New small capacity adventure bike!
 

Hi All. Not been on for a while..2yrs:frown: has anyone seen this M1NSK TRX 300i also available in the uk as a HonleyRX3 imported by Earnshaws of Huddersfield

A little heavy @ 155kg dry but still a dam sight lighter than a GS when you drop it:nono: but it has a lot of good quality parts (luggage is a bit naff.. alright for sandwiches !) I'm going up north to have a look soon, Tdamalcolm

Nice looking bikes!
I didn't see any prices posted on the web site. Any idea?

As you say ... bit heavy at 155 kg. for a 250cc bike.
Those crash bars probably add a bit. But it looks GOOD!
Question? Where are the pioneers? :confused1: I'm guessing if these machines are inexpensive then they could sell. VERY hard to break into the market. Takes a decade minimum.

My Suzuki DR650 is 324 lbs. dry, 368 lbs. wet. (147 kgs./167 kgs.)

I see no reason why Minsk can't make a perfectly reliable bike ... but they're 50 years behind the Japanese ... who've been trimming weight off dual sport bikes and improving components since 1970.

The big four push suppliers to improve components too, to make them stronger, lighter and better .. if KYB isn't giving them what they need, they go to Showa. If Denso's ignition have problems, they switch to Kokusan. And so it goes ... F.I. systems, suspension, brakes, engine internal components.

Not sure the Russians have such requirements or are as obsessed with weight reduction and quality control the way the Japanese are.

Bikes today did not come out of thin air ... but were evolved over decades of slow and careful refinement.

The Russians will get there ... but the Chinese will get there first. :palm: ... with the Indians right behind them. (Hero, Bahai/KTM)

I've done a little research on these things, they are sold under several brand names, but all made by Zongshen in China. I suppose it's unlikely we'll see them in the USA. I think one of the Chinese manufacturers needs to start building some actual brand awareness, and stop letting every distributor badge the bikes with their name, too hard to keep up with who makes what.

Exactly! A few years back you'd see random Chinese mini bike (AKA pit bikes) sold everywhere: street corners, malls, auto parts stores, flea markets. A thousand different brands. The Chinese govt. stepped in and slowed things down but the damage was done.

It's well past time one Chinese company step up and build brand awareness and get serious. At this point no one I know trusts Chinese bikes much.

I remember reading a Brit mag a while bike talking about one of the big bike shows in EU or UK. They said there were something like 20 Chinese companies there. Turns out most source parts elsewhere, add paint and graphics, bolt parts together and VOILA ..."OUR NEW BIKE!" ... very few actually build a WHOLE bike from scratch, let alone the motor. Lots of get rich quick schemes going on, or so it appears.

In Latin America there are also many random brands for sale who's names change with every new boat load of bikes. The bikes are getting better but no one company has emerged to really take the lead ... like HONDA did here in the USA in the early 60's.

The Koreans are doing a better job and Hyosung has emerged as a pretty good bike from a company that stands behind the product ... as has Bahai (India) for scooters.

Here in the bay area we are still inundated with dozens of Chinese scooters ... yet there are few brick & mortar dealers that I've seen. A lot of these scooters are junk, some or OK ... I couldn't even remember ONE name of any one of them. No steady stream of bikes from one or two brands.

The bike got a mainly positive review here...

Honley RX3 - A 250cc adventure bike | Bike Social

Its heavy for a 250 ccm for sure, but man it got the look indeed....:thumbup1:

Says it got a 18" front rim - but it looks like it got a 21" in the photos - doesnt it?

I wish Honda could make something similar out of their Crf250L model. 15 litre tank, a little windshield, a more comfortable seat, crash/engine bars and panniers as well.....:whistling:

Yes, I could see that with a few Yamaha stickers plastered all over it. :innocent: :rofl:

Hard to tell from the pics - or even from the review - how far along the Zen quality spectrum it sits but the specs sound good to me. OK it's a bit overweight by modern standards but it's almost exactly the same as the old Honda CB77 I ran round Europe for years and I don't remember that as being particularly heavy. Be interesting to get one of the heavyweight reviewers to do a side by side comparison with the new CCM (although with all the pre launch tease time we've had that's now starting to sound like yesterdays bike!)

The pick and mix wild west world of Chinese bike manufacturing does sound a bit like the UK situation back in the 20's, post WW1, with companies buying in Villiers engines, Sturmey-Archer gearboxes, Webb forks etc and just making their own badges. Or post WW2 in Japan before the big four emerged in the early 60's. Anyone remember the contempt heaped upon the early Japanese offerings or even the dumping compaints about their pricing. Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.

