Quote:
Originally Posted by new_bug
There are actually a few really good choices if you're willing to shop around enough, even in the states. I saw no mention of the sym wolf 150cc classic (cb125 honda "clone", made in Taiwan in same factory that made the cb125 for honda). Its air cooled (not necessarily a bad thing-keep it simple & light), 5spd, has the right looks for a motorbike (hard for me to appreciate the sport bike look even as a cbr250r owner). Just a step below the big 3 names in overall build/etc quality. Sym wolf 150 is a very lightweight bike @~230-260lbs wet (haven't ben able to find anything that beats that and I've looked at all the dual sports etc), attractive classic looks or at least can hold it's own compared to anything else that has been mentioned here (be prepared for lots of questions riding it), and can hold ~65mph(actual) and real world 85+ mpg (not trying too hard, but at 220lbs rider I couldn't get a lot better personally if talking highway speeds of 65)
Basically if you're riding style/commute/etc will have the 125cc or 150cc accelerating flat out , all the evidence seems to suggest that 250cc will get better mileage than the 125/150 going flat out. (With current models, some scooters like pcx125 have been more optimized for economy, it seems, but for most of the current options even overseas, in the 125/150- we are still talking 20-40+ year old engine designs). If you don't need to go faster than 50-60, the 125cc is a solid option!
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The wolf is actually a really cool option. The k pipe’s 4 speed and no clutch is not appealing to me. The kick start on both bikes is awesome, I want a kick started bike! The wolf really reminds me of the Yamaha SR 400. The SR has fuel injection though. I’m not quite ready for a fourth bike just yet, but if I decide to go for the small single naked bike route, then I will have to compare the wolf and the SR400.
Both the PCX and the 50cc metropolitan get high compression ratios, fuel injection, and liquid cooling. I really wish Honda would throw a manual transmission on one of those engines.