Advice for bike

[fabianau]

hm... cause im plus sized. so i think tourers would be a better choice for me. CBR150 is not bad. Honda Varadero 150, also 2B?

[Blahhh]

Honda vara is very expensive. I believe the most expensive 2b bike in the market?

 

aiyah just get the phantom lah. bulletproof bike. saw some1 letting go for phantom ta150 for $300. Really tempted to get and play with it, but i already got two bikes so changed my mind.

 

a tip if u get a phantom.. dun put topbox please. phantom looks RIDICULOUS with a topbox hanging behind. Use side panniers. Then it would look more like a chopper

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

I fully agree with the topbox sentiment. Use panniers and relocate number plate to the sissybar or below empty top box rack. Which can be useful to tie things on.

 

See attached picture for example; panniers for perfect design symmetry!

 

While there are no performance parts for local Phantom market you can easily DIY some improvements... if you know what you're doing

 

No fairing so you can easily hear everything going on below in the engine bay. Oh ,and please don't put more than 1 litres of EO into the crankcase. If the shop says even 1.5 litres or god forbid, 2 litres, give them a tight slap.

 

Phantom is an unfussy bike and should you get the 200cc it's surprisingly economical and fun. Yes, I said fun. Especially if you try Old Thomson Road at 80kph

[fabianau]

@Blahhh phantom looks v nice with 2 leather panniers. Anyway, will helmets be able to fit into any panniers?

 

Varadero and CBR150, how much are they second hand huh?

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Assembly of new CBR150s in Thailand has ceased as at March 2010; shouldn't pay more than $1800 for a decent one.

[fabianau]

You mean a second CBR150 cost no more than $1800? That's quite reasonable.

How would you compare it to a TA200, maintanence and handling?

[haoKR]

pump money into ur driving centre acc,n chiong

get license 1st dan sae

[fabianau]

i now at prac6. so want do some research and slowly save up ma

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

You mean a second CBR150 cost no more than $1800? That's quite reasonable.

How would you compare it to a TA200, maintanence and handling?

 

CBR150 vs Phantom

 

The Phantom can be a handful to handle, for the unwary. While in straight lines it's like sitting on a plush armchair moving at 100kph, cornering at low speed and especially in the wet can be very "interesting".

 

The big fat tyres offer tremendous grip in the dry & excellent turn rate, but in the wet it's easy to get wheelspin, skidding, etc. Fun for me, not fun for you

 

Which is where the CBR150 comes in as a suggestion - it's much lighter, with a shorter wheelbase, it's easier for a beginner to handle; almost like a big cub in terms of lightness, and does not bite you back when mishandled.

 

Economy wise you should be doing a bit better than a Phantom due to the CBR's tiny aerodynamic profile. This is a good and bad thing because small bikes are simply difficult for drivers to notice, and you may experience people cutting into your lane.

 

From local rider feedback, the CBR150 is not exactly a "street racing" bike due to the small CC and 4-stroke, but if you consider that it's a modern DOHC liquid cooled powerplant, it's much more efficient than the Phantom's dinosaur technology 200cc.

 

For this reason, younger Australians and Thai 'farangs' love the CBR for track days; it's a good combination of power, comfort and great handling. One of the Australian racers' reviews even said it's faster in lap times than his Aprilla RS125 (How!? lol!)

 

It can go fast.. if you know how to make it fast, but if not, it's an economical and more than decent commuter.

 

Comfort wise I'm not sure; I don't fit well on the bike unless I ride in "racing stance" leaned forward all the time.

 

Maintenence - from what I heard the CBR150 is quite undemanding but check the coolant level when you get it serviced. Phantom can run forever on just fuel and oil. CBR150 is liquid cooled. No coolant = piston jam.

[fabianau]

thank you kalyan, your really knowledgable. thank you so much!

[haoKR]

of coz.

he is

 

if ur r e 1 hu lyk relax relax,gt phantom

if not,sporty abit,cbr150

[fabianau]

yah, actually i got consider, daystar, phantom, krr, sp, cbr but duno which one. ahahh need check pricing handlng maintenence all those first lo..

[haoKR]

kr,sp same maintaince

cbr no nid 2T

phantom shld b ard e same.

 

when TP

[fabianau]

haven book lei TP. i considering. for phantom as compared to kr/sp the maintainence is it huge difference?

[haoKR]

wah

gd question

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

4 strokes generally are more reliable than 2 strokes. Phantom revs lower and has a much heavier-built engine and drivetrain so the maintenence is practically zero unless you hear funny sounds.

 

Some people actually trash these bikes without a single overhaul for 7 years... still can run, still economical, just a bit noisy like a farm tractor.

 

For a performance bike like a SP/KR it's built for light weight and maximum power for its size so there's less of a tolerance to ill maintenence so to speak.

 

I heard good things of CBR150 reliability as well but that's provided you found a well maintained and frequently ridden example to boot. Another guy got a bike that spent years unused and big overhaul needed to get it roadworthy.

