Honda Phantom

[billd766]

Good luck with the cruise down to BKK and Jomtien Bill, wish I could join up with you but have to work, maybe meet up in the future at some date. I am 86 kilos and my wife is 52, so on the rare occasions she deigns to ride with me we are over the top then. May be an idea to check out your sprocket ratios as 14 maybe too high if you have that fitted on the front. Mine doesn't feel sluggish even with two up. My bike is a 2007 Fire edition and in 6th I still want to change up as it feels as if it could do with it.

Cheers

Chris

Hi aitch 52.ery month or two and it

I go to BKK every month or two and it is not too bad a ride until I get into town and have to use the frontage road.

I cruise around 90 to 93 GPS or 110 indicated and apart from a bit of vibration it is enjoyable and fun which aged 65 is something I need.

How do I check the teeth on the front sprocket?

[aitch52]

Take the cover off on the left hand side of the gearbox casing, it is held on by 3 bolts, the sprocket is then visible, then just count the teeth. Mine has 13 and I have always found it pretty nippy.

Photos enclosed, got them off the Phantom knights website

Regards

Chris

[aitch52]

Ooops silly old fart I am, while you are there check the plastic chain guide also

Edited March 10, 2010 by aitch52

[Illrockmerch]

There's a nice bike shop that I've used in Nakhon Sawan; mbox knows where it is (in fact turned me on to him), but I don't know if he'd be able to do such an upgrade for you. I'd reckon that it'd be fairly easy to source a Honda Rebel piston; getting a true bore and hoping that the bottom end holds up may be a different story.

If the bolt pattern and offset is the same-same as the CBR's, it'd be a simple task to get that replaced as well. Just make sure that you get the front and your chain at the same time. In actuality, replacing the front with a one tooth smaller sprocket would do nearly the same, plus you could then tweak the rear sprocket's number of teeth to get just the ride you want.

Nice bike shop contains nice bike and a nice bike always looks good with a nice looking bike rider.And if the rider is looking nice then he or she must have to wear smart T shirt which also will be the good match with your bike colour.So finally i want to say that always wear nice t shirts while riding any bike.

[billd766]

Take the cover off on the left hand side of the gearbox casing, it is held on by 3 bolts, the sprocket is then visible, then just count the teeth. Mine has 13 and I have always found it pretty nippy.

Photos enclosed, got them off the Phantom knights website

Regards

Chris

Well I took your advice and took the cover off and judging by the crappy greasy dirt inside it has never been off before and I counted 13 teeth as well so the tooth fairy hasn't called yet.

I looked at the chain guide and that seems OK as well.

It is nice to know that I am not the only silly old fart on TV.

I think mine is not so fast due to the weight it carries and the wind factor as I am a bit big and fat.

Relax and enjoy the ride.

Cheers

Bill

[Kalyan]

I think mine is not so fast due to the weight it carries and the wind factor as I am a bit big and fat.

I'm not exactly sure how fast a Phantom can go but the Japan-made 150cc two strokes seem to be often praised for their good performance at highway speeds. They sound more lame than an electric fan, however. The TA200's exhaust note is just fun.

I sure as hel_l didn't buy mine for speed. 6 years of racing cubs is more than enough excitement!

Edited March 11, 2010 by Kalyan

[billd766]

I think mine is not so fast due to the weight it carries and the wind factor as I am a bit big and fat.

I'm not exactly sure how fast a Phantom can go but the Japan-made 150cc two strokes seem to be often praised for their good performance at highway speeds. They sound more lame than an electric fan, however. The TA200's exhaust note is just fun.

I sure as hel_l didn't buy mine for speed. 6 years of racing cubs is more than enough excitement!

Mine is OK and slogs along at an indicated 110 kph or GPS 95 but it eats fuel at that speed but if I ease off to 85/90 GPS the fuel consumption is much better but I have no real usable reserve power if I need it in a hurry to get out of trouble.

[aitch52]

I think mine is not so fast due to the weight it carries and the wind factor as I am a bit big and fat.

I'm not exactly sure how fast a Phantom can go but the Japan-made 150cc two strokes seem to be often praised for their good performance at highway speeds. They sound more lame than an electric fan, however. The TA200's exhaust note is just fun.

I sure as hel_l didn't buy mine for speed. 6 years of racing cubs is more than enough excitement!

Mine is OK and slogs along at an indicated 110 kph or GPS 95 but it eats fuel at that speed but if I ease off to 85/90 GPS the fuel consumption is much better but I have no real usable reserve power if I need it in a hurry to get out of trouble.

