Id like to here your feedback on the 2007 Lifan gy5.

silverman1 · 07-25-2007, 02:45 PM

Im very intersted in buying this motorcycle for a basic dirt road and trail bike how good is it? I've heard some great things, and i have heard some not so good things, I would appreciate you helping me seperate fact from fiction.

TheBrainII · 07-25-2007, 03:53 PM

I got one about a month ago. I really like it. For the price it's a nice bike. Shocks are not the best. Front shocks have a little "sticky" feel to them. People say the oil in there stinks or is just low and replacing the oil can help. Rear shock is not the best either. When I first got it it was pretty stiff and while sitting on it my heals did not touch (I'm 6ft) the ground. Now I can sit flat-foot and it's a lot softer in the rear. Lets just say I would not be jumping it much. No loose bolts after about 700mi. Runs great and has plenty of power to take my 195lbs up some nice long hills in 5th. The motor has a â€œtickingâ€ sound to it when it warms up as some other members have reported having as well, so I think itâ€™s normal. It gets through the gears pretty quickly but 1st is geared a little high for pure dirt IMO (geared more for street) but it will do. I mostly ride roads but have had it on dirt roads and itâ€™s pretty good as long as it's not thick loose gravel. Skinny tires don't like gravel and it gets a little squirrelly, but no problem on dirt. It cruses nice at 55mph and Iâ€™ve had it up to 75mph with no vibration. Itâ€™s light and easy to handle and the rear brakes are strong enough to lock up on pavement. I really canâ€™t complain about anything on it, especially for what they cost. Here is a link to my 1 post with some pics of the new bike.
http://chinariders.net/modules.php?n...948&highlight=

knothead · 07-25-2007, 05:24 PM

Yeah, what he said!

So far the only real problems I have had are losing a bolt on the counter shaft sproket cover and pinching the gear indicator wire when I replaced the bolt. I had some problems with the spokes loosening... but that's not common at all and now that I have properly tightened them I think it's done with.

It's a very good bike, take a look at a New Yamaha 225 ($4200)... you'll see what I mean!
Long trips can be bothersome, the seat's not too comfy, the suspension isn't the most plush and it's not a good highway bike. After about 60 miles my butt and hands tingle, but you'll get that with any single cylinder bike.
On the backroads, it's a fun bike! Even with the knobbies it's pretty stable even as far as you can lean it (I have yet to push the limits). It's fairly light and the power is good in the mid and upper rpm's. The biggest thing I've found when riding hard in the twisties is to sit as far foreward as possible and keep the r's above 5K, it is possible to back it in on this bike even though it only has 16hp (back it in: pretty much you loose traction in a controlled way to carry a higher speed through the turns).
I think one of the biggest reasons to buy an American Lifan (besides the warranty) is to support what they are doing. That is they are trying to build up a dealer network and get established in the market, that means 5 or ten years down the road you'll be able to walk into your local Lifan dealer and get parts or even a new bike. I could have bought another brand for $800... but what about down the road? Too many dealers are just wanting to turn a profit and when the bottom falls out due to a bad rep for the brand, they'll move on to selling something else, most likely NOT parts for your bike!

goldshadow · 07-25-2007, 09:44 PM

Hrmm,

Well the only real complaint has to be the seat. It can become really uncomfortable really fast.

Rides well on and off road. I can ride just fine down trails and through pastures. I ride it to and from work every day in town with no other complaints. I have been getting about 100 miles per gallon with it back and forth mostly staying under 50 mph. I have a few pics in the gallery here if you want to see it in action.

Good luck!

fatboy250 · 07-26-2007, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldshadow

I have been getting about 100 miles per gallon with it back and forth mostly staying under 50 mph.

Have you modified anything with yours? That's pretty darn good!! Most of these bikes get from high 60's to low 80's.

Jason

goldshadow · 07-26-2007, 10:17 AM

Nope, I have just ridden it.

