[Drsuzuki]

Good morning , just having a conversation with some other folks . They were commenting about bikes and how much they liked the looks of the new bikes however the comment was made " nice looking bike but I cannot afford to get back into biking at that price" . Well price was also not the factor I found out ..... the issue is that they want a 125-250 cc cheap dual sport or enduro like a {xl125,xl185 , ct125 } something that could be ridden on the street , trail , throw on the back of a trailer or motorhome , chase cattle , ride every where and be able to do the posted speed limit but not be to tall that even the in beginner rider could use . They said that in the past you could get a bike for each member of a 4 person family for under $6000 total ... well actually you could do it for less when i was a kid . Families can not afford to pay $3000-5000 for beginner bike for each person . Now this is where as the riding public get to speak . TELL YOU LOCAL REP AT THE SHOWS THIS FALL " we need some bikes like we had in the 70's and 80's that we fun cheap and reliable " Please share this . Me I would like back a couple The Honda Reflex dot approved trials bike and my 1982 Honda xl185

 

[Zebraranger]

Good morning , just having a conversation with some other folks . They were commenting about bikes and how much they liked the looks of the new bikes however the comment was made " nice looking bike but I cannot afford to get back into biking at that price" . Well price was also not the factor I found out ..... the issue is that they want a 125-250 cc cheap dual sport or enduro like a {xl125,xl185 , ct125 } something that could be ridden on the street , trail , throw on the back of a trailer or motorhome , chase cattle , ride every where and be able to do the posted speed limit but not be to tall that even the in beginner rider could use . They said that in the past you could get a bike for each member of a 4 person family for under $6000 total ... well actually you could do it for less when i was a kid . Families can not afford to pay $3000-5000 for beginner bike for each person . Now this is where as the riding public get to speak . TELL YOU LOCAL REP AT THE SHOWS THIS FALL " we need some bikes like we had in the 70's and 80's that we fun cheap and reliable " Please share this . Me I would like back a couple The Honda Reflex dot approved trials bike and my 1982 Honda xl185

First, welcome to the forum. You might want to do an intro in the new members section and tell us a little about you, your area and so on. Actually smaller lightweight bikes are becoming all the rage right now with just about all the manufacturers having a model or two. I recently purchased a Kawasaki VX-300 that's not too tall and weighs under 380 lbs. Honda has the CB300R, the Grom 125 and recently re-introduced the Honda Super Cub 125. BMW G310, Suzuki TU250X and so on, most under $5000.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Welcome to the forum!

Small displacement bikes are on a huge boom right now. Like with so many other things in life, many people can't afford to drop the kind of change a brand new motorcycle commands. So a lot of folks are going after the small displacement bikes. They won't win any races, but they're small, agile, stylish, hold their value, and the youth loves them. Just the other day I saw a guy happily putting along on a Grom, in the snow!

 

[Zebraranger]

Welcome to the forum! And it's okay Zebra, the rules don't seem to apply anymore after the platform change.

Not to stray from the original post, and I agree its not a mandatory rule, but we still have a new member intro section and its nice to know a little bit about the person you're have a discussion with.

Back to the original topic. I forgot to mention the Suzuki VanVan 200 and the Yamaha TW200. I've never owned one but they seem to be pretty popular with the RV'ers and campers.

 

[Porky]

Not to stray from the original post, and I agree its not a mandatory rule, but we still have a new member intro section and its nice to know a little bit about the person you're have a discussion with.

Back to the original topic. I forgot to mention the Suzuki VanVan 200 and the Yamaha TW200. I've never owned one but they seem to be pretty popular with the RV'ers and campers.

Introductory rules may not apply but in order for the member's here to really help you, the more we know about you the better.

Welcome to a great forum.

Sam

 

[Miss Mercedes]

After checking some updates, looks like we're getting our rules back. False alarm! (that's why I edited it out lol)

 

[Drsuzuki]

Well Sorry I had no idea , I have just completed the new member intro area . Have a look and a good day

 

[johnnyvee]

If you want to find tons of inexpensive bikes in the sub-250 sizes, you only have to look at what is being offered for sale in countries like India, and VietNam. Have a look at the 2019 Road Prince offerings, Road Prince is a Pakistan based seller of motorcycles they assemble from components sourced in China. https://www.pakwheels.com/bikes/road-prince/

Of course, this won't help you with purchasing these machines in North America. They aren't offered here because riders here, by and large, want a big bike for "lifestyle enhancement", not a small, practical bike for commuting and basic transportation. I remember asking to see the Suzuki VanVan at the bike spring motorcycle show here in Chicago, and the salesman gave me a look of half disdain, half pity and waved vaguely in the direction of the bike. He knows the real money is in the supersports and the big american cruisers.

