Taiwan Motorcycle Buyers Guide
These are just reviews on many of the local and imported 250cc and under motorcycles here in Taiwan that foreigners and local Taiwanese have written about. These are riders that have owned these motorcycles here in Taiwan and given me their personal opinions and experiences. Every rider will have their own opinions and experiences, so if you want to help me review one of these motorcycles, then please email mail me and I will be more than happy to add your review to the list. Enjoy.
AEON MY125
CPI SM250
2008
I owned a CPI for about three months. I enjoyed riding it. It’s light, flick-able, with decent suspension travel. Stock, the fork springs were really soft and caused dive and running wide in corners. Once I upgraded those, the handling was already. I took it to the race track and it did fine. Power was about what you’d expect from a 250 single. The seat was so soft I’d go through to the frame beneath and it caused a lot of discomfort very quickly. It was horribly unreliable. The mechanic who sold it to me hid a bad carburetor and a bad water pump from me. After I fixed those, the clutch cable broke, it used oil and the voltage regulator went out. I became convinced it was going to leave me stranded so I sold it.
CPI SM250, 2011
I have owned this bike for a little over a year. Had no problems with it except had to replace the master brake cylinder when it got knocked over during a typhoon. Otherwise, it's been reliable. I had my doubts about the bike because of the reviews about the questionable quality from the first generation, but it seems like they fixed most of the problems. Overall, I'm impressed. It's the most fun you can have for not a lot of money. I'll recommend it to anyone. The only issue I have with the bike is some parts rust quite easily if left out in the rain too often. I recommend using a motorcycle cover.
CPI 250, 2008
These bikes get a bad rap, but I want everyone to know that all the problems they had were fixed after 2011. I personally think these bikes are the best bike for the amount of power you get for the price. Mine was a first gen and I bought it used from a guy that had previously raced it. I knew the guy and even though he had raced it, he had taken care of it. I loved that bike so much. The stock brakes and front suspension is terrible though and needs to be changed. This bike was a weekend warrior bike for me, so when I rode it I treated it like shit. I rode it like a bat out of hell. I also raced it many times on the old Longtan TIS track. It was so much fun. The only major problems I had was the electronic speedometer crapped out on me twice. The stock carburetor is terrible and I replaced it. I recommend anyone that buys this bike to replace the carburetor to something that will give you more power too. Like a CVK 32/34mm. If you take care of these bikes they will give you a ton of pleasure. They are torque monsters too. If you are riding long distances then I wouldn’t bother buying this bike. The seat was a little uncomfortable. Don’t listen to what people tell you unless they have owned a CPI. They are great bikes. The first gen models apparently had transmission and frame issues. Mine never did though.
CPI MX 150 (Mini)
1st and second gear is really short and 3rd gear doesn’t have much punch when you want to accelerate out of the corner, but I’m not a very experienced rider, so maybe I just need to learn to blip it down to 2nd gear at a higher speed. Tiny fuel tank and I was beat off the lights by a foreigner on an ancient Kymco this morning. I've only put 550km on it so I can’t comment on reliability
Hartford Leopard HD 150
I owned a ghost bike for many years and then sold it to a friend. Actually, he still owns it. So I don’t know the year of it. A lot of people think the Hartford motorcycles are junk, but in reality, they are great bikes if you take care of them. Their engines are quite strong and reliable. Yes, they have their problems, but as long as you take care of them. The one I had was a ghost bike so it had been abused. Once I fixed a few things it ran great. It had plenty of power to get me up the mountains and around town. The engine has never broken down to this day. Since I sold it to my friend, he has also bought a Kymco KTR and he said that the Hartford sits outside for 2-3 weeks at a time without being ridden, but it always starts right up. I think this bike might be better for taller foreigners compared to some of the others. What I hated about this bike was that it had rotary gears and not international gears. I think the newer ones now have international though. These bikes are tough and can take abuse. I think Hartford is an innovative company and they have lots of different style bikes.