Hi guys

yep I guess it may be the aerodynamics then Bill, just been to Honda Bike shop here in Phetchabun as my front brake pads are worn down to about 3mm. Bit peeved as I had the bikes 20 K service a couple of weeks back and it should have been flagged then, but that was in Phitsanulok.

He said they are ok, so I got out me trusty torch and gave him a comparison of front and rear, probably 2 or 3 times more material on the rear pads. Ordered them, none in country he tells me and about a 3 week wait, 280 Baht. So will be taking it easy and try to avoid any hard braking, I tend not to push the bike hard in any case as I much prefer to cruise.

As the chain adjustment is almost out of the green sector, I have decided to replace the chain and front and rear sprockets as well, although the sprockets are not worn beyond limits, it would not be good practise to replace the chain only in my view. Tried for a 13-42 but only 13-41 available (41 is stamped on my rear sprocket).

He then tried hard to persuade me against it saying they are ok, "Expensive very much" sez he, "2000 Baht up". Turns out that is for all 3 items so I have ordered them. I plan to put quite a bit of mileage on the bike in the next few months so it is more than worth it for the peace of mind.

These are all genuine Honda parts being ordered, dread to think what it would cost in the UK.

Yes fuel consumption is higher at 100 kph plus, maybe 25km/l, 90-95 is about 34km/l on my trusty bike.

My bodge mod on the exhaust final baffle seems have freed the engine restriction a little and gives a much nicer exhaust note.

Happy Trails Folks

[Kalyan]

Thanks for the optimal speed pointers, gentlemen

Should be pretty much perfect for cruising on Singaporean roads where the speed limit is 90 on the highways and as-fast-as-you-dare-to-go on main streets.

On such machines there's pretty much zilch aerodynamic efficiency anyway but a reasonably sized windscreen might help reduce drag. Oh, and keeping the back end unloaded. The Phantom Knights' people posted some test results for Phantoms with and without side and top boxes and found that they reduced few economy by as much as 10km/l due to the additional drag.

But, 34km/l is decent considering how large this motorcycle is for a 200cc.

[chuppachops]

just buy a more powerful bike? really those phantoms are horrible, mostly owned my fat old falangs hehehe dont know why on earth anyone would buy one.

[JSixpack]

just buy a more powerful bike? really those phantoms are horrible, mostly owned my fat old falangs hehehe dont know why on earth anyone would buy one.

Phantoms are comfortable and very practical. They need no modification whatsoever. I'm extremely happy w/ mine after owning a big old bike.

As for pose value to impress young Thai women, don't buy any bike and just show them the cash. But they like Phantoms just fine and call them "choppers."

I ain't no fat old farang.

[Kalyan]

There are very few <200cc cruiser-type motorcycles in Singapore besides the Phantom.

I can think of the 180cc Bajaj Avenger and some Korean 125cc choppers (Daelim) but the Phantom is far superior to both. The Bajaj is beautiful but parts are rare and the brand's reliability nothing to boast about. And the Korean bikes? No power. At all.

Phantoms are very popular in Singapore due to the bike license system where larger motorcycles require additional time and money spent in driving schools. With all small-cc riders with a sense of dignity not having much choice of a non-boy-racer machine, it's understandable why there are so many Phantoms on the road here.

They're no slouch on the rather short highways here, where their large size and weight gives them superior stability compared to the racing cubs popular with speed-conscious kids.

mostly owned my fat old falangs hehehe dont know why on earth anyone would buy one.

I'm in my mid twenties and so fair and dainty even the cops don't believe breaking traffic laws was my hobby for the past 6 years. A gentleman's machine like the Phantom encourages me to take good care of the bike instead of thinking stuff like "0-100 in x seconds and hit the next apex at 120kph" because that means instant death. Call it insurance, and a fashion statement

Edited March 13, 2010 by Kalyan

[soihok]

Sorry guys but I cannot find anything positive to say about Phantoms.

The most god awful bike ever to be made.

Kalyan, just go for your class 2 A test and trade the joke in for a better bike,,, you know it makes sense.

Phantoms are for budget biking grandpas in Singapore.....not for some one in their mid twenties.

I,m giving you a pic of a nice bike for inspiration.

[aitch52]

Hi Kalyan

I spent 2 happy years in Singapore in the early 70's and can relate to what you are saying, although there weren't too many highways back then, it was fun zipping across the causeway to JB. Also with your licensing laws the Phantom is a good way to get experience for a couple of years on a meaty sort of bike and then go on to the next test if you want something bigger.

