area, I still see beetles but the VW taxis are gone, the horns are still blaring
.
I should also mention that there are companies here that assemble motos from Chinese parts, RTM seems to be the largest assembler
They are inexpensive http://www.tecnimotors.com/planta.html I see RTMs everywhere.

I'm attaching a photo of an interesting Chinese moto that I saw at a show a few months ago, I recall that it was a 400, sorry I don't remember the manufacturer, I do remember that it was a nice machine.

Gary

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...64_tzihL-M.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._4W5PS-M-1.jpg

A dump box! I love it! I may need to add this to the massive list of things I gotta build. :lol:

BTW, that's an ad for a Canadian bank in the background. Here it's known as Scotiabank.

I am sure that one of those trucks could be easily built. Thinking that 400-600cc engine would be able to pull it to 60mph.

I like the leading link front suspension. Very appropiate for that application.

I never even noticed that! I'd like to have a closer look at one. I wonder if it's twitchy at speed?

What speed? :roll:

The more I think about it. Probably safer to stay under 30mph on one.

Would be great as an in town vehicle.

I went into Lima and bought a Mavila Cavalry today, it will be several days before I can ride it home. Peru requires that it be titled and plated before I can buy the mandatory SOAT (insurance), it was a great buying experience, a real nice shop and salesperson.
Spud, I stand corrected, it does have a 18" rear tire. I'll break it in correctly, if it proves reliable I'll load on a boat and head down to Iquitos on the Amazon, I may also take over to Bolivia. Thanks again for everyones input.

Gary

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._2oN7m-M-1.jpg

This Cavalry was in the showroom, I ordered a black one,

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._MnYLh-M-1.jpg

The Mavila store in Lima

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._EuKNC-M-1.jpg

Mavila Murano, 125cc,

Congrats on the new bike! Please regale us with your riding experiences. :D

Congratulations! How did you wind up in Peru, BTW?

Thank you for posting all the great photos, Gary. :) Congratulations on purchasing the new bike! Please do post photos of your travels; we will very much enjoy viewing them. :D

The 400cc bike shown in one of your photos is a Xingyue. Pitster Pro is selling a variant of this bike, with the same engine, in the United States. ;)

P.S. I got unsubscribed from this thread, and I am certain I didn't do anything to cause it! :evil: Is this unpleasant phenomenon happening to anyone else? This is the second time I have been unsubscribed from a great thread, and I certainly hope it doesn't happen again! :(

Spud :)

:idea:

Hey oldgringo,

Do you mind to find out if your dealer can supply a flywheel cover for a 400cc Xingyue? One of our members is having trouble obtaining that part. His name is daddy469, and you can read about his issue here: http://www.chinariders.net/modules.p...=10763&start=0

I read all the posts in all the threads so that issue has never happened to me. Very rarely, I notice a thread that has been replied to, but indicated as read, when I havent read it.

Doc, the short answer to why I'm in Peru, I was riding through and met Charito last year, she is a teacher in Lima. That said, I love the culture, history, food and the people, I have a Carne de Extranjeria so I'm a legal resident. Spud, thanks for the information on the Xingyue. Weldnagrind, I saw the Xingyue at a motorcycle show, it must be imported here under a different name, I've never seen one on the road, it would be no problem to send parts if I can find the dealer. Lima is massive, there are a lot of dealers, I read that Peru will import 220,000 motorcycles this year, 85% of them are Chinese. I also read that there are 150 brands of Chinese motorcycles sold in Peru (my guess is that they mean models not brands).
I'm attaching some photos from the Mavila dealer, they were assembling several mototaxis yesterday, these are actually built by Bajaj, the hardtops and accessories are built by Mavila here in Lima.

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._wcL4h-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._tUyBK-M-1.jpg

Rear engine, 150 or 175cc

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._KgNbS-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._fYsyN-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10...28_X7U6T-M.jpg

Bajaj is an manufacturer from India.
http://www.bajajauto.com/commercial_vehicle.asp

I think that there may be 150 brands and some of them multiple brand names of one single OEM. They put any name on the bikes requested. For example there is one Xingyue 400cc (four version of it) and there probably is fifty brand names it is sold under. http://xingyue.us/xy/web/

Seriously though if you can get a Sundown motorcycle, those have Qingqi as the OEM and are sold out of a company in Brazil, then you would have your reliability.

http://sundownnet.com.br/site/en/motos/www/

The bikes may be sold under the Qingqi name in Peru?
http://gpmaquinarias-peru.blogspot.c...ocicletas.html

I went into Lima and picked up my Mavila today, rode it home but still waiting for the plates, I guess that is going to take a couple of weeks. I took it out on the Pan American Sur, my first impressions are positive, good quality, smooth transmission and enough power to keep up with traffic. Here are a few photos, more to come after it's broken in.

Gary

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._JJxHF-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._QT7H6-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._b89M4-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._pZdYC-M-1.jpg

http://r1150rt.smugmug.com/photos/10..._Y7Bn2-M-1.jpg

Congratulations on acquiring your new bike, Gary; it looks great! As usual, your photographs are superb. :D

When you have time to post more photos, please start a new thread in our Dual Sport Forum. :) I fear many of our dual sport riders don't visit the Introduce Yourself Forum, and they are missing the excellent reports on your Mavila Cavalry motorcycle, a bike most of us are unfamiliar with. ;)

P.S. Your bike's saddle looks very comfortable; does it feel as good as it looks?

Spud :)

Nice bike! Thanks for the pics. :D

Thanks to your close-ups, I believe that engine is built in the Honda tradition. :wink: The clues are the dipstick, sight glass and kicker locations. I think it's a pushrod motor.

Not much snow in Lima. :lol: Of course I'm kidding; Wiki says that you're entering the summer season now.

I say we should all take a trip to Lima to escape the winter blahs. :P

Very nice bike. I especially like the swingarm and the seat style.
Bill R