Baltmotors Classic 200: what is it and what is it eaten with?

The union of companies from China and Russia gave novice motorcyclists the opportunity to join the two-wheeled world for a fairly modest amount.
The Baltmotors Classic 200 model is a fairly typical Chinese bike, assembled in Kaliningrad at the “Balls Like a Chopper” enterprise - here you have an old-fashioned appearance, and the shine of chrome, and a seat with a size 56 heel. Baltmotors Classic 200 replaced another model - BM Classic 125, which, however, went almost unnoticed. Its release did not last long, and few people had even heard of it, and soon the company replaced the 125 cc engines on its motorcycles with 200 cc ones, modifying everything else. As a result, the public received budget bikes of various classes that were good for their price, which may well appeal to some beginner as their first motorcycle.

BM Classic 200 inside and outside

The BM 200 Classic motorcycle is an ordinary Chinese chopper . There's no punchy low-end torque, no impressive mass, none of the things that make a cruiser a cruiser. But it should be noted that the bike is quite good in its price category. If you don’t expect miracles from him, but treat him as a road worker, externally stylized as a chopper, he will not disappoint. The technical characteristics of the Baltmotors Classic 200 are not enough stars from the sky, but they are quite consistent with its price.

In a conventional tubular steel frame, the designers placed an equally conventional 199 cc air-cooled engine capable of delivering 15.6 hp power and 14.7 Nm of torque. Like other small-capacity engines, the BM Classic 200 engine loves high speeds. The gears, of which there are five, are short - fifth can be engaged already at 50 km/h. Acceleration dynamics leave much to be desired, since this power is not enough to quickly pick up speed. The Baltmotors Classic 200 itself weighs about 148 kg , but let's not forget about the pilot. And if there is a passenger, the remaining dynamics quickly disappear altogether.

It is worth noting that, thanks to its modest weight by class standards, the BM 200 Classic handles well. This is partly facilitated by the low center of gravity. But the brakes sometimes make you cry - they are clearly not enough for this model. The front disc brake still somehow copes with its duties, but you can immediately forget about the rear, drum brake - it is of about zero use. There is no noticeable deceleration after pressing the pedal, but if you press it a little, the wheel immediately locks.

Description of the motorcycle

A large number of chrome parts in the BM Classic 200 motorcycle, as well as an original design and attractive appearance - could there be anything better than such a set for a real American chopper? This motorcycle is most likely not suitable for fast and rapid rides, but for road trips and driving around the city it is quite suitable.

The purchase of a BM Classic 200, the characteristics of which meet all requirements and standards, can be overshadowed by only one fact - the bike is quite expensive to maintain, but riding it is much more fun. Thanks to Baltmotors, the BM Classic 200 first appeared in Kaliningrad. Especially for this purpose, all the components of the motorcycle were carefully delivered from Japan and China, so that now it could please the lucky owner and attract the attention of everyone around with its spectacular appearance. Knowledgeable experts say that this motorcycle is a real triumph of academicism.

Pros and cons of BM Classic 200

Advantages

• Appearance. The bike looks really decent, much more expensive than it actually costs. Especially if you don't look closely.
• Good standard equipment. Already in stock, the Baltmotors 200 Classic is equipped with a fuel level sensor, plastic side cases, a battery charge level sensor, a gear engaged indicator and one completely useless device - a light bulb signaling an incoming call to a mobile phone.
• Abundance of chrome. Here it covers a great many external parts.
• Modest fuel consumption - about 3.5 liters per 100 km . The bike digests AI-92 , thanks to the simple and reliable carburetor.
• Gas tank volume. As much as 13.8 liters - this is enough to travel hundreds of three kilometers without refueling.
• Affordable price. A new bike was inexpensive, and on the secondary market you can even buy it for a thousand dollars, give or take.