Hartford Leopard HD200S
I owned a modified HD200 that was punched out to 250 cc, extra padding in the seat, taller aftermarket shocks, and a cone air filter. It was punchy off the bottom but ran out of steam about 90 km/h. It felt choked on top. I suspect a bigger carburetor would free it up. The seat, despite the extra padding, was uncomfortable and the seating, bars, and pegs were just all off for me and my body type. Easily the least comfortable of the Taiwanese bikes for my body. It handled fine, but the front end was super vague. I never had any confidence in it. The front brake was really poor and you had to squeeze it a lot to get the bike stopped. It was pretty much on par with the Wolf.
Hartford Sirius 223
I owned this bike, bought it second hand with less than 7000km on it. The Fi system has many problems even after Hartford reset the ECU for me. Hartford told me that these bikes have major quality control issues. Also, the gearbox failed and wasn’t covered under warranty. I suggest staying away from newer Hartford models.
Hartford VR150
Pros
When riding on the road people tend to focus on you because they don’t see bikes like these very often(They are used to KTRs and Wolfs but not these trail bikes), and they tend to stay away from you because the bike is pretty big and most people don’t want to be near it, giving you more riding space.
The trail bike 21/18 rim setting and the long forks/ mono-shock setup makes it great for bad city roads in Taiwan. You can ride over rough surfaces easily where scooters struggle to pass through.
Tons of aftermarket replacement parts and most of those are pretty cheap. Most motorcycles made here share the same parts, so you won’t have trouble finding replacement parts when your bike breaks. And a lot of upgrade options for the engine, 190cc, and 230cc SOHC kits are the most common (Those are around 20K – 25Knt including labors though).
Even when riding with two people the torque is still reasonably good, compared to scooters at lower RPMs, and is still decently responsive.
Cons
It’s very big compared to other common motorcycles and scooters here, so it’s a pain in the ass to find parking spaces for it, a lot of spaces a normal scooter or a KTR will fit in, the VR won’t.
If the rider isn’t tall enough you will have problems when you stop at traffic lights. Since the bike is pretty heavy you’ll have a hard time trying to hold the bike on one of your legs.
It uses an OHV engine, so it can’t rev high and the power band is focused on lower RPMs (it’s pretty narrow). The bike had absolutely no torque over 7K RPM, and the top speed is pretty low compared to most 150cc scooters. You’ll have to do an engine displacement upgrade to get higher top speeds or change the sprockets (But then you’ll lose torque and acceleration).
When you try to rev the engine over 6K rpm the vibration becomes kind of uncomfortable and your hands will feel numb after a lot of riding, you’ll have to.
Tires cost way more than scooters. Front tires are generally in the 1.7-2Knt range and rear tires generally fall in the 2.5-3Knt range (Including labor).
It doesn’t get a fuel gauge, so you’ll have to memorize how far you’ve ridden the bike before getting a gas refill. There is a backup fuel tank though, so if you forgot to put in gas, you can turn the backup tank on and ride to the nearest gas station.
Hartford VR200
Hartford MINI 125
I owned a 2009 Hartford Mini for a little bit. I bought this bike for my girlfriend to have something to ride around town because she wanted to learn how to ride a bike and didn’t want a scooter. I personally didn’t ride it much, but this bike was perfect for her. This isn’t necessarily a bike for a woman either. It was a great bike to ride around town. Mine had international gears and was fuel injected. It didn’t have any problems, except since it was parked outside the chrome got surface rust over it. It was easy to clean off though. I would recommend this bike for someone that wants to learn how to ride or just wants something small around town. It had enough power to ride around the mountains, but obviously not fast. It was easy to ride and easy to find parking for it. We only owned it for about a year and in the time we didn’t have any problems with it.
Honda MSX 125cc (2016)
It's the 2nd generation and I have owned it since the end of December, so still pretty recent.
