Fourth season and as good as ever

tzrider · 10-07-2007, 09:44 PM

Haven't been in here in a bit, browse occasionally. But, it's time to set up for deer season and, so, that means the Diamo gets its off road work out. So far, since all the adjustments I had to do out of the crate, it's still cruisin'. I don't have maybe 2K road miles on it, maybe 500 off road. The thing is a 2004 model, so this is the fourth season for it. I've had no engine issues what so ever, not even electrical. I just took it and gave it a bath and rinsed it down top to bottom, fired right up. Water does not phase this thing. As time goes on, it impresses me more and more, at least the engine does. I show it no love.

On today's agenda, haul feeder and 3 50 lb bags of feed corn down to the place from the road. Piece of cake. It's muddy as heck down there, still, solid rain here all summer, even had a tropical storm dump on us. Good for the hog hunting, I guess, but I'm beginning to wonder, now, if that place will ever dry up again. When I washed it, I think I got about 20 lbs of top soil off the thing.

culcune · 10-07-2007, 11:20 PM

Nice to see you back! I think that Diamos cost a little more for a reason, huh? I had thought they were just "like your grandfather's GY" but I think their wholesale price and retail price is up there due to higher quality.

tzrider · 10-10-2007, 12:25 PM

I don't know for sure. I know mine's been decent. The electrics are a bit of a joke, but I've not had mine do anything stupid. I did have a turn signal short and burn out the flasher, but I fixed that pretty easy.

The motor is the OHC motor and very XR200 like. In fact, the pix I've seen (I keep forgetting to look at 'em up close at the Honda shop) of the new XR200, the motor looks JUST LIKE my Diamo! I've got to wondering if Honda is sourcing those motors from China?

It's getting a little beat up. the faux gas tank/cover is cracked and there's still a rip in the seat cover, but it just keeps on crankin'.

I've taken it out on the highway a few times down to my place and it zings along at about 60 mph quite easily and returns 60-80 mpg. Just can't beat the thing. I didn't give that much for it, but they've really upped the MSRP on newer ones. 8O I got a dealer status and bought three for 3K and sold one of 'em for cost to a friend who talked me into it. I'd been dealing some little bikes anyway and thought these things would sell in a world of escalating gas prices, but I had a hard time selling the other one and took 1300 bucks for it, so I actually got mine for $700 all said and done.

There is a shop in a nearby town now, a Polaris dealer. He handled Victory for a while, but dropped 'em due to lack of sales. Pricing is stupid on those things. You can get a Harley cheaper and a cruiser rider is going to buy (the real thing) if given the money. The only cruisers that can compete with HD are the ones that are a lot more affordable, like Hondas and Kawasakis and Suzukis and V Stars. Now, he's stocking Diamos! Well, I didn't see any DP stuff in there, but he has some scooters and some small dirt bikes and ATVs. I don't know how well they're moving. He had 3K on the scooters, were 250s. That is 2K under a Honda reflex.

He also has Hyosung, a Korean manufacturer, and they make a bike very similar to the Suzuki SV650. I have an SV650S and, frankly, will keep it over the sport version of the Hyosung even though that sport version has a full fairing. I prefer my SV. BUT, they have naked versions for $4999 and THAT'S a deal! I like the gauges better on those bikes than the naked SV, too, traditional analog units.

Yeah, the Diamo has gone out of my radar on MSRP now days. But, I really like the one I have. It may well be a head above some of the other cheaper brand names in quality. I know the little engine is very Japanese like in reliability, at least so far. The chassis isn't as impressive, but I haven't broken anything, yet, on it and I don't show it a lot of love in the dirt and muck, LOL!

culcune · 10-10-2007, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tzrider

The motor is the OHC motor and very XR200 like. In fact, the pix I've seen (I keep forgetting to look at 'em up close at the Honda shop) of the new XR200, the motor looks JUST LIKE my Diamo! I've got to wondering if Honda is sourcing those motors from China?

He also has Hyosung, a Korean manufacturer, and they make a bike very similar to the Suzuki SV650. I have an SV650S and, frankly, will keep it over the sport version of the Hyosung even though that sport version has a full fairing. I prefer my SV. BUT, they have naked versions for $4999 and THAT'S a deal! I like the gauges better on those bikes than the naked SV, too, traditional analog units.

