SPECS · PICS · REVIEWS · RATING
SPECS · PICS · RATING
|
Review of the 2003 Jincheng Custom 50:Good bike overall |
|
Author: Jim Poucher, 2005-07-23, viewed 366 times. | ||||||
| ||||||
|
Eye catching bike, lots of comments from people on the street as to how great it looks. Some problems with the transmission and plastics. Parts are very difficult to find in the USA | ||||||
|
I bought this bike 3 years ago and have used it as my main mode of transportation since. When I got it, the engine was a 50cc 3 speed. There was slight slippage problems in 3rd gear at top speed. 5000km later, the tranny went completely. I have to admit that it was ridden pretty darn hard. I replaced the engine with a Pagsta 50cc engine 4 speed, and the tranny went after 500km again with 3rd gear slippage (again!) I have now replaced the engine with a 110 cc after market with radial transmission. The hard parts of the bike (frame, rims, forks) are of excellent construction and rugged as they come. Mechanical maintenance and repair are a dream as everything is well thought out and placed conveniently. The muffler seperated at about 4000km and began to blowback at the junction of the header and muffler. The bike has been ridden hard as a main source of commute and the little 50cc engine has a bit of a difficult time pushing such a heavy frame. As a result, it vibrates quite a bit (since it is almost always run at full throttle), and care must be taken to tighten bolts religiously. Dipping the bolts in Milk of Magnesia (an aircraft machanic trick), helps them to stay tight. Tranny problems are the bane of 50cc manual shift 4-stroke engines no matter what the make or model since they have to be ridden at full throttle almost always to keep up with traffic. The bike screams on the downhills and I have had it up to as much as 100kph ! The ride is very stable due to the rugged frame, but like any motorcycle, care must be taken not to over-ride in corners. There is a slight suspension problem due to the weight of the bike when hard cornering at high speeds and the bike tends to bounce a bit, but with application of the well made brakes, it can be quickly compensated for. I´ve ridden motorcycles since I was 16 and am now 49. I started with a Yamaha 350 and have ridden up to Harleys on a regular basis. I have to say, this is the most fun bike I have ever ridden and it has drawn more appreciative comments then any other bike I have owned (including my custom Sportster)! The plastics tend to crack rather easily and it is impossible to find parts in the USA to replace things such as the fenders and chrome air and electric covers. To be fair, I live in Las Vegas and the ultraviolet from the harsh sun here in the desert is very hard on plastics and degrades them quickly. I would hope that if anyone knows of any parts suppliers, they would let me know! Overall, it´s a good bike and a lot of fun. I even get a lot of waves, smiles and nods from Harley riders since the bike looks so much like one of their roadsters. I´d buy another one in a minute if I had to replace this one, but I would definitely upgrade the engine. It´s frustrating going uphill at a crawl. |
This review of the 2003 Jincheng Custom 50 was posted by a visitor on Bikez.com and does not necessarily reflect facts, truth or Bikez.com's opinions.
Write a motorcycle review yourself?You are welcome to write motorcycle articles on Bikez.com. Write about anything your fellow riders might find interesting to know about a bike. Use our standard picture or upload your own. All reviews will be checked manually before they turn up online, usually within 24 hours. To write a quick comment or discuss a bike, use our discussion forums.Click here to write a review. |