Taken a liking to this bike - sort of.

[FJTillDeath]

This is non-fj, non-yamaha and non-japanese, but with the problems(financially) that I have been having with the FJ I have had to make some alternate decisions.. (NO I will NEVER sell the FJ

Before I show the bike let me just explain thee situation so I dont have people flying down my throat. Since my accident earlier this year, I was not able to get a loan from the bank or sell my little 125(its totalled) to get the FJ I had my eyes on. Because there was another guy interested in getting the bike, it was a race to see who could muster up the money first. Since I had only half of the money saved up, I had to get the other half. Luckily my mother got a loan(interest free if paid back in under 8 months) from her trust to help me. The bike with its regisration cost me 16000 rand. I paid my mom back 8000 once off and was left with 8000 to go. I have had the bike for nearly 4 months now. Because of how much I earn I can pay my mother back 2000 a month(no more as its budgeted to the last cent with all my other expenses with no savings) I agreed to pay my mom back every month(so that no interest would be incurred. In the first month I could only pay 1500 as I got a doctors bill that my medical aid would not cover. In the second month I could not pay her back at all as I got a mountain of doctors bills that my medical aid would not cover(they in themselves exceeded 2000 so I had to make a plan - those medical aids can be real bastards with what they have in their fine print(they cover 100 percent of their own rates) they almost wouldnt pay a cent as they wanted the other guys medical aid(the guy involved in the accident with me) to pay my damages. Anyway I sorted that out. Now in the 3rd month I have yet again not been able to pay my mother back again as the exhaust I had to buy cost me 3200(again more than the 2000 I can afford to put towards thus pay the debt bike per month).

Now I still owe my mother 6500, but shes a very patient person, however she has urged me to either sell the bike or make a plan to ensure that she gets her money every month. So I came up with a plan to buy a BRAND NEW bike(yes i get into more debt with her) but its covered by a warranty and insurance(even on servicable parts) which will be my backup bike. My girlfriend and I have come to a mutual agreement to pay back half(each) on the bike in question and therefore share the bike and the debt QUICKLY)

Now that I have sorted that out this is the bike in question:
The Big Boy gpr200r
http://www.bigboy.co.za/bb-scooters-v1/gpr200r.html


As you would expect a noob to ask, can somebody give me advice on this.

I cant find any accurate specs on the net although there is a youtube vid(lacking in info)
Big Boy GPR125/200R

As you can see it looks like a ripoff of a 125cbr, (still very eye appealing though)

Although its a available quite widely in SA it is still a chinese bike(its main drawback)

Now I have done some homework and found that they do give some problems(to people who dont take very good care of them - like not taking it for its FIRST service to get that run in oil replaced) I rode on my friends one a while back and there wasnt much wrong with it. It was quite sturdy and smooth. Puts out decent power for a 200, although its not the fastest by a mile(top speed of 130km/h). Its not the most comfortable bike - its nimble, a little akward(the riding position is like a moto gp bike - on a little 200??) and the seats are quite HARD(that can be fixed though). They even hold their resale value quite well. They are quite popular(seen about 7 of them in the last month pop up) - all noobs riding, so lotsa spares will be in the market soon . I have even seen one on the track, so it looks like they handle mods quite well

Other than above I havent seen much wrong with it. Its light on petrol, fun to commute with and can handle slightly longer distances with not much of a problem.

They are very CHEAP to service. The biggest drawback is they are not the strongest kind of bikes. One guy who was in an accident said his whole frame cumpled(tboned a car much like me at 60km - but his bike folded compared to my suzuki which had the forks bent and and chassis slightly bent)

The friends bike who I also rode on previously was in quite a spill with his where a car rammed into him (luckily he was fine) The damages to his bike were mainly cosmetics, although he had to rebuild the forks, also after his accident many things started going wrong with the bike(speedo brakes, shocks, forks etc, but he was able to sort it all out. Running today quite nicely.

