Honda Phantom 200cc Or Tiger (pgo In The States) G-max 150cc

[Michel1980]

Dear forum members.

The past couple of months iv'e tried ALLOT of bikes over here (Koh samui) I own now a slightly modified Honda airblade. For my girlfriend that is always on my back (dont get weird ideas now ) And has serious back probs. Specially when we do longer rides she needs to lay down afterwards because of the pain that comes with it .

I used half automatics to (kawasaki 130cc) Honda click, Honda icon, Yamaha Nouvo, Yamaha Mio. After those failures. I went for a modification on the rear suspension to get as smoothe ride as i could. So said so done. New suspension on the back (posh, with nitrogen cartridges) The gave indeed a smoother ride.

But still not for the longer distances. Now ive came to a dillema, there is a shop here that sells the Tiger (in the states know as the blur 150 or PGO) 150cc automatic bigger motorbike. I like the model but i heard to much bad things about it. But i gotta at, most that do? Never driven the thing

So im not so shy of nature, i went in and asked for a testspin iff that was possible. I had no luck in doing so. Then i tried even a different approach true a good thai friend that asked it. Same deal the wont buckle in doing that. To bad the bike i cant rent it anywere just to test it out the ask 80,000 for it. I found allot of cash for a brand that allready has a bad name with most ppl. Its automatic tho that is pretty neat for her because shifiting always give a little kick in the seat. Automatic doesnt..

Im sure satisfied with my airblade. But i dont need the speed, i need power, and above all comfort. I dont need to have a souped up bike that reaches 200kmph. Because its useless here on the island

I need a bike that needs the following things.

*Comfort, mainly on suspension.

*Bigger then the 110cc motorbikes

*preffer new, secondhand that i can get to samui good to!

*Automatic prefferable (i could shift but longtime ago :S)

Because were always with two ppl on the bike. That means the 110 is on te light side for that task. My airblade has not even 4000km on the counter and i can sell it for sure.

The total i can spend is about 90,000baht. Less is even better because this is the real max i can go.

My heart fell for the Phantom, i dont see kawa boss here and Yamaha dealer that sells the tiger and indeed the kawasaki 130cc. I find them of bad service I rather deal with honda always good and super good service

And no, this is know on the island wide, its not only me so dont gimme that crap respons that YOU base it on one store only. What you ppl think is the phantom a bike that can give us more pleasure on te longertrips? Or should i go for something else? I need to learn to shift again but i think i can get that done before purchase

[PeaceBlondie]

Phantom. Dealer in every village, company you can trust, quality, etc. And it has resale value. I never heard of PGO or the Blur 150. The Phantom shifts six up, not four down. I know 12-year olds who can shift, and 71-year olds who are shiftless.

[Michel1980]

Phantom. Dealer in every village, company you can trust, quality, etc. And it has resale value. I never heard of PGO or the Blur 150. The Phantom shifts six up, not four down. I know 12-year olds who can shift, and 71-year olds who are shiftless.

I know how much the phantom shifts up ectra Ive done my homework offcourse.

The blur or Pgo g-max 150cc (you can find reviews on google) same bike as the tiger g-max 150cc here.

But what i wonder is, the phantom is chaindriven. There for more direct in power distribution. SO far so good, doesnt this affect the bike because its a shifter? I mean does it shock or something. OR does that totally depend on the driver ?

I mean i used to the half automatics indeed the 4 down. I gotta get that crap out of my head now Lastime i wanted drive a manuel. I scared the shit out of myself because i made errors with shifting and clutch whahahah

Anyways i dont for see to big problems on that tho. But still i know that there bikes that are like KLAK 1 KLAK (stumble) 2 ectra. Is that the case to with this bike or is that again pure driver? It seems like a very comfortable ride. The buddyseat and all on it..And as you say i agree so far Honda i trust 100% for the quality.

Any price indications would be great or other check that one out bikes are welcome. So far thank you for the respons

EDIT JUST SOLD THE AIRBLADE gonna go for either tiger or phantom. My best bet phantom Ill keep you posted

Edited May 18, 2008 by Michel1980

[PeaceBlondie]

A new Phantom will run in the low 80's up to 99K, depending on accessories. I ride one sometimes and it is comfortable.