If one dealer in Huddersfield can bring these into the UK via Belarus and sell them for £3500 with (presumably) everyone in the chain managing to chip out their margin on the way I wonder what a bit of direct sales competition could reduce it to? Get it much lower and the bike could almost be a disposable item on a long trip.

New small capacity adventure bike!
 

Hi Guy's. I found out from a web site the other day that the "Trade" price for these appear to be about £2850 gbp to dealers... now it comes with a two warrantee one year parts & labour and Second year parts only even with this if you go to earnshaws web site it's listed at £3699.... on their ebay listing (contact them via phone) it's £3500!! both on the road prices I think:innocent: so there appears to be some leway in the pricing:confused1: TDMalcolm

Excellent comments! bier
Maybe they would sell in UK, but I don't think they'd go in US. £3500 is about
$5200 usd. For that price you could buy a new Honda CRF250L ($4500) KLX250 ($5100) and for a bit more ... a WR250R ($6700). All those are well established brands, very hard for a Chinese made bike to compete. But my guess if it came to the USA it'd sell for around $3500 usd at most.

I would think they would sell them in US at a price that would suit the market as you have quite a few good quality machines available at good prices.compared to the uk it would need to be lower to compete:( Burger!... I want to go have a looky :-) as I have been offered the chance by Rob @ Earnshaw's... so when I can manage the time to visit I'll let you all know...Tdamalcolm

Love to hear your thoughts Malc. Maybe you can blag a short test ride?
They will for sure be needing "real rider" ride reviews at some point.
bier

Yes, we're two countries joined at the hip on prices - except yours are in dollars and ours are in pounds. I suspect if HomeDepot or Walmart started selling them the price wouldn't be far from $3500. We get the prices we deserve over here and the EU doesn't seem to have done much to market muscle prices lower.

Part of the problem trying to sell a 250 over here is that they're flat out dead as an engine capacity (for road riding anyway) thanks mainly to legislation. Too big for learners and "just a toy" to the real bikers, it could well become a bike without a niche. It appeals to me though and I'll probably see what they're fetching on LebonCoin or Ebay in a year or two.

What it really needs is a Honda CRM engine (or something similar) with about 40bhp but then it wouldn't be what it is (or legal probably). Maybe the CCM engine would fit. :rofl:

The 250 market has been dead here in the USA too ... but last few years it's made a resurgence. Mostly due to fuel prices (still cheap compared to UK/EU) and poor US economy in general.

Also, the USA Moto press has jumped on board with little bikes, giving major positive INK to bikes like the new 300 Ninja, CBR250R, KTM 390 and others. Also, the 250 dual sport class are getting more and more attention, centered mostly around the 3 bikes I listed a few posts back. All good! :clap:

The press have finally quit insisting an 18 year old novice rider needs to run out and buy a Hayabusa. Now we see more realistic advice, suggesting 125's or 250's as the sensible starter bike. Much better for ensuring life long riders.

What I see is the Chinese are going to figure all this out. India as well.
The Indians are smarter in their approach, IMO, as they are partnering with name brands to work their way into the markets: IE: Bahai & KTM, Hero & Buell, Harley & and some unknown Indian company)

Of course the Japanese have been in India and China for years. They saw all this coming 25 years ago. They are concentrating on small capacity bikes and supplying economically upwardly mobile populations in countries with HUGE populations. Smart.

Honda have been in Thailand over 15 years (CRF250L made there) Kawasaki have been there about 10 years. (KLR650 and Versys made in Thailand) Suzuki make cars and bikes there. Yamaha? Not sure.

I'm not sure about what partnerships the Chinese have made other than the fact they own Benelli and make engines (and parts) for BMW. (Loncin and Kymco)

The Chinese may get a late start but once the smoke clears I'm betting they'll get this small enduro bike thing well sorted out and will become major players, producing world class bikes at bargain prices. But it will take some time for one or two winners to emerge.

But by then climate change/global warming will have got control and RTW travel by bike may be impossible. :oops2: Do It Now! :scooter:
And as UK BIKE's Ogri always said: "Any bike is good!"

