Lifan USA
 

A friend of mine went to visit a friend of his at the Lifan USA headquarters in the So. Cal. area. He told me they are bringing several new bikes to the US, but will be dropping the Pony 100 which I thought had much promise, especially since it appears the CT70 clones are not coming to the US anytime soon.

They are planning to bring their own version in the Grom sector, the KP150 Mini. My friend mentioned they want an MSRP of $2k for it, which I thought was too high, until I balanced my opinion with the fact the bike is a 150cc vs. the 125's in the Grom, the Kawasaki, and the various clones, such as Maxipad's Vader. Also, more interesting, is the fact that the 150 is NOT a horizontal engine but a vertical 150, meaning the bike is similar in spirit to the CSC mini bikes they used to manufacture that were replicas of the old Mustang motorcycles from the 60's (before they became Zongshen's distributor).

http://americanlifan.com/kpmini-track-day/

I guess they are banking on their KP200 and their KPR200 which are kind of bland looking but interesting in that they will have fuel-injection vs. carb

http://americanlifan.com/kp200/
http://americanlifan.com/kpr-200/

I think they are planning to keep their long stand-in air cooled cruiser
http://americanlifan.com/royal-250/

Apparently they are NOT planning to pursue this long-awaited bike, for the US market, which is a shame, I feel.
http://americanlifan.com/fm-250v/

I think some of the other bikes will be scooters.

There are some interesting reads on the site, including a blog on a long ride through Asia on the KPMini 150 as well as some articles and videos on the KP/KPR bikes, but in 150 form.

http://americanlifan.com/

Great stuff, culcune, thanks!

I'm at a loss as to why they don't list a GY (dual sport) bike....unless I missed it. They sold a ton of them back when the Lifan GY5 was top-o-duh-heap in the GY China Bike class.

That fm250 looks awesome..............

In a scooter context . . just doesn't seem like Lifan USA has "their head in the game". Website function also leaves a LOT to be desired . . as compared to SSR (Znen), Bintelli (Adly/Jiajue), or Lance (Sym).

They definitely need to improve their website experience, Tortoise! It is painful to search through it. On the bikes which aren't 'coming soon' it looks like they left out the specs, but you have to click on the tiny '+' and the specs show up.

2LZ--I remember seeing the FM250 a few years ago in photos on mychinamoto when it was introduced in China at their big motorcycle show. My friend told me they are NOT planning to bring it, which is a disappointment, but my guess it wouldn't have made sense financially. We as China bike fans like the idea of low-cost bikes, and my guess with liquid-cooling and fuel injection, it would put that bike in the same price point as the small name-brand sport bikes like the CBR300, Ninja 300, etc., or at least the CB300 (which is a more direct competitor due to the naked design, anyway). I know I would be picking up a CB300 if I had the choice and at the same cost.

I forgot to ask my friend if they will resurrect an enduro here. Duh! That bike was dominating the dual-sport thread for a few years. I even think they could slip one in as an off-road bike, like the Hawk/Magician, which would relegate it to off-road or a loophole for several states, but it would be a nice compromise. However, their last enduro bike was EPA/DOT certified, which did make it a unique bike to us in the US.

Enough of me talking; we will find out exactly (or close to) what they have planned on October 14-17 or whenever the Miami motorcycle show is--it is prominently listed on their 'home' on their site, so I hope one of us goes and takes photos, or they post photos on their site! If their mini can cruise at 60, I might consider it, although one of the forms of their KP200 they show among the rotating photos shows it with a rear rack, and a kind of 'adventure' bike crash bar. I kind of like the delicate look of the bike, and I do like the standard style...

Okay, called Alan today and he confirmed he saw this enduro at their HQ as I forgot to ask...

http://www.lifanmexico.com/deals_xp200.html

Some tease shots before the Florida show...

More shots...

Even more...