[fabianau]

oh ok. kalyan, it's you who replied again. cool.

 

so to speak, the parts of 2T bikes spoils easier and that adds up to your cost when the part is spoilt and more frequent servicing etc is required.

 

as compared to 4T parts which are more reliable, lesser chance of faulty parts which lower cost lah.

 

now i understand a little more alr. coz i everytime hear ppl say the maintence is more exp etc. but don really understand. hope to learn more from you kalyan

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

2 stroke parts can be really cheap lol so if you have a RXZ or Y125Z don't be afraid to trash them, it's just that 2 strokes foul faster inside due to 2T combustion or something. (while I know the scientific stuff I'm not a real mech so...)

 

The observation on KRR vs Phantom reliability stems not from 2 stroke, but rather one is lightweight racer and the other is heavy duty.

 

The AK47 is so reliable under the worst of battle conditions because it's simple and overengineered (heavy compared to modern assault rifle designs); can use the same principle for bikes..

 

However.... in Singapore the road conditions are really tame and we mainly are happy with stock or near-stock bikes so the only way to measure reliability is to own a bike for many years.

 

Didn't like overhauling my 125Z every 1.5 years, for sure.

[fabianau]

yeah. true realiability is to own a bike for many years. i will consider between, krr, sp and phantom

 

thanks!

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Consider the Phantom 150 - COE is expiring for this model and you can fetch them for very cheap.

 

NSR engine and cruiser chassis means 170kph top speed (provided good machine condition) and enough comfort to cover long distances. However the fuel economy is very car-like (20+km/l).

[Biker99]

Anybody can advice between phantom TA200 and Spark T135 which is a better option for transport bike or other suggestion for class 2B.

Economical in maintenance.

 

Prefer 4 strokes and with clutch.

 

Thanks.

[Pandoras Kitten 3]

Anybody can advice between phantom TA200 and Spark T135 which is a better option for transport bike or other suggestion for class 2B.

Economical in maintenance.

 

Prefer 4 strokes and with clutch.

 

Thanks.

 

Do consider models like the X-1R and FZ150i too. Maybe even the R15 They are part of the Yamaha "LC4V" engine series and share similar technology to your Spark.

 

I rode the predecessor to the Spark so can't comment on the model specific handling but this is what you can expect:

 

Spark 135

 

Pros:

 

New technology, more efficient water cooled engine, great handling and performance for its size. It's very economical, easy to handle (even for beginners) and like all Yamaha 'sports' commuters, great fun.

 

You can also benefit from a wide variety of aftermarket parts and don't be afraid to 'doll her up'. You can do it cheaply.

 

Verdict - I'll pick the Spark if I were a new rider with little experience and want a reliable, fun bike.

 

--

 

Now for the other end of the spectrum there's the Phantom 200. I ride one and love it to bits but there's a big chance you won't... because compared to the lightweight, super-quick handling Spark, X1R and other sports commuters, this one is a bloody dinosaur.

 

It's based on last decade's technology and is built in Thailand. You'll rarely see new examples in the market so you must know a bit about automotive technology to properly care for and restore its top performance. Do not trust others. Use your own judgment, there are many ways to customise and "max out" your Thai chopper. Some do a lot of cosmetic mods, others ride it as they are - slow noisy bikes.

 

But do a little bit of math - how the heck does one design a 200cc "cruiser"? Usually you need a bigger engine for such a design but the trick here basically is light weight and short gearing.

 

Hmm... if you were given a bin of parts and asked to create a cruiser bike with a tiny engine, you'd probably think like a Thai engineer and create an agile, general-purpose street attack machine. No horsepower, so what? If you ever configured a Phantom for maximum torque you pretty much dominate from zero to 70kph, and put up a decent performance accelerating uphill from 70-100kph in just a few seconds leaving onlookers awed at what 200cc and clever gearing/tuning can do.

 

Problem is... I'm all alone doing Phantom performance mods and as fun as the bike is, you may not have as much luck as I did finding a nicely rebuilt Phantom for a bargain price, and realising you can do race-style tuning on it with synthetic oil. It does take some work and smart riding to get it to run quietly and without consuming motor oil!

 

Thus my conclusion is - unless you want to get your hands dirty and fixing up your own hobby bike (with a top speed of no more than 100+kph for safety reasons), get the Spark/X-1R/FZ-150i/R15. Anything newer than my dinosaur technology.

 

ps... unless, like me, you are a mechanical engineer and WANT to get your hands dirty. And I'll gladly teach you how to get the Type R performance out of a TA200

[Biker99]

Thanks for the analysis and insight between these 2 bikes. Probably stick to your advice and consider the Spark/X-1R/FZ-150i/R15.

[haoKR]

of coz,if using e bike for a long tym(3-5yrs),get it 1st hand

[sing-a-poo]

Can someone advise which is a better choice?

Honda CB400 SuperFour more than 10 years or honda CBX 250 twister about 3 years plus. Thanks