///Added: our 2007 Phantom shifts clunkily, but that is standard for choppers.

[HDRIDER]

HI

Go for the Honda, how many tigers do you see around? stuck in a work shop somewhere, i will think.

[Michel1980]

Xtras i don't care about much, unless the functional (like suitcases or those bars to protect when you fall) but not like the special rims or the special paintjob/decals or special carbonfier pieces crap. Like you see allot in thailand the love that crap on bikes and its not even functional.

To the harley man

Its true i dont see them allot driving here. Not so suprisinly because its so expensive to own a g-max

I agree tho im going today to the Honda dealer to get me a good pricetag on a honda phantom

I keep you posted.

PS

Ive read in here in a very old topic, the Kawasaki Boss is like the phantom suppose to be better. I dont ever seen them driving over here tho so whats the story about the 175boss these days?

And thanks so far for the comments!

Oww here the blur/tiger/pgo g-max 150cc 4 stroke (the say 4 valve) got a 2 gallon tank. Discbrake for and after look really nice. I hope that someone has the bullocks to try it someday. I dont think its a really bad bike more a "unknown makes unwanted "bike. Seen the fact this baby is a real suc6 story in other countries.

here the link of a full review

http://2strokebuzz.com/index.php?p=3145

Edited May 19, 2008 by Michel1980

[PeaceBlondie]

Gosh, now that we see the picture, there is no comparison. 7.6 liter tank versus ten for the Phantom, 13-inch wheels that give less balance, garish paint job - and it is a step-through scooter, of very dubious quality! The road tester says the back seat is small. Phantom is more of a big bike.

[Michel1980]

Well today went to the dealer were we got all oure bikes. And opend a debat about the phantom.

Well i cam home with a nice folder..and a empty pocket (well paid half allready half on delivery)

Within 2 weeks my beauty will arrive

The honda phantom fire edition. I saw the folder and was pretty impressed by this little roadhog. I bought it new with 3 years full guarantee on the engine for 86000baht. I cant wait it has to come from Bangkok. So takes about 2 weeks to arrive!!

Im gonna have few sleepless nights, vertainly now i rented a piece of crap names mio

I think i did a good buy on this amazing looking piece of machinery

[Michel1980]

Gosh, now that we see the picture, there is no comparison. 7.6 liter tank versus ten for the Phantom, 13-inch wheels that give less balance, garish paint job - and it is a step-through scooter, of very dubious quality! The road tester says the back seat is small. Phantom is more of a big bike.

Do add that the reviewer is a phatass As he self says in the review. As i said i have more faith in Honda then the tiger. But telling me that its complete rubbish kindah crap. Seen the fact ppl here never even seen the thing let alone driven it

Would be the same as i would say a harley sucks, because there know for there 3 hour drive 6 hour service after thing. Bs offcourse i cant say that never driven one. I stay with my opinion, unknown makes unloved. Like everything in the world, its called human behaviour

I dont compare it with the phantom, its obviously a much better bike. BUT i gotta add this and i did my research on this one trust my word for it.

The tiger g-max cost new with one year guarantee on the engine 81500baht

The Phantom fire edition 86500 baht

Ok so far you roll eyes, youre point is? I found out the tiger in other places is ALLOT cheaper then here at the craptank yamaha dealer. I talked to a good friend of my that does bike repair on samui. The normal pricingtag should be around 50 or 60 tops. Now thats a big difference iff you ask me.. and duh cannot compare to the phantom at all.

You get what you pay for, i agree..but i dont discard the potential of that bike. Iff it said honda or yamaha allot more would be sold for sure. Its pure a name that gets drilled into the ground. One more thing Tiger is VERY populair so ive heard (i cannot confirm this but pure from asking so bare with me) amongst thai ppl. Properly because its cheap i think but still.

I would love to hear more from this thing, so who has one i like to hear a impression of the bike. And please not from a badass, lardassed biker that weights over 150kg or something. Its useless then keep it in perspective. Normal build men, were its ment for.

