Hello from Beijing, China
 

Hi all... I'm an American who has been living in Beijing for the last 2 years. I've been riding a Chinese made copy of the Honda Big Ruckus (great bike!) for the last year or so and decided it was time to move up to a real motorcycle and get rid of my toy. So, I picked the gz250. It should be delivered to me today... I got some extra stuff put onto it like the side boxes, windscreen (although not stock), and a different seat. Will post a photo when it arrives.

One question... I want to hook up a stereo system on it. Any recommendations?

Brian

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

Suggest an ipod! :2tup: Welcome on board, looking forward to your pictures! How much does the bike cost in China?

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

What he said.

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

Ha... a lot cheaper than in the states. New one will cost about 14,500 plus the plates which are 1600 or so. Total, 16,500rmb, at an exchange rate of 1:6.8. That means about $2400usd, including alarm, windscreen, and those side mounted hard boxes, with chrome guards around them. Oh... and 2 helmets and a nice rear box!

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

The charging system on the GZ's sold here do not leave room for add-ons. If you do end up mounting a radio, don't get one that draws much current. I will assume you've already considered:

1) you won't be able to hear it.
2) It will be a distraction.
3) One more thing to worry about getting ripped off.

You did get a great deal on the GZ!

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

Hi there, & welcome to the forum.

More information on the alarm please. I've seen them on other bikes, (not GZs) as factory fitted items, but not ones that are aftermarket. I'd like to fit one, as someone broke into my luggage box, in our underground parking, a while back,but I've never seen DIY bike alarms. :)

BTW Nearly EVERYTHING coming into Spain at the moment is Chinese. Stuff made elsewhere in the world costs $$$$$$$$$
whereas Chinese stuff is nickels & dimes. I mean electric drills for the equivalent of $10, bench grinders for $15. How do they do it? I know the quality isn't A1, but it's perfectly acceptable.

Apart from the bikes, that is. I bought a Lanvertti a couple of years ago. I had so many problems with it in the first couple of months that the dealer gave me my money back, & I put the extra down & got my GZ. :2tup:

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

Warning! Thread drift ahead!

Nearly everything coming into the US is also from China. Wages are low, the currency is artificially low and many industries are controlled by the state. You might as well ask "How can the US government 'bail out' AIG for 80 billion or have a 1 trillion dollar 'stimulus' when they already are 11 trillion in the whole." As long as nobody tries to call in the IOU's, many things are possible.

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

About the radio - i really won't be able to hear it? I've been next to people at stoplights before in the states, and they have some huge bike which has a very audible stereo system...

About the alarm - it works great. I got it thrown in, but if I had to pay for it, they would have charged me about $25usd for it (installation included).

I got a windscreen I'd like to show people here - it's not something I've ever found on the net before, and adds a kind of sporty look to it. I'll post a photo.

One question - will it hurt anything if I start in second gear, instead of first? It's probably been asked and answered elsewhere, but I didn't see it!

About stuff in China - yeah - it's cheap - and the quality ranges from terrible to good. When you live here, you find there is a whole other level of quality for domestic products which never gets exported... the SUPER low quality stuff. But depending on what you want, and how long you need it to last, if you buy smart, you can save money.

As for the guy who wrote about an electric drill for $10... think about what it is... it's a small shitty motor, and plastic parts. The ones you would find in spain for $10 are made for domestic use, and Chinese wages are low. The factory who sells them, probably sells them for $5 or $6, and whoever exports them sells them for $1 more, and whoever retails them sells them for $3 more, and that's still a 30% markup. So if everyone in the process does a good volume business, it works, and you get an electric drill that lasts about a year, if you don't use it too much.

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

If you slip the clutch enough you can start in third gear, but I think you'll get the best acceleration if you work your way up and don't skip first. First gets it rolling quickest. If you are headed downhill it might not matter.

The thing that I think is more important is the habits that you will form. I find it to be best to be in first gear at a stop for a number of reasons. After six months or so of riding, much of what you end up doing is all done automatically without thinking. I agree that the GZ is somewhat pokey as far as getting going and there ain't much go in first, but after a while you don't notice it as much. If you leave it in second when you come to a stop on a hill, you might stall out.

I can actually get my Strat rolling in fifth gear, but, like the GZ, I think it works best if i go through the normal paces.

Re: Hello from Beijing, China
 

No, not if you are good with the clutch and throttle BUT......that's kind of the reason that lots of us add a tooth to the front sprocket. Lots of discussion on that on here in older theads.