In other words if you look after them you are fine. As I said they come with a warranty, and you can insure the bike at full value plus have services and serviceable parts insured(big plus on the bike)

Now you may ask why dont I just get a jap bike for the same price. Well from what I can tell it has the same power(kind of) handles quite well (for a cheapass bike) and it looks really nice(I really like fully faired bikes) and I cant get a BRAND NEW jap bike with fairings for the same price.

Now I can take care of a 200(i did quite well in restoring the 125 I had) so upkeep isnt a problem especially with insurance. I will also only ever be riding it to commute to work every second week or when the FJ is not rideable. Like I said the purpose of the bike is so that If the FJ has something wrong with it and I cant ride it, atleast I dont have to come to a grinding hault( will still have alternative transport) and can therefore still pay my mom back and give the FJ proper attention when I can afford it and have the time.( i have some medium to big expenses coming up in the future with the FJ from what I can see)

Sorry for such a long winded post, but I felt I should have all relevant info across before the thread baloons up into a an even more longwinded one. So therefore if you dont understand something ask me (post or pm). Oh and finally the last detail of paying my mother back. The agreement I had with her and the way her policy works is that when I finish paying it back(the 16k for the FJ) I am going to be getting the full 16000 back(when the policy matures or something - sometime next year). So then I will really be able to give the FJ proper attention and still start saving for the zx6 I want/ or car depending on my mothers terms. Some people have luck with the chinese stuff(like lotsokids) some dont, like I said, looking for ideas, recommendations etc.

[billwest]

So, the bike you want to buy is made and built in China, as far as I can tell.
Personally, I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole.
If the frame crumbles so easily, how well do you think this bike will go two-up?

[FJTillDeath]

The frame being weaker is a bit worrying but with my friend who got runover(the car basically Tboned him) his frame wasnt bent much at all(i guess thats why chinese bikes are called lucky packet bikes). As for 2 up - it would handle it just as well as my 125 did - big decrease in power on uphills. Otherwise fine. But I would never ride 2 up with it, thats what the fj is for, otherwise the gf can ride it while I ride the FJ.

Spoke to a bunch of owners and the ones who had had problems did not service the bike at all and the ones who had were quite happy with their bikes sitting between 6000 and 20000 km worth of mileage. Also guys who had taken insurance said the most difficult part of it was justifying services(ie getting 3 qoutes from people willing to service the bike) and since you lose your warranty if you dont service the bike at a big boy dealer many people dont bother about their warrnties or insurance.

From what it seems Big Boy is actually a South African brand, but the way I understand it is SA just buys a bike from china, assembles it and brands it under their name

[Steve_in_Florida]

Jesse,
Make certain you have your priorities in order. It's really easy to become a slave to "stuff".

Keep things in perspective. Make certain that your people come before any objects.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Experience is a harsh teacher!

[Arnie]

Jesse,

For 16000zar (~$2000) its a new bike with warranty.
The BigBoy bike is probably serviceable and generally reliable. 
Not great performance, even for a 200, but you've got your FJ for that. 
I'd be concerned about the warranty and the requirement that you get
the bike serviced every 3000kms (2000mi) by a BigBoy dealer. 
How much do they (over) charge for these services?  How much is an oil or air filter?
What is the spare parts availability like?

I'd be very cautious about trying to get out of debt by signing up for more debt.
That's the way finance companies get rich.
You're young and hopefully strong and healthy, but what will you do if you get sick and miss a payment?
You seem to have no reserves for even the slightest hiccup in your plans.
What will you do if you get hit by another car or just fall?  Even if you're not hurt, its likely the bike will be off the road for a while and need to get some repairs, and its your backup vehicle.

I've always had the attitude that if I couldn't just walk away from a bike wreck (crying), I couldn't afford the bike.
You seem to be running very close to the wind with NO margin for error.

Then again, you're young, dumb, and full of c&*m, so you'll probably nuddle a way through (most of us have) 

Shame my memory of being your age is so good - makes it very hard to give advice.

Cheers,
Arnie

[The General]

Jesse,
Make certain you have your priorities in order. It's really easy to become a slave to "stuff".