I Agree, but wouldn't we all be going round on small capacity bikes because of fuel shortages...overlanding in big 4x4will be a thing of the past:innocent:, I'll be taking me riding gear with me to Huddersfield when I go! not missing out on a free ride:rofl: TDMalcolm

It's true, small bikes would rule ... and IMO, would be "the last man standing" in terms of bikes still able to travel ... if the worst were to happen. On a 125 or 250 it'll be easy to toss you and bike into a small boat to get across ever encroaching sea levels or flooded areas. If there is any fuel ... a small bike won't need much to carry on. :thumbup1:

In the case of severe floods or catastrophic storms the little bike will win ... getting through mud and deep water better than any big bike. Also less likely to be the target of a thief or bike-jacker.

OK OK ... enough of this dark vision. :stormy:
Let's think positive thoughts ... all Roses, Kittens in our Garden of Eden. :smiliex:
:D:D:D bier

Nothing like a nice reality checkdoh I'll report back when I've had me test ride and had closer look at the quality of the bikes build and parts, after all if it can stand up to an english winter and come out the other side with only a few battle scar's:thumbup1:..... now were did I put my rose tinted glasses?:confused1:
TDMalcolm

STOP PRESS! Just got a email from Rob at Earnshaws, On a prev rweview ride it was reported as having fueling probs rob said "We have be waiting till the end of the month for delivery as we have had a new ecu map inputted on the bikes to cure the fueling due to our different climate conditions" so there you have it..... A dealer/manufacture who listens:-D :-)

Hi Guy's.....Just found this on the web... http://www.chinamotorworld.com/index...a=view&id=1793 ...interesting if a little strange english translation!:innocent:, I'll have read when i have 5 mins:eek3: Tdmalcolm

Interesting bit of self promotion. I guess they don't know they are supposed to let unbiased Motojournos do product reviews! :rofl:
Well, got to start somewhere I guess! :thumbup1:

I got a kick out of the below statement ... "... deep understanding of the touring motorcycling market ..."

FUNNY STUFF!! ?c?

"As a motorcycle manufacturer full of consideration, Zongshen has proved its forward-looking and nimble ideas in product research and development. RX3 is Zongshen's competitive product developed based on its deep understanding of the touring motorcycle market, targeting the increasing group of motorcycle touring fans. Among domestic motorcycles, the RX3 carries the real meaning of "new model". The designer did everything, from market positioning to technical issues, to accomplish the idea of adventure touring."

Proves my earlier point about the Chinese not using NON Chinese marketing people to help introduce the brand. Talk about sticking FOOT IN MOUTH. The Japanese set up USA, UK, EU headquarters run by locals. They hired the best in the business advertising agencies ("You meet the nicest people on a Honda") to sell the brand. They struggled but eventually got there. For Honda, it was racing, and all the Big Four eventually raced ... and still do. With bikes, racing is key.

The Koreans with their cars have followed a similar path. It's simply not enough to build good products ... you have to convince people of the quality and establish the legitimacy of the brand. Not so easy to do ... just ask KIA and Hyundai. At least ten years of struggle to get where they are now.

I guess the Chinese are a few years behind, still haven't a clue how to market to a round eyed world. Great products, poor marketing.

Go back ten years from "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" and it looks a bit more like what the Chinese are putting out now.

How about " Power transmission is defined such mechanism as rotation of crankshaft is transmitted rear wheel"

or "Further power is transmitted from the mission and through rear wheel damper of rubber made to the rear wheel sprocket"

Both of those come from a 1960 Honda manual (CB77) opened at random - it says revised in 1971 but maybe they missed a few bits.

The advertising agencies promoting Honda et al may have been native English speakers but even by the early 70's there were still vestiges of cultural differences apparent in stuff direct from the factories - I remember reading "Thank you for buying honourable Suzuki" in a 1972 Suzuki handbook, although four years later this had mellowed to "We sincerely thank you for choosing this Suzuki motorcycle" (my 1976 B120 handbook).

I recon it'd be a great .......... boat mooring :eek3:

This is true, took the Japanese years to straighten out their manuals. The problem was they were all translated and put together in Japan, not USA. Lots of Brits and Yanks ended up getting jobs teaching English during those early years. The Japs have a hell of a time with English ... they are much better engineers! But then ... how's your Japanese? did you know they have 3 alphabets! :eek3:

CB77 ... ah yes, my brother had one ... which I later inherited when he gave up riding completely.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-O...pirsigbike.jpg
Robert Pirsig rode one too .... (Zen and Art of MC Maintenance)

my Japanese? - yes, well, umm :( Actually I probably know maybe a couple of hundred words left over from my martial arts days but it may improve if my daughter spends a year in the country as part of her Uni course. Languages are fascinating (I think so anyway) - we all struggled with Chinese for a bit when my son taught English in various parts of the country a few years ago and somewhere around the house there's a copy of a "Learn English" CD for Chinese schoolchildren recorded in Shanghai where he was the native English speaker.

