Bikes To Avoid...

[Gr8White]

Edited by GW

[skyscorcher]

Actually I think the ta200 is the most reliable bike. It has only broken down once on me. About the skidding, i think personally it's the rider that shud be careful about riding especially in the rain.

[s4^dreamer]

As a ex-owner of a TA200, I think it's a good bike for 2B. It's heavier than most of the other 2B bikes, therefore it prepared me for 2A. (Of course, the Super 4 is tad heavier than the TA200...)

I've neither skidded on the bike nor dropped the bike...

But I must say that it's a bike that you've got to get used to the handling esp when doing U-turns... The turning radius is pretty wide as compared to the street bikes that you are used to in the driving centres... Also, the rear of the bike is heavy so you've got to be real careful with the rear brake...

In my opinion, bikes to avoid are those with bad engines.... Otherwise, if the engine is good, the other things can be settled easily with Vitamin M...

After all, the engine of the bike is like the heart in a human... if the heart fails, what's the use of changing other components?

[racingter]

My current FZ1 is one of the worst i have . Replaced parts of it the most , but i still love every bike tat i have owned . I think my fave bike would be the TZM n the F4i .

weak frame is a minus pt....

[racingter]

Actually I think the ta200 is the most reliable bike. It has only broken down once on me. About the skidding, i think personally it's the rider that shud be careful about riding especially in the rain.

skidding is not only ta200 it's on every bike...it's the rider who need to be responsible...

[mokamoka]

I cannot agree more with this sentence... "Its the rider,. not the bike!!!"

If the bike i not in good condition, its the rider's responsibility to maintain it.

If the bike skids, either the tire sucks or the rider's legs are too heavy. Its the rider's responsibility to get a set of good tires for the bike, especially when it is always wet in Singapore.

If the bike has a known history of accidents, look at the riders. Its the rider's who are in control and they have fail, thus gotten into an accident.

Therefore, there are no bad bikes, just riders who lack experience or who have overestimated their potential.

Ride safe!!!...

[mb2636]

Should not get a TA200 i guess some who has tat which include me experience on skidding problem...well i shall say that if one a budget type of bike should consider RXK or vespa...sorry but vespa that sell in the forum are rather expensive the trick is to go to the most unknown bike shop and ask the uncle around...sure can get cheap cheap one..after that mod it...and sell it in the forum..vespa got resale value...i guess if u though of getting jus to clear i yr, u should consider this...ha ha...sorry don mean to offend any1...

[kaka321]

I ride before sp150, kips150, k7 600, mito150. To me, sportsbikes are the safest to ride, they dun skid easily, they corner & turn well, they brake well, they are nice to look at. full stop. lol peace~

[elbambino]

hmmm... my opinion is, if ur comfy with the bike, u should be able to handle the bike.. every bike has its own pros n cons.. cruisers got longer wheelbase so they got larger turning circumference.. cant corner as fast as sportbikes.. so wat u do? slow down lah.. as for the braking, i should say its depends on the rider.. u know ur bike can skid in the rain/wet road, take extra precaution lah.. go slow..u got to know ur ability n the capability of ur bike.. so its 50/50 abt the bike good or no good...

maintainence wise, totally depends on rider... the bike cant change eo spark plug chain etc itself right..

manufacturing defects is a diff story.. if not mistaken for bigger bikes if there's a defect at design level, they'll do a recall right? i dunno.. only got a spark n a gilera with almost 2 years of riding experience.. huhu...

maybe the no good bikes r the ones dat r abused?

[deedeeboi]

people should learn "its not the bike, its the rider" rule is true, but only to a certain extent.. don't over-rate it.. so don't come up with this 'excuse' in most bike related topics..

give one skilful rider a ready-to-scrap bike and think he will not fall? some might say, if the rider give enough care he will rectify the problem and make it a swee bike.. then its not the rider, but rider's pocket..

no offence to anyone.. but i still believe in the saying (to a certain extent).. look at the livng legend, Valentino Rossi..

cheers

well said brudda!..best ever said..not siding the evil and the saint

[queirtus]

I ride before sp150, kips150, k7 600, mito150. To me, sportsbikes are the safest to ride, they dun skid easily, they corner & turn well, they brake well, they are nice to look at. full stop. lol peace~

lol totally agree with u,but a bit bias eh ure opinion coz ure history of bikes is all sportsbikes ah bro

[Gr8White]

Nicely said guys, the biker who takes care of the bike will be taken care by the bike... As for the most reliable bike... To me all bikes are reliable as long as there are still parts around the world for it...

