⌛ Best place to buy Motorbike?

You must think the world revolves around you sir, I have no idea what you posted past the revelation that you own a chinabike, or a butchered version of same.

I was replying to the OP, so just cool off. Insults unnecessary.

 

Hi Rhoody,
you found the real reason why i like more the small cruiser style bikes as the scooters

 

amazing to see whole families on these small bikes, I even seen a man and wife and a baby between them, and a labrador type dog sitting behind them, going along at 30-35mph in dumaguete, wish I had a camera with me, amazing. you won't get away with that here in the manila area that's for sure.

 

Mr. Tinklehopper's comments represent the commonly held myth about Honda motorcycles here in Dumaguete. No offense.
In reality if you want one of the best BRANDED motorbikes, (smallstep throughs that is), Suzuki, Yamaha, and Honda, are all good.You will pay a premium price for the name.
There are roughly speaking 4 grades of bikes here in the Philippines.

1. Branded (Japanese) bikes who's parts are made in china ,Japan(few parts), India, malaysia, and assembled in the Philippines. There are no new Japan manufactured motorbikes here, they would cost too much for the Philippine buyer. There are surplus Japanese big bikes, 400cc up. In Manila and surrounding area you can buy new any kind of bike you want including a BMW, Honda 1000cc road racer, 750,000 to 1M. not sure that these may be grey market. A different market than we speak of here. We are Talking small affordble motorbikes, cycles.

2.Bikes with a name brand made in another third country, example Indian made Japanese bikes.

3. Chinese manufactured bikes sold in the Philippines.

4. Rebadged (renamed) chinese bikes made to a particular design spec. some partially assembled in the Pilippines to make them cheaper.


All the motors for the small bikes come out of the same factories in China. Including Honda.

It is the assembly of the bikes and the spec to which the small accessories parts are held. that makes the difference.

You can go to any motorcycle shop, find 4-5 nearly identical 150cc tricycle bikes with different names on them, including Honda TMX. The Honda may have slightly higher quality minor components, and less expensive other compontents, painted fender vs. chrome on the chinese bikes.

Choose the dealer not the bike if you buy new. That is sound advice.

If your choice is new or used, just take one minute, and think about what you want to deal with, a few small problems fixed under waranty, or doing what Rhoody did, choose carefully, and overhaul it at the start. His case is slightly different, only recently were the cruiser type 150-200cc bikes available new in Dmgte.

The last bike I had before Philippines was 650cc, so get used to less power!

My Rusi Ramstar 150cc has the feel of a real motorcycle, not a motor bike. I replaced the gearing with higher ratio for 100kph cruising, I removed 2 of the four rear shocks. I replaced the chinese rear hub with a Suzuki original(drop in replacement), I bougt a quality drive chain, and put an Izumi semi knobby tread on the rear,and put a halogen headlight in requiring a new capacitor.. I can cruise to Bacolod in 3.5 hours, or drive to the Twin lakes with no compromise.

It's what I wanted in a bike. If you plan only to drive around the city, or only on good roads, then something else might be better and much cheaper.

 

Sorry Sir, I'm a long time rider on a level way above where anyone owning a Ramstar 150. Me and the people I ride with laugh at chinabikes, they're a joke. If thats all you can afford, than good on you, but don't even try to talk this trash about chinabikes being anywhere close to their Japanese counterparts, they're not, thats a joke, and you're a funny guy.


Hahahahahah!

 

i have 1cent to share and im not that knowledgeable on bike either, but with regards to rovermans inquiry on where's best to buy a motorbike,i would simply recommend to buy on dealers or distributors that offers good service maintenance, warranty on parts and reliable mechanics, like DES, RUSI and norkis.

anyway,buying bikes would simply goes down to its purpose, budget allocation, duration of use, etc.

what is important right now is where the product is being design and the quality control the company implies.

 

Its above me to personally insult you. suffice to say I have been riding motor cycles for a few years as well, since 1964 in fact. I have raced moto cross (yamaha 400cc), trials(Bultaco Matador 250cc), drag raced 1000 cc bikes (Harley sportser), built a couple racing bikes. I am old now, been there done that, got smart before I got dead As you mentioned that is for sure a different level. If you are a person who by nature has to hold himself above someone by the type of motorcycle you ride, thats your perogative. Fact is Chinese manufacturing has come a long way in a few short years, And it does depend on what Chinese bike you buy. and where you buy it.
granted nothing to compare to a suzuki 600cc Katana, my last bike before I stopped riding hard...
but cetainly we are talking inexpensive basic transportation in dumaguete, big bikes are neither practical or cost effective, an the roads are less than appropriate in most places. Lets try to help he fellow who asked the question about what bike to buy, there are many options, despite your personal opinion, and mine. I hope he has enough to help him decide.

Fact is Honda does make motors in China, not to say all their motors are made there, Harley Davidson is negotiating with a chinese manufacturer right now. The myth that Honda 125ccs are made in Japan or that the components are all Japanese is just that, a myth.
The motor on the lowly ramstar has been ridden hard for almost two years, only changed the oil every 1000k, and adjusted valves after breakin. It does not leak oil, burn oil and has surprised me with its reliability, that's more than I can say for any Harley, BMW, or Triumph I owned in the past. Plus It is a throw away at less than 1000 usd new. I don't ride it much any more because I bought a car. But I still enjoy tooling around town in traffic once in awhile. I let my employees ride it to run errands. They are thrilled, they think it is a big bike.

 

RHB,
everybody who sees Melvins posts knows that he is a person who is not to be taken serious. I think that most of our valued readers are enough educated to reAd between the lines, if it is copy/paste, some stories bout a friend who know somebody or stupid motorbike stories...You are a person who gives big value in your posts from real live. At the end of the day people who are interested in Dumaguete and living/visiting this place will get their information and own opinion!
That what is all about.

cheers
Rhoody

 

@Tinklehopper:


.. for me it sound that for you only owner of big bikes are real bikes... -> Sorry from my part of viewing you are wrong! For me are the real bikers are the people that now what they are doing.. Why i should drive Big and Fast bike in Negros Oriental? No "good" roads, more difficult to get spare parts, etc.


@RHB:

Thanks for your detailed answers!

Good Idea, i will do that too... really good investment for the own security.. i i remember my drives last year between Bayawan and St. Catarina in the night...

Maybe is is better (and easier) to buy a bike like your once instead of a cruiser, especially for the "last 100 meter" to my house.. very bad road....
a scooter is for my not a alternative, i realy hate that small tires and the undersized brakes..

@all:

do somebody has already experience with the new Motorstar dealer in Dumaguete?


thanks

Remco

 

Honda motorcycles are made either in Japan or in the Philippines under license. A lot of Honda's spare parts being sold in the US are also made in the Philippines.

You 2 don't know what you're talking about.

Ramstar 150!!!! ROTFLMAO!