[HDRIDER]

HI

Why wait, go get it and ride home

[Michel1980]

HI

Why wait, go get it and ride home

Read

Bought the phantom fire edition waiting time is 2 weeks has to come from bangkok

For now got one from Ohm cycles a mio. I dont all the good fuzz about yamaha in various topics. I FIND THEM CRAP inclused the nouvo Its like a fighterjet from 40 till 60 the sound it makes. Never to mention the rattling noise of the cylinder that goes into * i wanna go but cant * modus.

Ahhh 2 weeks will be released of the motorbike consequenses and have somewhat more power and more comfort finally.

[JSixpack]

I'm sure you'll be happy you got a Phantom. It's comfortable, reliable, and easily repaired anywhere. It will have sufficient power for your needs, though probably not wants. TV members have driven their Phantoms long distance all over Thailand. It's just a good workhorse, really, esp. with a pair of nice saddlebags. I have one and I really like it. After dealing with countless headaches from maintaining a old big bike, I find the Phantom a blessing. I don't miss the old "pose" factor at all--hasn't made the slightest difference.

Edited May 20, 2008 by JSixpack

[PeaceBlondie]

After dealing with countless headaches from maintaining a old big bike, I find the Phantom a blessing. I don't miss the old "pose" factor at all--hasn't made the slightest difference.

What? Do you mean to say that a real man could trade in his old Harley for a Honda Phantom 200, without losing penile size?

[jackcorbett]

No way. We got a guy living in the condo building four hundred meters down the street from us. He's got a Harley Road King and that thing makes so much noise when he roars down the street that everyone cannot help but notice him. A Phantom F-4 just won't cut it. But that Harley makes such a racket the buildings all up and down the street here shake as if hit by an earthquake, so trust me, this guy makes his mark as in "That jerk is once again challenging all those unmuffled large construction trucks full of dirt for dominance of the decibel waves in this neighborhood."

Edited May 20, 2008 by jackcorbett

[Michel1980]

No way. We got a guy living in the condo building four hundred meters down the street from us. He's got a Harley Road King and that thing makes so much noise when he roars down the street that everyone cannot help but notice him. A Phantom F-4 just won't cut it. But that Harley makes such a racket the buildings all up and down the street here shake as if hit by an earthquake, so trust me, this guy makes his mark as in "That jerk is once again challenging all those unmuffled large construction trucks full of dirt for dominance of the decibel waves in this neighborhood."

I agree, my father drives a honda shadow 750cc (everything custom) yes the flame decal job, the lots of chrome the glitter and glamor. The blinkers in the handles a custom steeringwheel, the dragpipes that clear out the floor whenever you even dare to touch the start button of that bike (beautiful bike i gotta add real eyecatcher).

I find i pretty cool to hear those bike roar But thats just the thing, the dont see how much power the give up for just that

I rather have a more pleasant journey, and yes i like to hear a engine. But i can imagine having that harley sound on youre ear for a few hours it gets really irritating And the fun part is the dont even pull a saucage of the streetbricks whenever the pull away from a stoplight Not even the huge 1500cc bikes (pretty rare ) The smaller ones i had more probs with to outrunning them from 0 to 80

As i said speed doesnt mean anything, specially here in thailand. I know a man (lives her with his wife) has a enormous bike suzuki custom 1400cc CHAINDRIVEN. Trust me that bike you dont hear original exhaust and stuff gentle driver to that man. But i know for 100% sure iff he wants to he can pull the bricks out of the floor and outrun allot of bikes here on the island.

Here on the island i go for comfort, i believe now that my girl would be sitting allot better then on a motorbike (scooter model) and well on the island here. Ppl that know koh samui, lets face it its a fuc_ked up road everywere. I think the phantom is the anwser, to my probs. And i think indeed that i did the right buy here. It cost me 50000 approx, seen the fact i got 35000 back for my airblade. And 3 year guarantee on the engine ectra.

And for the bigbike drivers in here yah DUH its offcourse better then a phantom. Owning a bike like a harley has nothing to do with dicksizes. It has to do with the love for a certain brand. And lets face it for a v-rod here you pay about 1million baht secondhand in GOOD condition. In any other country *Atleast were i come from(europe)*

You can forget that, for that price. With other words in Thailand, dreams are closer by then in most other countries. Thats the way i see it I love to see the huge bikes over here, i could or not even DARE to drive them. Heeij atleast im honest, let me be happy with a 200cc phantom 4 stroke you know and i know i will be a soon as i get it

[Richard-BKK]

Hard choice, personally I would say not buy one of them, the Honda Phantom is hardly what I would call a good motorcycle. And Tiger motorcycles with a automatic... also not on the list of things I want for Christmas.