At the time I was looking for a commuter which needs to be reliable, but still, you know "cool". For the first part, the Honda's reputation did the job and I really like the look of the bike. So far I'm not disappointed at all!
I really love it and this is why:
Lightness…it is so easy to flick it around traffic, nibbles in the mountain's twisties and being so light makes it a piece of cake for parking. On paper, it looks underpowered, but the lightness makes it up for it and it's not slower than any other 125cc around here.
I average about 2l/100km in the city and even went under 1.9l/100km on few occasions. On the opposite side, I managed to achieve an "impressively" high 3l/100km (50% increased BTW) by riding WOT all afternoon long between Taitung and Hualien.
The build quality…some people will argue that it's expensive compared to other local bikes, but I disagree on that. First, for an imported bike the price (NT$118000) is reasonable to me and it's a HONDA! Second, even its slow cost bike the build assembly, the plastic, neat little (reusable) zip tights on all cables and lines... It's in a different league than any other local brand here. Aftermarket…I'm not crazy about It, but if you want to customize/modify your bike the number of parts available is just incredible
I'm not a big guy so the bike fits me pretty well. I don't look like a circus bear on a tiny bicycle, but for a bigger person, it might be a different story. Not because the bike is too small, but because of the seat. On the 2nd generation they made a higher step for the passenger seating location, therefore, you cannot slide back and forth (the 1st gen has a one-piece same level seat). I'm guessing that bigger stature person might have to fit an aftermarket seat to feel comfortable.
To wrap up this review I will say that this is a really fun toy. This bike is clearly a ("big") toy and it puts a smile on my face every-time I ride it.
Kawasaki B125
So mine was a YongFeng永豐 which is actually made in Taiwan and not Japan. I owned it for about 4 years and 25000km. I bought it used from a shop which restores these motorcycles. At that time I was looking for something different to ride, so it fitted my needs perfectly. I went for a "café" look with low handlebars, so the riding positioning was quite different compared to the usual gas bottle delivery ride. I'm not a big guy (165cm/70kg) so I never suffered any discomfort even after long rides.
Regarding the bike itself:
Overall if you take good care of it, it's pretty reliable. Of course being a 2 stroke you always have to carry a spare spark plug with you just in case. I was giving a good checking/servicing every year prior to our yearly CNY trip so many things were maintained.
It's not a light or a fast bike even though you could make it scream until 100~110km/h and it was really enjoy cruising it around 70~80km/h. At that speed, the bike felt really stable (the weight might have helped) and the engine wasn’t stressed at all. It was also surprising doing well in the mountains even at high altitude.
The downside of the bike I should mention was the brakes, both drums front, and back, which in some way is also good as you have to anticipate a lot more hahaha, but not having the "bite" when you start braking is not confidence inspiring especially in high-density urban traffic. You also have to keep in mind to keep a very conservative pace when riding in the mountains to avoid overheating the drum brakes
To sum it up "character" will describe that bike pretty well. The noise, the smoke, the smell, and the vibration are all charms of 2 strokes bikes.
The only reason I got rid of it was that I was starting to have some electrical problems and used that as an excuse to change for a new bike.
But I'm pretty sure with changing all the wiring it would still be running without any issues.
