Bashan Storm Review

[Skyteamst90]

PART (1)

I am going to do two parts here. First part is my initial impression of the bike and the second part will be done after I road test it going full speed on the road and riding around for a day. Here's part one.

I want to start out that it took me a couple weeks to decide what bike I wanted to get. I knew that I wanted a dual sport and I came to know the HAWK 250 first. First I saw it come up on a search on ebay and started to find out more about the bikes. I tried to find out information on the bike and found a couple of videos and blogs about it. I then found MotoCheez and started to watch his videos and realized what I was getting into.

After a little more research, I realized that the HAWK would be too high for me and my short legs. 35" would be just too high, and that was a no go. I found the STORM and there was two other enduros (Pro Dirt Street King, F250K), but I did not like the styling of those. I looked into the STORM more and found it was a little shorter and had some better parts on it, such as the inverted forks - cool feature.

GOOD:

(1) I like the bike. I do. It looks cool and looks aggressive and looks like it will take the trails just fine. The orange was not my first choice color, but it has grown in me.

(2) Tires. These should be alright performers on the road. Mine was equipped with 80/20's. From the look of videos on YouTube, knobbys will perform better for the more off-road. There are also some descent options out there for 50/50 tires as well, just not sold on these bikes.

(3) Seating position. This was really important to me because my Buell Blast had a weird seating position, and I did not like it. This STORM is alright and feels good. The only problem is I still can't reach the ground with flat feet. Tippy toes for me or leaning to one side. I am 5'6'' with a 29" legs, so it will be a challenge. So if a person is 28-30" legs, might have an problem. And it rides nice.

(4) Fun to work on. This is a really easy bike to work on. Its all metric and any standard tool set should have just about everything you need to work on the bike.

(5) Acceleration. I wasn't not sure what to expect as my main ride was a 500cc before, and that was NOT fast nor peppy, so I was used to slower speeds and planning passing and stuff like that. So from what I can compare it to, this bike reaches 30 and 40mph just fine and I will have to report on the top speed in part two. For those that seek speed and 65+mph, this probably isn't the bike you want.

(6) Seats two: One of the cool things is buddy-pegs. So you and a friend can enjoy an afternoon riding around.

(7) Sounds cool. I like the sound. I was really hoping this did not sound like a weedwacker, and thankfully this does not.

(8) Price. For $1,600 this is a great price and affordable for almost anyone getting into a sport.

(9) OE Parts. My bike came with a 30mm carb and 17 front sprocket and 45 rear...So right off the bat those were things I did not have to buy. After break in, I might have to see about changing out the jet to a 110, but at the moment, it does not seem necessary.

(10) Cheap to ride. Its been reported that gas mileage should be about 50-60mpg, maybe more. The 3 gal fuel tank is a nice feature. So it will be cheap to ride and maintain. Insurance will also be cheap as well.

(11) People want them. Yes the neighbors want one even though they call the cops on you. They are jealous because in their sad little lives, they are afraid to go out and have some fun, and get dirty; while you the new owner have a cool new BASHAN off road machine.

BAD:

(1) No assembly instructions. This is my biggest gripe about this experience with the bike so far. Why this is not done I have no idea. Thankfully there are a couple of videos that show assembly (only Hawk), and CSC offers some helpful blogs on maintenance and adjustment. I was going to do a video but my go-pro clone did not show up in time. Sorry.

(2) Stock hang grips. I thought the stock hand grips were poor and unrefined. I prefer something a little more thicker and bigger for my long fingers. These stock grips felt like a BMX bike. So if your like me with bigger hands or longer fingers, change out the grips.

(3) Speedometer. This is a nit-picky thing, but the speed is a) off. From what I can tell it records 5-10mph less than actual speed. For an America market, this speed cable should be adjusted to read correctly [I guess you'll never get busted for going too slow on a motorcycle]. b) the gauge should reflect MPH as the dominate numbers and not KPH. c) The lighting is also weak and its hard to see the needle in the dark. The HAWK tachs are done well, but the BASHAN STORM hasn't caught up yet.

