Purchase of light enduro GEON X-Road 250 CB
Down with the shameful world of glamor, everyone will ride enduro!!!
A woman's perspective on buying a motorcycle
Thoughts about switching to enduro appeared several years ago. Over time, for a number of reasons, this thought only took root and made me involuntarily look back and lick my lips at every endurik passing by. And finally, the stars lined up and an important decision was made - to sell the Yamaha YBR 125 and buy the GEON X-Road 250 CB . Despite the fact that it was a pity to part with Yamaha, and exchanging a Chinese Japanese for a Chinese Chinese is not quite an equivalent exchange, you have to start somewhere. Ebrik was sold quickly and painlessly, with the exception of minor but solvable difficulties. And then began the seemingly pleasant, but, as it turned out, quite complex and troublesome process of choosing the optimal way to purchase the long-awaited enduric.
Online ordering and delivery of GEON X-Road 250 CB
Initially, we got acquainted with the websites of official representative offices and dealers in different cities of Ukraine (Odessa, Kyiv, Kharkov). It turned out to be almost impossible to contact their representatives directly (which surprised me). They wrote in comments, emails, tried to contact via feedback, but such efforts did not bring any results (they only lost a week of time). It’s worth mentioning that initially I wanted a white X-Road (the 2014 model is available in 4 colors: black, white, red and orange). We were immediately “delighted” that the white ones were a limited edition and these beauties were sold out back in March and no one knows whether they will be available yet. We decided that black is no worse. When we contacted Kiev to place an order, it turned out that they were not there either (neither in their warehouse, nor in Odessa, as we were told). They offered to pick up the black one from some salon, already assembled (with an additional payment for the fact that it was assembled, respectively). But we were determined to get the Grasshopper in a box. We were a little upset by this injustice (selling a motorcycle turned out to be easier than buying), and we even decided to look at options for a used X-Road in the color we needed. Would you say that color is far from the most important thing and that’s not what we bothered with? Not the main thing, of course, but when you look forward to and finally buy a new device, you want it to meet all your expectations and preferences. The idea of using a used Chinese one was also abandoned.
I started monitoring the websites of dealers in different cities of Ukraine (I still have to pay for delivery). I came across the Dnepropetrovsk website mototek. We talked with their representative by phone - the information on the website was confirmed. The first thing that pleased me was the presence of a black motorcycle in the box! The price was indicated in dollars ($1699), but the calculation was based on the current exchange rate. Also, we were talking about free delivery by the transport company Delivery and payment upon receipt of the goods to a PrivatBank card. They promised to send a certificate-invoice by Nova Poshta within two working days after receiving the motorcycle (to confirm, you need to send them by email the model and color of the motorcycle, numbers on the engine and frame). Plus, Motul oil was promised as a gift. To start the purchase procedure, an advance payment (from 1000 UAH) and scans of the future owner’s passport were required. Everything seemed clear and accessible - we decided to do it.
First of all, we made an advance payment to a PrivatBank card (1000 UAH) and sent scans of documents. We called, made sure that everything had arrived and began to wait for the declaration number. They promised to send it that same evening, but it happened the next day in the afternoon (and it’s not easy to wait in ignorance))). We started tracking the parcel. As it turned out, our Grasshopper was coming to us from Odessa (and the people of Kiev claimed that there were no blacks there))). And so, two days later, on the third (on my husband’s birthday!) we became the happy owners of a brand new light enduro motorcycle GEON X-Road 250 CB .
The only unpleasant moment on the day of arrival of the valuable cargo was the increased cost (due to fluctuations in the dollar exchange rate). I was somewhat outraged by the fact that they calculated the exchange rate at a significantly inflated rate (we checked different sources). After the expressed and completely justified “ugh” on the phone, the cost was slightly recalculated (in fairness, you need to defend your rights).
Our handsome man arrived in a box, around which we enthusiastically circled while the necessary formalities and financial transactions were completed. Having made sure of the integrity of the motorcycle (as far as possible), we checked the package and transferred the agreed amount to the card, after which the “ban on delivery” was lifted from the parcel and Delivery employees helped with loading the motorcycle into the trailer.