No details, just photos, and some repeats (Sorry), but the show is this weekend, so we should probably hear something by next week on American Lifan's site as far as specs and such. Their flagship is the KPR200/KP200 lineup which feature a FUEL-INJECTED 200cc vertical single, which, assuming it works well, should be interesting for the Chinese motorcycle class. I believe their KPMini 150 (which is unique in this class due to having a 150cc vertical single) will also be fuel-injected. We should keep an eye on Lifan, as well as encourage them to bring one of their enduros which are supposed to come but are absent from these photos :(

Good copy culcune. Thanks

I love my lifan 230cc engine, that fuel injection would really wake it up

The enduros are the only interest to me. Not sure about others. Used Japanese sport bikes are just too cheap here on the east coast to consider a Chinese sport bike. Let's face it with a sport bike you want crazy I'm going to die power. Used gixers or r6s are sub 3k before the snow starts falling. And their performance is silly. I think of Chinese sport bikes as just dolled up scooters. Let me know if I'm way off base because my point of reference is a few years old on Chinese sport bikes. The Chinese enduros I feel are a totally different story. Most trail riders like me don't need the performance of a race prepped ktm, I just need something to get me in and out of the woods. That is why I hope lifan promotes their enduros.

Agreed , they are going at this 180 degrees out of wacky. The past post year 2000 performance of the Enduro is their indicator , which was a cool response at best from North American market. I think this is why they are taking a stab at the street.

OK, if you look at the photo with the larger 4 wheel vehicle, behind it, you can make out the back of an enduro; just not directly photographed. We should all check out their website which will not only hopefully improve, but will hopefully show their complete U.S. lineup.

Looks like pure dirt no headlight. Looking at "21" bike in pic

That's cool. I had a 163FML in my black bike like yours. I didn't know they came with the 169FMM!

the lifan tag i found under the starter (2015.8.17) says 167FMM. so does the stamp next to the oil filter strainer. how many cc is that, i thought it was a 229-230cc. is this correct?

That's only part of the story. The 67 refers to 67mm bore, but it doesn't tell you the stroke, therefore the final displacement is unknown. The second M in FMM means 250cc, but that's rounded up. There is no letter designation between 200cc and 250cc, so it's a crap shoot. If you decided to determine the stroke, we could do the math. It's likely to be 223cc.

Not concerned with cc, it is what it is thanks (223 I think your right)

So the nomenclature is a follows ?

1 - one cylinder?
67- bore of cylinder
F- ?
M- ?
M- 250cc class

F = natural air cooled
M = motorcycle engine
M = 250cc class

I trust Lifan to lable their engines properly but my Taotao ATV engine labeled 171FMM is actually a 163FML.

I have a Roketa that's way off the mark. I'd also trust Lifan to stamp properly, along with Zong.

Photos of the bikes at the show. Of course, no direct photo of the enduro, but from the partial look of it in the photo and a poster in the background of another photo, it appears that it will be the Lifan LF200GY-4
http://www.lifan.com/English/Mall/Mo...2-63fa57494425

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Ehhh, street stuff. 200gy looks nice (same old gripe, I won't mention). Kind of looks like the brozz wouldn't ya say bro.


Thanks for posting culc

It does seem like Lifan is kind of like Toyota cars or Honda cars--boring, 'street' stuff, LOL. Their Pony 100 was a breath of fresh air a couple years ago, but they discontinued it. The MiniKP 150 looks 'fun' in the class of vehicles I term 'GLV' (Grom-like vehicle) or 'GLB' (Grom-like bike), but it will have limited appeal to most of us. I think they have had plenty of time to make a big statement in the 200cc enduro class, like they did back in '07 with their GY-5. Heck, the GY-5 is STILL shown on their Chinese site, so they could/should have brought that one back!