Kawasaki NINJA 250 (2009)
I have had this bike for almost two years and I can say it is the best looking, fastest and most reliable white plate motorcycle ever made. I would only compare its greatness with a Honda Hornet 250. I upgraded the foot pegs (Dimotiv), brakes (Brembo), and exhaust (Akrapovic). The bike rides like a dream. I have ridden bigger bikes (600cc, 636cc, 1000cc) in Taiwan and I think they are too powerful for the intense city traffic of Tainan (where I spend most of my time). This bike has the perfect dosage of power to make your ride fun while shifting through traffic in the city. Shifting is smooth and I feel like in a video game while riding it. It is the first sports bike I have owned and I am pretty sure I will stick to sports bikes in the future. I have ridden this bike all around Taiwan and it is so much fun. I often go out with red plated bikes and still enter the places I’m not supposed to. I am able to keep up with the bigger bikes. The fastest I have pushed the bike is 170 km/hr on my way to Kenting. I know that a 250 cc is very small by western standards but it is perfect for Taiwan. One complaint I have is that the rear tire is only a 140. I wish it was wider but it is alright. Maintenance is really expensive but I guess that is the cost of owning a Kawasaki sports bike in Taiwan. Another complaint that I have is that the passenger seat is kind of uncomfortable. Every girl I have taken on the bike says the seat is uncomfortable and painful. The bike has a very stable resale price. Sometimes I feel I am too big for the bike when I look myself in pictures but it is ok while riding so it doesn’t really bother me. My dashboard stopped showing the RPM a couple of months ago. My mechanic told me I could replace the whole dashboard (too expensive) or just ignore it. I chose the latter. Other than that I haven’t had any other problems with the bike. I get a lot of attention and compliments with this bike. Even though it is only a 250cc, I feel really confident while on the road with bigger cars or motorcycles.
Pros
The bike has a stable resale price. It is reliable, very agile and quick for being only a 250cc. There is no need to have a big bike license to ride it. It is extremely fun to ride in the city and great at twisties on mountain roads and the track.
Cons
It can’t legally enter some roads because it is a white plate, the rear tire is only a 140, and maintenance is expensive.
Kymco NSR 150
I owned an NSR for over 10 years. The biggest problem with them at the moment is that they are two-stroke motorcycles and possibly in the future, they might be banned here. It’s uncertain at the moment. Another problem that parts are getting hard to find and it’s hard to find a good mechanic to work on them. The NSR is the fastest 150cc you can buy in TW. It’s light and such a blast to ride. The stock setup needs adjustments though. The front brakes and suspension (front and rear) are terribly soft and need to be upgraded. The rear wheel is a weird 18 inch, so there aren’t many tire options. A lot of guys change the rear wheel to a 17-inch wheel. These bikes aren’t the most comfortable, but if you fix the brake and suspension issues then these bikes will give you a ton of pleasure on the mountain roads or race track. They aren’t the best for day to day riding because they don’t make any power until about 7500 RPMs. They are becoming rare here and still hold their value a bit. If you are new to TW, I wouldn’t recommend this as a first motorcycle. There are a lot of aftermarket parts for this bike. This is a great project or weekend warrior bike.
Kymco Grand King 125
About the Grand King, mines a 1998 125cc. It's been super reliable, the motor is Kymco stamped, however, the older models have Honda stamped on them, basically the same engine used in the Honda CG 125. It's a workhorse, not fast, but can climb any steep hill, and has a cyclic 5-speed box. Has both electric and kick-start. I've never had a breakdown in the six years I've had it.
Kymco Zing 150
This is probably the first choice for foreigners if they want a cruiser. These bikes are pretty old, but if they are maintained properly, they can be great bikes. They have an OHV engine which is a noisy engine that vibrates a lot and can’t rev very high. They do have an international gearbox which is great. I have owned a few of these bikes and they are amazingly comfortable to ride. I have always thought the suspension and front brakes were adequate enough as well. This bike isn’t fast at all, but it is a nice ride especially in the mountains. These bikes are old, so parts are also becoming a bit hard to find. Engine parts are no problem to find. What I always loved about this bike is that it had international gears, way better than the rotary gearbox. I have owned 3 of these and mine never had too many problems. Yes, there was always something to fix, but if you keep the service up on them they should be fine. These bikes hold their value if they are in great condition. I remember I always had to tighten the chain on mine; it seemed to get lose faster than any other motorcycle I ever owned.
