Large Bike Advice

[dbm]

Hi. I'm considering buying a larger bike, such as a Phantom, for touring around Thailand. I looked at a Platinum and Monaco bike ( both 150 cc ) the other day ( made by Tiger I believe ). Can anyone give me some info/advice on these bikes? I've looked into the Phantom but am curious as to these other bikes.

Cheers

[ajahnlau]

Platinum is Chinese junk!

[gharknes]

Platinum is Chinese junk!

and Harley's not far behind it

http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/noharley2.html

[davethailand]

Platinum is Chinese junk!

and Harley's not far behind it

http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/noharley2.html

A Harley has'nt got performance??? I suppose you like dressing like a power ranger and racing about on jap bikes?

For the OP, don't bother with Platinums, Bosses or JRD's, go for the Honda Phantom.

[PeaceBlondie]

Platinum is Chinese junk!

and Harley's not far behind it

http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/noharley2.html

You can't be serious, comparing post-AMF Harleys after 1980 with Chinese bikes. Junk means no quality, not made from well designed, long-lasting, high-quality parts, etc. Did you know that many Harley parts have been made in Australia (wheels), pistons (Germany), and Japan (suspensions and electrics)? The parts made in Milwaukee and York (?) are good quality, too, and well assembled by faithful employees.

We'll decide that Chinese bikes are good quality after they've proven themselves by the millions of units and billions of kilometers. The weeks I've spent in Shanghai gave me no reason to think their bikes were up to 1980 standards.

Am I am not in love with Harleys, But you can give me a new Buell twin.

[toptuan]

Have quite a number of friends with Phantoms. According the them, the advantages:

1)Size is perfect to compete with larger vehicles (vs. being a low-power victim of larger vehicles); you can ride in the traffic lanes as opposed to the shoulder of the road.

2) For maintenance/repair, parts and labor are the least expensive in Thailand of any of the larger imported motorbikes.

After driving around on my little Honda Wave 125 for 3 years, I took a test drive with a Phantom and was surprised how maneuverable and easy it was to manage. This, from a guy who never touched a motorbike until in his mid-50's.

If I move up in size, it'll be the Phantom, for sure.

[gharknes]

I guess i am anti harley, BIG NOISEY BOATS not motorbikes, people that think it's cool to be noticed by making losts of noise need a reality check..........and perhaps a 100cc scooter.......... I own one of the most powerfull production bikes ever made and I also have a 100cc run about, I like riding both and they are both quiet,

The home of harley and indeed harley themselves are about to put an end to the public harrassment these 2 wheeled noisey POS produce

It is just annoying

I vote Phantom with good exhaust :-)

[PeaceBlondie]

What about the Kawasaki Boss 175? I don't know, but I see them around.

[Phil Conners]

Since when is a sub 250cc a LARGE BIKE ?

In my book large bikes are 1000cc+.

A 400cc is an entry-level bike.

Anything smaller is a runaround.

[poorfarang]

^Right on

When I read the title I thought you were talking about 1200 cc or something.

150cc honda a large bike? Your actually considering touring on a 150cc bike?

At the very least get a 600cc bike.

[sbkpeterpan]

^Right on

When I read the title I thought you were talking about 1200 cc or something.

150cc honda a large bike? Your actually considering touring on a 150cc bike?

At the very least get a 600cc bike.

Last week I made a mistake by taking a 400cc to Udon, 140KPH flat out and it sucked gas at the rate of 8Km / L until I ran out of gas, before I cought on a small bike running flat out uses far more gas than a big bike running at the same speed. Great bike for around town but you need at least 600 cc to cruise. These baby choppers Phantom etc must be painfully slow on the road, can they even keep up with 100KPH traffic?

[kasi]

I used to consider a bike like a Yamaha V-Max a big bike. Terrible fuel economy though, worse than most cars.

I ride a 2 year old Wave 125 and consider the honda the CBR150RR a big step up.

I think the CBR150RR would make practical sport cruiser.

I rode a phantom for a few days and found it to vibrate and more buzzy than my wave 125.

I'd rather take a longer ride on my Wave rather than a Phantom.

Harleys are poser rides for the most part. Why spend that kind of money on a harley when the same money could buy the best touring machine built a BMW GS1200. But 950,000.00 baht is a steep entry fee!

Makes the new fuel injected Honda Wave seem like a bargain at 52,000.00

[mr_hippo]

I thought about the Phantom before getting the Boss - decision was bases on two things - price and looks. Very happy with the Boss, cruised happily at 120 kph with two-up and my wife and I are not small

Edited June 18, 2006 by mr_hippo

[Netfan]

I owned a Phantom - 200cc- and switched to a 400cc Shadow. BIG difference. I wouldnt have taken the Phantom on a big highway for any distance - too much vibration. The Shadow is a great bike. I've made some mods- K&N air filter, straight pipes, more comfortable grips. It's almost too comfortable. Granted the 750 or 1100 would be even better for long trips, if i had it to do over again, i'd probably invest the few extra baht in a bigger one, but the 400 is a decent bike. If i could find one in Thailand, a Yamaha Road Star Warrior (1400cc) is a beautiful cross between a sports bike and a cruiser.

