New Model Honda Phantom

[Kimera]

Told by Phuket Honda that the Phantom was not being made now! A friend who works at Honda tells me they are designing a new model. Anybody heard anything.

[Phatcharanan]

Don't know about a new design but Wikipedia reports that production of the 200cc Phantom in Thailand finished on the 3rd March.

[Thailaw]

A sales woman at the Mityon Honda shop in Pattaya told me on Thursday that a new fuel injected 250cc Honda Phantom will be out later this year or in early 2012. She wasn't holding her breath. I asked if it would be a V twin, and she didn't know (but I am guessing that it will be). The Yamaha V-Star 250 is currently being assembled in Malaysia by Hong Leong Yamaha, and I have read that it will be imported into Thailand "soon" (that was in June/July 2010), so I can't imagine that Honda would not meet the competition by offering a V twin design on the Phantom.

[Thailaw]

Don't know about a new design but Wikipedia reports that production of the 200cc Phantom in Thailand finished on the 3rd March.

That was 3rd March 2010, over 1 year ago.

[SumetCycle]

AP Honda announced that they are going to release 12 new products over the next three years. Perhaps a new version of the Phantom will be one of them.

[Kalyan]

I revised the Phantom's wikipedia article earlier this year. If there are any updates let me know

Since I have little information regarding the Phantom's history I fluffed out the article with some DIY performance mods I did to improve the lifespan of these nice reliable commuters.

To date I have no information at all regarding the 150cc Phantom other than it predates the TA200, is made in Japan, and uses a detuned version of the NSR SP150's liquid cooled powerplant.

[dave_boo]

A retuned CBR 250 engine (think more torque less HP at a lower level) would make a killer Phantom wouldn't it?

[billd766]

Add a better gearbox where 5th and 6th gears are not overdrive then that would be a better bike.

[Kimera]

I posted this topic because I think its an excellent little bike, I remember riding away with my new Phantom four years ago and within a few yards I had a smile on my face, and its still there, if there is an updated model I will be very interested, horses for courses..

Just for history info. I have had big bikes the last one a 1200 Susuki

Thanks for your posts

[billd766]

I went to BKK and back to Khampaeng Phet yesterday on my Phantom.

730km round trip and it took me 5 1/2 hours to get to Sathorn and 6 1/2 hours to get back including pit stops and the last 130 km I watched an incredible lightning storm ahead of me.

The bad news was that I forgot some rubber boots so I had very wet feet for the last 80 km though my rain suit kept most of the rain off.

I nearly ran into 3 trees which were blown down and covering the motorcycle lane.

The bike never missed a beat the whole way.

I had an ache in my left shoulder probably from changing gear a lot and my a** was a bit sore but it was a good run.

[Kalyan]

Fun. I've rode through entire neighbourhoods with about 4-6 inches of flooded roads all the way, lightning striking the lamp posts left and right and the bike can be trusted to get you home through that :3

For the gearing being too "short", well, using the 38 rear sprocket helps loads with that. Using a bigger front sprocket to reduce the RPMs further requires a bit of metalwork to grind away the front sprocket housing.

Tip: set the fuel air mixture richer (half to one turn of the air correction screw on the carb) to increase low end torque when running the smaller rear sprocket. Better accceleration with the 38 thanks to this simple tuning and less time wasted changing gears.

[aitch52]

Talked to my dealer here yesterday. Yep it looks like a reworked CBR 250 engine, perhaps they will increase the stroke and put a spacer in the head, from what I've heard the CBR is a bit of a high revving screamer. In that format totally unsuitable for a cruiser. We can all pray that they will develop a twin but I think it is highly unlikely, I think it will be a single pot thumper.

[thaicbr]

Talked to my dealer here yesterday. Yep it looks like a reworked CBR 250 engine, perhaps they will increase the stroke and put a spacer in the head, from what I've heard the CBR is a bit of a high revving screamer. In that format totally unsuitable for a cruiser. We can all pray that they will develop a twin but I think it is highly unlikely, I think it will be a single pot thumper.