Their KP200/KPR200 street bikes are uninspiring as far as looks go, but after researching them and seeing videos, they do have potential. Not sure why they cut it off at 200cc, but they are liquid-cooled and fuel-injected. I am not sure if there are enough of people like me out there (here in the US)--daily commuter, late 40's, don't care too much for looks, for this bike. The KPR200 I see in the same class of bike that Zongshen had when they introduced their kind of sporty street bike several years ago. So, there is potential for new riders, but since the Zongshen, we have had several actual sport bikes introduced with small engines, and more coming. All the negatives aside, from watching the videos, these bikes look stout, and not delicate, and seem to perform. If the price is right (which is the whole reason for the fan-club/cult of us Chinabikes enthusiasts), then they could have my business. I like the KP200 standard, including the one they show that seems to attempt to be a ADV bike (has crash bars and a little windshield and a rack-ish thing. Or the standard one without all the wannabe fluff. As long as I can throw a big case on the back and it can cruise at 60 with bursts to 65 (as the videos seem to indicate), and the price is in the mid to low $2k range, they have my (boring) interest, LOL

I 'expect' that I will like this

http://www.lifan.com/English/Mall/Mo...2-63fa57494425

American Lifan's site is up and running

http://americanlifan.com/

As 'expected' (I couldn't resist), we are 'expecting' (I kill myself :) ) the 'Expect 200' enduro as well as the Mini 150cc Grom-like vehicle and the two KP200 bikes, which are probably more exciting than they look and their 200cc engine would have us believe. They are both liquid-cooled and EFI and have a claimed 17 horsepower which will make them perfect for new riders or experienced riders who do not need to prove their manhood with massive engines. A nice cruiser in the form of what they have been selling for years now is the Royal 250. Hopefully the fit and finish are approaching 20+ year old Honda Rebels since that is what they will be competing with!

If American Lifan want to stand out from the crowd, I think they should sponsor and promote two racing series--one which feature their KP Mini 150, and another which uses their KPR 200.

Pretty uninspiring lineup. Electric scooters, with peddles? 150cc Gromish bike. 200cc sport bikes. Virago 250 clone. 200cc dual sport with small wheels. I don't see big sales in the near future.

It's just a start, but I agree with you. I do think the Grom-like-vehicle class is growing, but with the Vader, the SSR Razkull, the TMEC Denali 125fx, the Icebear Fuerza, and the Boom! electric mini, (maybe the same manufacturer as the Vader??), not to mention the Grom, itself, this class will be pretty competitive which will mean one good thing for consumers: price wars! The Lifan bike does have an advantage over all of the above in that they are utilizing a vertical 150cc engine vs. the Grom's, and the clones', 125cc horizontal engines.

I do believe that with all the news regarding the racing of the KPR bikes in China (I believe the 150cc version which we will not get since we are getting the 200cc),
http://www.lifan.cn/English/News/201.../11215956.html
and the KP Mini 150 breaking a lap time record, again in China, Lifan could differentiate themselves with some sort of racing series here.
http://www.lifan.cn/English/News/201.../03316007.html

Would it be worth it? Perhaps if they marketed it correctly. Or at least try the mini. Even some sort of riding experience during motorcycle race weekends; i.e. Long Beach Grand Prix in Long Beach where they would get lots of exposure using a large parking lot among the festivities. Something like this?
http://americanlifan.com/kpmini-track-day/

For some reason, they are banking on their 200cc bikes with EFI and liquid cooling as their flagships.

My guess is the economy of scale--their very promising flagship
http://www.lifan.cn/English/Mall/Mot...6-8fe213ebc47a
would have to priced too close to 'name brand' competitor's entry level bikes like the TU250 or the CB300. But I do question banking on 200cc bikes, even if they have a claimed 17 hp, in the US market?!

The latest EPA/DOT 'on-highway' motorcycle list for 2017 was updated this month, and the KP/KPR200 were on the list as being approved! I can hear the collective excitement for the 200's now...

All kidding aside, the bike shows it will hit about 75 mph on various foreign language videos I have found on youtube (124 kph on a Russian video where it races a Loncin 250 which achieved 119 kph), is liquid-cooled and has fuel-injection. Still seems boring as heck, but I would still use the non-fairing one (KP200) as my daily rider if they release it at $2k MSRP like I heard it is supposed to be. Or if my friend who knows the main man at American Lifan could convince him to loan me one for real-world data riding back and forth to work in the middle of summer... ;)

Do they have a dual sport?

On that efi ,cooled 200, I guess the question to ponder is what is the claimed hp? That (hp) is what enables the highway cruzeability. Is it an overhead cam also?