Kymco KTR 150
I owned a Kymco KTR 150cc 2012. The vehicle was purchased brand new. I rode it for about 6 months before leaving the island. I am 6'2'' in height and weighed around 190 lbs at the time. Cons: 1) Physically too small. I certainly had "clown car" status because of my size in relation to the bike. Considering the selection of Taiwanese white plates though, it was better height wise than the Wolf or other competitors. 2) The seat is nightmarishly uncomfortable. I had to ride seated on a pillow, and I learned early on that the factory seat is simply unridable for any trip of length. Swapped for a new seat solved this problem. I also thought this bike was extremely reliable.
I probably rode it faster than I should have but was surprised that I could get it above 100 KPH. It had a low center of gravity gave me confidence for maneuvering
Having a center stand is nice. My last two bikes have not had that, so it's actually really good to have, even though you don't notice when you have it. I rode tons! I rode from Tainan to Hualien and many other trips. A few months in, the handbrake wires got messed up... no idea how that happened... Actually.... it was the gear cable (I think) I went to some random shop, got it fixed in 30 minutes, and never was an issue again. A few months in, one of the rider's foot pegs actually became loose and damaged simply from riding. I don't know if it was because of my weight or if I naturally pressed too hard and the pegs as a new rider. Again, I got it fixed at a local shop, no further problems.
I rode the KTR on long multi-day trips with a passenger. Never had any issue with the strength of the bike to get us on long trips or mountains. It performed great. I even tested the bike on soft sand at the beach. It was not able to perform well, didn't have traction or strength to move much without assistance.
Overall it is a great bike. I definitely recommend it if someone is okay with the height. Also, I like the functionality of the back. It was useful for setting up a box or simply rigging up gear bungee cords. It is very utilitarian.
I have owned a KTR 150 from 2006 for almost a year now. It's a bit small for me, but I am 6'3''. It’s cheap to maintain. Mine cannot have a rear tire wider than 110, though newer versions can. The seat is quite sturdy. Rear light and neutral light tend to break, and the latter is very hard to replace. Watch out whether there is a frame for putting a box if buying the bike since many don't have it. It lacks a bit of power when going up a hill. The front light is dreadfully weak. It’s a great first bike, durable, fast, easy to control, haven't had any problems with it.
Kymco Quannon 150 Naked
I rode it for five days around the island. This is a mini sports bike. The frame is heavy and stiff and the weight is far forward. The riding position is aggressive. The engine loves revving and gets smoother at 6000 rpm. It’s really fun to lean around corners. The pegs are low stock (my friend has one), but the one I rode had higher rear sets, which was a great addition. The suspension is still budget and the fork dives a lot, but you can push it pretty hard with a decent amount of confidence. The bike tops out above 125 km/h, which is pretty fast for a 150 single. The one I rode had 56,000 km on it, and the transmission had been beaten pretty hard. I couldn’t clutchless shift it like I could my Hartford and SYM because it would pop out of gear. That and my experience with a KTR makes me think that the Kymco transmissions aren’t as good as the others. The front brake on this, along with the extra weight shifted over the front tire, means front end feel is quite good for this class of bike. The brake is linear and easy to modulate. It seems to have more stopping power than the Hartford and SYMs.
With Fairing
Suzuki BS 125
I have owned 2 of these bikes in my time here. One was the mid-90s and the other one was a ghost bike so I never knew the year. You will see the propane gas guys riding these bikes around town. They are 2-strokes, which isn’t the best because they could be banned in the future in Taiwan. They are very classic motorcycles though and clean up nicely. What I liked about them was that they were fun to ride. They just had that simplistic classic feel to them. They aren’t fast at all. They are basically 2-stroke farm bikes. I even rode mine around the island once. I carried an extra spark plug and spark plug tool with me at all times because my plug would foul up sometimes. It was an easy 5 min fix. Parts are still readily available for these bikes. This was the first bike that I owned in TW. Mine had its small problems, so I don’t think they are the most reliable, but not bad. The carburetor is in a weird area and a bit hard to work on. These also have the rotary gears instead of international gears. Mine did fine in the mountains, but they are slow going for sure. These bikes are also still holding a decent value if they are in good condition.