Keep things in perspective. Make certain that your people come before any objects.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

Experience is a harsh teacher!

+1.   Include an asset in your plan, so far I only see liabilities. Doug

[rktmanfj]

Compared to the cost of the Big Boy, what would it cost to get the FJ in top shape?     

[Mark Olson]

  on the new bike.

If you can't afford it , you don't get to have it.

get mom to pay for the fj repairs.

if the girlfriend dosen't  have a car to drive you around get a new one.

never pay your mom all the way off , just make payments on time and incur new debts. this way you will at least come by and see her once in a while.

[FJTillDeath]

In reply to Arnie, the parts are dirt cheap, already veiwed the catalogue - even the upgrades are reasonable. As for availability. The dealer has everything and parts can be acquired in 10 to 20 working days if they run out(spoke to the dealership and a couple of their customers) Services too are cheap, especially for the first couple(again spoke to past customers).

As I said, the gf will be paying half and with her being a lot less financially tied down than me, she has said she would cover any running costs I could not. I agree with it not being sensible to get into more debt by increasing current debt, but the good (so far) outnumbers the bad.

In response to RKTMan about getting the FJ in shape, it would be cheaper to Fix her up tip top, but I have already consulted my mom and her response was no. She was against me getting the bike in the first place because of its age and thats why she says if I get another bike it must be new(otherwise I would have gone for secondhand CBR 125 or a TZR125R)

As for getting a car, thats what the 16k(for paying off the FJ) was going to be used for. Like I said the  money will be payed back to me straight upfront when I pay it all back. So although I am getting myself into further debt, getting the money back will compensate for that.(considereing by the end of December IF all goes well I will have payed the FJ back)

One thing I have factored in is the insurance and NEW Kit with a new helmet, boots and pants(not like when I planned for the FJ. I am not rushing into buying it, making sure I do my omework, reading all the small print and considering other options before I make a decision. It is becuase I am looking into the future at what expenses I may and probably will occur with the FJ and would like it to be riding at atleast 90 percent when on the road so as not to damge it or bring harm to myself.

I guess I will learn lessons out of this whether I get the bike or not, but i love the saying Arnie used:

Jesse,


you're young, dumb, and full of c&*m, so you'll probably nuddle a way through (most of us have) 

For my reserve or backup as Arnie also mentioned I do have 2 of those. The one is I pay my mom either 3 querters(1500) or half - which is fine as there still wont be any credit(but then I stay in debt for longer - which is what I avoid) OR supper and lunch consists of 2minute noodles for the month

I appreciate all the feedback on the matter and definitely listen to it. The hard part is also convincing the gf as she has her heart set on the bike(I dont blame her, looks cool and nice to learn on -the riding schools here have a few). And thats the main reason for wanting to insure the bike. From my knowledge New bikers and plastic dont go well together

[Mark Olson]

"buy a new one" sounds like a mom thing.

getting the girlfriend to pay for the bike, sounds like she may be a keeper.

you gonna ride on the back when she learns how to ride it?

[RichBaker]

Hell..... As long as she's got somethings to get a grip on.....   

[FJTillDeath]

It is a moms thing...LOL Otherwise there are quite a few bikes I would like to get my hands on(though it would put me in the same place as the FJ is now)

Its quite sad how much I actually need to fix on the FJ(some of it is just for peace of mind though)
I gotta fix my airbox(think Il just get those unipods from Randy along with the crank breather)
Tires are gonna come up in the next 2 months
Chain and sprockets
Air scoops
the tensioner gasket(have got it but need to put it in)
A new tensioner/ camchain(mine is starting to get really retarded)
Valve cover gasket
Possibly a tank cap(maybe just needs a bit of work)
A fork rebuild(replace all the old bits and new fluid)
A rear shock rebuild/ replacement with new fluid
New breaks front and back(both are starting to squeal quite a bit)
New battery
New plugs(only one out on its way but Id rater replace them all)
A service(well all the things they would do in a service)
Dont need it, but a gixxer rear wheel mod would be nice
New seat/ recover the seat
New key thing(the part you insert the key in to start the bike) I am finding my one is starting to give me crap and sometimes I cant put the key in, this morning it even turned the bike off(was riding and the key switched to off)
Possibly a new starter motor as with the rain yesterday, my ignition (the pink button you press to start the bike) got stuck on the on position for 5 minutes until I could get it unstuck(smelt something burning, wasnt really worried until the starter gave me crap this morning)
New needles and seats and orings(or just rebuild the carb as petrol has leaked from them far to many times now.
There are probably a bunch of other small things that I cant think of right now - its no wonder the previous owner flogged it to the dealer saying the maintenace was too expensive.