I do think that the smaller Japanese engines are manufactured in China now. Qingqi and Suzuki are involved somehow; not sure of the other relationships, but they exist.

My UM dealer in town used to have/can still get Diamos and used to have/can still get Roketas. He insists that the dual sports are manufactured in Korea, like the Hyosung-sourced street bikes, but I saw the Skyteam tag right on the bike, and Skyteam is Chinese manufactured. Those bikes are expensive for Chinese, but have a killer warranty, look great, and cost less than 200's from Suzuki and Yamaha.

I am not sure if Diamo is still honoring it, but they had a deal a few months ago where they would pick you up anywhere if the bike you were riding stranded you. I sure could have used that when I originally had my Jetmoto, LOL.

tzrider · 10-10-2007, 02:05 PM

I know they're china sourced. Kazuma comes to mind as a name I heard from the parts guy at Diamo in Sugar Land when he was on the phone. They have sourced from more than one Chinese outfit over their history.

So far it hasn't stranded me, but I've not been over 25 miles from home on it, LOL. It's a little buzzy for touring and I do have an old GoldWing.

The scooters, though, are capable of some miles comfortably. They have some interesting scooters. That one with the convertible top, GPS, and stereo seems like a scooter version of a touring bike, LOL, a little over the top I think, but interesting. As I age, I might wind up with one of those.

I don't commute or I might think harder about a scooter.

culcune · 10-10-2007, 02:19 PM

That scooter is interesting, but not for me. I think a dual sport does the trick, but those "nekked" Hyosung/UM's for around $5k would do the street thing a little better :wink: . I had liked the SV650 naked version, but they added a little fairing the last couple years, plus it costs more. right now, 5K is a little steep for me, but at least its less steep than the "real" deal, the Suzuki SV.

tzrider · 10-12-2007, 07:09 PM

My SV is a hoot to ride even for an experienced rider. It's the sport "S" model, but I got some Honda Hawk bars from a friend for it that are higher and farther back. I can sit upright on it if I crowd the tank. Out on the road, it's nice. Put a double bubble on the fairing for a little more protection. The foot pegs are a little high, but could put the standard pegs on it if I felt like it. Good lean clearance and I have had this thing at a track day, but I had street rubber on it so I don't think lower pegs would have been an issue even there. The seat is a plank, typical sport seat. I have a gel pad I bought for it. Tried a gel seat, but it sucked.

I have a ventura rack/pack system for it, makes day trips and stuff easy, even over nighters. Can even camp off it. But, most of my riding is short trips and it's fantastic for that. Gets over 40 mpg, the newer EFI ones get a little better. I've got about 25K miles on it now and nothing, but routine maintenance.

10-07-2007, 09:44 PM	#1
tzrider Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Texas by gawd! Posts: 407	Fourth season and as good as ever Haven't been in here in a bit, browse occasionally. But, it's time to set up for deer season and, so, that means the Diamo gets its off road work out. So far, since all the adjustments I had to do out of the crate, it's still cruisin'. I don't have maybe 2K road miles on it, maybe 500 off road. The thing is a 2004 model, so this is the fourth season for it. I've had no engine issues what so ever, not even electrical. I just took it and gave it a bath and rinsed it down top to bottom, fired right up. Water does not phase this thing. As time goes on, it impresses me more and more, at least the engine does. I show it no love. On today's agenda, haul feeder and 3 50 lb bags of feed corn down to the place from the road. Piece of cake. It's muddy as heck down there, still, solid rain here all summer, even had a tropical storm dump on us. Good for the hog hunting, I guess, but I'm beginning to wonder, now, if that place will ever dry up again. When I washed it, I think I got about 20 lbs of top soil off the thing.
	0

10-07-2007, 11:20 PM	#2
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	Nice to see you back! I think that Diamos cost a little more for a reason, huh? I had thought they were just "like your grandfather's GY" but I think their wholesale price and retail price is up there due to higher quality. __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
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10-10-2007, 02:19 PM	#6
culcune Join Date: May 2006 Location: Yuma, Arizona Posts: 9,035	That scooter is interesting, but not for me. I think a dual sport does the trick, but those "nekked" Hyosung/UM's for around $5k would do the street thing a little better :wink: . I had liked the SV650 naked version, but they added a little fairing the last couple years, plus it costs more. right now, 5K is a little steep for me, but at least its less steep than the "real" deal, the Suzuki SV. __________________ "They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you got to ride it well..." TGB Delivery Scooter 150 TMEC 200 Enduro--carcass is sadly rotting in the backyard
	0