[joey_sfb]

Make business sense, petrol savvy so wear n tear rate goes up, then make a killing when the rider need to change part!!!

Solution: Use OEM parts when the bike gets popular.

An ex-pulsar rider told me it's really petrol savvy BUT the spare parts, cost a bomb. So I think comes to the same. I dunno if it's true but that's what he told me.

[joey_sfb]

Why asia ppl avoid and don't take chances?? Simple the warranties here sucks!!!
You go down to their service center to KPKB also no use...

ang-mos they don't even need to KPKB they just sue or class action suit... World of different.

i rem those days when the suzuki GSR600 was just launched, the ang-mos claiming the frame is cracking.
so asia ppl start to avoid buying it......

[Extra Terrestrial]

I rode the TA150 before changing to a Spark135.

On long and straight road, I find it very comfortable to ride. As for raining days, I find that its still quite alright no doubts that its quite heavy.

Personally, I have no problem with braking in the rain. I do not experience "fishtail" incident as I know that this bike requires a longer braking distance than most 2B bikes.

The only fishtail incident I would encounter all the time is the multi-storey carpark flooring. Even with 2 legs on the wet and smooth concrete floor, I was almost free wheeling to "walking speed". As I was approaching the ramp going up to 3 storey where I always park my bike. The moment I open trottle slightly.....The fish surely wail its tail!!! lol

Dangerous in this sense....

my 2cents worth

[iceangel]

the worst bike i have come across is the honda cbx 125, a re-con bike in the late 80s. owned the bike for less than a year, and was a nightware everyday riding it, it will break down as and when it likes.
other than that bike, i believe in the notion, take care of the bike, and the bike will take care of you.
some bikes like harleys will require more TLC - more time spent in the garage means less time breaking down, as some harley owners say. japanese bikes generally require less maintenance, but it still needs proper attention. So, let your heart decide, go for the make and model you like, just give it the TLC it deserves and it will serve you well for years to come

[^kY^]

Phantom TA200 to me is wonderful. Maintainence is low (eg spark plug, EO, airfilter). i don't have issues of topping up EO frequently(as quoted by some riders), just need to change every 3K.

It nvr fails and serve me well for over 4yrs. Carb 4 yrs nvr tune or wash and still fires properly. Have changed the tensioner once. don't have much issue on the tensioner as hints are obvious if they wear out.

As the comment on banana handling also nt much of a problem... i even use it for dispatch to earn extra $$ during holidays whether rain or shine. Corners well if you know how to control the bike. And no... i don't ride slow on a phantom. If i were to hit the Expressway, i will be in lane 1 or 2 most of the time.

fuel consumption can hit above 35km/l but is dropping probably due to 4 yrs nvr tune and bike is aging. still considered to be at good FC state

though the bike is rather comfy for highway riding, city riding is probably a little straining not becuz it is wider... becuz they have clutch. Have ridden autoscoots and find them more suitable for the job.

The weight of the bike prepared me for bigger bikes. The braking seems to be fine for me, just that the fork tends to dip foward heavily when pillion is on.
I don't install box... wander if that improves the handling compared to ppl with box.

[Gr8White]

I rode the TA150 before changing to a Spark135.

On long and straight road, I find it very comfortable to ride. As for raining days, I find that its still quite alright no doubts that its quite heavy.

Personally, I have no problem with braking in the rain. I do not experience "fishtail" incident as I know that this bike requires a longer braking distance than most 2B bikes.

