Desert Raven Nevada 350i – technical specifications of the fuel-injected desert

For a person looking for a powerful and at the same time economical new motorcycle, we can recommend the Desert Raven Nevada 350i model. This is China . American designers were involved to launch the project .

All the epithets that are usually awarded to scooters can be applied to a motorcycle. It is light , nimble , maneuverable and fast (as for Chinese models). In addition, we can note a 2-cylinder , as well as an injector .

Specifications

The engine of the motorcycle was unusual.

Engine – left view.

Engine – right side view.

Having copied it from the Japanese, the Chinese redesigned the cooling system. Moreover, if the Japanese motorcycle with this engine belonged to the class of air-cooled machines, the Nevada has... liquid cooling . In an effort to save on everything they could, the Chinese did not change anything else in the settings,

The result was a hybrid designed for air cooling (compression ratio), but at the same time running on a liquid version.

However, the bike still has an air filter, but more about it below. The resulting hybrid turned out to be very interesting.

Mechanics note: gasoline is not lower than AI-92 .

Transmission and clutch

The motorcycle is equipped with a 5-speed gearbox . With the exception of the problem with the second gear, which slips during dynamic driving, it has no other problems. The issue is resolved by a faster transition to the third.

• Clutch - standard, multi-disc , oil bath, power transmission - cable .
• The main drive is chain .

Brakes

The braking system of the bike might be the envy of some Japanese. Hydraulic drive, discs on both axles.

Front brakes.

Rear brakes.

The parameters are as follows:

Front: brakes:

• number of disks - 2;
• diameter - 260 mm;
• support - 2-piston.

Rear brakes:

• number of disks - 1;
• diameter - 240 mm;
• support - 2-piston.

In the first editions it was offered as an option. The latter already have reinforced hoses in stock.

Triumph Daytona Moto2 765

The imagination, of course, painted the most amazing pictures of what the new Daytona would be like. There weren't many questions about the 765cc three, but what about the connection with Moto2? New frame, swingarm? Big brakes? Advanced electronics? A common thing for new models... but this is where things started to get weird.

Engine

Let's go through the good parts of the Triumph Daytona Moto2 765, starting with the engine. 765 cubes is a cubic capacity that is optimal from many points of view, in which, in particular, the Suzuki GSX-R750 shines. The Triumph inline three is short-stroke, with a cylinder diameter of 78 mm, a piston stroke of 53.38 mm, four valves per cylinder, two overhead camshafts, a compression ratio of 12.9:1. According to the manufacturer, this is the most powerful version of the new three, producing 128 horses and 80 Nm from the crankshaft.

Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 engine

Chassis

Next, the Triumph Daytona is equipped with Ohlins suspension - a NIX30 fork and a TTX36 monoshock, both of course fully adjustable. The brakes are the latest generation of Brembo Stylema, with an additional ventilation duct that provides significant airflow to the pads to prevent overheating. Steel-reinforced lines transmit power from yet another piece of Brembo engineering: the 19/21 MCS master cylinder. Adjustable lever proportion allows you to fine-tune the feedback and response of the braking system to suit the rider's wishes.

Well, the list of features of the small-scale model is completed by the Shift-Assist quickshifter, which works in both directions, Pirelli Supercorsa SP tires in the stock configuration, and a full-color LCD instrument panel with a multifunction joystick, already known from some of the brand’s new products.

The new motorcycle is lighter than its predecessor thanks to a carbon body kit, a single seat (there is no passenger equipment at all) and the transition to e-gas - a first for the Daytona line. Triumph claims a dry weight of 164kg, which is of no interest to anyone because they don't ride dry bikes.

And all this is good, but here’s what’s strange: the motorcycle is built on an old frame and swingarm, only with an anodized coating. Not that this is a bad thing, but for a new model, especially with an engine 13% larger than the previous one, am I the only one who thinks Triumph didn't do much?

Driving performance,

The Desert Raven Nevada 350i model has a decent appearance for a Chinese.

There are various rumors about the maximum speed of the model. From 105 km/h to 160 km/h . The official documentation supplied with the striker gives a figure of 147 km/h. But users note that it is possible to accelerate it to such a speed, but it is the same as making a tortoise run at the speed of a hare. The optimal cruiser for a country route is 105 km.

Acceleration to hundreds

• Acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h - 12 seconds .
• From standstill to 60 km/h (traffic police limit for the city) - 5.5 seconds .

According to users, 80 km/h well, confidently, in about 6-6.5 seconds . Further, extremely reluctantly, as if there were restrictions.