No critisism intended with the mangled English examples I gave above btw. Trying to communicate at a technical level across linguistic boundaries is never going to be easy no matter what level you work at. Last year my son earnt a few thousand Euros final checking Dutch academic papers in his discipline awaiting submission to English language journals and at the other end of the spectrum I regularly fall into into every pit available during my weekly French class. Even writing this I've had to check a few spelling and grammar points. :confused1: :(

p.s. - The CB77. The manual is left over from the days long ago when I had one although I have an engine in my garage atm. The rest of the bike is in New Jersey! Years ago, before the airlines became paranoid, I knew several people who took complete engines across the atlantic as hand luggage on a flight but I can't see that happening in the near future

Hi All. I made a call to Earnshaws at uddersfield:innocent: the other day to ask about opening times, and had a discussion with whom i believe was the Gov! and he was telling me about the spec's etc of the fresh bikes to arrive in the next week or two and mentioned that the rx3 in the his dealership was just the prototype and the following ones were a massive improvement on that one ( which in his opinion) was already very high in quality! so I'll be going to take a looky near the end of May (second May bank holiday) :D and see what will happen.... also there will be some more dealers on line soon and also arrangements with others to cover warranted claims / servicing to machines further afield:scooter:
TDMalcolm

Well hi All! I've now had a very close look and a sit on listen too a (new 0mls) RX3 @ Earnshaws.... very impressed very good quality of fit and finish on welds and castings etc the engines sounds nice, very responsive good seat hight for those like me are short in stature ( i have inside leg of 28") both feet near flat to floor, the seat is very sumptuous nice feel and comfy.. I noted that there is a very good rear fender protecting the rear shock the front one is a little on the short side and needs extending from word go... all bikes have their niggles etc but all i can say from a first twenty minute look and poke about I would seriously consider one for what i want of a commuter machine :thumbup1:... any thing I've not covered? I'll try to remember and let you knowbier
TDMalcolm
ps It looks like a local to me bike dealer will be selling them within the next couple of months:clap:

Which dealer Malc?
Close to you:scooter:

Review here Honley RX3 - A 250cc adventure bike | Bike Social

Hi Floyd. I went to see Earnshaws at huddersfield (google it) very imprest i was :thumbup1: the guy I spoke to said that they had employed a person to set up a dealer network and if you look on their web site there are two already, however, I was made aware that a dealer/service dept was being set up in Lowestoft..so not far from us:clap: I was told to keep checking their website for more details... hope tht helps mate I looked at the original prototype and the new batch and there was improvements.. the only thing i was not happy about and told them was the side stand was sprung loaded and i felt that it was likely to retract when not expected and you'll end up dropping the bike!!!:thumbdown: I think this will be modded... other wise a cracking machine gromet:mchappy:.... TDMalcolm

Hi Guyu's, Just found this on web... forum with a spec sheet on the bike...and it looks about right to.....Zongshen RX3 - A 250cc Adventure Tourer
and just remembered the brakes use braided hoses as standard:thumbup1:
TDMalcolm

[url=http://www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/m1nsk-trx-300i-ready-for-a-250cc-adventure-bike/]M1nsk TRX 300i - Ready for a 250cc Adventure Bike?

Hi Floyd an all!
The local Dealer for Honley M/cycles is " A R Motorcycles Lowestoft. I had a email from them following an enquiry to confirm they have a Yellow RX3 in stock... (i wanted a Blue one:() however I will be going over some time to have a look.
TDMalcolm

Hi Guy's this is a fair review of the bike.....:clap:
2014 Honley Venturer 250cc review - MoreBikes | MoreBikes
TDMalcolm

looks like these bikes may be coming to the USA.....

http://www.advpulse.com/adv-bikes/cl...-cyclone-rx-3/

some links if your inclined

California Scooter Company | Genuine Quality Scooters

ADVers, Your 250cc Prayers Have Been Answered

M1nsk TRX 300i - Ready for a 250cc Adventure Bike? � ADV Pulse

Youtube has some vids (search Minsx trx300 and Zongshen rx3

Derbi make something similar Terra Adventurer 125cc

An actual ride thread--this guy is not too mechanical, but still rides from China to Istanbul


