I am dyyyyyying for a Kawasaki B1. But I do think a 150cc is better…do all 150cc’s have 4strokes? I had a Sym 125 before…loved it…bought it second hand for NT8000. The neutral was under 1st and there was something wrong in the engine so the light couldn’t go on when it was neutral. Had a couple of interesting moments:) Would have cost me more than what the bike was worth to fix it…
I really like the KTR but it’s a little high for me…I live on a mountain and had issues with my old bike…stopping uphill was hard, and the KTR is reallly tall…not sure if I could keep myself upright…the handlebars also look really wide…I enjoyed the higher handle bars on my 125…(it was like those blue ones the farmers and gas delivery ppl use) I found with the old(dorky) raised bars it was easier to squeeze into tight parking spots, because the handles went over the handle bars of scooters…where the ‘cooler looking’ lower handles would have issues.
If price wasn’t an option I would go for a Chopper…have seen the coolest custom bikes. And people are doing really cool things with the Mini Hartford too…but you look like a bit of a dork on it…especially with someone on the back…and it doesn’t go that fast.
I think Hartford is a little more expensive to fix.
[quote=“Paul Muskinbak”]Abacus, would you mind posting what you like and don’t like about the bike? I mean in general, not necessarily the particular bike you brought.
I originally wanted to buy new and the price put the Hartford out of my reach. The more I think about it, I should buy used. I could get something I really want rather than make do.
In this price range, I like the styling of the Hartford a lot.[/quote]
I am the wrong person to ask about technical questions of any bike (zero motorcycle experience). I simply saw something I liked and felt like I got a good read on heidi and the bike so I bought it. I did like that at her going away party her bike always came up in conversations between her and her friends (w/o knowing that I was the new owner). Now I just need to get out and practice a little more with it. I did take my first cross town voyage last night. Nothing difficult esp since I understand how the traffic works for the most part from bicycling. But I’m in no hurry to ride it a lot until it gets to hot to bicycle.
Well, I have the loan of a friend’s Hartford Mini for a while. I’ve had it for a few days now and so far my desire for a bike has been pretty much extinguished.
I thought riding a geared bike would make my commute a bit more interesting. It doesn’t, it makes it a chore. It’s all city riding, stop-go all the way. I can barely get out of 3rd gear before it’s time to stop at the next light. The handle bars are a lot wider than a scooter, which makes weaving in and out of traffic more difficult. I have to carry my bag on my back rather than on the foot plate of my scooter and there’s no place to put my tea. When in the city, I can’t think of one advantage of riding a bike over a scooter.
I did, however, get a chance to take it out into the county for a spin. It was lots of fun. If I had the time to take leisurely rides through the mountains, a bike would still be on my wish list. But I don’t, so it’s not.
[quote=“Paul Muskinbak”] When in the city, I can’t think of one advantage of riding a bike over a scooter.
[/quote]
Fuel economy (comparing similar engines). More comfortable ride from the bigger wheels and longer travel suspension.
I think that’s about it. Not saying its necessarily enough to compensate for the disadvantages, but I find scooters (at least the small ones) hurt my back more than the RZR does.
[quote=“Paul Muskinbak”]Well, I have the loan of a friend’s Hartford Mini for a while. I’ve had it for a few days now and so far my desire for a bike has been pretty much extinguished.
I thought riding a geared bike would make my commute a bit more interesting. It doesn’t, it makes it a chore. It’s all city riding, stop-go all the way. I can barely get out of 3rd gear before it’s time to stop at the next light. The handle bars are a lot wider than a scooter, which makes weaving in and out of traffic more difficult. I have to carry my bag on my back rather than on the foot plate of my scooter and there’s no place to put my tea. When in the city, I can’t think of one advantage of riding a bike over a scooter.
I did, however, get a chance to take it out into the county for a spin. It was lots of fun. If I had the time to take leisurely rides through the mountains, a bike would still be on my wish list. But I don’t, so it’s not.[/quote]
That’s why I have a bicycle to commute with. The motorcycle will be used during the summer when it’s ridiculously hot (maybe even take MRT/bus, longer city trips and outside of town. It’s also a PITA to park sometimes because it’s bigger and significantly heavier.
Its maybe worth pointing out that, IF fuel economy and a better ride are the only advantages in the city, the Hartford Mini probably compromises at least one of them, Worst-Of-Both-Worlds stylee.