The big 4 japanese manufacturers have tried, periodically, to sell small economical machines in the US, but they have never done very well in this market since the days when they were considered "big", like before the Honda 750 arrived, and we all went wild for large engines. The exception to this would be the dirt bikes, that are, as you noticed, tall for the required ground clearance. I've heard people say that small bikes are gaining popularity, and it seems to be true that excellently restored or original small bikes from days gone by, can command excellent prices, I'm not at all convinced that this applies to NEW small bikes.

One company that sells smaller bikes domestically is Cleveland Cyclewerks, who imports Chinese engines and builds simple, relatively low cost motorcycles. https://clevelandcyclewerks.com/ccwbikes-1. You can get into one of their bikes, showroom new, for around $4000.

Remember that $1000 back in the 1970s had equivalent purchasing power to something like $6000 today.

 

[Retired Guy]

A bike from the 70's or 80's, small but good transportation that could run the speed limits. I don't know how fast it was, and it's a bit bigger than OP's spec's, but I remember the CB 350 Honda from the early 70's could take a beating and keep on ticking. There was a street and scrambler model.

 

[Unkle Krusty]

Yamaha makes a sweet dual purpose 250. Do not know how much. If too much, then a used bike might do. I paid $250 for my 83 XS400 Yamaha. A bunch of new parts, some paint and seat cover, new tyres and so on. It is a sweet ride for about $1,000.

UK

 

[johnnyvee]

How about this Bajaj Pulsar 220? https://www.zigwheels.com/newbikes/Bajaj/Pulsar-220F/specifications

21 horsepower in a 330 lb package with good ground clearance, Dual disc brakes, and will give you 100+ miles per gallon. Top speed is claimed as 84, I'd guess closer to 70, either way not so shabby, and best of all, you can walk it out of the showroom with a two year warrantee for under $1,700. I bet they sell a hundred thousand of these machines a year at that price, small potatoes for a company that sold 4.23 million bikes in 2018. Isn't that more than 16 times more bikes than Harley sold that year?

But sorry, even though it more than meets current emmisions standards, this bike isn't available in North America, If you are willing to drive down to Mexico, you can buy one, or Columbia, Guatamala, Chile, Argentina, even Russia. There's a long list of places that have a Bajaj distributorship, just not North America.

 

[yellowheader]

When I visited Mexico City last summer, the streets were crawling with Italika brand motorbikes. They're hecho en Mexico and sold in department stores for around C$2000. They account for over 60% of the Mexican market. I can't speak to their quality, but the volumes they sell in a market with punishing roads and traffic must say something about them. I think it would be fun to buy one there and see how far north I could get before it either dies or gets stopped at a border.?
Wikipedia - Italika Motorcycles

 

[johnnyvee]

Italika brand motorbikes, hecho en Mexico and sold ... for around C$2000 ... account for over 60% of the Mexican market...... I think it would be fun to buy one there and see how far north I could get before it either dies or gets stopped at a border.

To your point, I understand from my interaction with the Royal Enfield (made in India) community, that although one can bring Indian market equipment into the US fairly easily, it may NOT be possible to license them in most states. I don't recall the exact stipulations, but, I recall reading that unless the machines are older, (I think the number was around 25 years) and therefore "collectible", they would not be registerable for public road use in the USA. I'm pretty sure this is a general "DMV type" restriction, and not specific to India as country of origin.

As for NEW machines, only those that had been properly imported by registered importers, and had USA VIN numbers already assigned, would be able to be plated easily.

Those machines that met the collectible criteria, had to go through extra paperwork. Sorry I don't recall the particulars, or even the governing agency here, but just thought I'd mention this before folks think it's a great idea to ship back a container of bikes from their next vacation destination. Best to do the research first!

On the other hand, riding through another country as a visitor, or bringing a Mexican licensed vehicle into the US as a rental, or "borrowed from a friend" is a whole nother thing. I can't think of any reason that riding north on a Mexican plated machine, right into the heart of Trump country and beyond, would not be a satisfying and trouble-free experience. One might even want to fill their saddle bags with medicinal herbs, to give to friendly folks that they met along the way as a good will gesture, kind of like a modern-day Johnny Appleseed.