I stay in town and ride short distances at pretty slow speeds. It is my way of getting to and from work daily. I live in a smaller town though. (I guess we are technically a City but *shrug*)

gyjoe · 07-26-2007, 12:19 PM

I don't know your situation, gold, but awhile back there were a number of people reporting 100-ish mpg before realizing that the speedometers on many of these bikes read in mph while the odometers are in km. Other than that it seems that almost everyone is reporting 60-70 mpg range.

gyjoe · 07-26-2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silverman1

Im very intersted in buying this motorcycle for a basic dirt road and trail bike how good is it? I've heard some great things, and i have heard some not so good things, I would appreciate you helping me seperate fact from fiction.

I love mine for basic dirt road and trail riding. Then when my butt is sore and I am a long way from home, I just hop onto the highway and buzz on back.

goldshadow · 07-26-2007, 02:13 PM

I'll check into it gy and see whether mine is or isn't in Km.

Thanks for the information.

goldshadow · 07-26-2007, 02:33 PM

Called Lifan and Yes it is in KM.
Thanks gyjoe!
Somehow must have missed that.
So actually 66.5 Mpg. :oops:

holditonhanson · 07-28-2007, 05:03 PM

Ive had mine 2007 american lifan gy5 for about 1 month its a great bike for the price bought from Brian motoxtreme, i race jetski's as a pro an also do the downhill mountain bike thing, so i know how to work on these things an set suspention up. I might be able to help you guys out a bit,the bike is very stiff new an if your body wieght is about 180 like me you have to loosen the lock rings on the rear shock an loosen it up as far as you can , this will get the bike to sag properly {when you sit on the bike it should sink down about 2.5 inches even three} this will make the bike way more plush an also the seat will not seam so hard an the bumps you wont even hardly feel them , to break the shocks in just hit some curbs or railroad ties strate on at slow spead ,also sray some dry lube chain oil amsoil into suspension bushings, another thing i have figured out is to keep the chain kinda looser, not so tite or it will bind the suspension an give it a tite feel plus stretch the chain to fast they say 25mm play but i think it should be betwween 35-40 mm because after break in an ajusting all this i compressed the suspension down an found out what it took to keep the chain from binding or getting to tight at the bottom of the travel , if you guys rode my bike you would be shocked at how plush ive got now !!! i guess years of adjusting these $6000 downhill mountain bikes helped ! the next thing iam going to work on will be the front forks, ive already just coated the slider tubes on the outside with fork oil to help break in the seals an get less sticktion an it worked but its time to take these forks apart an see what realy up an iam sure i will come up with somthing to make them even work better an figure through testing how many cc of oil they realy need an what wieght ,

knothead · 07-28-2007, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by holditonhanson

I might be able to help you guys out a bit,the bike is very stiff new an if your body wieght is about 180 like me you have to loosen the lock rings on the rear shock an loosen it up as far as you can , this will get the bike to sag properly {when you sit on the bike it should sink down about 2.5 inches even three} this will make the bike way more plush an also the seat will not seam so hard an the bumps you wont even hardly feel them

By gaining 2.5" or 3" of sag you have just ate up half or more of your travel, they only have around 4" or 5" to begin with. The seat is just too narrow for extended riding, as for the hardness tha can be addressed by taking the foam off the bucket, cutting a series of holes in the bottom of it (about halfway through) and putting the seat back together.

Quote:

Originally Posted by holditonhanson

i have figured out is to keep the chain kinda looser, not so tite or it will bind the suspension an give it a tite feel plus stretch the chain to fast they say 25mm play but i think it should be betwween 35-40 mm because after break in an ajusting all this i compressed the suspension down an found out what it took to keep the chain from binding or getting to tight at the bottom of the travel ,

I try to keep my chain withing the 15 to 20mm play called for in the manual. At 40mm I bet you chain is slingng into things it isn't supposed to. Adjusted correctly, the chain doesn't bind the suspension at all and there is less danger of throwing the chain if you hit a large bump at speed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by holditonhanson

if you guys rode my bike you would be shocked at how plush ive got now !!! i guess years of adjusting these $6000 downhill mountain bikes helped !

