Csc tt250

Matt B · 01-02-2021, 01:40 AM

Hello Chinariders! Well, I think I'm taking the plunge.

I have been trying to figure out what type of motorcycle fits me best for years. My first bike that I bought about 6 years ago was a DRZ400E - with a Baja Designs kit installed to be street legal. I thought I would get in to dual sport riding but it didn't really turn out that I did. The bike was fine - but I felt it was pretty heavy and hard to handle when I rode it off road. Also, I didn't really ride it much because I didn't want to go explore trails by myself. None of my friends are in to riding and I didn't really want to join any clubs or anything. And it was a beast on the road. Knobby tires, loud exhaust, and geared down. Great for the trail but not so much on the roads around my house - and impossible on the freeway. Fortunately, these bikes are super popular right now so I had no trouble selling it - and even made a decent profit on the sale!

On to my second bike - a V-strom 650. I thought maybe I would use it more for back road exploration and an occasional adventure ride with a bit more dirt. It's been a great bike too, and it fits the bill for what I bought it for. I can't complain about it but I find it sits in my garage most of the time. Most of the time, I find myself choosing to do other things when I have the time to ride. I've pretty much explored every back road around my county now and rarely would have the time for long adventure rides like I had in my head.

So - now I think it's time to sell the V-strom too. I decided I wanted to buy two little dual sport bikes so I can take friends along for day or weekend riding trips on dirt roads and mild trails in the local national forest. I wanted something little so it would be more manageable than my old DRZ. Plus I wanted something I could teach my friends to ride on that would not be intimidating. I thought maybe a couple of TW200's would do nicely but dang! They are hard to come by used. I'm finding pretty much any used dual sport bike is hard to get and they REALLY hold their value! I have been using bikefinds.com to search and there really isn't much out there. All these people feeling cooped up from covid lock-downs must be craving some dual sport adventure too!

Then I remembered the Chinese bike option! I started looking online and became pretty disappointed to find out that most of the Chinese bikes aren't legal in California. I considered trying to see whether I could register it in another state at a relative's house and then just have out of state plates. I'm not sure if that's an option - but anyway, on a Craigslist search I ran across the CSC ad for the TT250. I checked out their site, watched a few Youtube videos and hot dang, I think I found my bikes!

I can get two of them new for the price of one new TW, or any of the other small Japanese dual sports. Heck, a new one is cheaper than most of the 20 year old used Japanese dual sports I'm seeing on Craigslist! And as far as maintenance goes, I'm actually looking forward to it. I have always wanted to improve my bike mechanic knowledge anyway. As a noob, wrenching on a basic, cheap bike is less intimidating than on a more expensive, complex machine.

And aside from the price, I just like stuff that's different and the underdog factor is cool to me too. The TT's have that going for them in spades!

So, I'm heading down to LA from the north Bay Area on Monday to go check out the CSC dealership and hopefully take a little test ride. If I like what I see, and I'm pretty sure I will, I will place an order for two new TT 250's! Looking forward to new adventures with old friends and hopefully learning from you guys here on the forum.

- Matt B

Essayons · 01-02-2021, 12:18 PM

Welcome to the forum Matt. The TT250 is a great choice and new rider friendly. Not sure if CSC will offer a test ride but doesn't hurt trying. On a side note, I too find myself avoiding isolated trails because I can't find a riding partner. Best of luck my friend.

Choco · 01-02-2021, 04:05 PM

Il sell you my bike lol
I just bought a drz400 that i want to fix up so im selling my bike less that 1700miles
Check out this item on OfferUp. https://offerup.co/QGKPKYbcJcb

Matt B · 01-02-2021, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Essayons

Welcome to the forum Matt. The TT250 is a great choice and new rider friendly. Not sure if CSC will offer a test ride but doesn't hurt trying. On a side note, I too find myself avoiding isolated trails because I can't find a riding partner. Best of luck my friend.

Thanks! I talked to them on the phone and they said they would as long as the certain employee was there that did test rides (I'm guessing he or she rides with you?) and you have your helmet and M1 licence. But, even if they can't on the day I go, that's fine. I just want to see the dealership in person and talk to them and see the bikes with my own eyes. I'm excited - like I'm a kid waiting for my Christmas or birthday present! (Which is cool because as an adult, that feeling doesn't come around very often...)