The riding pleasure of a Honda Phantom is not that impressive and riding around town, you probably will feel better on a Honda Wave 125. If you doing some outer-town traffic for quickly going somewhere, you probably better off with a Honda Wave 125.

If the looks of a Honda Wave is not your style, go for a Honda Sonic 125, Suzuki Raider 150 or Honda CBR-150R. (If the Tiger shop sells the Boxer 200PX it is also a very good). Anyway all this bikes will give you so much more pleasure then the once you are about to select.

[PeaceBlondie]

RichardBKK, I agree it is a hard choice. He says these are his criteria:

*Comfort, mainly on suspension.

*Bigger than the 110cc motorbikes

*prefer new, secondhand that i can get to samui good to!

*Automatic preferable (i could shift but longtime ago

I love that Sonic 125, but I do not know if it is comfortable (which includes a soft pillion ride). The Sonic is only 125, and he always rides two-up, so that leaves him with 150 and 200 choices, which are not automatics. The Phantom seat is comfy, and it is sold all over Thailand.

[LivinLOS]

I agree, my father drives a honda shadow 750cc (everything custom)... a custom steeringwheel

A steering wheel !! that is custom !!

[Michel1980]

I agree, my father drives a honda shadow 750cc (everything custom)... a custom steeringwheel

A steering wheel !! that is custom !!

I think the harsh sound of youre bike killed more braincells then i thought

I made an error, now let me double dare you to write me in Dutch and in my dialect. My english isnt that good that was allready obvious.

So far seen "the fact youre a die hard harley driver", you havent be able to given me one usefull posting yet. So please leave this topic for what it is. The rest of you peeps thanx for the HELPFULL information. And specially thank you for not making a fool out of mine crappy english.

I takes me double the time to write this all down..so i aint in the mood for lame responses that are of no use to me.

[Michel1980]

Hard choice, personally I would say not buy one of them, the Honda Phantom is hardly what I would call a good motorcycle. And Tiger motorcycles with a automatic... also not on the list of things I want for Christmas.

The riding pleasure of a Honda Phantom is not that impressive and riding around town, you probably will feel better on a Honda Wave 125. If you doing some outer-town traffic for quickly going somewhere, you probably better off with a Honda Wave 125.

If the looks of a Honda Wave is not your style, go for a Honda Sonic 125, Suzuki Raider 150 or Honda CBR-150R. (If the Tiger shop sells the Boxer 200PX it is also a very good). Anyway all this bikes will give you so much more pleasure then the once you are about to select.

Thank you for this, Ive tried the wave, its to light and not so comfy as i want it to be. I find the airblade i sold even better then that one. The tiger compared to the phantom is a difference (i know very expensive) 6000bath *new* Honda is more of a reliable brand then tiger. Plus the tiger comes with 1 year guarantee on the engine. The phantom with 3 years on the engine, i find that important to specially with the JUST 6000 difference (!!)

The cbr150 the had that one on stock, its a racer Its look very impressive i must add i only sit on it. But its a higher bike, doesnt sit comfy for the passenger. For me it would be an ok bike for sure. It has a mono spring (how you call that Bridge suspenion?) I rather have dual springs..

The advantage of the Phantom (as i see it) Compared to the other ones described.

Custom/chopper model bike

Low and buddyseat (this means no need for a hige leg sway to get on) and im not that big

I have side bags and tank bag for it allready (i can get some more on it then useuall)

Its has more power, not in speed i think compared to that cbr, but i know for sure lower rpm more smoother ride (so far i hear neighbour has an older cbr)

And its always so i drive with 2 on it not alone. Always passenger..

Anyway

Bought it new the fire edition, 86500 bath with full guarantee ectra. Now ive read on the inet on thing tho that the older Phantoms had a prob something to do with the chain tensioner or something. Iff that thingie breaks down then the had to rebuild the engine?

Is this still and issue with the newer models ? or is this allready been fixed in the newer ones?