Soihok, funny old thing you should post a pic of a Triumph, my first bike was a Tiger Cub 200cc, 1960 vintage, bought it with money saved from summer potato picking and several weeks mucking out pigs and cows. It is one of the reasons I went for the Phantom, as it has a bit of a retro look about it. If you were to post a pic of a real Triumph, instead of that plastic pig, as in the Bonneville then I would have given you some credibility.

Phantom v Tiger Cub, no contest the Honda is several hundred percent better in terms of reliability, handling and comfort, not to mention oil leaks and thirst for motion lotion. Mate I have taken to using the Phantom to commute from Phitsanulok to Phetchabun and return every week, I love the ride at a steady old mans pace (haha) and I ain't fat either. Much prefer it to my big comfortable pickup.

If we all had the same taste then it would be a boring old world, I am happy with my machine, she does all I ask of her and more, In my view it is a good frame and gearbox coupled with a mediocre powerplant, but shoot for 88K and just a blown fuse in 3 years due to a short from a crappy set of spots the Honda shop fitted, I ain't complaining. Some pics enclosed to take a stroll down memory lane.

[Kalyan]

Behold, the most god awful bike on the planet!

I am dead serious when I said I wanted a Phantom back in 2003 when my late Dad awarded me my first pair of wheels to freedom, the Yamaha 125Z "super sport" cub.

I have just spent 6 hours on the 125Z's replacement, a back from the dead, 7 year old rust bucket that was over the past 3 weeks, painstakingly restored, rebuilt and improved upon. This gentlemen is why I decided not to buy myself the latest Japanese household appliance aka everyone's favourite plastic racing moped from the showroom, but skulk around roadside "mototiams" until I saw a literally abandoned Phantom frame with only the wheels and some parts of the engine attached.

After several hours of performance run-in sequences, I named her the "Memphis Belle" because the sound of it is definitely not like your average joe TA200. Heads literally snap in my direction from a hundred feet away and I can't count the number of times I've done "saluting passes" to passers by! This is seriously epic because us Singaporeans almost NEVER care about what others drive unless it's a Lambo or Ferarri on the road (and insert superbike/exotic bike equivalent here). For a Phantom to attract such attention? A PHANTOM!?

It feels very different to lay my hands on a machine I know a team of dedicated and experienced mechanics had built SPECIALLY for me (with a hefty price premium for my ordered "improvements"!!). I never had this feeling of possessiveness over a machine with my Yamaha cub, for sure.

If you'd like to remark on how impossible my lust for mechanical perfection is, well, perhaps you'd like to read my first person account at the local motorcycle forums

www.singaporebikes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=154508&page=110

[soihok]

Interesting mate.

Cant open the link but never mind.

I would be grateful if you could post a photo of the head snapping creation. Please.

[soihok]

that plastic pig

[aitch52]

No offence intended Soihok, looks like a flyer!

Aitch

[soihok]

Non taken mate.....could call it a flying pig.

When I was living in Korat last year I was really tempted to get a bike but I knew I would have to leave again as I needed to get back to earning a living for the little ones.

So I did,nt get a bike sadly, I saw loads around Korat from V-max----MT01----Ducati 996----GSXR1000 , as well as the new ones in the Yamaha shop on Mitrapharp Road. If I had ,it would be sitting in the house doing nothing now and me worrying if it would still be there when we come back.

Not to worry.

Happy biking!!

[billd766]

just buy a more powerful bike? really those phantoms are horrible, mostly owned my fat old falangs hehehe dont know why on earth anyone would buy one.

Phantoms are comfortable and very practical. They need no modification whatsoever. I'm extremely happy w/ mine after owning a big old bike.

As for pose value to impress young Thai women, don't buy any bike and just show them the cash. But they like Phantoms just fine and call them "choppers."

I ain't no fat old farang.

Well I am a fat old falang and what I like about the Phantom is that it is not like sitting on a high speed razor blade.

It is comfortable and cruises fairly well considering what it has to carry which is me.

I have no need to pose for young Thai girls and quite a lot of my Thai friends like the Phantom and wish they had the money to buy mine.

Just out of curiousity chuppachops have you ever owned or ridden a Phantom?

[Kalyan]

Pics... eventually

Just came back from a Phantom-only outing and another couple of hundred kms logged (thats a lot considering Singapore is 20x30km across or so). Have a fair bit of storytelling to do.

So long as I don't see the Phantom as a racing machine it's pretty much perfect for Singapore roads, according to my expectations.

It isn't a fat old man's bike - there's plenty for torque to go around although the gear ratios are too close for my tastes. Nothing a sprocket size review wouldn't fix in a few months' time.

Compared to my old bike (Y125) the TA200 requires a bit of talent in prediction. It is not underpowered provided you give the mill a few moments to spool up and the necessary torque is transmitted.

