Okay, let's get one thing out of the way right up front -- I am not interested in any pronouncements that I am crazy or that I have thrown away my money. On the first point, I will not argue with you. As to the second point -- hey, it's my money, and I don't tell you how to spend yours.
With the pandemic restrictions in place, my work as a Court Reporter has come to a screeching halt -- no court, no depositions going on. Ten years ago I would have been worried; today, I am semi-retired, drawing Social Security and a small pension, and sitting on a nice little nest egg through inheritance and a real estate sale. My main concern right now -- how to stay occupied and have some fun with the gift of absolutely free time.
Keeping that in mind, I set myself a $1500 purchase budget and went looking for a project bike -- nothing too far gone for my modest mechanical abilities, or so bad off that I'd end up spending 3 or 4 times my budget to get it on the road. I scoured Craigslist for 100 miles in all directions and found nothing that would qualify. But then I thought of the numerous Chinese bikes on the market and started browsing for something interesting.
I came across an online outfit called Redfox Powersports that offered nothing but Chinese motorcycles and ATVs, delivered to your door at ridiculously low prices. Please note -- I am NOT shilling for these folks, and have zero concern for their future prosperity, so I will report faithfully my experiences with them thus far and in the future, good or bad. You be the judge whether you want to do any business there, and you'll get no argument from me.
What caught my eye was the Dongfang DF250RTG. For fear of treading on the Moderators toes I won't post a link here, but if you Google Redfox you'll find the DF250RTG. Essentially, it is a 230cc retro cafe racer style, using the ubiquitous Honda clone single-cylinder engine, and a sporty-looking li'l bugger it is. Their price was $1299.95, and with delivery and a $50 sale discount, it came in just under my budget. And the darned thing just looked fun as all get-out.
So a week ago Friday, I pulled the trigger. Monday, I got e-mail verification that my bike had shipped from Grand Prairie, TX. Thursday at noon, it was unloaded off the truck at my door! Out came the tools and the fun began.
Understand --- there was no instruction sheet, and the provided owner's manual, while making for some hilarious reading, was useless. But fortunately I have tinkered mechanically enough that the assembly required wasn't daunting at all, even if a few things created a bit of head-scratching. Install the handlebars and kickstand, install the front wheel and front fender, adjust everything, and that was about it. No real hitches in the process, but not everything was 100% hunk-dory. The handlebar clamps are secured by 6mm bolts. These are soft as butter, and one snapped off before I could get it torqued down. No sweat -- enough of a stub was left that I was able to extract it with vice-grips, and the local hardware agreed to sell me 4 brand-new-American-by-God bolts. The bike is equipped with 4 -- count 'em, 4! -- mirrors. The bar-end mirrors could not be securely installed at all. I tried everything I could think of -- no go. The two handlebar-top mirrors went on OK, but one of them could not be adjusted to give me even the hint of a usable view. This is a minor thing, and at least I have one functional rear-view out of the 4, but I will be ordering some better replacement mirrors. Hercules couldn't stretch the rubber battery-retainer strap far enough to secure the battery, but 88 cents worth of Walmart velcro strap substituted very nicely.
I had to interrupt the assembly process to take care of other stuff, but overall I figure I could have done it all in 2-3 uninterrupted hours, and with assistance I could have cut that time in half. At any rate, by Friday afternoon I was ready to gas 'er up and see if she'd run. Check oil, put in gas, petcock to on, choke full on, key on, hit the button -- VROOM. Instant start. Choke to half, then off, warm up for a few minutes, set the idle, and off I went around the neighborhood for my first shakedown cruise. Other than the revelation that I needed to readjust the shifter pedal a tad there were no surprises. Shifting was smooth, acceleration was acceptable if not overly impressive. The brakes were adequate -- but after all, the braking power needed for a 250-pound bike ain't all that much. I think a bit of brake-upgrade work might be in the future, if only better pads and a braided steel line for the front, but it can wait for now.
This morning I set out for a more thorough shakedown on country roads nearby. I am not a break-in fanatic, but I do take it easy for the first few hundred miles. I kept it down to 45-50, just feeling out the machine. After a while I did push it up to 60 for a brief time(GPS verified -- the speedo was showing 65 or so), but I will stress here that, as expected, THIS IS IN NO WAY A HIGHWAY MACHINE. In-town, short commutes at 55 or so, sightseeing in the country -- it'll float yer boat. Interstate? Are you KIDDING? No way, Jose. But that's okay. I've got bikes for that. This one was bought for FUN, and that it can deliver. The ride was amazingly smooth, the handling was incredibly nimble and surefooted. Seriously, in the corners and curves it was nearly the equal of my Z650, only in slo-mo.