The only fishtail incident I would encounter all the time is the multi-storey carpark flooring. Even with 2 legs on the wet and smooth concrete floor, I was almost free wheeling to "walking speed". As I was approaching the ramp going up to 3 storey where I always park my bike. The moment I open trottle slightly.....The fish surely wail its tail!!! lol

Dangerous in this sense....

my 2cents worth

I think most bike s will fish on a wet MSC... I always practise 2nd gear clutch-control so the wheel dun over-spin.

[Extra Terrestrial]

I think most bike s will fish on a wet MSC... I always practise 2nd gear clutch-control so the wheel dun over-spin.

I'm riding Spark135 LE. I don't feel it to be that slippery as compared to heavier bikes. Maybe its due to its lightness that I can really feel so much from the ground that its so easy to control.

The phantom was a no-no. Very at risk of back wheel losing traction even if you are extremely gentle on the throttle and clutch!!!

[lawbah]

Phantom really so jialat meh... just dun try bank too low like lacer can already..

[Baphomet]

i think its the rider la..different bikes have different way to ride mah...if you ride a phantom like a sport bike, then u will sure buang one la. its the condition of the bike that counts. try to avoid very old bikes lor..cos old liao alot wear and tear lor. if want better handling, cornering, speed, get sport bike lor. want comfort get cruiser lor.want abit of both get street bike lor. want fun get scrambler lor. want to be special get scooter lor. all kinda bikes are unique if their own way.

[Going Postal]

want to be special get scooter lor.

Haha that cracked me up, kinda true yeah.

[mild_slevin]

hmmm... my opinion is, if ur comfy with the bike, u should be able to handle the bike.. every bike has its own pros n cons.. cruisers got longer wheelbase so they got larger turning circumference.. cant corner as fast as sportbikes.. so wat u do? slow down lah.. as for the braking, i should say its depends on the rider.. u know ur bike can skid in the rain/wet road, take extra precaution lah.. go slow..u got to know ur ability n the capability of ur bike.. so its 50/50 abt the bike good or no good...

maintainence wise, totally depends on rider... the bike cant change eo spark plug chain etc itself right..

manufacturing defects is a diff story.. if not mistaken for bigger bikes if there's a defect at design level, they'll do a recall right? i dunno.. only got a spark n a gilera with almost 2 years of riding experience.. huhu...

maybe the no good bikes r the ones dat r abused?

u got a point, each bike does have its characteristic. If we understand it clearly we should be able to avoid some unpleasant experience and blame the bike
bike is jus a tool, as a ryder its our responsibility to take care of it and use it properly.

[lawbah]

Rode TA150 & TA200. No complains... TA200 only died on me once because of some tuning problem. After that, no more. TA150 was more of a problem as my friend did not take good care of it... Overall, comfy good bike

[sICkbOi-dOt-cOm]

OMG!!! FREE GAMES???? ARE THESE CHIX TO AVOID???

[sICkbOi-dOt-cOm]

If there's such thing as "Bikes to avoid" den it shouldnt be a Bike itself... treat it like a bicycle...

[kmax]

this thread is pure nonsense, admin u can close it now. Pure pathetic craps here. Smelly n ugly.

no wonder u r under moderator review.. good luck

[thenation]

Haha check out his other posts, they're actually funny if you look at the list.

[mamat]

there's no bike to avoid,just things to avoid doing to a bike

[Ah`X|onG]

true. but it fish tail during rainy days.

it only a matter that how you control..

[jtzx]

so what is the perfect and 5 best bike one should purchase after passing TP? and why?(class 2B)


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

[tbackt]

1- gilera vxr 200
2- pulsar 200
3- X1-R
4- Rxz
5- varadero 125

[kindako]

1. Cagiva Mito 525 '09 - Looks are great with great parts that come with bike for example Brembo, Ohlins, etc, etc, etc.

2. Aprilia Rs 125 '06 onwards - Looks are great with great parts that come with bike for example Digital Meter, Brembo, Ohlins, etc, etc, etc.