(4) No tach. Almost as much fun as watching the world pass by while riding, is also watching the engine RPM's go up and down on these machines. For another couple of dollars BASHAN could make a gauge that works and looks good. I have since ordered an after market gauge.

(5) No kill switch. I was amazed that this bike did not have a kill switch. Most bikes have them located on the right controls, this instead had 4-way hazards - why? Here in the USA, and to my knowledge this isn't necessary for motorcycles. Another thing that could be fixed for American market. Additionally, I uninstalled the alarm system, and when you do that, the bike will not shut off, even by turning the key. THIS WAS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE!!! I had to reinstall the alarm and now it shuts with turning the key. I will also install a kill switch my own self later this week.

(6) Tricky to get parts. Don't get me wrong here, a person could find parts on line, or ebay, but the parts could be branded by some brand such as XYZ or BASHAN OE PARTS, etc. It would be comforting to hear, "Oh XYZ parts, those are the OEM ones...go with those," but that is not the case. It will take a little bit of research to find what you need and perhaps some patience. (ps: I am currently trying to get a part and have emailed three websites, and have not heard back...) And also note, part numbers in the manual that comes with the bike are useless and the bike pictured was not the same as what I have.

(7) Lack of clear warranty. I was told when I bought this, that the STORM comes with a 3 month parts and 1 year engine warranty. It is my understanding about warrantys via being a mechanic and working Radio Shack years ago; in one way, a warranty is the manufacturer saying that they are guaranteeing that this product will last or work for this period of time. So that microwave that has 24 month warranty, thats as long as the company guarantees it to work, then you are your own. Therefore, if this has a year engine - under this thinking, that does not look good. However, people have reported many years and riding with their Chinese motorcycle.

On another note, I have heard of some people having trouble getting warranty on parts. And I wish I have would received something in writing other documentation stating what the warranty covers, my rights, etc. This is a lack on the dealer, and could be corrected.

(8) Skullduggery dealers. Speaking of dealers, this is a very tricky business for some reason. There is a scooter guy here in town, and when I went to purchase a headlight bulb from him, I asked the mechanic how much it was and he said $5, and the owner said that was "too little, charge him $15." I have not since done business with him. Also, you never really know what you're getting on the internet.

I also will have to say. I don't have anything bad to say about the dealer I purchased this from but when I inquired about parts, one of the guys there told me I would be better off going some where else. Is this a common thing? I hope not. I can understand that some of these dealers might be selling a ton of bikes and scooters, but people will also need parts, as these things break and need maintenance.

(9) No oil filter. I was a diesel tech for many years and this was interesting to me that this bike does not have an oil filter. Something so simple and a part that would be plentiful at almost any auto parts store would make sense...why are these still stuck in the 1970's? I think an update would be beneficial and give new riders and maybe old timers as well, piece of mind.

(10) Chains. These have bad chains. An upgrade would be better for the long run. Buy a new RK or KMC chain. Also the chain guide has to be fixed on these bikes. For some reason this is a design flaw and could be corrected.

(11) Rear brake master cylinder. This is a nit-picky thing as well, but this could stand to be redesigned. This should not stick down like a pair of balls in the middle of the bike. The ground clearance is good, but this is dangerous having this hang down. If a person is doing mostly street riding, this won't be a problem, but for those more off-road types, this could be problematic.

(12) Brakes. At the moment these brakes do feel unrefined and not as good as my Buell. I haven't changed out the oil yet on the front, but I think after that, I think they will perform better. Some one on here suggested I give it time to break it and it will be alright.

THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR:

(1) Lock-tight all the bolts and nuts. Everyone suggests this. Do it, it will save a person some headache when pieces start rattling off...oops there goes a turn signal.

(2) Adjustments: There are several things that will have to be adjusted (at least on mine), those are: clutch cable, brake levers (placement and tolerance), and throttle cable. These are probably common sense, but to new riders, they are not familiar; therefore, should be checked and adjusted. A new owner should also check the valves clearances as well. The BASHAN manual states 0.05 for intake and exhaust. Adjust while the bike is apart and it will be easier.