[Macx]

It depends on your style of touring: low-keyed, "Hey, look at me!", or "Gimme some nasty roads to tear up."

If you're gonna take the small backroads, mosey around the moo-baan, and blend in with the locals, then the Phantom is it. Thais see enough of them around so no big deal, and most shops will fix them in a jiffy. And once you're done touring, you can sell it real easy.

If you want people to gawk, then, well, the sky is the limit. Harleys are worshiped here. Thais don't think twice about sticking HD logos onto their Hondas and Yamahas.

If you wanna be Khun Super-Daredevil-On-two-Wheels, go for a dualsport. But you'd be expected to pull wheelies and do jumps for the crowd.

Have a good trip whichever ride you choose.

The best bike in the world is the one you're sitting on

[PeaceBlondie]

While the topic is entitled "Large bike..." the opening post clarifies that he means 'larger bike,' larger than the 100-to-125 cc bikes or even 150cc.

Size is relative. Just ask your wife.

A new Triumph 2,300cc triple is BIG - until 8,000 cc becomes common.

For Thailand, for 99.9% of all Thais, the 150 CBR and the Phantom 200 are big bikes.

[ray23]

Well I still havre a 150 Phantom, took it from Udon to Vhaing Ria back Cahing Mia and back to Udon, cruised easily at 140 KMS. That being said yse it does vibrate a lot. But it can be fixed anywhere even out in the country. I also have a 750 CC Yamaha, easy crusing adn much mre comfortable, down side takes some time to gte parts but they can be found, if I'm not in Udon adn somethign breaqks I'm in deep trouble most Thai mechanics are scared to death of bigger bikes.

I also owned a 200 Phantom sold it bought the 750, it will cruise at 110 KMS but you got nothing left to get out of the way. Much more comfortable then the 150, so it really depends on how you ride.

The 150 has been fixed up fro shows looks like a mini Harely befoe addding all the stuff on it top end wa 160 Kms, won't do that with all the extra weight.

Personally I would want a newer 750 or bigger for cruising, it's not just the speed but the comfort as well.

[davidgtr]

Well I still havre a 150 Phantom, took it from Udon to Vhaing Ria back Cahing Mia and back to Udon, cruised easily at 140 KMS. That being said yse it does vibrate a lot. But it can be fixed anywhere even out in the country. I also have a 750 CC Yamaha, easy crusing adn much mre comfortable, down side takes some time to gte parts but they can be found, if I'm not in Udon adn somethign breaqks I'm in deep trouble most Thai mechanics are scared to death of bigger bikes.

I also owned a 200 Phantom sold it bought the 750, it will cruise at 110 KMS but you got nothing left to get out of the way. Much more comfortable then the 150, so it really depends on how you ride.

The 150 has been fixed up fro shows looks like a mini Harely befoe addding all the stuff on it top end wa 160 Kms, won't do that with all the extra weight.

Personally I would want a newer 750 or bigger for cruising, it's not just the speed but the comfort as well.

Yeah yeah, that's a pretty amazing 150 you had - cruised easily at 140 kph & topped out at 160 kph?? No doubt indicated speed only & you have to wonder what the speedo error was - quite significant I'd say. Most small Thai manufactured bikes seem to be at least 15% optimistic once they get "up to speed."

But if you're really serious, then I have to wonder is the Yam 750 much faster than the 150 Phantom?

[Snotty]

Well I still havre a 150 Phantom, took it from Udon to Vhaing Ria back Cahing Mia and back to Udon, cruised easily at 140 KMS. That being said yse it does vibrate a lot. But it can be fixed anywhere even out in the country. I also have a 750 CC Yamaha, easy crusing adn much mre comfortable, down side takes some time to gte parts but they can be found, if I'm not in Udon adn somethign breaqks I'm in deep trouble most Thai mechanics are scared to death of bigger bikes.

I also owned a 200 Phantom sold it bought the 750, it will cruise at 110 KMS but you got nothing left to get out of the way. Much more comfortable then the 150, so it really depends on how you ride.

The 150 has been fixed up fro shows looks like a mini Harely befoe addding all the stuff on it top end wa 160 Kms, won't do that with all the extra weight.

Personally I would want a newer 750 or bigger for cruising, it's not just the speed but the comfort as well.

Yeah yeah, that's a pretty amazing 150 you had - cruised easily at 140 kph & topped out at 160 kph?? No doubt indicated speed only & you have to wonder what the speedo error was - quite significant I'd say. Most small Thai manufactured bikes seem to be at least 15% optimistic once they get "up to speed."

But if you're really serious, then I have to wonder is the Yam 750 much faster than the 150 Phantom?

