Digging…has anyone actually found a dealer willing to sell this bike?
I know of at least one that has been purchased…ian23, Mordeth, myself and a few others ran laps with it one weekend at the track. It had legal plates and was purchased in Taipei for around 100k.
Dig a little deeper…They’re around.[/quote]
And can you give us your impression of it?
and after further digging an email directly from CPI:
From: CPI Patricia [mailto:pwei@cpi-motor.com.tw]
Sent: 05 March 2008 01:37 PM
To: Mike Papa
Subject: Re: Inquiry (from Taiwan Commerce)
Dear Mike,
Yes, the Supermoto 250 will be available in Taiwan market within coming months and currently is still waiting for launch approval from the domestic Enviromental Bureau after we passed all the tests. Sorry to say that we can not expect a definite date from government officials.
Once we have any good news, we will keep you informed.
Thank you for your kind patience.
Regards,
CPI Motor
According to this perhaps the SM250 seen at the track was not legitimately licensed?
TERRIFIC NEWS. SymKym knees are rattling.
I doubt that. I have it on very good authority that Sym are bringing out a new scooter. It will be green, it will have cornering scrapers fitted AS STANDARD! and it will have blue leds all over it. That’ll be more than enough to grab market share.
Yes, to reduce the population of pedestrians who dare to step off a curb at an intersection whenever the “Chariot of Death” approaches. I assume the scrapers are retractable for ease of parking and squeezing up to the starting line.
CPi sent me some pictures today I have hosted them here:
aycu36.webshots.com/image/44755/ … 552_rs.jpg
aycu26.webshots.com/image/46465/ … 496_rs.jpg
aycu13.webshots.com/image/45452/ … 498_rs.jpg
From email:
…Since the bike is not yet in sales (not before receiving approval certificate from local Environmental Bureau), there is no bike test/review can be found in internet. However we did have attended some domestic shows to make the first move and also the bike won the championship in Longtan TSR race track on July 8, 2007. Attached pls find some photos.
Looks like that little bike could be a lot of fun! I’m excited again. Can’t wait for a review.
It is a little bike isnt it 
I noticed however that the Pics I got from CPI are of an SX250 on SM250 Wheels, no biggie though since the bikes are identical save for the Wheels, Fork and Swingarm markings, the look of the front disc and the Paint job.
Even so, i hope they do release the SM as advertised as I feel that those small differences help it look alot nicer than the SX.
I’m guessing the SX is 21" front, 17" rear, and the SM is 2 x 17".
News from CPI:
This is to inform you that CPI SM250 finally receives the Taiwan homologation certificate and will be launched in May 2008.
What about the SX? Also homologated?
From CPI:
SX250 will be launched one or two months later than SM250 as that is another certificate to receive. Once I have any good news, I will keep you informed.
Of course, if he can’t wait, he can buy the SX wheels to put on the SM. That way, he can enjoy his ride without further waiting…
dude, the SM is better than the SX… if u want a track and a road… now if u want a dirt track then wait for a bit and get the SX
Dogma, thanks. Looks like we’ll see reviews of the SM before the SX, but it should be pretty easy to extrapolate.
I ride a friend’s WR250F Yamaha offroad and onroad. Offroad, I miss the torque of a bigger moto, even a 400, in climbing loose rock trails, but I never max out top speed. On road, 100 kph is cruel and unusual punishment for the poor thing. My guess is, other than the larger front wheel, the SX will have lower gearing than the SM.
More info to end price speculation, again from CPI so the shop may try the usual tricks:
“The nominal end user price is NT$98,000 including license plate and insurance.”
Still waiting for reviews to make up your minds?
I asked about seeing the bike for myself if you can get out there:
For the sample you want to try, you can contact with (03)335-6566 at no. 410, Zhong-Shan Road, Taoyuan City (name of the shop is "Jin-Xin) next week as they will have our sample bike
I will be going out there and if I like it i’ll be placing my order within 2 weeks if the dealer doesnt try and screw me…
a friend/customer of mine imports and sells all kinds of bikes in Turkey, amongst them many of CPI’s range… he says CPI’s 250SM is one of the best models he sells, very low vibration, great reliability and good performance… as for the dealers pulling a fast one, they’ll more than likely try, but at 98k retail they’re making their margins no problem… the astronomical increase in steel prices may well mean a price hike soon though, so those who are keen might be wise to strike while the deal is hot…