The Climb Up and Down the Displacement Ladder

[tastroman]

Originally Posted by techguy

Here in sunny California, you need to get on the freeways to get to certain parts of town in a time efficient manner. Going north out of downtown Sacramento you cross the Sacramento river and your low speed alternatives are 5 mile or more longer. I just looked, it is the difference between 14 miles using the freeway and almost 19 miles of surface streets.

I too avoid them when I can but it's not always practical to avoid and I can get up to 80 MPH indicated most days on my P250. I have gotten used to doing the freeway thing.

My Daelim S-2 250 shares the same engine as your people 250 but in my Daelims maxi body I can only get 74mph out of it. I happen to live in a rural community so avoiding the interstate is not much trouble for me. FWIW, KYMCO makes a solid engine.

[ernest t bass]

Spree 50 - 1986
Elite 80
Riva 125
Elite 150
Elite 250
XL 350r
RM 250
GS 650
Nighthawk 650
Nighthawk 700s
Gpz 750 Turbo
VF1000r Interceptor
GSXR 750
FZR 1000
Magna v65 1100
CR 500
KTM 625sxc
Dr250se
XL200r
Honda Elite 150
Honda Elite 125 - 2003

And Now a 2004 Honda 250 Reflex Sport.

I loved them All.

[techguy]

Originally Posted by tastroman

My Daelim S-2 250 shares the same engine as your people 250 but in my Daelims maxi body I can only get 74mph out of it. I happen to live in a rural community so avoiding the interstate is not much trouble for me. FWIW, KYMCO makes a solid engine.

That is the primary reason I got this bike. When I started shopping, I test rode a Piaggio Fly 150 and BV250, I looked longingly at the expensive sheet metal on the not-as-practical-as-I-need-it-to-be Vespa. I liked the ride of the BV's big wheels. I went online to do more research and bumped into hundreds of glowing compliments about the People 250. I really liked the durability factor and the usefulness. I read this article where a groups of M/C nuts ran a brand-new P250 for 24 hours and covered 1466 mile (2360.7 km) with an average speed of 61 MPH (including fuel stops /oil checks /rider changes) and it sold me.

I found my ride in a craigslist ad. I called, setup a visit, looked at , checked with a Kymco mechanic who said ...I sell them but they never come back for repairs (service yes, repairs no) and I bought it ($2,200). It came home with a hair under 16 K and I am now at 23,3XX. I have changed the rear tire, the brake pads, and the CVT belt (I still need rollers).

[tastroman]

Originally Posted by techguy

That is the primary reason I got this bike. When I started shopping, I test rode a Piaggio Fly 150 and BV250, I looked longingly at the expensive sheet metal on the not-as-practical-as-I-need-it-to-be Vespa. I liked the ride of the BV's big wheels. I went online to do more research and bumped into hundreds of glowing compliments about the People 250. I really liked the durability factor and the usefulness. I read this article where a groups of M/C nuts ran a brand-new P250 for 24 hours and covered 1466 mile (2360.7 km) with an average speed of 61 MPH (including fuel stops /oil checks /rider changes) and it sold me.

I found my ride in a craigslist ad. I called, setup a visit, looked at , checked with a Kymco mechanic who said ...I sell them but they never come back for repairs (service yes, repairs no) and I bought it ($2,200). It came home with a hair under 16 K and I am now at 23,3XX. I have changed the rear tire, the brake pads, and the CVT belt (I still need rollers).

23,000 miles, thats fantastic. I was shooting for a feel good point of around 20k. Yours is the highest mileage KYMCO I have heard about to date. If I have the same luck you have had I will stop feeling bad about turning my back on Honda after I got 46,000 out of my last elite 250. The Daelim happened to be 2 grand cheaper than a Reflex so I rolled the dice.

Have you ever had the valves adjusted? Mine has just over 6,000 on it and is running fine so I have ignored the manuals advice and have not messes with them. I never adjusted the valves on my elite.

[techguy]

Originally Posted by tastroman

23,000 miles, thats fantastic. I was shooting for a feel good point of around 20k. Yours is the highest mileage KYMCO I have heard about to date. If I have the same luck you have had I will stop feeling bad about turning my back on Honda after I got 46,000 out of my last elite 250. The Daelim happened to be 2 grand cheaper than a Reflex so I rolled the dice.

Have you ever had the valves adjusted? Mine has just over 6,000 on it and is running fine so I have ignored the manuals advice and have not messes with them. I never adjusted the valves on my elite.

I have 23,XXX Kilometers.. not miles. I know I am in the US but they measure in K and I am not offended. It seems funny so many are. I have not adjusted the valves since I have had it, I am sure the previous owner didn't either. I have heard they are easy to adjust.

I wasn't aware that Daelim had Kymco engines in them.

[tastroman]

Originally Posted by techguy

I have 23,XXX Kilometers.. not miles. I know I am in the US but they measure in K and I am not offended. It seems funny so many are. I have not adjusted the valves since I have had it, I am sure the previous owner didn't either. I have heard they are easy to adjust.

I wasn't aware that Daelim had Kymco engines in them.

Only the Daelim 250 has a KYMCO engine. Daelim manufactures their own engines up to 125cc. My S-2 also has a KYMCO transmission. Its a good thing because the Daelim US distributor closed shop and parts are hard to come by so I can at least get powertrain parts through KYMCO. I posted a picture of my S-2 in the scooter pictures thread last night and if you look at it you will see how similar the transmission is to your KYMCO.
My Daelim also measures in kilometers.

[Achtung]

Originally Posted by Photog

BTW...one of my favorite threads in the whole joint is the Minimalist Touring Thread.

Have you seen this I LOVE THIS VIDEO!

