Downgrading From D-Tracker

[cm das]

I live in Chiang Mai & I've got a 2 year old D-Tracker that I'm generally happy with. These days I do pretty much all my riding either in town, or on short (half-day) trips into the nearby hills. Before this I had a CBR 150 that I also liked, although I much prefer the riding position & versatility of the D-Tracker. I am not an aggressive rider and I have no need for major speed, though I do enjoy riding the twisty backroads up north. So here's the deal: though my D-Tracker treats me well, I wouldn't mind a change. At the same time, I could use a little extra cash to pay for a new computer. So I had the idea of selling my D-Tracker (well-maintained & only about 10k on the odometer) & buying a Lifan Cross 200. What do you think? Is that crazy?

Before the insults start flying (at me or at the bike), let me make a few things clear. First, please spare me comments like "it's Chinese so it must be a piece of junk." From what I understand, Lifan engines may not be high tech but they are tested & reliable. I'm not so sure about the overall fit & finish of the bike but Lifan is not Platinum or JRD & I'm not worried about the engine. Second, I'm not at all concerned with resale value. If I get this bike & if it lasts more than a few years, I'll plan on keeping it long-term as my city/dirt bike & someday I'll buy a bigger touring bike to go alongside it.

So what I really want to know is, how much would I experience a drop in performance switching from the D-Tracker to the Lifan? And would it really be any harder to get parts/find mechanics for the Lifan as compared to Kawasakis? Given the way I ride & my willingness to take a chance on Lifan, would this switch at all make sense? Thanks in advance for any helpful replies.

[ttakata]

I say give one a test ride to see the performance difference.

Does Lifan really have proven reliability?

Does anyone from the media or at least on any forums have documented high mileage on their Lifans?

Motorsports are valuable testing grounds, but I've never heard of any Chinese company involved in any motorsports.

You should ask yourself how long is the warranty and will it actually be backed.

If you get one let us know how it holds up.

Edited March 16, 2011 by ttakata

[Garry]

I heard somewhere in the forum that someone had owned one for a couple of days before it had some electrical / wiring issue. He supposedly was not impressed. I would be concerned about long term reliability and whether it was worth the changeover for peace of mind.

[cm das]

The Lifan 200 GY has been sold in North America for several years. From what I've seen the reliability and performance reports on forums over there are generally positive, especially as regards the engine. And by the way, the engine has a 2 year/20,000km warranty. Of course this brand doesn't seem to have a long history of producing export-quality bikes, so longer-term performance is an unknown. But then that's all part of why the bikes are so cheap, right?

[bobbin]

The Lifan 200 GY has been sold in North America for several years. From what I've seen the reliability and performance reports on forums over there are generally positive, especially as regards the engine. And by the way, the engine has a 2 year/20,000km warranty. Of course this brand doesn't seem to have a long history of producing export-quality bikes, so longer-term performance is an unknown. But then that's all part of why the bikes are so cheap, right?

If you go back a few pages. you will see a thread about the Lifan 200 GY. Canuckamuck, posting here, bought one and seemed happy enough.

I think it would be a great little bike changed over to motard style. All in, just over 50k.

The loss, if sold on quickly, would not be much.

[nikster]

Go for it and update this forum in a year - would love to see a comparison between the cheap Lifan and the D-Tracker. I think there must be something about the Lifan that makes it so cheap - then again, it's a copy of a Honda, so it should be all right. I've also heard that Lifan's copy-of-Honda engines are good, e.g. as good as the originals.