Chinese Scooter Club

mientus147 · Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:03 pm sukida alien SK125-14 - first impressions

well I finally got my hands on the bike. ordered from marshy's motorcycles - arrived on time, but what a bummer, without the plates, the paperwork, the helmet and top-box.

I had to wait an extra 6 days for these bits and it must have been the most frustrating 6 days of my life. the bike was outside the window, brand spanking new and just asking to be ridden, but I couldn't take it on the road. I was literally climbing the walls.

costs - the bike 730 (pounds), top box 50, helmet 46, reg+tax 125,
insurance? well I overpaid so won't mention it

90 miles on the clock - pro's and con's:

the looks - pretty stunning, for a scooter - the front lights give it kind of a
racing bike feel (pro)

the size - it's big enough for a tall guy like me, 180cm (no idea how that
translates into inches and things).
it's heavy and that means good stability. nicely balanced.
with the top box fitted on, a perfect vehicle to load a tent,
sleeping bag and my camera on and take off cruising into the
countryside. (pro)

the comfort - the seat and riding position are ok (pro).
my impression is that the clock is placed somewhat awkwardly,
you can't just glance on it and check your speed (con).
(was that a lightning, or a speed camera just caught me?)

the performance - accelerates nicely , stays well ahead off traffic (pro)
the brakes (disc - front and rear) - nice surprise - comes with
front ABS fitted - it wasn't mentioned in the manufacturers
description.
the brakes seem very effective in dry and wet conditions (pro)

the wobble - yes, it's brand new and comes with a wobble. the wobble
comes on when I reach higher speeds - don't know how fast I'm
going by the way because of an awkwardly placed clock. my
uneducated guess is that the wheels need balancing, but I'm
more of a computer geek than a bike mechanic, so don't know
for sure. (con)

build quality - the storage under the seat - not big enough to fit a full face
helmet (con).
the plastics are fragile, but cannot compare to other scooters
since I never had one.
threads in plastic components - one use threads (con) - I
discovered that (con) when trying to get rid of the cling film
placed over the lights

the mirrors are crap (con) - 2 bumps on the road and they need to be readjusted - that's not good, especially when I'm desperately searching for the clock to check my speed.

the alarm (con) - worked for 6 days - the frustrating 6 days when I was
waiting for the papers (and playing with the alarm out of
frustration).
the first ride - 20 miles and sometime during this ride - the
alarm, like it had a mind of it's own just stopped working. the
neighbours must be delighted.

I'm generally satisfied with this product, especially when the price is taken into consideration. most importantly in my circumstances, when I could not walk far or cycle because of some serious sports injuries (minor disability). I have an independent life again.

the biggest test will be to see how the bikes performs over an extended period of time. it will probably be a year or so, before I can swap it for something bigger and more powerful. time will tell.

I do recommend this bike for anyone on a tight budget, although it's probably too early for a reliable recommendation. I do recommend marshy's motorcycle dealer, despite the frustration.

I have to work out how to post photographs on this site yet and then I can place pretty accurate technical shots of the components and the built for anyone who might be interested....

that's it folks - the sun is shining - I'm going for a spin...

thebiggreenie · Thu Mar 27, 2008 5:42 pm

Fantastic review - good work! I've been looking at getting the Alien during the summer, and if I can afford it, I definitely will now!

mientus147

1030 - something milles on the clock
easy does it

just wanted to add a few more, quick comments on the bike

handling - excellent, my confidence has grown and I'm folding the bike in half on corners. no problem.

suspension - front - flawless, works perfectly with disc/ABS
rear - feels a little rigid, but hey, it's not a BMW, so
:excited:

centre stand - what a waist of heavy metal, twisted, rusted, bent, buckled, and broken - in other words, totally useless...

:icon_icon-scoot: