That CCM looks mighty fine to me mate (errm, sure I've seen that photo before somewhere
).
Anyway, whats wrong with having a "big one" etc, etc
Still, moving swiftly on from the double entendres here's a small one that you certainly wouldn't want!!!!!
It's a Jingaling 125 or something like that. it says XR on th eside but it certainly aint no Honda.
I have to be honest and say that I was open minded about the new wave of cheap Chinese bikes about. I know alot of people are snooty about them but then a lot of people were like that about Jap bikes once upon a time and look what happened next.
Mind you, before Monday i'd never ridden one. Having now had the experienced I can say that if the Chinese are thinking of taking over the biking world in the 21st Century like the Japs did in the 20th there gonna have to do a lot better than this.
The bikes not mine, it's been loaned to my sister in law as a daily commuter. She offered me a quick test ride to see what I thought, how could I refuse. I took it for a spin though town, down the bypass and then because I was passing it anyway along a very easy but pleasant byway.
Verdict?
Ohh dear, ohh dear, ohh dear! What a pile of cr*p.
This bike was one year old and had literally only done 100 miles. It has repeatedly broken down, the wiring melted on the exhaust causing total failure, one of the side panels just cracked for no reason and the starter motor packed up. Sure it has a kickstart but it is so badly designed that at full swing it smashes the footpeg which is spring mounted so can't be folded up out of the way. After a few vigourous kicks this flimsy stick like lever was so bent out of shape that it made operating the rear brake almost impossible (not that the brakes do very much in the way of braking). The battery was dead and refused to charge (not that it mattered of course because the starter motor was knackered anyway) and the front tyre was creeping round the rusty steel rim threatening to rip the valve out despite be run at high "road" pressures.
But thats not the worst of it
Flat out it would only do 45mph and I do mean flat out. Its not so much the motor which was actually quite willing to rev and delivered a nice sort of tourquey power around town but the gear box. There's something missing, like a sixth gear.
That just about sums up the bike. The one good feature (the engine) is utterly ruined by a horribly miss matched gearbox. I'm sure that some sprocket changing would deliver an improvement of sorts but it's still going to be a poor performer even for a 125.
And don't think that I've just got a downer on small bore bikes, I haven't. I started out on a DT80 and did loads of trail riding on a TS125R. Some 125s make superb little trail bikes but from what I've seen of the Jingaling it is an utter waste of money. However cheap they may be just don't do it. Any (and I do mean any) second hand jap bike will be vastly better value if only because they are all (even the old ones) vastly better built.
Of course taking the thing on the trail was always a bit of a joke (even though its the mildest green lane you could ever find) but it did have one saving grace, it was very quiet.
Just to prove I'd done it I stopped to take a couple of photos but despite the fact that the red plastics nicely matched the red byway markers I'm afraid to say that the rest of the bike just sort of spoiled the view.
If there's anyone who's reading this who's got one and likes it I'm sorry. I know that I have been very harsh in my critiscisms but I just can't hide my disapointment. I really had hoped that it would be good in a cheap and chearful two fingers to convention kind of a way.
It wasn't, it was just cr*p.
cheers
Richard