I was riding high! Man, this was great! But lest I give you the idea that all was sweetness and light, here comes the "this d***ed thing could've killed me" moment. I headed back towards home and decided to give it a brief all-out full-throttle sprint. On level ground in a moderate tuck I rolled on the massive 16 ponies and saw the GPS hit 67 -- and all hell broke loose. Suddenly, the rear end began wobbling like crazy. Instantly off the throttle, I front-braked and used every ounce of skill I possess staying upright before finally slowing enough to get off on to the wide, grassy shoulder and come to a stop in one piece. Hopping off and uttering a heartfelt prayer of thanks to God, I checked out the rear tire -- flat as a pancake. No sign of a puncture, but my immediate thought was "loose spoke". Of course, I was five miles from home and, naturally, had left my cell phone there. So I began hoofing it up the road hoping someone would stop and at least allow me to call a buddy for help.
That's when my new best friend Heyward brought his clapped-out ancient Chevy pickup to a halt, asked if I needed help, and offered to help me load up the bike in to his truck and take me home. Heyward, you are an angel, my brother! Wouldn't accept a dime for his trouble, but in our brief time together I learned he's a deer hunter like me -- Heyward, there's a venison loin in my freezer that's coming to your house this evening!
Once home, I jacked up the bike, removed the rear wheel and discovered that my initial diagnosis was correct --- the tire was fine, but one spoke was loose as a goose and the tube was trashed. So here's a tip for anyone fool enough to embark on the Chinese-bike adventure -- before you set out on your first real ride, CHECK THOSE SPOKES, along with every single nut, bolt and screw on the bike. Some of them will be so tight you'll wonder what gorilla was on the wrench, while others will be ready to fall off at the worst possible moment. But, hey -- the machine is dead-nuts simple, almost primitive, and that's the good news. Anyone with a scrap of mechanical knowledge and a bit of sense can work on these things.
All for now. I have some pictures I'll post by and by, and will furnish further reports as the wheel gets fixed, new mirrors get installed, and further death-defying adventures ensue.
With the pandemic restrictions in place, my work as a Court Reporter has come to a screeching halt -- no court, no depositions going on. Ten years ago I would have been worried; today, I am semi-retired, drawing Social Security and a small pension, and sitting on a nice little nest egg through inheritance and a real estate sale. My main concern right now -- how to stay occupied and have some fun with the gift of absolutely free time.
Keeping that in mind, I set myself a $1500 purchase budget and went looking for a project bike -- nothing too far gone for my modest mechanical abilities, or so bad off that I'd end up spending 3 or 4 times my budget to get it on the road. I scoured Craigslist for 100 miles in all directions and found nothing that would qualify. But then I thought of the numerous Chinese bikes on the market and started browsing for something interesting.
I came across an online outfit called Redfox Powersports that offered nothing but Chinese motorcycles and ATVs, delivered to your door at ridiculously low prices. Please note -- I am NOT shilling for these folks, and have zero concern for their future prosperity, so I will report faithfully my experiences with them thus far and in the future, good or bad. You be the judge whether you want to do any business there, and you'll get no argument from me.
What caught my eye was the Dongfang DF250RTG. For fear of treading on the Moderators toes I won't post a link here, but if you Google Redfox you'll find the DF250RTG. Essentially, it is a 230cc retro cafe racer style, using the ubiquitous Honda clone single-cylinder engine, and a sporty-looking li'l bugger it is. Their price was $1299.95, and with delivery and a $50 sale discount, it came in just under my budget. And the darned thing just looked fun as all get-out.
So a week ago Friday, I pulled the trigger. Monday, I got e-mail verification that my bike had shipped from Grand Prairie, TX. Thursday at noon, it was unloaded off the truck at my door! Out came the tools and the fun began.