Yep, get your blog on and become the next everide (...NOT!).

Not yet--I expect the 'X-Pect' (couldn't resist) will be on the next 2017 EPA/DOT list, and perhaps at the same time their KPmini 150 (the Grom-like bike, but with a vertical 150cc engine which is about their only 'exciting' bike they show on their website) could also get certified.

I know very little about bikes--I could probably make a GREAT v-logger!! ;)

I would not doubt the horsepower number seeing as this bike (and the 150cc version) hits in the mid 60's to 75 mph when tested on many videos that I cannot understand since they are in various other languages (they video the speedo and they seem to be fairly consistent worldwide as far as KPH goes which I convert via Google to MPH).

The 150cc version is winning many races in the domestic 150cc class in China, so that gives it some credibility. The 200's were their next step up. The only thing holding anything back is what, if any, things they had to tweak to pass the EPA certification vs. Russia, Turkey, Bangledash or Mexico (some of the videos I have watched).

According to specs, it is a SOHC http://americanlifan.com/kpr-200/ (click on specifications)

Looks like they FINALLY updated their site--specs, information and some extra photos, and they show their 'city car' 4 wheel electric car thingy.

On first glance, seem 'boring' but when you really look at what they offer, it is apparent they are rolling out their products in the US in a cautious way. I think their enduro will be a game-changer-ish bike like the TT250. Their old GY 5 enduro was highly regarded and had a sense of quality above most every other Chinese bike at the time.

I still wonder why they are sticking with a fuel-injected, 6 speed 200cc as their brand leader, but I do like that bike for what it is.

Their Mini 150 is sure to throw the mini (clownbike? right Blackbike? I think you coined that term...)bike world on its head--150cc, vertical engine, 5 speed--theoretically freeway legal in California, AND "To top it off Lifan offers a 2-year “Fender to Fender” warranty with unlimited miles all at an amazing price."

http://americanlifan.com/

:zzz:

I KNEW you'd like Lifan in the end!

:) :lmao: :tup:

Cautiously is a good word. Lifan was about the best you could get back in the day, besides the Zong Sierra,

The dual sport doesn't do a lot for me. Standard forks, rear drum and a non-balanced engine. It seems there's other, better options out there for cheap. Not sure how Lifan will price this but at least they're willing to play again.

The V-twin street bike looks virtually unchanged.....but the little Grom unit looks cool.
I can't see their crotch rocket going up against the RC3 with only a 17hp 200 though.

Again, I'm glad they're playing, but it appears they need to step up their game a bit.

In my older years, the thought of their standard KP200 as my primary commuter is thrilling to me. Boring and slow, but capable of 70+ mph is all I really need. With the political climate the past 8, one of the few things I got out of it that I agreed with was being 'minimalist.' The standard KP200 fits that bill for me nicely. It really has to do with Yuma, and its layout, and of course, my daily commute. Price will be the ultimate deciding factor for me, however, just as how 'perfect' this bike will be for me.

I would love to get one of these clown-bike (calling it that in Blackbike's honor) Grom-like bikes, but not sure how it will really fit in overall other than costing me money. I do believe that their version will out Grom the Grom and Kawasaki with their larger, vertical thumper and 5 speeds.

Their X-pect endure was not the model I would have picked considering they have a few to pick from (look at Mexico's Lifan site where they have 2 different endures as but one example, not to mention their headquarter site in China), and I really believe they should have offered a rack, but if one can bolt on an optional top case, I would be happy. Which leads me to say that I would be happy to buy both of these bikes for a good price, and I will live happily ever after until retirement when I can purchase something really overpriced and overdone!

love lifan, have the 167ffm Lifan counterbal engine. the best part of the bike. just not sure , as you have mentioned, as of why they didn't carry this 229 mill over to their new fuel injected products line???

that 196cc fi produces 14hp. mine (229) gets about the same hp but not as fuel efficient as is stated for the 196cc.

also, the 196cc is overhead cam

am thinking (as they actually state) they want to stay in the beginners market and dont want to directly compete with the hondas etc of the world. :shrug: