Wouldn’t recommend the FZ150 2-up, even less the miniature racer FZR150. But the FZ150 Breeze (higher handlebars) is fine 2-up. Has more comfortable seats as well.
2-up I prefer a big scooter to a 150cc motorbike. And so does the wife.
Jdsmith, if you’re in Taichung sometime you can try out my FZ150 Breeze.
They’re alright. A bit heavy. Stock seats are not very comfortable but you can get alternatives. (Having said this, my Mum sat on the stock pillion seat around central and north Taiwan without complaining). Suspension’s not bad – probably better than any of the other bikes we’ve been discussing.
I used to have an SR150. Nice little bikes. Not as powerful as the FZ150 but the power is lower down the rev. range making them nicer around town. Stock seats are a bit more comfortable than the FZ’s. Took mine around central and south Taiwan and it did fine.
I wouldn’t recommend a SYM Wolf for much 2-up riding. It’s alright for a while but seat is too short for long distance stuff. The engine is only 125 anyway.
I’ve heard from various owners that the cruiser-type bikes are comfy. I think the Dragfire is probably the best but the other ones are not bad as well. A friend has a pink cruiser – a Kymco I think – and managed to keep up with me through some twisty mountain roads (not that it’s very difficult to keep up with me anyway though).
Sure you don’t want just to get a decent comfy scooter? They’re alright in the mountains you know. I presume you don’t really want to do any knee-scraping corners, right?
[quote=“joesax”]Jdsmith,
Sure you don’t want just to get a decent comfy scooter? They’re alright in the mountains you know. I presume you don’t really want to do any knee-scraping corners, right?[/quote]
No, the scooter just won’t do. I like the feel of the bike. What can I say? The Dragonfire looks niiiice. And If I can find something closer to 20k, or something that looks much the same without giving up too much power, that’ll be the one.
The Kymco cruiser, thanks for telling me its name, is the one I saw a few days ago. That too will do.
Now, just locating one…
thanks for the links folks, and might I add, if you’re scouring the bikes pages in Chinese and see a Dragonfire or Kymco, throw up another link here.
Then I’ll be your best friend. 
jds
I put a link up on the previous page. Here’s the link again.
Thanks for an excellent thread… I have been meaning to post something like this since I am looking for the same thing Mr. JDsmith is looking for, but just never had time.
thanks again for all the advice and links. Gotta find an apartment then a bike or maybe the other way around.
You gotta get you priorities straight. Of course bike first then apartment. 
With a bike you can ride it to hunt for apartments.
[quote=“KawasakiRider”]Click on the brand you are looking for. BTW, many of the bikes you are looking for have different names in Chinese, so simply typing Kymco Wolf in English won’t come up with a hit. Happy browsing.
Click on [相片瀏覽模式] to see each item as a picture icon.
tw.bid.yahoo.com/tw/2092081443-category.html?
[/quote]
Sorry, a bit off topic here, but I looked at that link and came across this:
tw.f2.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/b21826455
Haha how cool do these mini-bikes look! I can’t read chinese but they seem to be 110cc? Thta’s a pretty big engine for a mini bike right? And they’re only NT10,000?? Look like quite a blast… anyway, sorry for being off topic
[quote=“jdsmith”]No, the scooter just won’t do. I like the feel of the bike. What can I say? The Dragonfire looks niiiice. And If I can find something closer to 20k, or something that looks much the same without giving up too much power, that’ll be the one.[/quote]Dragonfire would be a cool name but it’s actually Dragfire. I saw a really nice one a while back. It had hard panniers and topbox and looked a bit like an Electraglide.
I’m not sure that you could get a decent one for 20k though. I think you’d be more likely to get a Kymco in reasonable mechanical condition for that price.
[quote=“joesax”][quote=“jdsmith”]No, the scooter just won’t do. I like the feel of the bike. What can I say? The Dragonfire looks niiiice. And If I can find something closer to 20k, or something that looks much the same without giving up too much power, that’ll be the one.[/quote]Dragonfire would be a cool name but it’s actually Dragfire. I saw a really nice one a while back. It had hard panniers and topbox and looked a bit like an Electraglide.
I’m not sure that you could get a decent one for 20k though. I think you’d be more likely to get a Kymco in reasonable mechanical condition for that price.[/quote]
and I agree.
I just found this 2003 SR150;
tw.f4.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/d14027135
This particular one may be too pricey for you (30,000 asking price) but you can get an idea of the SR150s from the photos. They really are good, strong, reliable and reasonably comfy bikes. It has drum brakes front and back but they’re decent ones and I wouldn’t say that a cheap disk would be any better.
Bwwwaaaaahahahahaha!
No Joe, it doesn’t. It looks like a Hardly Davidson. 
I used to have those panniers – quite cool and matched the green/cream paintwork, with a cool chrome cage around them. So cool, in fact, that someone stole the damn things. :fume:
[quote=“sandman”]It looks like a Hardly Davidson. 
[/quote]Well it’s better than the aging mock-cruiser I saw with a fake Harley crankcase cover dangling from a bolt loosely wedged in the side of the engine!