Dashboard.

Night illumination.

Fuel consumption

Fuel consumption is 3 liters on a country road, up to 5 liters during city driving. Depends on the quality of the road and the capabilities of the pilot.

Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 On the road

Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 On the road

After all the criticism it received on the track, the Daytona 765 is justified by being a great performer on the road. And although I'm not a fan of sportbikes as road users, I have to admit: there are a lot of sports models that are much worse as everyday transport.

Sporty ergonomics aren't the best choice for casual riding, which is why naked bikes exist—in this case, the Street Triple 765. On the other hand, it's hard to deny that sportbikes, including the Daytona 765, are beautiful things to look at.

If you’re going to ride a sportbike on the road, the Triumph Daytona 765 would be far from the worst choice: the clip-ons are not too low (by the standards of sportbikes), the knees are not too bent, the tank volume of 17 liters allows you to travel a good distance between gas stations (if you really want to).

Given the 765's improved low-end and mid-range performance, the Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 is very capable on the road. There is simply no need to rev it up to the top and the cut-off during normal driving, and, given the high-torque power of the engine, you don’t have to change gears too often on the roads - at least, not as often as on the track. The lower speed also alleviates the problem of a glitchy quickshifter.

And on picturesque winding roads, the renowned chassis rewards with nimble and precise steering , although the track suspensions may seem a little harsh for ordinary roads. Adjustment generally solves the problem, if you don’t take into account the inconvenient spring preload adjuster.

And there are more than enough brakes when driving on the road : you probably won’t be able to overheat them. Five driving modes allow you to choose the character of the engine to your liking, but I somehow got by with only Road mode: the traction is smooth and controlled, and the electronic nannies didn’t even seem to interfere during my rides. Once again: a more reasonable choice if road driving is a priority would be the Street Triple, which is slightly less powerful, but more convenient and resourceful. The reality is that the Street Triple is a much cooler all-round motorcycle, and the Daytona is extreme and adrenaline-fueled.

Triumph Daytona Moto2 765

Dimensions and weight

The dimensions and weight of the Chinese bike correspond to the road class of motorcycles.

• The curb weight of the bike, with all fluids filled, is 174 kg .
• Dry - 150 kg .

The motorcycle belongs to the road class, so its dimensions differ slightly from its “brothers”:

• length - 2,181 mm;
• width - 801 mm;
• height - 1,091 mm;
• saddle height - 710 mm;
• wheelbase - 1,510 mm;
• ground clearance - 130 mm.

For whom is it intended?

The rather low seating position will appeal to short bikers, but according to reviews, people whose height is approximately 170–175 cm .

The Desert Raven Nevada 350i is a budget road motorcycle, optimally suited as a first bike for city trips and short distance trips.

Modifications and competitors

The described motorcycle has no modifications, however, the entire Desert Raven line can be considered as separate variations of the same bike.

At the same time, the developers of this brand have surpassed all previously known ones. The love of the Chinese to copy the successful developments of other manufacturers (in particular the Japanese) is already legendary. But Desert Raven Nevada has received so many copies... In addition to the hybrid engine, it has:

• throttle position sensor from Daewoo Lanos ;
• idle valve - Niva 4x4 ;
• fine filter - Vaz Lada 2107 ;

and in addition - an air vent from the original Honda Rebel 250 .

Almost any road bike from manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom can be considered a competitor to the bike, but the most striking of them will be the same Desert Raven, but a modification of the Arizona.

Nevada's direct competitor is the Desert Raven Arizona 350i chopper.

The main difference between motorcycles is class . If Nevada belongs to the classic road bikes (or naked bikes ), then its competitor is a chopper , with all that it implies. Comfortable seating with legs extended forward, part of the instruments on the tank, stock backrests for numbers 1 and 2, etc.

Exclusive

Triumph Daytona Moto2 765 2021 is a limited edition motorcycle. It looks great and gives access to a very small club of owners, but for 1,800,000 rubles. in its most basic form, you can buy a lot of other things, including fierce liter sports and very distinct motorcycles of any of the popular classes and brands.

Otherwise, this is a very good bike that would actually be worth producing in larger numbers, even if it meant using cheaper components for a lower price. And just as I love and respect the Suzuki GSX-R750 for its unique position in the world of sportbikes, the Daytona 765 is beautiful in its severe under-literity - it will have fun, but most likely will not kill you.

