I dislike the Zing’s riding position. The tank is too wide and forces my knees out further than I am comfortable with. I agree they look cool, but they’re also pretty slow I think, though probably not as slow as any of the FZR’s I’ve ridden.
Well, how fast do you wanna go?
jd, I have a thought for you. Your budjet is too low to be picky with the model if I may say. To an extent anyways, you shouldn’t go for a model you dislike either. My advice is to pick one that is in good condition.
Here’s what you need to look for.
1-bike starts easily?
2-choke works when the bike is cold?
3-bike idles nicely once it’s warmed up.
4-look for oil leaks on the front forks and rear shocks.
5-get on your knees and look under the bike for oil deposits and leaks.
6-test all the lights. Make sure components such as rpm, odometer, gas gauge, neutral light, etc, are working.
7-tires
8-brake pads tickness
9-rear sproket and chain
10-When test driving, use the front break aggressively and listen for knocking noises in the front end. Most of these bikes will have loose head sets.
11-Last but not the least, find a safe road and beat the bike to the red in first second and third. The bike should rev easily and smoothly all the way up to max rev. If it doesn’t or if it seems to linger at about 8 or 9000 rpm then the bike isn’t tuned. Make sure the bike is nice and warm when you do that.
Joesax gave you the best advices as far as warranty goes. Even the guys who told you they’d warranty your engine for a year would probably charge you for the parts but do the install for free.
Here’s the beauty, any of the above possible problems, they’ll fix it for free if you say you will buy the bike. You’d be amazed the amount of work you can have them put on your bike if you guarantee you will buy it once fixed. They hate to sell bikes with problems. They’ll always say the bike is perfect so if you find imperfections…It will be taken care of before you even drive away.
I got a CDI, break pads front and back, rpm troubles, front forks seals and I can’t remember what else done on my nsr when I bought it.
My wife didn’t want a grey scooter. I offered the same price if they replaced all the plastic to blue and I requested a new muffler. They did it.
best,
bobepine
[quote=“ratlung”]I will have to take a look at those other motorbikes you mentioned, although I trust the Yamaha the most, at least just judging from Yamaha’s reputation, but I might be wrong.[/quote]The SR’s and the vast majority of small Yamaha bikes here (except for the Dragfire) are made by Yamaha Taiwan. Yes the SR’s are fairly reliable and strong but don’t expect too much in the way of modern precision engineering and lightweight materials!
[quote=“ratlung”]I am not sure if I need a brand new motorcycle, I was hoping to get something below NT$ 20.000, although even for a used bike especially only a 150cc that is pretty expensive. I won’t stay In Taiwan forever, and it seems that a new bike just drops in value too much, especially in the first couple of months, to justify such a move for myself. [/quote]Fair enough if you don’t want to get a new bike. But I think you’d do better if you had a 25,000 total budget. The lower the price of the bike, the more you’ll have to spend on fixing it up.
[quote=“ratlung”]I just had a look at a Hartford VR 150 H, looks nice, where are those made? [/quote]The Hartfords are made close to Taichung, Taiwan. I don’t think you’d get one within your budget, though. And you certainly wouldn’t get a Kymco KTR for that money. You’d be more likely to get a SYM Legend or a Yamaha SR150. The SYM Legend is a reasonable bike though the saddle is a bit small for 2-up riding over any distance. It has developed over the years. I think the original ones are around 8 or more years old now and they’re showing their age. There are some ratty ones around. The oldest ones have a front drum brake – I’d avoid that if I were you. The mid-period ones have a front disc, and the ones produced in the last couple of years also have a rev counter. I wouldn’t say the rev counter was a must, and you’re more likely to get one of the mid-period ones within your budget.
The Legend is closely based on a long-running bike by SYM – not sure what it’s called but they usually have a blue petrol tank. They have drum brakes only. Because of the lack of “cool” styling you could well get one a whole lot cheaper than a Legend but in similar condition. Not sure whether they’re still made now and if not when they stopped making them.
Kymco also makes or made a reasonable-looking thing called the “Grand King 150”. Again, it’s what a lot of people call a “farmer bike” and it’s nothing special to look at but seems fairly strong and again should be relatively cheap due to lack of “cool”.
