2007 Lifan LF200GY-5 Review

[CoyoteX]

A buddy of mine got this bike, he is not interested in posting here but I think a few members here might be interested in this bike so I am posting what I think of it

He got it from http://www.motoxtreme.net/994.html for $1399 shipped to his door. Took about a week to get it once the payment was sent. When you order one of these bikes make sure the company you order from sends them out of Texas and not California. The Cali bikes are direct imported from China and are not always the same or as well built as the American Lifan ones out of TX. They also don't always have the DOT certification so might not be able to get plates in some states. The real American Lifan bikes are all DOT/EPA approved and are street legal.

The bike came well packed in a metal framed crate and took about 2 hours of playing around with it to get the wheels and handlebars on. We also took all the bolts holding the plastic body panels and heat shields off and put loctite on them. The bike fired up and ran the first try. We let it idle for 15 minutes to heat cycle it once then changed the oil. Once the bike was cooled and the oil changed we took it out and rode it slowly for about 5 miles to get it seated in. The bike had no problems running and was nice and smooth sounding.

Over the next 100 miles he was pretty easy on riding it and was also learning how to ride a motorcycle since it was his first one. He now has it near 500 miles and the bike is running pretty smoothly. The mileage is not as good as what they say on the specs but it is still way up there. 107mpg is what it is rated for but he is getting around 85-95mpg out of it doing nothing except holding it wide open all the time. It is a 200cc bike and can do maybe 70mph top speed so for highway use it really sucks but for city use it is great. If you don't plan on going over 55mph in it then you won't have much trouble with it's power and would probably get closer to the factory mileage estimate. The bike is really light weight and can maneuver around easily. Anyone really trying to get good mileage out of it should have no problems beating the factory estimated mileage with nothing more than going 1 tooth bigger on the front sprocket and easy driving.

The bike seems pretty solid and I probably would guess it should be able to go 25k miles without any trouble. For the price of $1400 for a new bike though there is really nothing bad I can say about the bike. To get a comparably sized Japanese brand you will have to spend more than double and the bikes really don't ride any better and don't seem to be built any better. I also don't think any of the other small cc dualsport bikes have a much longer life since they are all kind of underpowered. Overall anyone wanting a learner bike or a low speed use bike it would be hard to beat this bike. At least he is not worried as much about someone stealing it as I would be with mine left out overnight.



Colors: Blue/Red
Engine Type: Air Cooled, Single-Cylinder, 4-Stroke, counterbalanced
Displacement: 197CC
Starting System: Electric & Kick
Brake System (FRONT): Disc/Hand Control
Brake System (REAR): Drum/Pedal Control
Transmission System: 5 Speed, Manual Clutch
Ignition System: CDI
Max. Power: 16HP/8000RPM
Max. Torque: 14.5N.m/6500RPM
Max Speed: 75MPH
Max Loading Capacity: 330LBS
L x W x H: 88.4' x 32.7" x 46.8"
Wheel Base: 54.3"
Dry Weight: 264 LBS
Gas Yield: 0.93 GAL/100Mile
Suspension (FRONT): Hydraulic
Suspension (REAR): Hydraulic Spring
Tire Size: FRONT 2.75 - 21 REAR 4.10 - 18

[omgwtfbyobbq]

I wonder if the LF200 would have a better time on the freeway w/ the rider in a tuck?

[CoyoteX]

It will go on the freeway and I am sure if you hug the gas tank it will go faster. The biggest problem is it is at full power at highway speeds and there really isn't much power left to get out of the way of something.

It can go 65-70 all day it seems like. But if someone cut into your lane you have no power go jump ahead and run away from your immediate problems. It could be I am not used to small cc bikes and like the extra power bigger cc bikes have over the 200cc so it might not really be as big of a deal as I make it out to be.

I still don't think I would recommend this bike for highway use even with a few power upgrades, optimized gearing, and a windshield it just doesn't have the power to keep you safe on the highway in my opinion. I think the LF250 listed on that same page for $2100 would be more suitable for highway use with it's 250cc v-twin engine. Or for someone looking for a sport bike a Hyosung GT250 for $3600 is probably better. For something you don't plan on taking over 55-60mph most of the time then you won't find a better deal on a new bike than this 200cc dualsport.

[korax123]

Cograts on getting a good one. Those bikes are a hit and miss. Some people get them and they fall apart before 500 miles. Hope your buddy has a lot of fun with it.