In conclusion, I expected more from the Daytona Moto2 765, co-branded with Dorna and clearly intended for racing - for example, a radical new mid-sized sportsbike with headlights. Instead, I saw a warmed-up, slightly pumped-up version of the previous model, which would have been quite good without this aura of exclusivity.

If you don't expect too much from it - just consider it an update to the Daytona 675 and not a Moto2 projectile - it's quite good.

Features of the Desert Raven Nevada 350i

After the bike picked up components from everyone (including Russian developers), it would seem unnecessary to talk about the features, but the Chinese decided otherwise.

Rear shock absorber.

Round headlight.

Rear lighting.

Front fender.

So:

• two springs on the rear shock absorber;
• upside-down fork;
• hydraulic support;
• reinforced stock chain 520;
• reinforced brake line hoses are already in stock (latest editions);
• not a very good valve cover - as a result of which the bike spits drops of oil from the exhaust (like the 2T);
• electronic tachometer.

In addition, the cooling system is somewhat non-standard ; while driving you need to constantly keep the readings in your field of view (fortunately, they guessed to put the temperature sensor on the dashboard).

Flaws

The most common problems are leaking here, dripping here. The photo shows oil leaking from the breather onto the exhaust pipes.

In addition to the valve covers, which can be treated either by replacing or additionally installing an expansion tank with oil being thrown back into the engine (mechanics have a detailed diagram of the device), users noted the following:

• The air radiator, although taken from a Honda, was installed extremely poorly . There is not enough flow from the front wheel to it, as a result of which the fan constantly works (signaling overheating to the panel). be treated with a grinder and overcooking it to a more favorable place.
  The radiator of the cooling system has an elongated shape and is squeezed between the frame tubes.
• Antifreeze tends to leak out of the inlet . There are opinions that you need to use another one, which expands less when heated.
• Second gear. Either go to third in advance or use a file to make the groove of this gear in the gearbox comb deeper.
• Weak generator - sometimes the bike itself is not enough, and you can forget about external consumers . It can only be treated by replacement.

If we tackle the previous problem, many recommend immediately changing all the optics to LED , as well as installing a more powerful headlight.

and dignity

Already in stock, the motorcycle comes with a trunk attached to the double seat and somewhat obscuring the visibility of the rear light.

Despite such an impressive list of disadvantages, the bike also has advantages. These include:

• comfortable fit and saddle (classic);
• low consumption (according to users - up to 500 km on 1 tank);
• price - China;
• high-quality assembly (despite the fact that it is China);
• injector from Delphi (one or leaders in the production of components for cars and motorcycles);

  All wiring is done with dignity, equipped with very high-quality waterproof terminals.

• reinforced brake hoses.

One of the distinguishing features is the stock roll bars , which are prescribed in the PTS, which can “upset” patrol inspectors.

Test drive GeonDaytona 300

My acquaintance with the motorcycle began with the story of how this handsome man was born. But indeed, I have never seen such a beautiful and elegant motorcycle from the Middle Kingdom (with the exception of “licensed copies” of Japanese or Italian vehicles) anywhere. And this is definitely not a copy, but an original.

Its design was developed by American customizer Johnny Pag. He has been working in the field of customization since he was 13 years old and since then he has put on wheels many exclusive custom motorcycles and several limited versions of production motorcycles.

Therefore, we can safely say that we are dealing with a real custom, albeit a serial one. What is striking about it is the attention paid to details, even the smallest ones. When I inspected it before testing, I didn't find any unnecessary embellishments or controversial design issues. The rear suspension imitates the “hard-tail” option, that is, the complete absence of it, although a pair of rear shock absorbers are hidden under the belly of the bike, and they work not in compression, but in tension. The speedometer “well” contains LED indicators for turns, neutral, high beam and engine overheating. Moreover, all of them are clearly visible even in the sun.

From the factory, the motorcycle comes complete with some additional equipment - these are gear indicators and gasoline level indicators, as well as a backrest for the passenger. But the importer’s representative and I decided not to put all this on the test bike, so as not to “spoil its original beauty.” You can do without a gear indicator, the backrest can be screwed on at any time in a few minutes, and instead of a fuel level sensor, you can use a tripmeter. The capacity of the 13-liter gas tank should be enough for approximately 300 km in the city, or 400 outside it. Three and a half liters of reserve (with a consumption of about 3-4 liters per hundred) is enough to get to the gas station.