$6000 mountain bike?? Why in the heck didn't you sell the mtb and buy a KTM or a Suzuki DS?? A brand new Suzuki DRZ 400 SM sells for around $6200 and you can catch one on sale for several hundred less... the 2008 DRZ 650 can be had for around $5000 on sale. Heck, you could have bought a 200 and had plenty of change leftover!

AZ200cc · 07-28-2007, 08:14 PM

[quote/]$6000 mountain bike?? Why in the heck didn't you sell the mtb and buy a KTM or a Suzuki DS?? A brand new Suzuki DRZ 400 SM sells for around $6200 and you can catch one on sale for several hundred less... the 2008 DRZ 650 can be had for around $5000 on sale. Heck, you could have bought a 200 and had plenty of change leftover![/quote]

I've seen people blow more cash than that gambling.....We all have things we like...My boss said it made no sense for me to buy a bike. He said I could have spent my money on something worth while 8O :?

desert_drew · 07-28-2007, 08:24 PM

You sure know how to make a new member feel welcome, knothead. :(

Perhaps he is getting the bikes through sponsors?

knothead · 07-28-2007, 09:36 PM

Well guys, in my own defense. I call 'em as I see 'em. To get my bike I sold off some stuff until I could pay cash. My druthers, if money was not a consideration, would have been a KTM or a Suzuki. and had I found a used Japanese bike within my price range I wouldn't have hesitated to buy it instead of a Chinese built bike. I understand that some poeple buy these bikes just to check them out (for a toy, more or less) , what I don't understand is having a $6000 mtb and a $1500 motorcycle (shouldn't it be the other way around?), SO I ASKED and stated my rational for asking. Read my post again, NOWHERE did I criticize or make any derogatory statements. Different people have different priorities, but I see a mtb and a motorcycle as filling almost the same niche.

Hard on newbs: Honestly, I didn't/don't look at post counts. Post counts are meaningless when it comes to showing someones real world knowledge. If I see a post with things I feel a need to respond to, then I respond. Isn't that the idea behind a forum anyway?
Although Drew can testify that I can come across as an ..(you know).. , I really don't mean to. I very, very seldom make a statement with any malice (whether online or in real life).

07-25-2007, 02:45 PM	#1
silverman1 Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 42	Id like to here your feedback on the 2007 Lifan gy5. Im very intersted in buying this motorcycle for a basic dirt road and trail bike how good is it? I've heard some great things, and i have heard some not so good things, I would appreciate you helping me seperate fact from fiction.
	0

07-25-2007, 03:53 PM	#2
TheBrainII Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: PA Posts: 129	I got one about a month ago. I really like it. For the price it's a nice bike. Shocks are not the best. Front shocks have a little "sticky" feel to them. People say the oil in there stinks or is just low and replacing the oil can help. Rear shock is not the best either. When I first got it it was pretty stiff and while sitting on it my heals did not touch (I'm 6ft) the ground. Now I can sit flat-foot and it's a lot softer in the rear. Lets just say I would not be jumping it much. No loose bolts after about 700mi. Runs great and has plenty of power to take my 195lbs up some nice long hills in 5th. The motor has a â€œtickingâ€ sound to it when it warms up as some other members have reported having as well, so I think itâ€™s normal. It gets through the gears pretty quickly but 1st is geared a little high for pure dirt IMO (geared more for street) but it will do. I mostly ride roads but have had it on dirt roads and itâ€™s pretty good as long as it's not thick loose gravel. Skinny tires don't like gravel and it gets a little squirrelly, but no problem on dirt. It cruses nice at 55mph and Iâ€™ve had it up to 75mph with no vibration. Itâ€™s light and easy to handle and the rear brakes are strong enough to lock up on pavement. I really canâ€™t complain about anything on it, especially for what they cost. Here is a link to my 1 post with some pics of the new bike. http://chinariders.net/modules.php?n...948&highlight= __________________ Bone stock 2007 Lifan GY-5
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07-25-2007, 09:44 PM	#4
goldshadow Join Date: May 2007 Location: Central Nebraska Posts: 80	Hrmm, Well the only real complaint has to be the seat. It can become really uncomfortable really fast. Rides well on and off road. I can ride just fine down trails and through pastures. I ride it to and from work every day in town with no other complaints. I have been getting about 100 miles per gallon with it back and forth mostly staying under 50 mph. I have a few pics in the gallery here if you want to see it in action. Good luck! __________________ 1975 Honda Goldwing GL1000 <br />2007 American Lifan GY-5 Licensed in NE
	0