3. Kawasaki KRR 150 - Great smooth engine, Still in production. Spare parts are cheap and easy to find. Value for money

4. Honda NSR 150 SP - Great bike, great handleing, but out of production. Spare parts are cheap and easy to find. Value for money

5. Yamaha Spark LC135 - Great Fuel Consumption

[BioMoDiFIed]

1. Cagiva Mito 525 '09 - Looks are great with great parts that come with bike for example Brembo, Ohlins, etc, etc, etc.
yeah! but when the time comes to change those parts...
2. Aprilia Rs 125 '06 onwards - Looks are great with great parts that come with bike for example Digital Meter, Brembo, Ohlins, etc, etc, etc.
Same as the above..
3. Kawasaki KRR 150 - Great smooth engine, Still in production. Spare parts are cheap and easy to find. Value for money
will work fine, unless modify like crazy
4. Honda NSR 150 SP - Great bike, great handleing, but out of production. Spare parts are cheap and easy to find. Value for money
so far never heard of any issues on this bike, but usually see this bike get crumpled like a beer can due to rider tinking he riding CBR600
5. Yamaha Spark LC135 - Great Fuel Consumption
This one i agree totally.Another contender is also the X1/X1R. but i tink most kupchais do giv great fuel economy

[BioMoDiFIed]

but i tink for my personal view, the kawa KSR shud be avoided...its more of a safety issue...even big bikes have a problem of not getting noticed OTR, what more a KSR?
Once i was driving, wanted to change lane, lucky i checked my blindspot(which i always do). All that i saw was a helmet which passed by the passenger window! and i tot it was Ghostrider arrived in s'pore riding his pocket bike...futhermore it was on the AYE! My eyes followed the helmet and to my surprise was a pit bike sized bike with a legal number plate! Soon i found out it was a KSR and its street legal!
But seriously, its dangerous riding the bike. its all due to its small size which leads to a safety issue...

[cumified]

Can also consider cbr150r, low maintenance bike. TA200 not a good bike for beginner because of posture and riding technique different from the ones at Riding Center.

i am 2mth old rider cruising a modified phantom with the fork lengthen. its perfectly fine. juz have to get used to the different posture i guess.

[slutgarden]

i am 2mth old rider cruising a modified phantom with the fork lengthen. its perfectly fine. juz have to get used to the different posture i guess.

yeah, agreed..

and those who says that cruiser's, esp phantom in this case, suck at handling, because the rider sucks. yes, that is the inconvenient truth..

phantom's braking although disc brakes front and back, you think you can brake in time like Sp's or other bikes?.

the cause of fish tail is due to the hard sudden tap on the rear brakes, if it fishtails often, can just simply adjust whaaat.

or just change your pathetic tyres for goodness sake.

[NobIvoj]

TA200 was my first bike. I owned a 5year old model for one full year, And let me tell you, they don't age well. The maintainence is simply a cycle of a part breaking down which in return breaks down another part and so on.
Of Course this happens not as often as you'd fear they would.

In the one year of my 5 year old TA200, I had to replace:

The magnetic coil
Top overhaul twice in that year
Clutch plates
6th gear was worn off
Shaft teeth were worn off
Clutch housing
Cam chain, tensioner, camchain guide
Bearings, sprockets, etc, clutch cable,

Yes maybe i was darn unlucky, maybe i bought the bike at a working condition and then everything chose to break down during my time of ownership.

Let me add a little more:
I was more orientated towards touring, and i researched and toyed around with windshields, modified the cushion time and again to achieve different results, played around with boxes and bags, tried and adjusted handlebars to get the best angle around.

So after reading all this you may start to wonder what i'm getting at, is this:

An old TA200 can be a problematic bike with age : But i learnt SO much about maintainence, repair and how2care for a bike.

It may be a 2B classer : But this little problem child took me around the whole perimeter of Malaysia over 7 days, and guess what? It did that with a spoiled speedo cable and a dying magnetic coil.

It may 'fish tail' while cornering in the wet : But you're lucky, 'fish tails' are recoverable with body weight and counter-steer. Try cornering a Cub in the wet. See how you'll recover a front wheel 'Wash Out'.