Matt B · 01-02-2021, 09:46 PM

Choco - that's actually a pretty nice looking bike you have. I like how the spokes match the bike! I'll keep it in mind for sure. Are you flexible on the price at all or looking for $2300 firm? You aren't too far from me. Funny you are getting a DRZ and I just got rid of one and am moving to the TT. Seems like it would be a bike downgrade in most people's eyes but I think the TT will be a better bike for me. The DRZ was bigger than I needed. And I'm looking forward to tinkering with my TT and improving my mechanical confidence. What is making you go up to the DRZ? Did you hit the limits on the TT?

Choco · 01-03-2021, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt B

Choco - that's actually a pretty nice looking bike you have. I like how the spokes match the bike! I'll keep it in mind for sure. Are you flexible on the price at all or looking for $2300 firm? You aren't too far from me. Funny you are getting a DRZ and I just got rid of one and am moving to the TT. Seems like it would be a bike downgrade in most people's eyes but I think the TT will be a better bike for me. The DRZ was bigger than I needed. And I'm looking forward to tinkering with my TT and improving my mechanical confidence. What is making you go up to the DRZ? Did you hit the limits on the TT?

Send me a messege and we can deal if you are interested
I still love my tt250 it is a really fun bike. Im not sure where you live but i taken it to metcalf park and i can hit any of those trails with no problems. I still ride the bike when i get a chance. This was the bike i use to learn how to ride ( im still a rookie)
What made me get a bigger bike was that 2 of my friends have a wr250r and i couldnt keep up with them specially freeway. I always liked the drz400 and i came up on a good deal so i bought the bike. I honestly might not sell the tt250 if i don't get what im looking for since i know it is a new bike and i take good care of it it should last me along time. I got the wife complaining that we dont have the space for another bike so i had to put it for sale. (Kind of hoping noone buys it to keep it lol)
I never worked on a bike before but the tt250 is sooo easy to work on it is fun to me. I have the tt250 fixed up to my taste now i have to put sone of my touches to the drz lol

Matt B · 01-03-2021, 05:07 AM

Ha ha ha! I get it, totally. It's "For Sale"! Well, it's a nice looking bike for sure. I will probably just get a new one I think - so I won't mess up your plan to have it "for sale" but not actually sell it!

I could save a few hundred bucks and get your bike and it certainly looks like it's got some cool upgrades. But honestly I'm looking forward to having two bikes that are brand new and doing the break in process, 500 mile service, and installing the upgrades and stuff by myself. Doing my own tinkering is part of what I'm looking forward to. Glad to hear you find them easy to work on!

I'm from Santa Rosa by the way. I liked my DRZ but I think it was a bit too much bike for me as a first dual sport to be honest. I'm sure you'll like it now that you got some riding skillz though. Good bikes for sure.

Biker_Andy · 01-09-2021, 06:22 PM

I kept my OE chain, adjusted it every other ride, then it failed the second season and took out my swingarm with it! For all the hassle change it ASAP, I wish I would have,it stretches and stretches till it fails. Also stock gearing is more 70% trail, 30% road. Or if your doing mods like exhaust & carb and want highway capability then your changing sprockets anyway.

Matt B · 01-10-2021, 09:23 PM

Cool, I'll order the chains for sure. Stock sounds like the gearing I want. 70/30 dirt is about what I plan to do and when I do ride on the street it will just be messing around locally, no freeways or anything. I may end up keeping my Vstrom for longer road trips in the summer. I'm having trouble parting with it now... I did buy the carb jet kit just because I noticed it got a bit fuel starved on higher RPM's on my test ride at CSC but stock exhaust is good for me.

My bikes arrived on Friday in two big boxes. The driver was obviously upset that he had to deliver them. He called me on his way with a bit of a grumpy attitude and asked if I had a forklift to unload them!? I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he thought he was delivering to a business? I haven't met too many homeowners with a forklift lying around... Anyway, I had a couple friends come over to help in case delivery wasn't easy. It wasn't. Seemed a bit unsafe to be honest. The driver had me balancing the bikes and the pallet jack while the liftgate was dropping. If I would have let go, the bikes and pallet jack would have come crashing off the liftgate!

I thought it was a bit weird, but we eventually got them unloaded safely. Boy was that driver pissed too! Took quite awhile to unload. I tried to be thankful and polite but he wasn't having it! Oh well, can't win 'em all I guess...

I started them up today for the first time and rode down to the gas station to fill the tanks. They seem to run great so far! I had a friend come over and go for a ride and he is thinking about getting one too now! He hasn't ridden since 2005 when he was a motorcycle cop but he loved riding around the neighborhood today!

Essayons · 01-11-2021, 01:34 AM

Congrats on a successful although grumpy delivery. He probably dislikes residential deliveries as they can be a pain in the ass. You did your part and had help readily available. Not sure what else he wanted? Show us some pics when you hit the trails. Ride safe Matt.

Matt B · 01-12-2021, 02:43 AM

Thanks man - just got to figure out how to resize images so they conform to the forum guidelines!

Megadan · 01-12-2021, 03:59 AM

Getting a new bike is always the best feeling.

As far as the driver goes... I was a driver once and it's hard to say why he would have been grumpy. Bad loadout on the trailer caused him to have a longer than usual day. Maybe he didn't like delivering the bikes (it's possible). Some drivers just don't like residential stuff, and I don't blame them. Even a single axle tractor with a 26ft trailer can be a challenge in some neighborhoods.

I tossed both of my delivery guys 20 bucks for being patient while I checked the bikes out, and for making the extra effort to drop them in my garage. Technically speaking, they aren't allowed to take tips, so I told them they dropped it (hint hint, nudge nudge).

Matt B · 01-13-2021, 03:13 AM

Yeah, well, it wasn't the biggest deal. He just had a box truck so it's not like a full on semi with a trailer. I live on a quiet, residential street that is wide with plenty of room to maneuver. He was probably just annoyed with what the company gave him to deliver that day. Seemed like he was probably an independent contractor that just takes what they happen to give him. Anyway, like I said, I tried to be polite and luckily was able to get friends to come over on a weekday on short notice so whatever. Yeah, who knows what was going on with him. Hope the rest of his day went better!

Anyway - so I'm looking for the right chain to buy. Choco suggested Unibear. Is this the right one?

https://www.amazon.com/Unibear-Motorcycle-Connecting-Technology-Resistance/dp/B01E4G6R20/ref=sr_1_3?crid=102DXUC9KKTPI&dchild=1&keywords=un ibear+428+chain&qid=1610525410&sprefix=unibear+428 %2Caps%2C285&sr=8-3

Looks like there is a choice between 116 and 136 links in the 428 size.

Matt B · 01-13-2021, 06:44 AM

Megadan - is there a "TT250 Information and resource Guide" like the one you have in your signature for the Hawk?

culcune · 01-13-2021, 09:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt B

Megadan - is there a "TT250 Information and resource Guide" like the one you have in your signature for the Hawk?

Have you searched around the CSC site? They are really good with stuff like that, not to mention there are numerous videos on their site and YouTube. Many people with Hawks use the CSC site to help set up their bikes since the two bikes are fairly similar.

Congrats on the bikes. I would suggest to contact CSC about the delivery driver. Not to get him fired or anything, but CSC is pretty much a brick and mortar dealer--the only one in fact for their bikes in the US--who happen to ship their bikes across the US. The delivery companies they use are somewhat representative of CSC itself, even though they (CSC) go through independent contractors. If everything goes really good with the purchase part, but most every customer gets drivers with bad attitudes, their business would likely suffer later on once word gets out ("CSC was really good to deal with, but their delivery driver tossed my bike over the fence into my front yard and yelled at me!"). They would probably want to know about your negative experience with the driver so they can remedy it. Just my two cents.

01-02-2021, 01:40 AM	#1
Matt B Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 15	Csc tt250 Hello Chinariders! Well, I think I'm taking the plunge. I have been trying to figure out what type of motorcycle fits me best for years. My first bike that I bought about 6 years ago was a DRZ400E - with a Baja Designs kit installed to be street legal. I thought I would get in to dual sport riding but it didn't really turn out that I did. The bike was fine - but I felt it was pretty heavy and hard to handle when I rode it off road. Also, I didn't really ride it much because I didn't want to go explore trails by myself. None of my friends are in to riding and I didn't really want to join any clubs or anything. And it was a beast on the road. Knobby tires, loud exhaust, and geared down. Great for the trail but not so much on the roads around my house - and impossible on the freeway. Fortunately, these bikes are super popular right now so I had no trouble selling it - and even made a decent profit on the sale! On to my second bike - a V-strom 650. I thought maybe I would use it more for back road exploration and an occasional adventure ride with a bit more dirt. It's been a great bike too, and it fits the bill for what I bought it for. I can't complain about it but I find it sits in my garage most of the time. Most of the time, I find myself choosing to do other things when I have the time to ride. I've pretty much explored every back road around my county now and rarely would have the time for long adventure rides like I had in my head. So - now I think it's time to sell the V-strom too. I decided I wanted to buy two little dual sport bikes so I can take friends along for day or weekend riding trips on dirt roads and mild trails in the local national forest. I wanted something little so it would be more manageable than my old DRZ. Plus I wanted something I could teach my friends to ride on that would not be intimidating. I thought maybe a couple of TW200's would do nicely but dang! They are hard to come by used. I'm finding pretty much any used dual sport bike is hard to get and they REALLY hold their value! I have been using bikefinds.com to search and there really isn't much out there. All these people feeling cooped up from covid lock-downs must be craving some dual sport adventure too! Then I remembered the Chinese bike option! I started looking online and became pretty disappointed to find out that most of the Chinese bikes aren't legal in California. I considered trying to see whether I could register it in another state at a relative's house and then just have out of state plates. I'm not sure if that's an option - but anyway, on a Craigslist search I ran across the CSC ad for the TT250. I checked out their site, watched a few Youtube videos and hot dang, I think I found my bikes! I can get two of them new for the price of one new TW, or any of the other small Japanese dual sports. Heck, a new one is cheaper than most of the 20 year old used Japanese dual sports I'm seeing on Craigslist! And as far as maintenance goes, I'm actually looking forward to it. I have always wanted to improve my bike mechanic knowledge anyway. As a noob, wrenching on a basic, cheap bike is less intimidating than on a more expensive, complex machine. And aside from the price, I just like stuff that's different and the underdog factor is cool to me too. The TT's have that going for them in spades! So, I'm heading down to LA from the north Bay Area on Monday to go check out the CSC dealership and hopefully take a little test ride. If I like what I see, and I'm pretty sure I will, I will place an order for two new TT 250's! Looking forward to new adventures with old friends and hopefully learning from you guys here on the forum. - Matt B
	1

01-02-2021, 12:18 PM	#2
Essayons Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: fontana, california Posts: 333	Welcome to the forum Matt. The TT250 is a great choice and new rider friendly. Not sure if CSC will offer a test ride but doesn't hurt trying. On a side note, I too find myself avoiding isolated trails because I can't find a riding partner. Best of luck my friend. __________________ 2018 TT 250 2016 RX3 1979 CB750K
	0

01-09-2021, 06:22 PM	#8
Biker_Andy Join Date: Oct 2016 Posts: 347	I kept my OE chain, adjusted it every other ride, then it failed the second season and took out my swingarm with it! For all the hassle change it ASAP, I wish I would have,it stretches and stretches till it fails. Also stock gearing is more 70% trail, 30% road. Or if your doing mods like exhaust & carb and want highway capability then your changing sprockets anyway. __________________ Electrician & Electronics Tech 2014 Honda CB500XA 2016 CSC TT250 1976 Honda CJ360T 2022 Honda Navi
	0

01-11-2021, 01:34 AM	#10
Essayons Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: fontana, california Posts: 333	Congrats on a successful although grumpy delivery. He probably dislikes residential deliveries as they can be a pain in the ass. You did your part and had help readily available. Not sure what else he wanted? Show us some pics when you hit the trails. Ride safe Matt. __________________ 2018 TT 250 2016 RX3 1979 CB750K
	0

01-12-2021, 03:59 AM	#12
Megadan Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Omaha, NE Posts: 8,061	Getting a new bike is always the best feeling. As far as the driver goes... I was a driver once and it's hard to say why he would have been grumpy. Bad loadout on the trailer caused him to have a longer than usual day. Maybe he didn't like delivering the bikes (it's possible). Some drivers just don't like residential stuff, and I don't blame them. Even a single axle tractor with a 26ft trailer can be a challenge in some neighborhoods. I tossed both of my delivery guys 20 bucks for being patient while I checked the bikes out, and for making the extra effort to drop them in my garage. Technically speaking, they aren't allowed to take tips, so I told them they dropped it (hint hint, nudge nudge). __________________ Hawk Information and Resource guide: http://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=20331 2018 Hawk 250 - Full Mod list here. http://www.chinariders.net/showpost....62&postcount=1 2024 Royal Enfield Shotgun 650 https://chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=34124
	1

01-02-2021, 04:05 PM	#3
Choco Join Date: May 2020 Location: Newark ca Posts: 34	Il sell you my bike lol I just bought a drz400 that i want to fix up so im selling my bike less that 1700miles Check out this item on OfferUp. https://offerup.co/QGKPKYbcJcb
	0