[QDM]

I've been looking at the Chinese bikes ever since a friend of mine bought one last winter. His has no name on it anywhere and looks like the Lifan so it's evidently one of the many clones available on the internet. He paid the same $1400 delivered. After riding the bike on road and trail I was impressed by how well it ran for such a low price. It makes a good around town and light trail bike.

My current rider is an older Honda CX500, a super reliable road bike with real character. I truly love my CX but have been wanting something that will get me out on the trails as well as around town while getting better gas mileage than my car. My Suzuki car gets better mileage than the CX.

Yesterday after some research I finally ordered the same model as your friend, from an authorized American Lifan dealer in Virginia for $1375 delivered. I'll post my review of the bike here after I get it and have a chance to do some riding. I am an ex motorcycle mechanic with well over 500K motorcycle miles under my belt

Q

[bones33]

QDM, Got your bike yet? These look like great bikes for puttin' around the woods.

[QDM]

I've had the bike now since mid September. 2200km on it so far and I'm very happy with it. Three of my local friends also bought the same model. I've done a lot of off road riding as well as commuting. The only things I've had to do to it are lube the suspension pivots and tighten up the spokes.



Q

Originally Posted by beatr911

QDM, Got your bike yet? These look like great bikes for puttin' around the woods.

[CoyoteX]

http://www.tackbag.com/dview.php?pnum=15-0171

those saddle bags look cool on it and are very cheap. Just have to cut and sew the center together so they don't hang really low. Guess it could be folded and tied up somehow. For 15 bucks though they are killer.

Btw my buddy has over 5000km on his and the only problem he has is he lost a bolt he forgot to put loctite on

those tires that came on it hold up longer than I thought they would and are insanely cheap. I think he ordered a new pair for 50 bucks shipped and plans on putting them on this winter sometime after his rear is totally bald. I don't know how long the bike will ultimately last but even if it blew up tomorrow he figures he has already got his moneys worth for it and would probably buy another one. Really though an engine is $250 so if it blows up it is not that big of a deal.

[QDM]

Guess I should give a few more details from a mechanic's point of view.

The bike arrived in an angle iron cage with cardboard covering. No shipping damage except for a little chaffing on the top of the rack. Setup was like any motorcycle, filling battery, installing wheels, handlebars, etc.. Had it running 2 hours after it was delivered.

The overall quality of the bike is better than I expected. Not as good as the Japanese bikes, but I think it will last a long time. Welds are a bit ugly in places but appear sturdy enough. Engine is beautiful.

The rear suspension pivots were not well lubed from the factor, making things stiff until I took it apart and greased it well. Front forks had thick oil so changing to ATF made a big difference.

The engine runs great and has good low end power. No point in trying to rev it over 7000 RPM because there's no power there. No way will it reach the 10,500 RPM red line. Gearing is about right for a dual sport, giving a top speed of around 65 mph. Muffler is very quiet. I once had a hiker walk out right in front of me while cruising down a trail at about 30 mph.

The frame if full size and fit's my 6'2" fat body pretty well. Riding position is good but seat is not comfortable on long rids. I'll be fixing that this winter by adding wider foam under the seat cover.

Speedometer is in mph. 60 mph reading is actually 57 measured by GPS. Odometer and tripmeter are in kilometers. Switches are kind of cheap looking, as are turn signals. Output of alternator is too low to power many accessories.

The Cheng Shin tires work well in the dirt and OK on the road. Looks like I'll get about 5000 to 6000 km out of the rear tire. Wheels and spokes are sturdy but spokes weren't tensioned enough from the factory. Brakes are good, but the front brake needed some tweaking to make it quiet.

Overall I would recommend this bike for budget minded people who are mechanically inclined enough to do the minor tweaking needed to optimize it's performance.

Q

[QDM]

Thanks for the tip on the saddle bags. I'll order a set. I have set of tank bags Dennis Kirk Part #: 504940 that work well and block the cold air from your knees.

Q

Originally Posted by Coyote X

http://www.tackbag.com/dview.php?pnum=15-0171

those saddle bags look cool on it and are very cheap. Just have to cut and sew the center together so they don't hang really low. Guess it could be folded and tied up somehow. For 15 bucks though they are killer.

Btw my buddy has over 5000km on his and the only problem he has is he lost a bolt he forgot to put loctite on

those tires that came on it hold up longer than I thought they would and are insanely cheap. I think he ordered a new pair for 50 bucks shipped and plans on putting them on this winter sometime after his rear is totally bald. I don't know how long the bike will ultimately last but even if it blew up tomorrow he figures he has already got his moneys worth for it and would probably buy another one. Really though an engine is $250 so if it blows up it is not that big of a deal.