How to dramatically lighten a China bike?

[Boatguy]

Originally Posted by bigdano711

55mph for a 150cc engine seems...possible, I guess? The same way that 75mph is possible for my 229cc Hawk engine, with a 150lbs rider, maybe...going downhill....with a tail wind...

You know what? I guess you are right. Theoretically it probably could do that speed if you geared it up and forgot about off road business.

It’s not like it runs out of power at 55. It runs out of RPM.

[Thumper]

This is the first kind of bike I wanted when I was a teenager. Funny how old age brings me back full circle

Simple, adequate, low maintenance, fun on the trail, street legal.

Originally Posted by bigdano711

Remember, you can always build a bigger boat. ;-)

Honda XR150L

https://powersports.honda.com/motorc...1E2em4g4-jYGO8

[bigdano711]

You can't go wrong with a Honda, and it seems they are a little more reasonably priced these days. I wonder how bad the China bikes have dug into their market share. lol


The truth is, I need to go bigger engine for what I want on the highway. I could go for a 300cc enduro, but that just seems wrong. Instead, my next bike will be a Kawasaki Vulcan. So many of them available used for less than I paid for the Hawk, and it's the original cruiser I wanted before my buddy convinced me to get a Harley. I don't regret the Harley, just "lesson learned" and I will never go back.

[Thumper]

I would be shocked, shocked if some of the parts on the Honda aren't made in China. Or possibly one of many other Asian countries. Let's face it, cheap labor and modest environmental laws are placing parts on motorcycles and cars, and manufacturing is getting more and more portable. Less than $2500 for a Honda is a bargain- it comes with warranty.

[bigdano711]

I like the new Ford commercial, dogging their workers for wanting a 32 hour work week and then "100% assembled in America". EL OH EFFIN EL

[XLsior]

yeah assembled in America with cheap migrant labor and majority of profits going into the coffers of globalist corporate shareholders using every tax loophole imaginable.

Modern times...

getting into the stage where things are too complicated for the layman to fix and technobabble features are now becoming ongoing user subscription services for a product you already paid full price...

I'm fine with mechanical drum brakes and a carburetor tyvm.

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by bigdano711

I like the new Ford commercial, dogging their workers for wanting a 32 hour work week and then "100% assembled in America". EL OH EFFIN EL

Exactly! I've noticed the change from made to assembled. But even that won't keep jobs in America. You cannot compete paying 60k or more for labor when the rest of the world is paying 30k. It is a global economy. Competition will force sticker prices down, and jobs go away. We buy these cheap dirt bikes, not that any of them were EVER made in america. Not even assembled!
Oh, well we usually do the final assembly

[bigdano711]

I've been wondering for years when someone is going to make the $5K, two-seater gasoline powered vehicle with a motorcycle engine in it. I see now that it will be China, and you will be able to buy them on Amazon.

[Boatguy]

this question is now in the hands of Xpro.

They are helping me find the lightest thing I can register that can go 55mph.

I don't mind changing out sprockets to achieve this.

This is going to be a street only bike. No point in trying to achieve dual sport/Enduro since whatever I get probably has to be geared up way too high for off road use.

I'll keep the xpect around maybe for Enduro. Maybe. I'll have to pay to store it which isn't so appealing.

really glad I didn’t make custom hard cases for the sides of the xpect and went with soft. This means my panniers can go on whatever I get to carry groceries and things. Maybe the top box can come with also

[Boatguy]

Well, here are the results so far.

Xpro: “ Kindly understand the certificate of origin defines the Storm 150 dlx as dirt bike, we do not guarantee it can be registered as on road use.
The top speed depends on the road condition, bike condition and rider's weight and riding skills.
​Normally it can hardly go to the top speed.”


So I can’t remember. The MSO specifies exactly the use of the vehicle? I don’t remember that. It says for highway use or off-road use right on it?

I know in my state when I was registering the xpect they couldn’t do it. They couldn’t figure it out. So they just put it as a miscellaneous motorcycle.

Does anyone know about what she’s getting out here?

[Boatguy]

I am pressing them for more information, but what about this?

A 150cc scooter does 60-70mph and weighs a LOT more than the 180lbs Xpro db150.

So if I’m on a bike that weighs a lot less and I only weigh 150, shouldn’t I be able to match those speeds easily by changing the sprockets?