01-02-2021, 09:46 PM	#5
Matt B Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 15	Choco - that's actually a pretty nice looking bike you have. I like how the spokes match the bike! I'll keep it in mind for sure. Are you flexible on the price at all or looking for $2300 firm? You aren't too far from me. Funny you are getting a DRZ and I just got rid of one and am moving to the TT. Seems like it would be a bike downgrade in most people's eyes but I think the TT will be a better bike for me. The DRZ was bigger than I needed. And I'm looking forward to tinkering with my TT and improving my mechanical confidence. What is making you go up to the DRZ? Did you hit the limits on the TT?
	0

01-03-2021, 05:07 AM	#7
Matt B Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 15	Ha ha ha! I get it, totally. It's "For Sale"! Well, it's a nice looking bike for sure. I will probably just get a new one I think - so I won't mess up your plan to have it "for sale" but not actually sell it! I could save a few hundred bucks and get your bike and it certainly looks like it's got some cool upgrades. But honestly I'm looking forward to having two bikes that are brand new and doing the break in process, 500 mile service, and installing the upgrades and stuff by myself. Doing my own tinkering is part of what I'm looking forward to. Glad to hear you find them easy to work on! I'm from Santa Rosa by the way. I liked my DRZ but I think it was a bit too much bike for me as a first dual sport to be honest. I'm sure you'll like it now that you got some riding skillz though. Good bikes for sure.
	0

01-10-2021, 09:23 PM	#9
Matt B Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 15	Cool, I'll order the chains for sure. Stock sounds like the gearing I want. 70/30 dirt is about what I plan to do and when I do ride on the street it will just be messing around locally, no freeways or anything. I may end up keeping my Vstrom for longer road trips in the summer. I'm having trouble parting with it now... I did buy the carb jet kit just because I noticed it got a bit fuel starved on higher RPM's on my test ride at CSC but stock exhaust is good for me. My bikes arrived on Friday in two big boxes. The driver was obviously upset that he had to deliver them. He called me on his way with a bit of a grumpy attitude and asked if I had a forklift to unload them!? I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he thought he was delivering to a business? I haven't met too many homeowners with a forklift lying around... Anyway, I had a couple friends come over to help in case delivery wasn't easy. It wasn't. Seemed a bit unsafe to be honest. The driver had me balancing the bikes and the pallet jack while the liftgate was dropping. If I would have let go, the bikes and pallet jack would have come crashing off the liftgate! I thought it was a bit weird, but we eventually got them unloaded safely. Boy was that driver pissed too! Took quite awhile to unload. I tried to be thankful and polite but he wasn't having it! Oh well, can't win 'em all I guess... I started them up today for the first time and rode down to the gas station to fill the tanks. They seem to run great so far! I had a friend come over and go for a ride and he is thinking about getting one too now! He hasn't ridden since 2005 when he was a motorcycle cop but he loved riding around the neighborhood today!
	1

01-12-2021, 02:43 AM	#11
Matt B Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 15	Thanks man - just got to figure out how to resize images so they conform to the forum guidelines!
	0

01-13-2021, 03:13 AM	#13
Matt B Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 15	Yeah, well, it wasn't the biggest deal. He just had a box truck so it's not like a full on semi with a trailer. I live on a quiet, residential street that is wide with plenty of room to maneuver. He was probably just annoyed with what the company gave him to deliver that day. Seemed like he was probably an independent contractor that just takes what they happen to give him. Anyway, like I said, I tried to be polite and luckily was able to get friends to come over on a weekday on short notice so whatever. Yeah, who knows what was going on with him. Hope the rest of his day went better! Anyway - so I'm looking for the right chain to buy. Choco suggested Unibear. Is this the right one? https://www.amazon.com/Unibear-Motorcycle-Connecting-Technology-Resistance/dp/B01E4G6R20/ref=sr_1_3?crid=102DXUC9KKTPI&dchild=1&keywords=un ibear+428+chain&qid=1610525410&sprefix=unibear+428 %2Caps%2C285&sr=8-3 Looks like there is a choice between 116 and 136 links in the 428 size.
	0

01-13-2021, 06:44 AM	#14
Matt B Join Date: Jan 2021 Posts: 15	Megadan - is there a "TT250 Information and resource Guide" like the one you have in your signature for the Hawk?
	0