[quote=“kamiwaza”][quote=“jdsmith”]You knowledgable biker types wanna give the whatforrundown on these bikes, please?
… tw.f4.page.bid.yahoo.com/tw/auction/d10467395 Kymco cruiser, no?[/quote]
This is a Kymco Custom 150. Much higher seat and clearance than the Zing.[/quote]JDSmith, sounds like you might want to look for one of these rather than a Zing. More comfortable I think. I went for a ride in the hills with my friend who was riding one of these, if I remember rightly. He was able to give my FZ150 a run for its money. (My feeble excuse is that I was taking it easy on tires past their prime.)
You say that a shop offered a one year “engine warranty”. I don’t really feel this means much. An engine can get itself into various advanced states of disrepair before it actually stops working. Anyway, from other things you’ve said, sounds like you’d be best to shop around.
[quote=“bobepine”]
Here’s what you need to look for.
1-bike starts easily?
2-choke works when the bike is cold?
3-bike idles nicely once it’s warmed up.
4-look for oil leaks on the front forks and rear shocks.
5-get on your knees and look under the bike for oil deposits and leaks.
6-test all the lights. Make sure components such as rpm, odometer, gas gauge, neutral light, etc, are working.
7-tires
8-brake pads tickness
9-rear sproket and chain
10-When test driving, use the front break aggressively and listen for knocking noises in the fron end. Most of these bikes will have loose head sets.
11-Last but not the least, find a safe road and beat the bike to the red in first second and third. The bike should rev easily and smoothly all the way up to max rev. If it doesn’t or if it seems to linger at about 8 or 9000 rpm then the bike isn’t tuned. Make sure the bike is nice and warm when you do that.[/quote]
I totally agree with what bobepine said. This is the bottom end of bikes so you can’t be too picky. That said, I’d apply bobepine’s wisdom to any bike purchase. If it’s not mechanically sound it’s not worth it.
WRT warranty, I got a deal where they would fix anything for free, and replace what couldn’t be fixed. Of course, I’m not saying it would be honoured in the event, nor am I saying that you could get it anywhere but as I stressed before, there will be a price difference no matter what if you buy from a dealer. The place you make it up is in the warranty. Make sure you get a good warranty. Six months is not enough.
[quote=“jdsmith”]
Sadly, upon closer inspection, the Dragfires I saw, were “Dragfires” as in Kymco’s with a DF sticker. Dicks! :fume:
Anyway, the guy DID say though that they would offer a 1 year warrenty for engine problems. I think I’m through with this place though, as the price she gave me on the first day and the price He gave me this time, were vastly different.[/quote]
I had a look at some (real) DFs today, all <3 years old, and all around 50K. I realise these are much younger bikes but I think a 10yr old DF would go for around 35K, maybe more.
As for the Custom 150, it too is an old, old bike though I don’t recall if it’s pushrod or OHC, my guess would be the former. I’m not sure it would be a “more comfortable” bike as the riding position is more upright. The Zings are designed for cruising and I think they are pretty comfy. On the upside, the Custom has really clearance (good for uneven ground, riding up and down curbs etc 
), has a shorter wheelbase (better maneuvarability in traffic, though slightly less stable) and I’ll bet it’s a lot lighter too. Cheaper also?
Happy hunting.
Cheers
kamiwaza
PS Have you considered the humble Husky?
I guess it does not matter much if I get a Yamaha or a local brand then. I will have to do more research on the other bikes you mentioned above and below. But difficult if most of the websides are in chinese, and my chinese character recognition is limited to translation sides.
Hmm, I don’t think NT 5000 matters much, especially if you get a more reliable vehicle for that amount of money. I just like to set a low limit, so I have some room for adjustment, instead of going totally overboard. It is probably more a psychological thing.
That’s what I thought, and the older once are probably not that great either.
Well, I do have a passenger on there. Not sure how long of rides we will make, but a few daylong trips might be possible.
Well, coolness is not a major factor for me, more mechanically okay and not too flashy. I don’t want to get picked out by every second cop or gangster I meet. I would like to be able to leave the bike anywhere I want to without worrying too much about it.
Thanks bobepine, that’s good advise.
Husky? Hmm, I heard they were fat and slow.