10-10-2007, 12:25 PM	#3
tzrider Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Texas by gawd! Posts: 407	I don't know for sure. I know mine's been decent. The electrics are a bit of a joke, but I've not had mine do anything stupid. I did have a turn signal short and burn out the flasher, but I fixed that pretty easy. The motor is the OHC motor and very XR200 like. In fact, the pix I've seen (I keep forgetting to look at 'em up close at the Honda shop) of the new XR200, the motor looks JUST LIKE my Diamo! I've got to wondering if Honda is sourcing those motors from China? It's getting a little beat up. the faux gas tank/cover is cracked and there's still a rip in the seat cover, but it just keeps on crankin'. I've taken it out on the highway a few times down to my place and it zings along at about 60 mph quite easily and returns 60-80 mpg. Just can't beat the thing. I didn't give that much for it, but they've really upped the MSRP on newer ones. 8O I got a dealer status and bought three for 3K and sold one of 'em for cost to a friend who talked me into it. I'd been dealing some little bikes anyway and thought these things would sell in a world of escalating gas prices, but I had a hard time selling the other one and took 1300 bucks for it, so I actually got mine for $700 all said and done. There is a shop in a nearby town now, a Polaris dealer. He handled Victory for a while, but dropped 'em due to lack of sales. Pricing is stupid on those things. You can get a Harley cheaper and a cruiser rider is going to buy (the real thing) if given the money. The only cruisers that can compete with HD are the ones that are a lot more affordable, like Hondas and Kawasakis and Suzukis and V Stars. Now, he's stocking Diamos! Well, I didn't see any DP stuff in there, but he has some scooters and some small dirt bikes and ATVs. I don't know how well they're moving. He had 3K on the scooters, were 250s. That is 2K under a Honda reflex. He also has Hyosung, a Korean manufacturer, and they make a bike very similar to the Suzuki SV650. I have an SV650S and, frankly, will keep it over the sport version of the Hyosung even though that sport version has a full fairing. I prefer my SV. BUT, they have naked versions for $4999 and THAT'S a deal! I like the gauges better on those bikes than the naked SV, too, traditional analog units. Yeah, the Diamo has gone out of my radar on MSRP now days. But, I really like the one I have. It may well be a head above some of the other cheaper brand names in quality. I know the little engine is very Japanese like in reliability, at least so far. The chassis isn't as impressive, but I haven't broken anything, yet, on it and I don't show it a lot of love in the dirt and muck, LOL!
	0

10-10-2007, 02:05 PM	#5
tzrider Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Texas by gawd! Posts: 407	I know they're china sourced. Kazuma comes to mind as a name I heard from the parts guy at Diamo in Sugar Land when he was on the phone. They have sourced from more than one Chinese outfit over their history. So far it hasn't stranded me, but I've not been over 25 miles from home on it, LOL. It's a little buzzy for touring and I do have an old GoldWing. The scooters, though, are capable of some miles comfortably. They have some interesting scooters. That one with the convertible top, GPS, and stereo seems like a scooter version of a touring bike, LOL, a little over the top I think, but interesting. As I age, I might wind up with one of those. I don't commute or I might think harder about a scooter.
	0

10-12-2007, 07:09 PM	#7
tzrider Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Texas by gawd! Posts: 407	My SV is a hoot to ride even for an experienced rider. It's the sport "S" model, but I got some Honda Hawk bars from a friend for it that are higher and farther back. I can sit upright on it if I crowd the tank. Out on the road, it's nice. Put a double bubble on the fairing for a little more protection. The foot pegs are a little high, but could put the standard pegs on it if I felt like it. Good lean clearance and I have had this thing at a track day, but I had street rubber on it so I don't think lower pegs would have been an issue even there. The seat is a plank, typical sport seat. I have a gel pad I bought for it. Tried a gel seat, but it sucked. I have a ventura rack/pack system for it, makes day trips and stuff easy, even over nighters. Can even camp off it. But, most of my riding is short trips and it's fantastic for that. Gets over 40 mpg, the newer EFI ones get a little better. I've got about 25K miles on it now and nothing, but routine maintenance.
	0