[Boatguy]

So it looks like the 150 at Xpro can do about 50 mph. Given my weight and a flat road and stuff.

I think that’s pretty reasonable.

It’s also an Enduro so it’s kind of geared down for that. And if you think about it, those 150 scooters do 60 to 70.

So I don’t see that there is any reason a much lighter bike than the scooters with the same size engine can’t get up to those speeds if you convert it to a 100% pure road machine.

*80/20 (or 70/30) tires for road and maybe a little gravel/dirt
*larger sprocket up front or maybe just a much smaller one in back
*go all black or something so it doesn’t look too dirt bike-ish

That might just make for a decent piece of transportation that can supplement when there is no public transportation around and get places farther and faster. It can also save a fortune over Ubers

I don’t know how I’m going to get rid of the xpect. I love that bike. It’s so reliable. It came perfectly put together from X pro. Not a single bolt has ever rattled loose or anything. and it’s fuel injected so it’s super reliable. Not looking forward to carburetors and all that extra work involved. It’s definitely a downgrade, but if it makes it easier to get on and off a boat, it’s going to work better. The xpect was better for land life. It was perfect for going up to 9000 feet in the Colorado Rockies. The fuel injection made it so I didn’t have to deal with all that carburetor stuff people deal with when they go up there. On the plus side, at least I will always be at sea level since you can’t exactly get boats into the Colorado Rockies ha ha

[Deckard_Cain]

Originally Posted by bigdano711

You can't go wrong with a Honda, and it seems they are a little more reasonably priced these days. I wonder how bad the China bikes have dug into their market share. lol


The truth is, I need to go bigger engine for what I want on the highway. I could go for a 300cc enduro, but that just seems wrong. Instead, my next bike will be a Kawasaki Vulcan. So many of them available used for less than I paid for the Hawk, and it's the original cruiser I wanted before my buddy convinced me to get a Harley. I don't regret the Harley, just "lesson learned" and I will never go back.

Just bought an old '96 Vulcan 800 myself.. my friend bought it as a temp bike while his VTX1300 was getting custom paint. Rode it less than 2 months.. so I snatched it up. Mustang seat, V&H pipes, highway bars... 24k original miles. $1800.

The difference to the Hawk, yeah it's not even in the same league, obviously. Sure, I could have gotten a Vulcan S 650, or even a 1500 classic, but for me, the point wasn't more power, or FI, it was comfort at an affordable price.

I've got well over $2400 into my Hawk incl purchase price... under $2k for the VN800 is a no-brainer. You won't regret it. Vulcans are some of the best bikes made.

[Sport Rider]

Originally Posted by Boatguy

Well, here are the results so far.

Xpro: “ Kindly understand the certificate of origin defines the Storm 150 dlx as dirt bike, we do not guarantee it can be registered as on road use.
The top speed depends on the road condition, bike condition and rider's weight and riding skills.
​Normally it can hardly go to the top speed.”


So I can’t remember. The MSO specifies exactly the use of the vehicle? I don’t remember that. It says for highway use or off-road use right on it?

I know in my state when I was registering the xpect they couldn’t do it. They couldn’t figure it out. So they just put it as a miscellaneous motorcycle.

Does anyone know about what she’s getting out here?

the MCO and registering it varies from state to state. here in NC, it even varies by DMV location. I bought a Hawk back in 2016 and the MCO stated "dirt bike". when the DMV saw that, they would not register it. However, others here in NC in other areas were able to register theirs. You might also talk to the seller to see if they will issue the MCO as "motorcycle". Mine did that for me.

[Texas Pete]

Originally Posted by bigdano711

...my next bike will be a Kawasaki Vulcan. So many of them available used for less than I paid for the Hawk...

Nice, that is on my short list as well for next bike. I keep flipping from cruisers to other bike styles though after having a long long extended think of bikes I've looked at outside of cruisers I usually find something that will annoy me (more mud or street muck slung over rider and bike both, etc.)


If I don't mind discontinued since 2020, I would also have Yamaha's VMAX on my short list.


I had Suzuki on the list for a while as well until I watched some long term owner maintenance videos that creeped me out that if your idle speed controller goes out you are SOL and bike basically bricked as even the dealers with their official programming gear have failed to marry new idle controller replacements to owners bikes and the problems never go away.


Mostly this guys videos on them.