And then the most interesting thing began - meeting a new family member))
I was immediately pleased with the gift motor oil. As promised, we received Motul 5100 4T 15W-50 (1 L) and Motul 5000 4T 10W-40 (1 L) oils.
Complete keys and pliers, of course, are not the height of dreams, but thank you for that)) Although they are not enough even for ordinary maintenance. Therefore, it is better to purchase the necessary tools of decent quality without delay and feel confident on the road.
The battery arrived as advertised, which is also good.
The process of assembling the long-awaited animal was pleasing and inspiring, and the roar of the engine for the first time allowed me to feel that it had happened))
First impressions of the passenger of the light enduro motorcycle GEON X-Road 250 CB
From the passenger’s impressions, I can say that I sit much higher than on the previous motorcycle, the road is clearly visible (no need to look over the pilot’s shoulder), but I roll a little on my husband (the reason for this is the angle of the saddle, although I think it’s It’s a matter of habit and you don’t judge by the first attempt). Although manufacturers call this model a full-fledged two-seater motorcycle. The exhaust pipe also warms me up noticeably and warms my legs (I think that my favorite camouflage pants will have to be tucked into motorcycle boots, otherwise they will become shorts). In general, the issue with the pipe will need to be resolved somehow also for the implementation of the luggage system and textile trunks, which, in due course, we will also definitely write about. In the meantime, let's get to know the new member of the family better and not stop there!
(c) Chamomile
Test drive GeonNAC 25, GeonRoadwind 250
Many are ready to dismiss them - and, they say, “China” means don’t expect anything good. But those who really understand motorcycle technology are smarter and more pragmatic. They studied motorcycle history and remember well that at one time the world was very ironic, even hostile, to the emergence of the Japanese motorcycle industry, which at the dawn of its development was mainly engaged in copying already created motorcycles. Is history repeating itself? Maybe. But after the next test of two “Chinese” of different generations, a panicked cry: “They are advancing!” gets a more realistic basis.
A couple of years ago I tested a Daelim Roadwin 150. It was a typical “Korean”, without obvious flaws, but also without any outstanding advantages - an ordinary “workhorse”. But thanks to the pseudo-diagonal frame and full-size wheels, some aggressive features could be seen in it. The motorcycle clearly obeyed the steering wheel, and the 4-valve single-barrel engine loved high revs. But, despite the good chassis potential, the power of the Daelim Roadwin engine was not at a high level. The 150 cc engine was not enough for the motorcycle, and there would have been enough space in the frame for a larger engine. It is quite reasonable that the idea of installing a more powerful engine in the Daelim Roadwin chassis materialized, although not quite in the form in which I expected to see it. The initiative was taken by the Chinese brand Geon, under which the Geon Roadwind 250 model was released in 2007. One extra letter in the title suggests that this “copy” is not licensed at all. But is it worth paying attention to such trifles if the motorcycle looks almost no different from the original and, in addition, has a more powerful “fiery heart” - what everyone seemed to expect.
But Geon Roadwind 250 is only one of the participants in our test. The same manufacturer produces another road model (2009) of a similar cubic capacity, only equipped with a two-cylinder liquid-cooled in-line engine - Geon NAC 25. Such equipment is very rare in this segment, and therefore testing this motorcycle was as interesting as the painfully familiar Roadwind. There is no point in considering these two motorcycles as competitors - they are too different. And the more rich equipment of the NAC 25 is reflected in its price - $2550 instead of the $2100 that is asked for the Roadwind. Although, stop! I remember that a 150 cc Daelim Roadwin cost no less than $3000! And the difference in cost with its unlicensed, larger “copy” by one and a half times even before the start of the test gave rise to vague doubts in me. The Koreans did an immodest “cheating” - after all, the chassis of both motorcycles was from China! However, this still had to be checked, but already during the first inspection of the Geon Roadwind 250, some “moments” surfaced. For example, the seat in the front part does not fit tightly to the tank, and through the resulting gap the bolts securing the gas tank to the frame can be seen, which spoils the “picture”. In addition, the seat is poorly secured in place and easily bends upward. The savings are also evident in the absence of a beautiful chrome muffler installed on the Daelim. Instead, the Geon Roadwind 250 was equipped with a typical aluminum “bulb”, which is more common to see on cheap Chinese scooters. Not only does it not sound, but it doesn’t look either.