SYM Wolf 125
My personal experience on a Classic Wolf 125: It was a 2008 no fuel injection model. It was awful, it felt like a toy. Sold it after having it for four days, it was just too slow and underpowered, not to mention small and uncomfortable, especially when traveling with a passenger. I might be a bit biased though since I was coming from an FZR bored out to 180cc (claimed the guy who had it before)
SYM Wolf Classic 150
This is the first motorcycle I ever had. I have had it basically since I came to Taiwan (5 years). In overall, I think it has been VERY reliable and fun to ride. Maintenance is dirt cheap. It has never died on me. It has aftermarket rims, exhaust, and seat. This is both good and bad. Good in the sense that it rides comfortably, but bad in the sense that people at the DMV give you hell when you want to make an ownership transfer (stupid laws). I am 6 foot tall, 190 lbs so I look and feel really small on the bike. My Wolf 125 reaches a max speed of around 85 km/hr. A complaint I have with this bike is that the mirrors seem to vibrate too much when you are riding above 80 km/hr, making it difficult to see who is behind you. I ride this bike when I know there is no proper parking space for my beloved Ninja. I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing long trips on this bike because I feel it is too small for me. However, as a cheap commuter it is a great bike.
It is cheap and reliable, but slow, very small and had shaky mirrors at higher speeds.
Uncomfortable seat - Reliable - Widely known - Attractive - Uncomfortable stance if you’re a taller person Hartford HD 150: - Solid Engine - Quality build –
2011 SYM Wolf Classic 150
I had a fuel injected Wolf 150 for about a year and put about 4000 km on it. It was quite reliable and I only had to replace the coil and do regular maintenance. The forks were really soft and the rear suspension would wag in fast corners. I increased shock reload and that helped. It was a really fun bike to ride, even with two people. The transmission was clunky, but clutchless shifts were a breeze. The front brake was extremely very weak.
SYM Husky 150cc
There are two older cruisers that competed against each other which are the SYM Husky and the Kymco Zing. Both are very similar. I have owned both of them and to be honest I think the Zing is a more comfortable bike, but I feel the engine in the Husky is a lot smoother and possibly more reliable. The Husky has an OHC, while the Zing has an OHV. This bike is a 150cc cruiser so it’s heavy and not fast at all. I don’t really like the handlebars on the Husky compared to the Zing. They might look better, but I find them a bit more uncomfortable. I never had too many problems with this bike and rode it in the mountains from time to time. Other than the usual maintenance, it served me well. These bikes are becoming hard to find and are starting to become more of a collector’s bike here in TW. I haven’t seen one on the roads in years. I see way more Zings then Huskys. If I was brand new to Taiwan, this bike probably wouldn’t be the best because some parts are hard to find. If I wanted more of a project and rare cruiser, then this would be a perfect candidate. It’s funny, sometimes when I rode it; Taiwanese people didn’t even know what it was. Remember this bike is a simple old cruiser and it’s not for any kind of performance. Also, this bike has a rotary 5-speed gearbox, which really sucks compared to an international gearbox. Since writing this post the parts to these bikes are getting almost impossible to find. I suggest you stay away unless they are your passion.
Yamaha FZR 150
This motorcycle has a cult-like following in Taiwan. They are actually pretty special motorcycles because they have a V-twin 150cc engine. There isn’t another bike them on the island. Also, the FZR has front dual disc brakes which are also unique. The problems with these bikes are that they are slow. I think they are called screaming turtles because they sound great, but are terribly slow and heavy. The good news is that you can buy the Yamaha SRV 250cc engine and swap out the internals which fit inside the stock engine case. These bikes have a lot of potential. There are loads of Taiwanese that are still riding them. I personally respect them, but I wasn’t too impressed with mine when I had it. It looked good and it was nice on the road, but it wasn’t my style. You can find parts for these bikes, but they are getting harder to find. Engine parts are still available, but parts like tanks and fairings are becoming harder to find. If you are a taller guy, this bike might be uncomfortable for you. I owned the FZ version which is the naked bike with only a single front disc brake. The engines are basically the same between the two models. I never had too many problems, but I remember once my carburetor needed to be adjusted and the mechanic I was using at the time seemed to have trouble adjusting it.