I seem to be able to better understand the importance of wind flow, body position, seat angle, seat skin, the immense discomfort which vibrations can cause. I seem to be able to understand the cornering charateristics of this bike, the power it can deliver at which gears, the understanding the powerband solely by listening to the sound of the engine.

Conclusion:
An old or 2nd hand TA200 is by far, the most WONDERFUL, and I mean it wonderful, bike I would recommended for the new bike enthusiast. It could take you 1000 miles away, it would slowly break down with ample warning for you to do your own fault finding and even be able to ride it to a bike shop for repairs far away. Spare parts are affordably cheaper than others. Its hard to find a bikeshop that doesn't know how to fix a TA200. As a motorbike, it's handling on the road is comparable to what Britney Spears is to Opera Singing. When my bike dropped to the ground, It's so bloody heavy that a passerby thought I was Hossan Leong trying to lift up a 'Honda Davidson'.

Yes, Its a b**ch to maintain due to age repairs,It's weird to handle,It's not very comfortable and Its slippery.

Well for your info, I ride a brand new CBF 150 now. I tour around well on it. Maintenance is a breeze. I can sense which parts are going to fail me when something doesn't sound or feel right. The bike handles well. And all this is NOT because it is a very good bike.

Its because I've learnt SO much about biking. Biking isn't about getting on your bike and riding into the sunset happily ever after. There's the breakdowns, the frustrations, the grease on you hands, the fines and fees, the wind in your face, the aches in your back and the heartstopping near-misses.

And I've learnt so much of these from the best element : EXPERIENCE.
The charismatic Honda TA200 Phantom gave me all of that and more.

Any award winning brand new bike will never give me such a good lesson with experience to prep me towards my years of biking.

For your reading pleasures,
NobIvoj

[NobIvoj]

I would buy a 2nd hand TA200 if it was my first bike. Buy for about 1500, after a year sell for 1200... visit bike mechanics more often, learn more about bike maintenance. Learn on how to adapt and humanly correct the bike errors yourself. Its an allover enriching experience.

But I've i were already a seasoned biker...No way I'd buy an old TA200. I'd have enough experience I guess. =)

[slutgarden]

TA200 was my first bike. I owned a 5year old model for one full year, And let me tell you, they don't age well. The maintainence is simply a cycle of a part breaking down which in return breaks down another part and so on.
Of Course this happens not as often as you'd fear they would.

In the one year of my 5 year old TA200, I had to replace:

The magnetic coil
Top overhaul twice in that year
Clutch plates
6th gear was worn off
Shaft teeth were worn off
Clutch housing
Cam chain, tensioner, camchain guide
Bearings, sprockets, etc, clutch cable,

Yes maybe i was darn unlucky, maybe i bought the bike at a working condition and then everything chose to break down during my time of ownership.

Let me add a little more:
I was more orientated towards touring, and i researched and toyed around with windshields, modified the cushion time and again to achieve different results, played around with boxes and bags, tried and adjusted handlebars to get the best angle around.

So after reading all this you may start to wonder what i'm getting at, is this:

An old TA200 can be a problematic bike with age : But i learnt SO much about maintainence, repair and how2care for a bike.

It may be a 2B classer : But this little problem child took me around the whole perimeter of Malaysia over 7 days, and guess what? It did that with a spoiled speedo cable and a dying magnetic coil.

It may 'fish tail' while cornering in the wet : But you're lucky, 'fish tails' are recoverable with body weight and counter-steer. Try cornering a Cub in the wet. See how you'll recover a front wheel 'Wash Out'.

I seem to be able to better understand the importance of wind flow, body position, seat angle, seat skin, the immense discomfort which vibrations can cause. I seem to be able to understand the cornering charateristics of this bike, the power it can deliver at which gears, the understanding the powerband solely by listening to the sound of the engine.