Unless you’re a super-shortarse, or more than usually a fashion victim, I’d think it’d be one to especially avoid.
The Hartford Mini isn’t something I’d buy. I’m not that tall at 5’8” and it’s not comfortable because my legs are too bent at the knee, my knees ache after a short time. I also get a back ache from riding a scooter but don’t on the Hartford because the bars are much higher, that is indeed one advantage. But fuel economy? Unless you’re putting in serious, serious miles the savings are going to be pence, negligible, aren’t they?
My observations on the disadvantages of a bike over a scooter were based on bikes in general and (my opinion of) using them in a city, not biased towards the Mini.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not down on bikes. If I had the time to tour and hoon around I WOULD get one, even driving the little Hartford out of the city is lots of fun. I wanted a bike for my daily commute, but I’ve since discovered, as far as I’m concerned, it’s not practical – and that’s nothing to do with the particulars of a Hartford Mini.
[quote=“Paul Muskinbak”]Well, I have the loan of a friend’s Hartford Mini for a while. I’ve had it for a few days now and so far my desire for a bike has been pretty much extinguished.
I thought riding a geared bike would make my commute a bit more interesting. It doesn’t, it makes it a chore. It’s all city riding, stop-go all the way. I can barely get out of 3rd gear before it’s time to stop at the next light. The handle bars are a lot wider than a scooter, which makes weaving in and out of traffic more difficult. I have to carry my bag on my back rather than on the foot plate of my scooter and there’s no place to put my tea. When in the city, I can’t think of one advantage of riding a bike over a scooter.
I did, however, get a chance to take it out into the county for a spin. It was lots of fun. If I had the time to take leisurely rides through the mountains, a bike would still be on my wish list. But I don’t, so it’s not.[/quote]
Hahaha. Sounds like that put a damper on the idea that “oooooh motorcycles will make me so cool and manly”.
The bike’s gone back. At first I was pretty negative about it, but the more I rode it, the more I liked it. My outlook has changed a bit; I’m no longer desperate for a new bike. However, if the right used one comes along at a good price I’ll buy it.
I’ve got a 6 year old Hartford now but I find it to be way too short for me (I’m 182cm). For commuting it’s fine but anything further and it gives me a bad back. The new 灰狼150Fi looks taller than the 雲豹150Fi but i can’t find any reviews for it.
The suspension has already been raised but if anything, that seems to make things worse. When I brake heavily, I slide forward on the seat, especially going downhill.
[quote=“spunkymonkey”]The suspension has already been raised but if anything, that seems to make things worse. When I brake heavily, I slide forward on the seat, especially going downhill.
The new Hartford only came out this year I think.[/quote]
I squeeze the tank as much as I can. It seems to me that the distance between the pegs and the seat is causing me the most problems. It feels like my feet are squahed up towards my shins.
It might be possible to lower the footrests. That helps a lot if you are really too tall for the bike. You can also have the seat reupholstered to raise the front part of the seat. One, it will help stop you sliding forward. Two, it will make the seat height taller. Three, it will increase the distance between the seat and the footrests. Lots of specialist shops do this work and it’s cheap.
depending on how hard you ride the bike, the better solution might be as redwagon suggested and getting the seat redone.
i would be wary of doing anything to lower clearance. i’m sure we’ve all hit the pegs before on spirited rides, and i assume this bike has fold up pegs, but the thought of the peg say running horizontally into a bump or something at full lean just gives me shivers.
[quote=“mabagal”]
I would be wary of doing anything to lower clearance. I’m sure we’ve all hit the pegs before on spirited rides, [/quote]
I’m suggesting a few cm at most and this kind of bike usually drags the stands, muffler or brake hardware before the pegs.
I really want to get a Hartford Mini. At present, i really only ride my NSR to take my boy to and from school, a 3km round trip each time. The only other times I ride it is out to the race track and then to race it. If I got the mini, I can do more to my NSR to make it more competitive and I can use the mini to take my boy to school on and as well as that, it is the right size for him and he can start learning to ride a bike out at the track. I nearly took one for a test ride, but as I was just about to get on, I asked about the gears and I was told it had the cyclic gears, so I said not to worry, I don’t want that kind of bike, but someone posted here a bit back that the mini had the international gears. Can someone please confirm. Also I know you can get brand new ones for NT$58,000, wondering if anyone has seen any cheaper 2nd hand ones. Have never really seen any for sale…