07-26-2007, 10:17 AM	#6
goldshadow Join Date: May 2007 Location: Central Nebraska Posts: 80	Nope, I have just ridden it. I stay in town and ride short distances at pretty slow speeds. It is my way of getting to and from work daily. I live in a smaller town though. (I guess we are technically a City but shrug) __________________ 1975 Honda Goldwing GL1000 <br />2007 American Lifan GY-5 Licensed in NE
	0

07-26-2007, 12:19 PM	#7
gyjoe Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Duluth, MN Posts: 230	I don't know your situation, gold, but awhile back there were a number of people reporting 100-ish mpg before realizing that the speedometers on many of these bikes read in mph while the odometers are in km. Other than that it seems that almost everyone is reporting 60-70 mpg range. __________________ 2006 Lifan LF200GY-5
	0

07-25-2007, 05:24 PM	#3
knothead Join Date: May 2007 Location: In the land of the busted up ricebowl Posts: 815	Yeah, what he said! So far the only real problems I have had are losing a bolt on the counter shaft sproket cover and pinching the gear indicator wire when I replaced the bolt. I had some problems with the spokes loosening... but that's not common at all and now that I have properly tightened them I think it's done with. It's a very good bike, take a look at a New Yamaha 225 ($4200)... you'll see what I mean! Long trips can be bothersome, the seat's not too comfy, the suspension isn't the most plush and it's not a good highway bike. After about 60 miles my butt and hands tingle, but you'll get that with any single cylinder bike. On the backroads, it's a fun bike! Even with the knobbies it's pretty stable even as far as you can lean it (I have yet to push the limits). It's fairly light and the power is good in the mid and upper rpm's. The biggest thing I've found when riding hard in the twisties is to sit as far foreward as possible and keep the r's above 5K, it is possible to back it in on this bike even though it only has 16hp (back it in: pretty much you loose traction in a controlled way to carry a higher speed through the turns). I think one of the biggest reasons to buy an American Lifan (besides the warranty) is to support what they are doing. That is they are trying to build up a dealer network and get established in the market, that means 5 or ten years down the road you'll be able to walk into your local Lifan dealer and get parts or even a new bike. I could have bought another brand for $800... but what about down the road? Too many dealers are just wanting to turn a profit and when the bottom falls out due to a bad rep for the brand, they'll move on to selling something else, most likely NOT parts for your bike!
	0