The most fun thing is the "custom" aspect of the machine. Every Phantom rider that turned up for the outing today has a totally unique machine. And I feel that the more TLC I bestow on mine, the happier I am.

I haven't got angry or suspicious looks from anyone, nor has some errant car or lorry driver insolently cut across my path because motorcycles are easy to bully (yep, you don't need road manners in Singapore!) - but quite the opposite. Pedestrians and bus stop occupiers stare like they haven't seen a Phantom before, and literally beg for me to open the throttles wide (mine is supremely loud at low RPMs for some reason, but in a great way). This is more or less the first time in 6 years of riding where I observe other road users responding to my turn signals.

Now that says a lot considering competitive Singaporean culture - I haven't changed at all, it's just the bike.

I was surprised to note a trio of very young riders in today's group riding Phantoms for their first motorcycle.

I'm thinking that most youths prefer speed, power, agility and indeed, that's why Yamaha cubs and junior sportsbikes are popular. But these two have no such delusions of grandeur and focus instead on learning from the old-timers and bestowing their seniors' attention to detail on their beloved mounts.

I took 7 years to learn enough motorcycling skill (most of it the hard way) to fully appreciate my recent purchase - and not just appreciate but unleash the full potential of this mediocre powerplant. Those two young men had motorcycling talent from day one (and had only recently got their licenses late last year). Demonstrating to them some components of my old style of "offensive riding" from the Yamaha days did well to assure others that they aren't riding helpless overweight machines.

It does seem that a number of other drivers behind me quite fancy the huge sound my exhaust makes when at full throttle at low rpms. 5 second burst of that and the car behind seems to recede in the rear view mirrors... and for that matter the engine sound is not boring at all. Seems like every part of the powerband has a different note and like a well tuned instrument I could make any sound I wanted, literally

I also love the huge tyres on this thing. Went 95+ kph in extreme wet conditions without much of a problem. Just watch the braking distance. And the weight transfer...

Yep, I don't regret at all choosing a Phantom over... everything else available.

[Kalyan]

Main tank range 500km tested & proven, I'm a happy camper :3

That's 55km per litre which I believe is a Phantom world record. No kidding. I ride normally at 70-100kph

She has mood swings though! Fun!

Edited April 3, 2010 by Kalyan

[Fishenough]

Kalyan, congrats. Your way ahead of the game and the rest, you’re happy with and enjoying your bike; that’s what it’s all about.

Below is a pic of a Phantom’s speedo that has done the mileage shown in just 11 months since new, riding in Thailand! The gent who owns it is a true biker, doesn’t own a cage, and rides with a skill that will shame many a rider.

With the hardware he has ridden here and back in his home country being the top gear of Japanese, European and American rides – what does he choose to ride most of Thailand with recently?

[soihok]

Answer is:-

The cheapest he can find.

I don,t own a cage either by the way.

[Kalyan]

11 months! I doubt I can reach that mileage even if I continued spending 6 hours a day in the saddle - I haven't run out of back roads yet in Singapore.

Speedo cluster looks a bit different from the local breed - our indicators are on the front fork brace and we have no fuel low warning light save for the vibrating tank cover.

The bike is very sensitive to any changes to oil level, riding habit, TYPE of motor oil. brand of petrol etc etc! It's a blast figuring out what the prissy lil mistress likes because with a custom gearing she's very, very quick from 0-70kph. 70-100 is a bit slow but if you just floor it from low rpms she does it in a few seconds with a B-17 style roar. Pretty good with all that dead weight. With all the low end torque she eats up most of the "boy racers" and their tuned pipes........... which are tuned for RPMs way higher than they have the skill to use.

I used to race stripped down mopeds and the Phantom is a dream. I drag my knee in corners, well almost, since I ride with nothing but jeans and a cotton blouse lol.

[soihok]

Good luck to you and yer Phantom.

As Sheryl Crow says...............if it makes you happy...........

[soihok]

I saw Sherly Crow play at the Glastonbury Festival in the mid 90,s.

[Kalyan]

Crow was my favourite songstress from my elementary school days

[Bongo]

Can anyone tell me how long a phantom chain is (How many links) with genuine standard sprockets fitted? I want to bring a good quality x ring chain with me on my next visit for my phantom.

Regards Andy

[Fishenough]

Can anyone tell me how long a phantom chain is (How many links) with genuine standard sprockets fitted? I want to bring a good quality x ring chain with me on my next visit for my phantom.

Regards Andy

About this long,

The Honda brand Phantom chain is the continuous loop (no master link) type, and long lasting if maintained. One chain replacement in 85,ooo kms so far.