Not that im to worried (3 years guarantee on the engine), but still would be bummer iff it breaks down

And can anyone give me maintaince tips, like ok use that for the chain, or be carefull with that ectra.

Thank you very much so far for the good responses. And very handy tips, the sonic i dont know gonna dig into that one. The tiger 200boxer the dont have it here I think tiger makes good bikes only here on the island there really expensive

BTW tiger HAS NO SHOP HERE..the YAMAHA dealer sells them here

Edited May 22, 2008 by Michel1980

[pumpuiman]

Why don't you install a higher padded sissy bar, so your girl can lean back while riding?

It may solve the back pain problem.

Edited May 22, 2008 by pumpuiman

[VocalNeal]

You could have gone another route. For instance Used 400 Vulcan but Phantom should be OK for island cruising as long as there are not too many hills. Its how you ride not what you ride:-)

[JSixpack]

You could have gone another route. For instance Used 400 Vulcan but Phantom should be OK for island cruising as long as there are not too many hills. Its how you ride not what you ride:-)

Oh, there are always other routes, but they may lead you far out of your way and waste time, money, and energy. For starts, that Vulcan has no book or registration. Tells you something right there. Who's gonna repair it without cheating you (not yer local Suzuki dealer, that's sure), how shoddy are the repairs gonna be (so how many times you gotta take it back, or try to get another shop to repair the repair), and how long is it gonna take to get parts at rip-off prices?

Phantom is OK on hills, no need to be in a rush: you never know what you'll meet at the top of any hill.

Edited May 22, 2008 by JSixpack

[LivinLOS]

I agree, my father drives a honda shadow 750cc (everything custom)... a custom steeringwheel

A steering wheel !! that is custom !!

I think the harsh sound of youre bike killed more braincells then i thought

I made an error, now let me double dare you to write me in Dutch and in my dialect. My english isnt that good that was allready obvious.

So far seen "the fact youre a die hard harley driver", you havent be able to given me one usefull posting yet. So please leave this topic for what it is. The rest of you peeps thanx for the HELPFULL information. And specially thank you for not making a fool out of mine crappy english.

I takes me double the time to write this all down..so i aint in the mood for lame responses that are of no use to me.

Goude morga, hoe gat het??

Ja kan ik niet aan u zeer goed in het Nederlands schrijven, kan ik mijn beste slechts doen.

Maar gelieve te lezen zorgvuldig. Ik heb nooit een Hardley Diveableson bezeten en zal nooit. Haat de dingen met een hartstocht.

Was only trying to be comical.. Not picking on you.

[PeaceBlondie]

Sorry to interject, but languages other than English are only allowed on the Thai Language forum.

Michael, I think you will be happy with the new Phantom. Yes, the CBR150R pillion is so high that some Thais have to literally jump up to mount it. Even I have to stretch to get up there, with a 30-inch inseam.

[dave_boo]

Hard choice, personally I would say not buy one of them, the Honda Phantom is hardly what I would call a good motorcycle. And Tiger motorcycles with a automatic... also not on the list of things I want for Christmas.

The riding pleasure of a Honda Phantom is not that impressive and riding around town, you probably will feel better on a Honda Wave 125. If you doing some outer-town traffic for quickly going somewhere, you probably better off with a Honda Wave 125.

If the looks of a Honda Wave is not your style, go for a Honda Sonic 125, Suzuki Raider 150 or Honda CBR-150R. (If the Tiger shop sells the Boxer 200PX it is also a very good). Anyway all this bikes will give you so much more pleasure then the once you are about to select.

Thank you for this, Ive tried the wave, its to light and not so comfy as i want it to be. I find the airblade i sold even better then that one. The tiger compared to the phantom is a difference (i know very expensive) 6000bath *new* Honda is more of a reliable brand then tiger. Plus the tiger comes with 1 year guarantee on the engine. The phantom with 3 years on the engine, i find that important to specially with the JUST 6000 difference (!!)

The cbr150 the had that one on stock, its a racer Its look very impressive i must add i only sit on it. But its a higher bike, doesnt sit comfy for the passenger. For me it would be an ok bike for sure. It has a mono spring (how you call that Bridge suspenion?) I rather have dual springs..