Yamaha FZ150
Yamaha SR 150cc
Besides the Kymco KTR, I have nothing but amazing things to say about this bike. They are great Taiwanese classics. They have their problems of course, but overall they are amazing small cc bikes and will actually hold their value if they are in good condition. The engines are very reliable. The biggest problems are that the gears are rotary style (not international style) and the front brakes are drums. You can fix both these problems, but it will cost you a bit, especially the front brake upgrade. I think this bike would be decent for taller people too, but I’m not 100% on that. Some parts on this bike can be a bit hard to find, things like a gas tank in good condition. There are plenty of Taiwanese people that are still riding these and also making them into café racers. Anything pre-2003 don’t have frame numbers which makes them great candidates for café racers. These bikes are basically old farm bikes though and aren’t going to be winning any races. I really enjoyed mine and would own another one in a heartbeat.
Yamaha Dragonfire 150
The Yamaha Drag Fire 150 is a brilliant entry-level cruiser. I owned one for a year with only basic maintenance required. Pros: Extremely comfortable even after riding on it for several hours Engine is solid and very reliable Cons: Brutally slow aesthetical original parts are mostly discontinued
Yamaha DT 125
Pro’s
Very good power to weight ratio (Mine is completely stock). (A lot more pick up than Quannon, KTR, Wolf, T1 and other 4 strokes 150s that I have ridden and it was easy to kick all those four strokes 150 in stock condition)
Stock Mono shock is pretty good and takes the bumps really well even though it's three decades old suspension
very unique sound (pretty different from other two strokes like NSR, RXZ and other 2Ts in the island). The seat is very comfortable even for long rides ( I didn’t own many supermotos, but in the few, I have owned compared to Hartford VR and CPI SM which made my ass pain after an 8-9 ride, I have ridden DT for 8hrs at a stretch and I was not having any problems).
It’s very good bike for Tall people. ( I am not very short. I’m 176cm but I still feel I am not tall enough to handle it on mountains)
It’s one of the most reliable bikes I have seen in the island. It was parked for 4-5 years without use and when my friend helped me to just clean the carb it came to life. The funny thing is all the bearings including crank bearing were shot but the bike was still rideable. Doesn’t need much maintenance, unlike other bikes.
Probably the cheapest and reliable 2t enduro in Taiwan. VR and other bikes might be around the same budget but the way power kicks in DT is really amazing and thrilling
Parts are very cheap
Cons:
Parts are cheap but almost impossible to get and you have to wait for weeks or probably months to get them from eBay or other sites and I don’t think it is possible to get a new stock cylinder for DT now. (Still possible to get a new cylinder for NSR and other 2Ts.)
Not really good for riding in the cities as the 2t engine gets hot easily in traffic and I felt the way power kicks in is pretty slow ( Might not be its fault as its designed to rev high)
The oil pump is a bitch, It breaks (I don’t know if it happens with all 2Ts as my NSR pump is 2 years old and still work fine). The first day I changed my piston, the oil pump didn’t work and I was not able to diagnose it and almost burnt my new piston. So I suggest owners to manually add oil by removing the pump. But many suggested me to change the pump as oil pump have other functions so I had to replace the pump and still add some oil to the tank to make sure the engine doesn’t blow when the pump stops working.
As air to fuel ratio is very important for any two stroke I suggest everyone check for air leaks from crank seals carburetor manifold etc and make sure your 2t is perfectly jetted with the right main jet that really does wonders on this bike (another lesson learned).