Zongshen RX3 report


Here is the blog from the US importer:


Some answers… - California Scooter Company - - CSC Blog

Agree
 

Absolutely spot on!
I took a hundred pics of this at the bike show and comparing it to the CCM thought I'd fished a pearl but as usual you get 'ought for nought' it's built down to a price with the sole aim of 'looking like' the real thing

I own a Zongshen RX3, which I bought from CSC Motorcycles in Azusa, California. I have now ridden the bike about 9,000 miles, and I like it very much. The bike is very robust, and carries heavy loads with aplomb. The engine is superb, and the U.S. Delphi EFI is excellent. I haven't had any mechanical problems whatsoever, and I am very happy with my purchase. :)

http://i442.photobucket.com/albums/q...psbgwuhvwk.jpg

We'll reserve judgement until you have 50k miles, Spud! :rofl:

Yuma Simon aka 'culcune'

Early days but the Honley is on my list of possibles for 2017. So far I have two big questions for Earnshaws when I get there

The rear tyre is 15-inch. So far I can only find cruiser tyres, no proper knobbly.
The service intervals seem short, 2500 miles.

This screams commuter bike dressed up to appeal to Charlie's who aren't old enough to have a licence for a GS but maybe that's just marketing that doesn't understand what it can really do.

Andy

The Zongshen certainly looks like the 250 that is marketed as a Honley in the UK; right down to the luggage.
HONLEY 250 VENTURER, ADVENTURE TOURER | eBay

The tyres fitted in the picture above, plus those fitted in the ebay ad, look like semi-knobblie, at least.

They are certainly cheap as new buys i.e. good value in initial pricing but not many dealers in the UK?
When I saw them at the NEC 15 months ago I thought the luggage was attached permanently rather than being removeable - could be wrong on that*.

*Some pics of the bike in the ebay advert above show it without panniers fitted, but still with a topbox in place.

I would skip any bike with 15" wheels/tires ... you'll not find anything beyond cruiser or scooter tires.

The RX3 shown above (now for sale in USA) uses 21" front/18" rear. It's getting some good reviews so far.

bier

Epic Ride on the Zongshen CSC RX3 ADV Bike | MOTORCYCLIST

CSC Motorcycles RX3 Cyclone Adventure Motorcycle Review, Photos, Specs: A whole new take on the ADV-bike scene.

Spudrider is very active on chinariders.net ever since his air-cooled Zongshen bike he started with probably about 10 years now. He has 'upgraded' to the RX3 (still owns his old zongshen with over 100k kms) as posted above.

There is a growing number of RX3 owners in the US on chinariders, as well as a few UK members with Honleys, and others from different countries and their various importers. It is ultimately up to the importer as to how they will kit out the bikes from China, and CSC in the US has done quite a lot of research and long rides to figure out what works best for them. Honley would have its own ideas, but at least there is a forum of multiple owners guiding an owner no matter which country they come from, should any problems present themselves. So far, the RX3 owners have been pleased, and have been adding miles and miles, proving these bikes' worth.

Zongshen RX3 - ChinaRiders Forums

Regrettably Honley are off my shopping list. I came out of the local pit of doom (also known as the White Rose Shopping Centre) and there parked next to Cheryl was a Honley 125.

A late 2014 bike and it was dropping to bits. Rust on every "Chrome" surface, spokes you wouldn't trust not to break by looking at them, engine paint that made you think of Head and Shoulders.

I've been a student and kept small bikes outside all year round, but my 20 year old Honda looked better the day we lifted it into the skip than this 18 month old.

Lets hope they sort the tyre sizes and get their materials up to speed for 2020, because for 2017 I'd take a lot of convincing.

Andy

I had similar feelings about a Mash that I looked at last year, brand new as well.
They are not intended to deal with the UK weather but would probably do OK if based in the south of France or Italy.

Yea, it's definitely still "early days" for these bikes. The good news is every subsequent generation of bikes seems to improve. Many here may have read various ride reports of guys buying China 125's and 250's in S. America and riding round. Just a few years ago these bikes DID fall to bits ... and not just bad paint and rust.

But they seem to be getting better. I've give them a couple more years. Even then, I doubt they will match Japanese fit and finish or build quality. You get what you pay for.