Conclusion:
An old or 2nd hand TA200 is by far, the most WONDERFUL, and I mean it wonderful, bike I would recommended for the new bike enthusiast. It could take you 1000 miles away, it would slowly break down with ample warning for you to do your own fault finding and even be able to ride it to a bike shop for repairs far away. Spare parts are affordably cheaper than others. Its hard to find a bikeshop that doesn't know how to fix a TA200. As a motorbike, it's handling on the road is comparable to what Britney Spears is to Opera Singing. When my bike dropped to the ground, It's so bloody heavy that a passerby thought I was Hossan Leong trying to lift up a 'Honda Davidson'.

Yes, Its a b**ch to maintain due to age repairs,It's weird to handle,It's not very comfortable and Its slippery.

Well for your info, I ride a brand new CBF 150 now. I tour around well on it. Maintenance is a breeze. I can sense which parts are going to fail me when something doesn't sound or feel right. The bike handles well. And all this is NOT because it is a very good bike.

Its because I've learnt SO much about biking. Biking isn't about getting on your bike and riding into the sunset happily ever after. There's the breakdowns, the frustrations, the grease on you hands, the fines and fees, the wind in your face, the aches in your back and the heartstopping near-misses.

And I've learnt so much of these from the best element : EXPERIENCE.
The charismatic Honda TA200 Phantom gave me all of that and more.

Any award winning brand new bike will never give me such a good lesson with experience to prep me towards my years of biking.

For your reading pleasures,
NobIvoj

I salute you sir, riding is not a breeze. nothing is easy, although fun and can bring you to such high level of bliss and euphoria once you get through with it..

many would dislike a bike due to them failing to understand what went wrong, they get impatient and disses of the bike in an instant..

it's not always about the rider, sometimes it's about the bike as well.

[NobIvoj]

Sorry Off-Topic-Abit

I like this movie alot. It sure is more meaningful than watching LongWayRound.

http://videos.streetfire.net/video/T...2-8_208364.htm

[kraikk]

NobIvoj - very inspiring story you have. I have had and am still having a similar experience with my bicycle, which I bought second hand and has been with me for over a year. It has been with me to places I never dreamed of visiting and taught me so much.

As for motorcycles my TA200 has been with me for several months now with hardly any problems. Fortunately, I suppose, but I miss out on the learning curve. Not that I would go hoping it breaks down.

[tonychan]

no one is born a great rider.
know the bike like your buddy.
and you can control.
wear and tear will happens.
maintain your bike.
ride safe

[vtr firestorm]

Hi Kmax..... only one bike aft all those i owned......

GTS200, is a Taiwan scotter......... owned one for a bloody short while,
the tech behind tis made dont seem to able to cope with normal wear &
tear..... normal ride in daily S'pore rd...... parts dont last too long althot
is cheap........

On the another side on the coin, it is huge, nice design & comfortable......

[vtr firestorm]

yeah, agreed..

and those who says that cruiser's, esp phantom in this case, suck at handling, because the rider sucks. yes, that is the inconvenient truth..

phantom's braking although disc brakes front and back, you think you can brake in time like Sp's or other bikes?.

the cause of fish tail is due to the hard sudden tap on the rear brakes, if it fishtails often, can just simply adjust whaaat.

or just change your pathetic tyres for goodness sake.

Stock rubbers off cos dont offer gd grip as compared to better one, the idea of Honda to introduce TA200 i belived is the low cost.... so do think they will equipped it will gd rubbers.....

Get it change & u shall see improvement in the grip, brake & corner departments.

Heavy at rear.... maybe try the check to see if the rear is inflated to the rite psi.......

[mamat]

avoid bikes u can't afford

[vibration_42]

I guess the TA200 is a good bike to have? I'm a new rider and got a TA200 myself. So far so good! Only top up fuel in like 3months? haha! Super cheap to maintain and serviceable!

[zyrofillica]

wow Top up fuel once in 3 months? so you go toilet piss every week once?

[foreveraz]

ha. 1 week into newly owning a phantom and i topped up fuel twice le. ha. But both add up 10L lah. 3 months once, wat the...

[Xenophobia07]

Sounds more possible if he's talking about Engine Oil, but Fuel? Unless you ride bicycle most of the time, you're going to have to top up more often than that!