Flaws

• Search for spare parts. It is fraught with a number of difficulties - sometimes even the dealer does not have the necessary hardware, and you have to wait for an order for several months.
• Bad brakes. They would be enough for a pit bike or a 50 cc scooter, but for a bike weighing one and a half centners they are clearly not enough.
• Compact sizes. If you are taller than 180 cm, you will not be able to sit comfortably on the Baltmotors Classic 200.
• Poor quality chrome. After a couple of years it begins to peel off.
• The fuel level sensor, judging by the opinions of the owners of the Baltmotors Classic 200, is constantly lying.
• Sluggish acceleration dynamics - after 80 km/h the motorcycle picks up speed extremely reluctantly. Given the weak brakes, perhaps this is for the best.

Characteristic features of the chopper

1. The large headlight, naturally chrome-plated, not only provides good illumination of the path at night, but also fits seamlessly into the overall design of the motorcycle.
2. Dual rear shock absorbers and powerful front forks provide a smooth ride on any road surface.
3. The seat intended for the passenger is made taking into account all the physiological characteristics of a person, so the person sitting behind will certainly appreciate the convenience and comfort.
4. The mobile phone ringer indicator installed on the dashboard will allow you not to miss an important call behind the noble sound of the engine.
5. Roomy panniers fit well into the design of the bike, and are also an integral part of real American choppers.
6. A reliable front disc brake will not only reduce the braking distance, but will also give the driver additional confidence while driving.

Main competitors

• Keeway Superlight 200 . Another “Chinese”, similar to the BM 200 Classic, like a twin brother. But it costs more.
• Regal Raptor DD150E . This model was once sold on the Russian market, and is still sometimes found on sale. But the situation with spare parts for it is now very bad - they are almost impossible to find.
• OMAKS Chopper . A motorcycle remembered mainly for its low build quality and low price. It is still available for sale second hand and is cheap.
• Lifan LF 250. It is a copy of the Yamaha XV 250 Virago, it is distinguished by a V-shaped 2-cylinder engine, good by class standards of dynamics and high reliability. Mostly on sale is its modified version - Lifan LF 250B.

Latest posts Popular The most interesting motorcycle news

you are reading the most popular news you are reading all the news you are reading the latest news read the most popular read all the news read the latest news

The creators of Baltmotors obviously did not skimp on chrome - they decided to cover almost everything that could be chromed without compromising the appearance. Of course, the quality of chrome is inferior to that on American or Japanese motorcycles, and after a few years the chrome often begins to peel off, but such small-capacity equipment is rarely ridden for more than one or two years, inevitably coming to the need to increase the cubic capacity. On some model years of the BM 200 Classic, it was decided to install spoked wheels, but most motorcycles on sale are found on light-alloy cast wheels. And since there were a lot of negative reviews on the Internet about the spoked wheels on this model about the quality of the spokes, casting is an excellent option. The tire size does not differ in any unique indicators (190/90 x 16 in the front and 130/90 x 15 in the rear), and it will be very easy to select new tires if necessary. In their advertising brochures, Baltmotors sellers like to talk about the rich equipment of the BM 200 Classic, which is atypical for cheap equipment. So, this iron horse is equipped with a fuel level indicator, a battery charge level sensor, a gear indicator and an indicator indicating that you are receiving a call on your mobile phone. All this is quite good, but the fuel level sensor on many iron horses, according to the owners, does not give accurate readings, especially on early models, and the incoming call indicator in the city blinks almost non-stop, going crazy in a city where there are always people receive incoming calls. However, this is all nonsense. According to all the same words, the motorcycle is quite reliable in everything, if we talk about its driving performance. The small engine runs smoothly and does not try to shirk its responsibilities, and the gearbox shifts gears clearly without difficulty.

The suspensions on the BM Classic 200 motorcycle are not capable of causing any special emotions, either positive or negative. They are simply available. For a chopper, especially an inexpensive option, everything is at the highest level. The brakes are also sufficient for everyday riding, given the bike's fairly light weight. In addition, the short wheelbase and small dimensions of the BM 200 Classic allow you to avoid traffic jams in such a vehicle with virtually no thought, except that you have to change gears frequently.