Before leaving, I noticed another feature that pleasantly surprised me. It turns out that the motorcycle comes with a compact battery charger. And to charge the battery you don’t even need to disconnect or remove it. Simply connect the charging plug to the mating plug located on the right side of the motorcycle. Convenient, damn it! Having driven the Geon Daytona into the city, at first I was afraid that, due to the low ground clearance and large wheelbase, I would get caught somewhere in my belly. But throughout the entire test, even taking into account the overcoming of small edges, this never happened. In addition, the lowest part of the motorcycle (with the exception of the wheels) is not the engine crankcase, nor the muffler pipes, but the strong steel pipes of the duplex frame. Therefore, catching them on something is not so scary, and there cannot be any serious consequences other than a couple of scratches.

The first impressions of the motorcycle concerned the characteristics of its suspension. There were no complaints about the inverted fork, but the rear suspension not only looked like a “hard tail”, but also behaved almost the same. In the characteristics of the motorcycle it was written: customizable. But after delving into the instructions, I found out that only the suspension height is adjusted, and not the softness of the springs. Well, let’s take this as a tribute to style - if you love to drive a beautiful chopper, you also love to count the holes... But thanks to the harsh rear suspension, the driver has a great feel for the road - not every chopper can boast of this. Driving around the city, I tried to find the limit of its stability and controllability. But with good asphalt under the wheels, the bike remained unperturbed, no matter how tight turns I took. It created a feeling of complete control and confidence. It was supported by confidence in the tires, because the motorcycle is equipped with very high-quality tires produced by CST, which have good grip on the road.

In the city you feel at ease on this motorcycle. It is lightweight and therefore quite maneuverable. It’s just that it’s a bit difficult to navigate through traffic jams due to the wide steering wheel and its small turning angle. But I think it will perform well as a touring motorcycle. Especially if you share the joy of the trip with a pretty passenger. In addition, the loaded rear suspension will no longer seem so stiff.

You won't be able to ride like a larger motorcycle at low revs here. Despite the solid, bassy exhaust note at low end, the engine delivers good power only starting at mid-range. In addition, in a narrow range of low speeds (up to two and a half thousand), the engine vibrates noticeably, and these vibrations are transmitted to the steering wheel handles and mirrors. That is why medium engine speeds are the most popular. On them, the motorcycle accelerates most quickly (as much as its maximum almost 24 “horses” and 18.5 Nm of torque allow it) and easily moves at a good cruising speed of 90 km/h. Due to the lack of a windshield, you simply don't want to go faster in the Daytona.

The gearbox lacks a little definition. After engaging fifth gear, the foot travel is still large enough and therefore it seems that it is possible to engage the missing sixth gear. The same situation is observed after downshifting to first gear. Of course, you can get used to this over time. But neutral is always found without problems.

Such motorcycles are chosen mainly for leisurely riding, and therefore the brake system of the motorcycle is clearly made with a reserve. Just look at those two large petal brake discs at the front and one slightly smaller one at the rear. After a little grinding in of the brake pads to the discs, they began to stop the motorcycle quite abruptly. Therefore, when cruising around the city, I rarely used the rear brake - the front one was quite enough. All motorcycle brake lines are equipped with reinforced hoses, which provide good brake performance.

I went to visit some friends and everyone started looking for something to complain about. And if you don’t count the STUDENT’s phrase: “it will be uncomfortable to ride it standing in the Dakar…” they found the only design flaw. The right driver's footrest is an extension of the brake fluid reservoir housing and the rear brake master cylinder. The parts are not cheap, and if, when dropped on the right side, a hole is formed in it from a broken footrest, it will have to be replaced entirely. This design decision seemed strange also because in the gap between the coolant reservoir located under the radiator and the engine crankcase there is enough space for a brake cylinder with a reservoir.

But overall, everyone was very surprised that apart from this, there was nothing to complain about. The workmanship is at a very good level. The design is beyond praise. The cost is more than reasonable! What else is needed? Only positive feedback from long-term use. But we haven't gotten to that point yet. The test motorcycle is actually the first Geon Daytona to be put on wheels in Ukraine. But, judging by the totality of everything seen and felt, its reliability should be at a high level. It’s not for nothing that the importing company gives it a one-year warranty without mileage limitation.

The thoughts that Chinese technology cannot be good have still not been eradicated from the minds of many. But, thanks to such importing companies that do not mind investing in high-quality and proven Chinese equipment, this stereotype can be gradually dispelled. Your humble servant himself once owned a chopper from the Middle Kingdom, and was very, very pleased with it. That's why I look at the Geon Daytona without any preconceptions, and I hope you look at this bike the same way I do.

Text: Vladislav Sofonov

Photo: Andrey Shlenchak