[rallybug]

I'm heading in the same direction - bike history:

Suzuki TS50
Honda Melody Express 50 (no laughing at the back - I took the baskets off!)
Suzuki GSX400F
Honda NX650
Honda XRV750

Now about to start prepping the Africa Twin for sale, and thinking of stepping down to a Vespa GTS300 or 250 (there's the siren song of a VW Splittie camper playing in my ears at the same time!)

I decided for the riding I do, the big bike is wasted on me, so downsizing I go

[Barnone]

I am almost on the bottom rung of the displacement ladder with my new Pitster Pro Classic 125 (CT70 clone). She was delivered yesterday and I put her together and took her for a spin up the mountain on a logging road. She did just fine and seems to have enough juice.


Almost finished assembling her and ready to roll her off the back of my truck. I had to meet the delivery man in town since he couldn't get his semi up the mountain to my cabin. I didn't have a way to get the crate out of the back of truck so I just put her together there. The metal crate was bolted together so it was easy to get it out.

[Woodsrat]

Earlier this year my wife told me I ought to take her unridden '92 Yamaha XT-225 for my own. I'd ridden it in Colorado for a week with "serious" dirt bikes in '97 and while not fast took me anywhere I wanted to go. Now it serves as my "adventure" bike since it's much lighter and easier to ride than my XR-650L. In a pinch it also served as a long-distance road bike on the "Lap of Kentucky" ride where it went 1600+ miles over four days without problems, delivering over 80 MPG with a high of 86.

Here's a bike that will plonk like a trials bike and go just about anywhere off-road, run 55 MPH all day long with a top speed of almost 80, deliver excellent gas mileage and in an emergency haul two people. It was also sold in this country from '92-'07 so parts are not a problem and the aftermarket makes some excellent long-distance accessories for it including a four gallon gas tank.

Could this be a modern replacement for the CT-90/110??? Used ones can be bought for not much more than what clean CT's sell for and it's a much better motorcycle overall.

Don't get me wrong--I love the CT series as much as anybody and would still like to see a reasonably priced one sold here in the US--but dollar-for-dollar a good secondhand XT will provide more giggles than about anything available on two wheels.

[DC950]

Originally Posted by Woodsrat

Earlier this year my wife told me I ought to take her unridden '92 Yamaha XT-225 for my own. I'd ridden it in Colorado for a week with "serious" dirt bikes in '97 and while not fast took me anywhere I wanted to go. Now it serves as my "adventure" bike since it's much lighter and easier to ride than my XR-650L. In a pinch it also served as a long-distance road bike on the "Lap of Kentucky" ride where it went 1600+ miles over four days without problems, delivering over 80 MPG with a high of 86.

Here's a bike that will plonk like a trials bike and go just about anywhere off-road, run 55 MPH all day long with a top speed of almost 80, deliver excellent gas mileage and in an emergency haul two people. It was also sold in this country from '92-'07 so parts are not a problem and the aftermarket makes some excellent long-distance accessories for it including a four gallon gas tank.

Could this be a modern replacement for the CT-90/110??? Used ones can be bought for not much more than what clean CT's sell for and it's a much better motorcycle overall.

Don't get me wrong--I love the CT series as much as anybody and would still like to see a reasonably priced one sold here in the US--but dollar-for-dollar a good secondhand XT will provide more giggles than about anything available on two wheels.

I think you are absolutely right. I've never ridden the XT225 but I've riden a DR200. These bikes really are a lot better than the 1960s tech CTs. Of course there is no nostalgia involved with them, but nostalgia only sells so many new bikes. Actually, the manufacturers apparently think it sells almost no new bikes.

I just bought a 1981 C70 for $950. $13 for a new front tire and $8 for a neutral switch and aside from a few scratches, I'll have a near perfect little bike. I could almost buy two more for the price of a new Sym Cub. Why would I want to spend that kind of money just to have something new?

[Woodsrat]

[quote=DC950]...I've never ridden the XT225 but I've riden a DR200./quote]

The XT has snap--one helluva motor for only a 225. A guy on the XT-225 thread on the "Thumpers" forum raced one in a hare scrambles recently!!

I don't know why the Suzuki doesn't have the motor the XT has. It has more to do with it's state of tune than just 25cc's. A nice bike--people ride them across the country--but the XT will absolutely spank it. If the XT were to find a home in a more up-to-date chassis it would be a helluva bike. The late '70's design fork and the screen door closer masquerading as a shock absorber doesn't help the XT much but even with these shortcomings it still works pretty damn well.

[soboy]

I let my 13 year old take my Agility 125 for a spin in the 'hood yesterday. He's been riding 50 and 70cc dirt bikes for 5 years now and he loved the power of the Agility. Now he wants one, of course. And a dual sport. I told him that once he is old enough for a motorcycle learner's permit, I would get him a dual sport and we can go ride together. So I am thinking when the time comes, an XT225, Super Sherpa, or DR200 would be a perfect bike for him.

[fullmetalscooter]

As much as I love old goldwing at 1000 cc I m not going that way ether. I start on 75 honda cb750 which I road into the ground. Chain snapped holing the crankcase. Then owned 2 gl1000 goldwing. When I decided to go back to riding I went down to 250 cc elite . I wanted a helix but dam you can't find them In canada much. it goes 125 K an hour. Get 65 mpg which is more then some large bikes. I can't see buying any big bikes except an royal enfiled which gets 85 MPG. It doesn't make scene to me to go faster then 65 if I m touring. The more MPG the longer you can stay out on the road.

[tennmoto]

been checking in here for months, and studying and test rides when possible. I want a scooter bad after riding several;aprilia bv250,Sym hd200,Zuma 125,burgman 650.
I still need to save money to do it, but meanwhile I,m just dreamin still.
I think so far I would get a Honda Helix,burgman 400,Sym or Kymco 250.

steve
hd1200R