I saw a couple of Drag Fires today and I am quite a taken with the bike. BUT, the bike I saw was 11 years old, going for 24k.
The linked bike on the first page of this thread was 6 years old and 30K.
Something ain’t kosher. My brotherinlaw told me to go to Yen-Ping N. Rd in Taipei. Lots of bikes there.
Now my question is “Who know a reputable dealer (of motorcycles) who can sell me a Drag Fire in good condition at a reasonable price?”
Be yer best friend. 
Don’t know anyone selling a Dragfire, but there are tons on the Yahoo Bid site. I highly recommend that you DO NOT go to YenPiing Road. Most people who have been into bikes here for awhile all know that that place is where are the chopshops are. If you are looking for refurbished stolen bikes, rolled back odometers, ridiculous prices, rude and pushy betel chewing dealers then that would be the place to find all of the above. Once again, I would suggest buying privately from a seller on Yahoo Bid or asking Jeremy at Bikefarm to locate one for you.
thanks for the heads up.
You knowledgable biker types wanna give the whatforrundown on these bikes, please?
tw.f3.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/c18831624 Is this Dangermouse’s bike?
tw.f4.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/d10467395 Kymco cruiser, no?
tw.f4.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/d14690148 zing?
tw.f3.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/c18440337 zing too?
I don’t know much about the engines, so the year is important I’d think. Odometer?
I’d like something that will hopefully last me two years.
thanks
jdsoontobecruising
Great thread, just what I need at the moment.
I might also be in the market for a motorcycle, no scooter. I am particularly interested in the Yamaha’s FZ 150 or SR 150. Either one seems to be sufficient for my needs. Unfortunately on yahoo are only a few available of each kind, and they also seem to be somewhat pricy.
Since I have no idea how much such a bike would go for I am asking. I am looking for a somewhat older and cheaper bike, maybe 5-10 years old, can have some scratches, but should be mechanically okay. Any ideas how much I would have to spend for this.
Also, how much are the monthly costs for such a bike, tax, insurance etc.
I appreciate any additional information.
Thanks guys.
[quote]I am particularly interested in the Yamaha’s FZ 150[/quote]Trapjaw has one for sale. It looks really good, new tires, runs well. He wants 29000 for it and I think that’s about 10k cheaper than what they go for in second hand shops.
bobepine
[quote=“ratlung”]I might also be in the market for a motorcycle, no scooter. I am particularly interested in the Yamaha’s FZ 150 or SR 150. Either one seems to be sufficient for my needs. Unfortunately on yahoo are only a few available of each kind, and they also seem to be somewhat pricy. [/quote]The FZ150 and the SR150 are really quite different. I’ve owned both (owned in past tense – today I swapped the FZ for a BWS scooter and some cash!)
The SR is a single-cylinder workhorse. It has a reasonably comfortable saddle, nice wide handlebars and a good low centre of gravity. It is nice around town and has alright torque in the mountains. It has drum brakes front and rear but I found them to be plenty powerful enough and to have some progression (squeezing harder means harder braking). It is a very reliable bike. Did you see the one I linked to here?
tw.f4.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/d14027135
The FZ150 in all its incarnations is a fake sportsbike. It has a good quality monoshock, a decent frame and the brakes are fine if well maintained. The more recent model; the FZR150, has oil cooling and dual discs on the front. It has clip-on style handlebars which are low and give an uncomfortable riding position. The FZ 150 is more comfortable, especially the “Breeze” model. But it’s still no picnic. It’s also a bit underpowered and the engine runs fairly hot. It is a bit heavy and has a high centre of gravity. But mine served me well over the last couple of years.
[quote=“bobepine”][quote]I am particularly interested in the Yamaha’s FZ 150[/quote]Trapjaw has one for sale. It looks really good, new tires, runs well. He wants 29000 for it and I think that’s about 10k cheaper than what they go for in second hand shops.
bobepine[/quote]29000 seems a little high unless the bike is in extremely good condition. I’m sure it’s a good bike but the sad truth is that you don’t get back nearly what you put into these bikes. I put over 40,000NT into parts and renovation of the FZ but of course I didn’t get anything like that on the trade-in. I’m not too sad as I got a lot of good riding out of it, but no-one should buy a bike like this and expect it to keep value.
[quote=“jdsmith”]You knowledgable biker types wanna give the whatforrundown on these bikes, please…
I’d like something that will hopefully last me two years.[/quote]They all look like Kymco Xings to me. I can’t really tell much about the quality from the photos, sorry. And while the age is important so are a lot of other things. Anyway, the first one seemed to be in the best condition.
It would be best if you could take someone along to have a look at the bikes you’re interested in.
I think that with any motorbike in this price range you’ll be looking at putting some money into parts and maintenance to get it running really well and reliably. What I would do is to find a trusted mechanic, tell him/her your budget for parts and get him/her to do a good all-round maintenance job. That will save you money and hassle and also result in a much safer and more pleasurable ride.
Sorry I can’t be more help. Maybe someone else can give some better advice.