07-26-2007, 02:13 PM	#9
goldshadow Join Date: May 2007 Location: Central Nebraska Posts: 80	I'll check into it gy and see whether mine is or isn't in Km. Thanks for the information. __________________ 1975 Honda Goldwing GL1000 <br />2007 American Lifan GY-5 Licensed in NE
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07-26-2007, 02:33 PM	#10
goldshadow Join Date: May 2007 Location: Central Nebraska Posts: 80	Called Lifan and Yes it is in KM. Thanks gyjoe! Somehow must have missed that. So actually 66.5 Mpg. :oops: __________________ 1975 Honda Goldwing GL1000 <br />2007 American Lifan GY-5 Licensed in NE
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07-28-2007, 05:03 PM	#11
holditonhanson Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 13	Ive had mine 2007 american lifan gy5 for about 1 month its a great bike for the price bought from Brian motoxtreme, i race jetski's as a pro an also do the downhill mountain bike thing, so i know how to work on these things an set suspention up. I might be able to help you guys out a bit,the bike is very stiff new an if your body wieght is about 180 like me you have to loosen the lock rings on the rear shock an loosen it up as far as you can , this will get the bike to sag properly {when you sit on the bike it should sink down about 2.5 inches even three} this will make the bike way more plush an also the seat will not seam so hard an the bumps you wont even hardly feel them , to break the shocks in just hit some curbs or railroad ties strate on at slow spead ,also sray some dry lube chain oil amsoil into suspension bushings, another thing i have figured out is to keep the chain kinda looser, not so tite or it will bind the suspension an give it a tite feel plus stretch the chain to fast they say 25mm play but i think it should be betwween 35-40 mm because after break in an ajusting all this i compressed the suspension down an found out what it took to keep the chain from binding or getting to tight at the bottom of the travel , if you guys rode my bike you would be shocked at how plush ive got now !!! i guess years of adjusting these $6000 downhill mountain bikes helped ! the next thing iam going to work on will be the front forks, ive already just coated the slider tubes on the outside with fork oil to help break in the seals an get less sticktion an it worked but its time to take these forks apart an see what realy up an iam sure i will come up with somthing to make them even work better an figure through testing how many cc of oil they realy need an what wieght ,
	0

07-28-2007, 08:14 PM	#13
AZ200cc Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Show Low Arizona Posts: 2,889	[quote/]$6000 mountain bike?? Why in the heck didn't you sell the mtb and buy a KTM or a Suzuki DS?? A brand new Suzuki DRZ 400 SM sells for around $6200 and you can catch one on sale for several hundred less... the 2008 DRZ 650 can be had for around $5000 on sale. Heck, you could have bought a 200 and had plenty of change leftover![/quote] I've seen people blow more cash than that gambling.....We all have things we like...My boss said it made no sense for me to buy a bike. He said I could have spent my money on something worth while 8O :? __________________ <br />2001 Suzuki DR200SE<br />1997 Suzuki RM250 YIKES<br />1995 Yamaha Breeze 125 daughters<br />1991 Honda XR80r Restored<br />maybe a 2003 Yamaha TTR90
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07-28-2007, 08:24 PM	#14
desert_drew Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Echo Bay, NV/Gold Basin, AZ Posts: 111	You sure know how to make a new member feel welcome, knothead. :( Perhaps he is getting the bikes through sponsors? __________________ 'Desert' Drew Shineray DB-P12 'Speedee' 200
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07-28-2007, 09:36 PM	#15
knothead Join Date: May 2007 Location: In the land of the busted up ricebowl Posts: 815	Well guys, in my own defense. I call 'em as I see 'em. To get my bike I sold off some stuff until I could pay cash. My druthers, if money was not a consideration, would have been a KTM or a Suzuki. and had I found a used Japanese bike within my price range I wouldn't have hesitated to buy it instead of a Chinese built bike. I understand that some poeple buy these bikes just to check them out (for a toy, more or less) , what I don't understand is having a $6000 mtb and a $1500 motorcycle (shouldn't it be the other way around?), SO I ASKED and stated my rational for asking. Read my post again, NOWHERE did I criticize or make any derogatory statements. Different people have different priorities, but I see a mtb and a motorcycle as filling almost the same niche. Hard on newbs: Honestly, I didn't/don't look at post counts. Post counts are meaningless when it comes to showing someones real world knowledge. If I see a post with things I feel a need to respond to, then I respond. Isn't that the idea behind a forum anyway? Although Drew can testify that I can come across as an ..(you know).. , I really don't mean to. I very, very seldom make a statement with any malice (whether online or in real life).
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