You heard wrong. The Cbr is a very reasonable low / midrange power engine BUT i would imagine that if they do indeed use the same engine for the 'new' phantom they will mellow it out a little more.

[dave_boo]

Agree with ThaiCBR; after all the CBR 250R only revs out to 10500 RPM and most of the action from the dyno I've seen have been below 9500.

[PoorSucker]

I hope they dust of the old 250 Honda Magna V engine.

[tourleadersi]

Anyone heard any further news on this? I am interested in getting a Phantom, but dont want to shell out on a second hand one if there are new ones coming out in the near future. Would appreciate any update. Is there a viable alternative here in Thailand that is still in production?

[Thaifan2]

Anyone heard any further news on this? I am interested in getting a Phantom, but dont want to shell out on a second hand one if there are new ones coming out in the near future. Would appreciate any update. Is there a viable alternative here in Thailand that is still in production?

How about the Lifan 250 cc V twin cruiser .I have one now after owning a Phantom for a few years and it seems a much better bike in every way . :jap: Cost a very reasonable B78,000 with 2 year guarantee on the engine .Its made in Thailand and is based on a Yamaha ,and the parts are mostly of Chinese origin i believe .

Edited September 28, 2011 by Thaifan2

[JSixpack]

Anyone heard any further news on this? I am interested in getting a Phantom, but dont want to shell out on a second hand one if there are new ones coming out in the near future. Would appreciate any update. Is there a viable alternative here in Thailand that is still in production?

How about the Lifan 250 cc V twin cruiser .I have one now after owning a Phantom for a few years and it seems a much better bike in every way . :jap: Cost a very reasonable B78,000 with 2 year guarantee on the engine .Its made in Thailand and is based on a Yamaha ,and the parts are mostly of Chinese origin i believe .

+1

[Thailaw]

Talked to my dealer here yesterday. Yep it looks like a reworked CBR 250 engine, perhaps they will increase the stroke and put a spacer in the head, from what I've heard the CBR is a bit of a high revving screamer. In that format totally unsuitable for a cruiser. We can all pray that they will develop a twin but I think it is highly unlikely, I think it will be a single pot thumper.

I was in Mityon Honda in Pattaya 2 weeks ago, and the salesman there, who seemed to be very knowledgable, told me that the new Phantom would use the same engine as is in the CBR 250i, perhaps with some modifications. So much for the hope for a V twin. He said that it would be out in November 2012, over a year from now. Dissapointing in both respects. He had 2 M Bikes on the floor, one brand new and one 7 months old. The second hand one looked terrible for such little time and use. I think I'd pass on one of those. I asked him about the Lifan 250, and he laughed and said "no spare parts". He doesn't sell Lifan and perhaps has a motive to bash it, but I think he was being honest and open. I am not aware of any seller/dealer of Lifan here in Pattaya, so the problem with spare parts may be worse here than elsewhere. Perhaps in Chiang Mai, where there is a dealer, spares are available quickly. This segment of the motorcycle market in Thailand is very disappointing to say the least. And it doesn't appear to be getting much better.

[JSixpack]

I am not aware of any seller/dealer of Lifan here in Pattaya, so the problem with spare parts may be worse here than elsewhere.

Kor Chareon Yont is the Lifan dealer in Naklua. Going north on Naklua Rd. from Pattaya, you turn right at the traffic light (towards the Naklua post office) and turn left just before Wat Sawang Fa. I can post the phone number here if you want it (Thai only).

Plenty of spare parts as the Lifan factory is in Rayong. Friend spoke to the factory manager and he affirmed that spare parts are not a problem. Why should they be?

Of course Honda dealers are going to denigrate Lifans. Meanwhile, Lifan owners are enjoying riding their bikes. My friend loves hers, been driving it to work daily ~40km roundtrip. Great bike. I'd get one myself except my Phantom is running just fine and so I can't justify the expense to upgrade.

Edited September 30, 2011 by JSixpack