We’ll see.Shopping for bikes online sucks, because they all look good or bad, and there’s no way of knowing. But my brother in law and I will go out to the shops soon and do some looking and test driving.
I’ll take that list with me. 
I actually got in the saddle of a Zing today (didn’t ride it anywhere though). I agree a little with Paogao about the fat, fat tank. It did feel a little wide, though you’d probably get used to it. Haven’t been on a Custom yet.
Cheers
kamiwaza
The Custom, 135-cc version, was my first bike here, and it served me very well. Reliable and powerful enough for local riding, comfy seat. I imagine the addition of the disc brake and the extra engine size would only make it more appealing.
I had the same bike, and liked it a lot. And the same again, I want more power and better brakes.
I forgot…Make that number 12- It only takes three months for gas to lose its octane level so if a used bike has been parked for too long at a dealer, the bike will run like crap and most likely will spew white smoke. Small engines are finicky that way. I’ve also noticed that in second hand shops, bikes always have little gas left in the tank causing moisture issues as well and more white smoke. Putting 50 nt in the gas tank will often eliminate the smoke and do a great deal of difference at high rev and for easy starts. In other words, if the bike has an empty tank, drive to a gas station and put some in if you really want to try the bike at its best. Something simple but it makes a significant difference. Bikes often sit for much longer than three months and by then the gas is diluted with moisture and the octane level is below the bike’s requirements.
bobepine
- Check the side stand off switch when bike is not in neutral, always
good for safety reasons.
[quote=“ratlung”]13. Check the side stand off switch when bike is not in neutral, always good for safety reasons.[/quote]I don’t think any of the bikes mentioned in this thread HAVE a side stand off switch.
Interesting bike, not all that bad looking. Must be dependable as I see a lot of the gas delivery people with 'em and couriers and such. Specs at link.
Kymco Grand King 150
bikez.com/motorcycles/kymco_ … g_2005.php
I just bought a used Kymco Grand King 125. Looks exactly like the picture TC posted. Mine is a 2003 model that was driven by an old man until his wife wouldn’t let him drive it anymore! 
It has 3700 kilometers on it and it and so far has behaved quite well. I know the shop owners and trusted their appraisal of the bike, so I picked it up for 19,000 NT.
Once I tore all the old man junk off of it (blue box, advertisement-mud flap, etc.) it looks fine to me…especially for that price. Because its my first motorcycle I don’t know the negatives of this bike in comparison to others.
Saw a 2003 Dragfire today in Taipei for 52K. Looks nice.
I heard there was a “motorcycle road” in Taoyuan. Anyone got an address?
I am considering to look at some FZ150 Breeze bikes. I believe joesax owns one. Do you have any tips at what spots to pay close attention to. Like certain engine seals prone to leak, frame parts that start rusting easily, or popular modifikations that aren’t legal. Any help is highly appreciated.
[quote=“ratlung”]I am considering to look at some FZ150 Breeze bikes. I believe joesax owns one. Do you have any tips at what spots to pay close attention to. Like certain engine seals prone to leak, frame parts that start rusting easily, or popular modifikations that aren’t legal. Any help is highly appreciated.[/quote]I did own one and got a lot of riding out of it, but I swapped it for a scooter recently. I just got frustrated with the heavy steering, the overall weight and the lacklustre power. They look and sound quite nice but think carefully before buying one.
I can’t think of anything in particular to look out for.
I went through several “electrical control boxes”. I’m not sure what the correct name for this part is but it’s a black cuboid that fits under a cover on the left side. It was probably the heat of the engine that broke them. Anyway, if it’s broken it won’t charge the battery properly. Not sure whether this is common or was just a problem on my bike.
Hmm, that is not exactly what I wanted to hear. I thought the Breeze would be a little better than the FZR, but I must have been wrong. Joe, didn’t you mention they were more powerful than the SR, and more comfortable? That made me tend towards the Breeze. Well, maybe I get to test ride one in the coming days.
EDIT:
Just found your post, more powerful, but less in the lower rev range. Got it, and less comfortable. My brain is becoming a swiss cheese. :s
Got a 150 kymco husky today. Nice condition. 20k. FInally.
We happy 