(3) Accessories: One of the best parts of motorcycling and off-roading is accessories. There are tons of aftermarket parts for motorcycles, it just requires some research and an internet connection. Since these are Honda clones, several parts should be available for them. There are no specfic aftermarket parts for BASHAN, but I am sure there will be someone out there that comes up with something.

(4) Change the oils. There is engine oil, brake fluid, and shock oil. Many experienced riders and bloggers have mentioned that it is a good idea to change all them as then you can ensure the best stuff is in there, and a good starting point.

(5) Be safe. Be safe and have fun.

Final thoughts

I hope that this review does not stop a person from buying this, because this is not the case for writing this review. I like the bike and really enjoy the hobby, as this is my first enduro. I am happy how my experience has gone and can't wait until I can find other enduro riders here in town. I look forward to many years of use and many adventures I plan to go on. I am inspired by the dual sport people out there on YouTube that take rides across the USA and do it on a dual sport. I plan to do my own adventure this summer and drive from Minneapolis to St. Louis, and I am sure it will do fine.

I give the bike 4.5 stars out of 5. I recommend this bike if you can get one, from what I hear it is hard to get these now, as everyone wants one.

[simonjester]

Thank you for the honest review!

[2LZ]

"Yes the neighbors want one even though they call the cops on you. They are jealous because in their sad little lives, they are afraid to go out and have some fun,..."

Quote of the week!

[Skyteamst90]

I went and got it licensed and insured today and had no problem. I was surprised the DMV didn't give me more crap. Like, "This isn't on any of our lists...so we can't license it." None of that happened. The only thing was they needed to know the engine serial number, for which I did not have that handy.

I put on over 100 miles today and this is my thoughts on the bike. First off, people are probably wondering how fast does it go. Well mine topped out at 58 mph. That was all she could do. Now I imagine if I was to hop of the carb a little bit, I might get a little more out of it, but ya, it did seem like there was a governor or rev-limiter.

The ride was surprising good and soft. It was comfortable and I think I will have no problems taking a couple of road trips this summer. Like I have mentioned before, to St Louis, and maybe I will take one back to Milwaukee (350 miles).

After the ride, I could tell the clutch cable needs adjustment so that will have to be done. Also the brakes are still not something I like. I would like to see better brakes, but they do work and it is okay. The riding position was great and it was fun to ride.

Mine does have a quirk that when I had it full throttle and the released it to slow down the engine killed. Not sure what this is, but maybe this will go away and or adjust the clutch again.

[pcspecialist]

how many KM (that's what your odometer actually reads in) total do you have on it? You need a few hundred before you can get your top speed out of it, mine is still climbing as I put more miles on it.

[Jrgunn5150]

Thanks for the review! We are looking at the Bashan for my GF so that she can have the lower seat height, so I really appreciate it!

[Azhule]

Maybe you need to 'fine tune' the Idle Speed and or the Pilot Adjustment Screw(s) ? That might help with the problem your bike currently has ?

[Skyteamst90]

Originally Posted by pcspecialist

how many KM (that's what your odometer actually reads in) total do you have on it? You need a few hundred before you can get your top speed out of it, mine is still climbing as I put more miles on it.

Thanks for the heads up. I will keep that in mind as it breaks in more. I notice that sometimes it screams and other times it bogs...hopefully as it breaks in more, it will rev higher. Because when it does it does hit 60

[Skyteamst90]

Originally Posted by Jrgunn5150

Thanks for the review! We are looking at the Bashan for my GF so that she can have the lower seat height, so I really appreciate it!

Good luck. Its a pretty cool bike. I hope you like it as they are pretty nice.

[Skyteamst90]

Originally Posted by Azhule

Maybe you need to 'fine tune' the Idle Speed and or the Pilot Adjustment Screw(s) ? That might help with the problem your bike currently has ?

Thanks. I will look into that and adjust it. I'm newer to motorcycle maintenance, so I am learning as I go here with these things.

[dpl096]

Originally Posted by Skyteamst90

Thanks. I will look into that and adjust it. I'm newer to motorcycle maintenance, so I am learning as I go here with these things.

Motocheez has a quality carb tune video on YT .. it's for a Hawk but honestly it's pretty universal for CRs and the Hondas they clone.