By the way, the standard equipment of the iron horse includes arches (rear and front) and side cases made of plastic. At this price point, such benefits are considered incredible luxury. The arcs, by the way, are of very good quality. Of course, they will not be able to survive the fall, but this is not their responsibility, since their task is to deform, taking on the force of the impact, and thus protect the motorcyclist and more expensive motorcycle parts, such as the gas tank and engine cover. But the panniers are made of durable and thick, but fragile plastic, which leads to the fact that they always rattle, especially if you drive on a bad road. However, even this is good, and if you don’t like it, no one forbids you to put another type of case on your vehicle, right? So what can we say to sum it up? The BM 200 Classic is a budget cruiser for beginners. It has luxurious equipment for its price and quite high performance. The model has been sold in Russia for many years, and all the possible shortcomings of the motorcycle, such as a lying fuel sensor, are already known to everyone, and there are ways to deal with them. At the same time, the majority of owners of the BM 200 Classic motorcycle, both current and former, agree in their reviews regarding the fact that you can rely on the motorcycle. And in fact, there are practically no complaints on the Internet that any of the BM 200 owners have had a gearbox failure or an engine jam.

Reviews from BM Classic 200 owners

I bought a 2011 motor in 2021 in the summer, with a mileage of 4k km, one owner for the entire time. For the last couple of years, the bike has been gathering dust in the owner’s garage and hasn’t been ridden at all, so all the seals and anthers have dried out. I had to put my hands on some little things, bring it to fruition, and re-route the wiring in a normal way. I drove it myself for two seasons, put 15 thousand km on the wheels and sold it to the new happy owner, and bought myself a Honda Shadow 1100. My impressions from Baltmotors were positive, there were no problems. Ivan, Voronezh, Baltmotors Classic 200 '2011

I chose a chopper with a budget of up to 90k, read reviews from owners of the BM 200 Classic, looked at a review of it on YouTube, but still couldn’t decide. But the Japanese didn’t fit into my budget, so I ended up buying a BM with a mileage of 18,000 km. I skated on it for a season, then sold it and took Steed. The motorcycle feels like a vegetable; it doesn’t ride, doesn’t brake, doesn’t steer. There are some assembly flaws, but not critical, and it doesn’t fall apart while running. Vitaly, Moscow, Baltmotors Classic 200 '2012

An ordinary cheap Chinese, well worth the money, but if you have the opportunity to expand your budget, you should take a Japanese one and not even think about it, it’s just heaven and earth. On a limited budget, this is a normal toy to learn how to ride and use your hands from time to time. Yaroslav, St. Petersburg, BM 200 Classic '2012

Summary

There are a lot of budget motorcycles with Chinese roots, but not so many small-capacity affordable cruisers. Baltmotors Classic 200 is a representative of budget bikes of this class that are quite rare in Russia. Of course, it also has competitors, but most of them were sold for a short time, after which dealers curtailed supplies, so there are no spare parts for them and are not expected. For the BM 200 Classic, according to reviews, you also have to look for spare parts, but at least dealers and official representatives of the company have not disappeared. It is quite good as a first motorcycle for a beginner, but, most likely, you will get tired of it very quickly, and you will have to change it to a more powerful two-wheeled steel horse.

Specifications

Summing up

Stylish, elegant and balanced, this chrome-plated beauty will not leave any fan of legendary motorcycles indifferent. Spectacular design, decent technical characteristics, reliability and confidence that accompanies the driver of this bike, optimal fuel consumption and an attractive price - all this distinguishes the BM Classic 200 from its foreign-made analogues, taking it to a completely different level of motorcycle technology.

“When changing for the better, stay true to yourself” is the motto of the Baltmotors company, which produces these now legendary bikes.