Sounds like porky pies to me

[sbkpeterpan]

Well I still havre a 150 Phantom, took it from Udon to Vhaing Ria back Cahing Mia and back to Udon, cruised easily at 140 KMS.

Ray, 140km's yr joking right ? My 2005 DR400 puts out 40 hp 29.2 kW @ 8500 rpm so its a water cooled reasonably efficient motor. It struggled to get to 140 Km/Hr with my hunched over. I would guess yr aircooled 150cc motor would put out about 15hp and it cruises easily at 140Km/Hr!

[ray23]

Ok guys get real here, new speedo and my friends 150 at the exact same speed, there is something you missing in the Phantoms have a six speed trans.

The 750 is not for speed never had above 130, its for comfort. I'm sure it will do more then that, very low gear ratio and a five speed trans.

The only reason I had the 150 up to 160 is because I didn't believe it either, I do now. You can get real performance out of a 2 cycle engine with a little porting, tunned exhaust and the right carburation.

The amazing thing about this bike is you can totaly rebuild the engine for about 3500 Baht.

Now that it converted to a show bike, I think top end would be around 140, never have had it above 110 since I added all the goodies, but weight certianly effects performance.

Now what I'm working on now is a newer 750, I like the comfort and enough speed to ride in traffic. That should do it just fine

[PeaceBlondie]

My four-stroke 150 gets to an indicated 142 with me scrunched down, so I have no doubt that a tuned/modified 2-stroke could do 160 indicated.

I agree about Thai speedometers being wildly optimistic. I used to run 120kph indicated, between kilomter markers on the superhighway. It would take way more than 30 seconds, more like 34 seconds. Meaning, over 10% speedo error. Also, the odometer was optimistic, so while it now reads over 36,000 km, it may have only done 34,000.

[ray23]

Ok you skeptical folks up to you, know what I did and there were at least two other 150's in Udon that would do the same thing. These bikes have been on the Chaing Mia big Bike ride and held there own.

This is what you can do with a 150 CC or 200 CC phantom for cruising if you want to to. The 150 pictured here will cruise all day long at 120 KPH. two people up, a 200 equipped in the same manner would be more like 100 KPH . Sorry folks I have owned both the 150 CC is faster.

Edited June 21, 2006 by ray23

[ray23]

Just showing off a bit, This is the first bike I bought in Thailand almost four years ago, it was my only transportation for two years until I bought the 750 and rebuilt it. It is now a show bike and I seldom ride anymore. I have ridden this bike all over Issan, the longest trip was from Udon to Chaing Ria to Chaing Mia back to Udon. The trip back to Udon was done in one day that wa to much and I won't try that one again. We hit a lot of traffic after leaving the big highway, so about 13 hours saddle time not for me.

[ray23]

Like I said this is a show bike but a functional one, you can get wonderful art work done here.

[ray23]

Tank Art work

[ray23]

Well enough of mu sillyness. the bike is practically all chrome and art work. I will probably show it one more time and then sell it. I want a new 750 CC Honda so both this and the 750 Yamaha need to go. Thats going to be 460K I've enjoyed the projects now it's time for just riding.

This is the 750 look very similar

[sbkpeterpan]

My four-stroke 150 gets to an indicated 142 with me scrunched down, so I have no doubt that a tuned/modified 2-stroke could do 160 indicated.

I agree about Thai speedometers being wildly optimistic. I used to run 120kph indicated, between kilomter markers on the superhighway. It would take way more than 30 seconds, more like 34 seconds. Meaning, over 10% speedo error. Also, the odometer was optimistic, so while it now reads over 36,000 km, it may have only done 34,000.

There must be something special in the fuel up in CM and Udon, a 150 cc Phantom that does 160 Kph and a CBR 150 that does 140+ while I can only make my XR250R do 125KPH (6 speed as well) or my DR 400 barely do 140KPH, Both of these bikes put out considerably more HP. Hope you guys don't buy proper big bikes as we will be getting stories of 400 KPH top speeds

[mraitchison]

What you need is an R1-Z 250cc 2-stroke.

no power little power little bit more power WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH there goes my neck muscles

[PeaceBlondie]

For almost two years, I commuted daily on the superhighway between CMai and some other province, with long stretches where 135, 138 kph were no problem for a CBR150, and 142 was tops (power band almost peaking around 10,700). Not once, but maybe ten times over many months. Like I say, take off 15% for ambitious speedometer. I weigh 86 kilos. The NSR150 has twice the power because it's tuned differently and is a two-stroke with nothing below 5,000 rpm. You can cruise through traffic at 3,000 rpm in the CBR without lugging, so it's a whole different power curve.

I almost bought a 1983 Yamaha RZ350LC in Austin, Texas, but Vernon Smith told me I'd have to keep that two-stroke above 6,000 at all times. Since Vernon was a Battle of Twins national contender and had a best friend named Kevin Schwantz, I believed him.