For me finish and build quality aren't that important if the engine hangs together.
The rest, I can deal with myself, do my own upgrades. Things like crap bearings can be replaced with quality ones, wiring can be upgraded where needed.

Step by step ... the yellow peril is upon us. :smartass:

Not a lot to do about the fork legs chrome rusting though. At the moment I would prefer a secondhand CRF250L to this, in supplement to a quality issue I don't like China's human rights, equality and actions in the South China Sea.

I avoid buying Chinese whenever possible.

I like the effect the aggressive pricing has on traditional motorcycle manufacturers and have noted with interest the globalisation of factories - but I factor that in to any considerations. I checked out an old Toyota Avensis with an eye to buying and it was simply the worst Toyota I've ever seen with the dash cracked by the sun and a load of rattles - made in the UK....

Chinese bikes, at least in the US, are ALREADY there! The Haosen Hawk is selling for about $1300 to $1400 shipped to your house. Dozens of owners reporting good things about them, and some are actually taking them on trails and one guy even took his to a mild MX track (he crashed a couple times, so his broken parts are his fault :rofl:). The downside to be seen in the early days--these are NOT California legal as far as CARB--on road or off-road and a few other states, most notably Pennsylvania. Some are still getting plated in New York.

The true test is one guy on Chinariders is planning a trip from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia where he lives, to Yuma where I live, and south to wherever everyone seems to ride to here on Horizons--tierra del fuego. He already bought his bike and is playing around with accessories for a long trip, and has upgraded his sprockets from the stock off-road oriented 15/50 to 17/45 and the stock carb to a Ebay 'Mikuni' as even the ebay 'Mikuni' carbs allow the jets to be played with (using Mikuni jets) while the stock PZ-30 Keihin clone carbs do not. Since he has about $1500 into the bike up to this point, he plans to make it a one way trip and has even called the trip a 'ride and dump' as he plans to fly out of Argentina.

Since I have had success with Chinese bikes as commuters, I am contemplating buying one and riding with him from Yuma through Baja to Cabo, and back, alone. Then again, I might find someone coming north to ride with. I am quite confident that my bike won't have major issues if any at all--least of all the engine. Keep in mind, we aren't planning US interstate speeds, nor planning on recreating either of the Baja 1000 races--the SCORE or the newer 'retro' one that has been revised not too long ago.

Keep in mind that local brands, such as Honley, source their various bikes from different factories. My guess is the 125 is not manufactured by Zongshen who make the RX-3.

That being said, and I am not trying to convince you to reconsider a Chinese bike, it does not bode well for a company to use cheap OEMs for some of their lineup as it makes the whole lineup appear shoddy, as your original comment above, of them being off your list.

In the US, as we really do not have any solid dealer network of any Chinese-sourced bikes like you guys have in the UK, people do purchase them knowing they will have to turn wrenches rather than having a dealer to take them back for repairs or warranty work. Plus, our low, low prices for non-branded bikes reflect that. Fortunately, Chinariders.net has grown leaps and bounds, and is enabling people to purchase $1300 USD 229cc enduros with some semblance of confidence. Besides the fact that the bikes are better than they were 10 years ago, at least as far as the US market goes (our weather is way different than the UK, and most people don't ride in rainy weather, nor keep their bikes exposed to the elements in places that snow). One doesn't see these bikes rusting away, en masse, like you guys see in the UK.

The bike has had a few good write ups, I seem to remember it was being sold with full luggage as well at some point. It is what it is, unfortunately because of that some people write it off. I would not buy it expecting to get huge residuals, but if it covers all the bases then why not...... :mchappy:

That is how the US distributor is selling them--with full luggage as stock. The company selling them has been very active with PR, and have made sure these bikes are the (minimum of a) real deal. By minimum, they are selling them for a low entry price, but have ensured that Zongshen is giving them the best bike they can get. The US bikes are fuel injected, and there have not been too many problems reported with the Delphi system on the Chinariders.net forum. They don't use a dealer network, and have been very good with customer service. Also, they have organized trips on them with purchasers of the bikes to Baja California. They are in the middle of one now, in fact.

Other countries' distributors have spec'd them out with carbs, and some of the members on chinariders.net who are from some of these countries are reporting some issues here and there. We do have few Honley members from the UK, and I cannot recall if the Honley version comes with a carb or fuel injection. Come to think of it, you guys in the UK might have two distributors for these bikes?