I will admit I could have taken a little more care of the bike(though I did do my best) Most of the above are small and cheap but combined all at once are quite a price and not having the time to work on the bike makes it a little harder to sort out(and to pay someone else to fix it will cost quite a bit). Dont get me wrong, the bike still runs and I still love it, but its getting more unsafe to ride on the roads in peak traffic.

Apart from all the things I want to fix, there are also a bunch of upgrades I would like to make to make things a zillionty times better, but they cost money. Can I say the bike will last the 3 months(when I finish paying back my mom) I am not too sure as almost every week something new pops up.. I know I am supposed to post different problems in different threads, but this is just a summary of what I can see needs to be fixed and also opinions of others. I am ill equiped to work on such a big bike myself and so I guess I should also add various tools, lubes and oils to the list of things I need, as much as the haynes I have and all the other info I have dont supply me with the meat for the project..

But THIS is why I guess my FJ cost me 15000 as opposed to the other 1100s and 1200 FJs I saw for sale for 25000 and up.


I have a question thats been bugging me that I will start a new topic for though.

However in light of keeping this thread away from melancholy...

Hell..... As long as she's got somethings to get a grip on.....   

She will have something to grip on and I wouldnt mind gripping onto her..though I will have to try and restrain myself from distracting her

But seriously, from the first time I tried to teach her on my old 125 I am not gonna get on the back with her yet, her balance is nowhere near good enough for that...I just take her to some parking lots

[Mark Olson]

read you repair manual several times before attempting any procedure, then just get in there and do it.

we all started somewhere.

[FJTillDeath]

So I might hit a stone in the road and I may not be able to pay cash for the bike. Which means finance or a personal loan are my other options..

however in RSA they veiw a motorcycle as an item of leisure and therefore have very high finance interest. So much so that if I take it out over 4 years I will end up paying 28000 back(on a bike that cost 14000) Now that doesnt gel with me because this is supposed to be temporary and being tied to a shoddy bike for 4 years does not float my boat.

I therefore have the otpion to get what I want, but becuase mother dearest has to sign surety she has to agree with it. I looked around and found 2 Honda CBR 125s from 2008 and 2007 each with under 10000km on the clock. Heres the cherry, they both cost 15000(1000 more than the big boy) and they big boy is an exact replica(minus engine design and decals) of the 06 CBR125. The downside they are halfway across the country which means I could use the FJ to fetch them but a little 125 would not handle the journey and my gf would not be capable of such a journey. Nevertheless from the same dealer I found 2 new 2011 Honda cbr125r's at 22000 and 24000. Mind you in my city they go for 35000 and more new.

I dont really mind the interest(just not for a big boy) as the repayments are affordable so I could pay back the FJ and still fix her when something went wrong. BTW my for leak has gotten so bad the oil is leaking out the top cap and where the fork mates with its bottom half(a little unsafe if you ask me). So if I order the parts from Randy to fix it(and put single rate springs in at the same time) I will still have to wait for parts to arrive.

With regards 2 the 2nd hand cbrs my mom says they have been owned by 16yo(I agree) and we all know how some treat their motorcycles by showing off..Still a second hand hinda is way better than big boy..Should I convine my mom about the 2nd hand ones or should I just get the 2011 model(the cbr) that will last the 4 years I have to repay on the bike?

[Mark Olson]

buy new .