Understand --- there was no instruction sheet, and the provided owner's manual, while making for some hilarious reading, was useless. But fortunately I have tinkered mechanically enough that the assembly required wasn't daunting at all, even if a few things created a bit of head-scratching. Install the handlebars and kickstand, install the front wheel and front fender, adjust everything, and that was about it. No real hitches in the process, but not everything was 100% hunk-dory. The handlebar clamps are secured by 6mm bolts. These are soft as butter, and one snapped off before I could get it torqued down. No sweat -- enough of a stub was left that I was able to extract it with vice-grips, and the local hardware agreed to sell me 4 brand-new-American-by-God bolts. The bike is equipped with 4 -- count 'em, 4! -- mirrors. The bar-end mirrors could not be securely installed at all. I tried everything I could think of -- no go. The two handlebar-top mirrors went on OK, but one of them could not be adjusted to give me even the hint of a usable view. This is a minor thing, and at least I have one functional rear-view out of the 4, but I will be ordering some better replacement mirrors. Hercules couldn't stretch the rubber battery-retainer strap far enough to secure the battery, but 88 cents worth of Walmart velcro strap substituted very nicely.
I had to interrupt the assembly process to take care of other stuff, but overall I figure I could have done it all in 2-3 uninterrupted hours, and with assistance I could have cut that time in half. At any rate, by Friday afternoon I was ready to gas 'er up and see if she'd run. Check oil, put in gas, petcock to on, choke full on, key on, hit the button -- VROOM. Instant start. Choke to half, then off, warm up for a few minutes, set the idle, and off I went around the neighborhood for my first shakedown cruise. Other than the revelation that I needed to readjust the shifter pedal a tad there were no surprises. Shifting was smooth, acceleration was acceptable if not overly impressive. The brakes were adequate -- but after all, the braking power needed for a 250-pound bike ain't all that much. I think a bit of brake-upgrade work might be in the future, if only better pads and a braided steel line for the front, but it can wait for now.
This morning I set out for a more thorough shakedown on country roads nearby. I am not a break-in fanatic, but I do take it easy for the first few hundred miles. I kept it down to 45-50, just feeling out the machine. After a while I did push it up to 60 for a brief time(GPS verified -- the speedo was showing 65 or so), but I will stress here that, as expected, THIS IS IN NO WAY A HIGHWAY MACHINE. In-town, short commutes at 55 or so, sightseeing in the country -- it'll float yer boat. Interstate? Are you KIDDING? No way, Jose. But that's okay. I've got bikes for that. This one was bought for FUN, and that it can deliver. The ride was amazingly smooth, the handling was incredibly nimble and surefooted. Seriously, in the corners and curves it was nearly the equal of my Z650, only in slo-mo.
I was riding high! Man, this was great! But lest I give you the idea that all was sweetness and light, here comes the "this d***ed thing could've killed me" moment. I headed back towards home and decided to give it a brief all-out full-throttle sprint. On level ground in a moderate tuck I rolled on the massive 16 ponies and saw the GPS hit 67 -- and all hell broke loose. Suddenly, the rear end began wobbling like crazy. Instantly off the throttle, I front-braked and used every ounce of skill I possess staying upright before finally slowing enough to get off on to the wide, grassy shoulder and come to a stop in one piece. Hopping off and uttering a heartfelt prayer of thanks to God, I checked out the rear tire -- flat as a pancake. No sign of a puncture, but my immediate thought was "loose spoke". Of course, I was five miles from home and, naturally, had left my cell phone there. So I began hoofing it up the road hoping someone would stop and at least allow me to call a buddy for help.
That's when my new best friend Heyward brought his clapped-out ancient Chevy pickup to a halt, asked if I needed help, and offered to help me load up the bike in to his truck and take me home. Heyward, you are an angel, my brother! Wouldn't accept a dime for his trouble, but in our brief time together I learned he's a deer hunter like me -- Heyward, there's a venison loin in my freezer that's coming to your house this evening!
Once home, I jacked up the bike, removed the rear wheel and discovered that my initial diagnosis was correct --- the tire was fine, but one spoke was loose as a goose and the tube was trashed. So here's a tip for anyone fool enough to embark on the Chinese-bike adventure -- before you set out on your first real ride, CHECK THOSE SPOKES, along with every single nut, bolt and screw on the bike. Some of them will be so tight you'll wonder what gorilla was on the wrench, while others will be ready to fall off at the worst possible moment. But, hey -- the machine is dead-nuts simple, almost primitive, and that's the good news. Anyone with a scrap of mechanical knowledge and a bit of sense can work on these things.
All for now. I have some pictures I'll post by and by, and will furnish further reports as the wheel gets fixed, new mirrors get installed, and further death-defying adventures ensue.