The advantage of the Phantom (as i see it) Compared to the other ones described.

Custom/chopper model bike

Low and buddyseat (this means no need for a hige leg sway to get on) and im not that big

I have side bags and tank bag for it allready (i can get some more on it then useuall)

Its has more power, not in speed i think compared to that cbr, but i know for sure lower rpm more smoother ride (so far i hear neighbour has an older cbr)

And its always so i drive with 2 on it not alone. Always passenger..

Anyway

Bought it new the fire edition, 86500 bath with full guarantee ectra. Now ive read on the inet on thing tho that the older Phantoms had a prob something to do with the chain tensioner or something. Iff that thingie breaks down then the had to rebuild the engine?

I wasn't able to find an inspect/repair schedule for the camshaft chain tensioner, but apparently there's an uprated version that you can have installed at the beginning of ownership that's supposedly better. None the less, it's very apparent that since the TA200 is an interference engine (an engine where the piston(s) WILL make contact with the valves if the timing is not correct--say after a camshaft drive chain breaks or slips off the correct teeth) regular checks are made of this tensioner.

Is this still and issue with the newer models ? or is this allready been fixed in the newer ones?

Not that im to worried (3 years guarantee on the engine), but still would be bummer iff it breaks down

And can anyone give me maintaince tips, like ok use that for the chain, or be carefull with that ectra.

AFAIK, Honda's still using the same engine since they've switched over from the old 150cc two stroke model. So it's probably still a problem. I'm not familiar with the Phantom engine, but possibly there's an easy way to check the tensioner without dismantling the engine quite a bit. Perhaps someone more familiar with the engine than I can offer that information.

Thank you very much so far for the good responses. And very handy tips, the sonic i dont know gonna dig into that one. The tiger 200boxer the dont have it here I think tiger makes good bikes only here on the island there really expensive

BTW tiger HAS NO SHOP HERE..the YAMAHA dealer sells them here

[VocalNeal]

Oh, there are always other routes, but they may lead you far out of your way and waste time, money, and energy. For starts, that Vulcan has no book or registration. Tells you something right there. Who's gonna repair it without cheating you (not yer local Suzuki dealer, that's sure), how shoddy are the repairs gonna be (so how many times you gotta take it back, or try to get another shop to repair the repair), and how long is it gonna take to get parts at rip-off prices?

"There you go again with those negative waves, man" Sergeant Oddball, Kelly's Heroes

[Michel1980]

To Hdriver (geen kwaad geschied beste kerel That means no harm done, i overeacted to and there for humble apoligies.

Oke the tensioner (as far as i understand) COULD BE STILL a mayor issue of the bike.

I will dig in deeper with that, specially with the honda dealer about that.

The bike should have been here this week, But as most thai there SLOOOWPOKES :C

The bike was not there yet at the factory. Although i doubt it but the only thing you can say is ok ok, we wait some more.

The say from now on 2 more weeks, because its a limited edition (ahum seen 3 of them allready on the island at least ) its been seen as a special order. I can go for the normal one that would not be a problem. But i like the black one very much so i have to be patient.

Ill, keep you guys updated!

[Michel1980]

Oh, there are always other routes, but they may lead you far out of your way and waste time, money, and energy. For starts, that Vulcan has no book or registration. Tells you something right there. Who's gonna repair it without cheating you (not yer local Suzuki dealer, that's sure), how shoddy are the repairs gonna be (so how many times you gotta take it back, or try to get another shop to repair the repair), and how long is it gonna take to get parts at rip-off prices?

"There you go again with those negative waves, man" Sergeant Oddball, Kelly's Heroes

Im not a expert in this, so bare with me. I learn it firsthand of what i know, hear and see. And even i know that greenbook iff you dont have it. Can give you sh*tload of probs in the future The bike shall be ok im not to worried. My father bought his big bike at XXX motorcycles (dont want to make commercial of it so xxx name replacer)

Included greenbook everything, the owner of the shop went with him to that office and all. Very neatly handled as it should be.

No greenbook...then no buy. That how i see it to you know. I dont trust that at all..afterall were guests in THERE country. Not the other way around. Law is law.

[LivinLOS]

Law is law.

LOL.. Your still talking about Thailand right ??