Compared to Roadwind, Geon NAC 25 looks incomparably better, and this is not only due to its bright color. The bike has aggressive petal brake discs at both the front and rear. Moreover, there are two of them in front, which not only makes the motorcycle more solid in appearance, but should also have a positive effect on the power of the braking system. The issue with the shape and placement of the exhaust pipes has been interestingly resolved - they are very narrow and symmetrically look out from under the passenger seat. And although there are only two pipes, not four, the rear view vaguely reminded me of the MV Agusta F4.
But, during the transition from theory to practice, some shortcomings were discovered. For example, starting the engine is only possible with the side stand folded, and the motorcycle does not have a central one. So you can warm up the engine only while sitting on the motorcycle, and this is not entirely convenient. The Roadwind doesn't have this problem - it has both side and center steps.
The engines of both motorcycles are loud, but each in its own way. NAC 25 has a somewhat “hard” sound, and the reason for this is the excessively thin walls of the exhaust system pipes. Because of them, this effect is created. Roadwind has a solid bass sound at idle, but at higher speeds the engine noise drowns out the exhaust sound, and therefore the solid sound disappears without a trace. But the sound is not the main thing. And, sitting behind the wheel of Roadwind, I felt it with my whole body. The vibrations transmitted to the steering wheel, seat and footrests alerted me even in the first meters. At idle speed, the tachometer needle showed 2.5-3 thousand, but as the speed increased, the vibrations intensified. At 4 thousand, my limbs and butt began to experience discomfort, but I continued to accelerate smoothly. At 5 thousand, the limit was reached, after which I didn’t want to turn the engine any further, but for the sake of the purity of the experiment, I switched to the next gear and continued accelerating. At 6 thousand revolutions per minute, every part of the motorcycle began to vibrate. This was accompanied by a piercing howl, which was not only disgusting to the ear, but also, being an integral part of the wild high-frequency vibration, was felt by the whole body. The result: even in the last, fifth gear, the comfortable speed was about 60 km/h. At the same time, there is no need to talk about fast acceleration - you don’t want to unscrew the throttle at all, because the comfortable engine speed range is very small - from 3 to 5.5 thousand rpm. Against the backdrop of engine performance, there weren’t even any complaints about the suspension, brakes and everything else. They do their job quite well and are capable of more, but... sadly, I have to admit the fact that a poorly balanced engine devalued all the possible advantages of the motorcycle, which I was never able to reveal. After such disappointment, interest in Roadwind instantly disappeared.
After it, I got behind the wheel of the NAC 25 with some apprehension. But as soon as I started moving, all my fears instantly dissipated. This bike is completely different. In a helmet, the sound of the exhaust system no longer seems so “canned”, but quite the opposite – pleasant notes appear in it. The engine does not annoy the driver with unpleasant mechanical noises, delivering great pleasure from interacting with the motorcycle. Moreover, the response to the throttle is almost instantaneous, and the motorcycle picks up speed quite quickly. Two cylinders provide good traction throughout the entire speed range, and you can turn the crankshaft even up to the cutoff - the vibrations are so insignificant that you simply don’t notice them. The gearbox works smoothly, and the foot has a small stroke - just what you need for active driving.
And now is the time to move from the city streets to the race track to experience the capabilities of the NAC 25 to the maximum and allow Roadwind to rehabilitate itself. Although both motorcycles are not racing machines, we selected the track in accordance with their capabilities. The slowest corner is taken on these motorcycles at a speed of about 15 km/h, the fastest is about 60 km/h, and on the only long straight you can accelerate to 90 km/h.
But here too, NAC 25 showed a significant advantage. Although in a series of accelerations and decelerations you pay less attention to the vibrations emitted by the Geon Roadwind, they do not disappear anywhere. And because of them, it is much more difficult to control the motorcycle in sharp turns, since contact with the asphalt is poorly felt. And Roadwind's standard tires are not the best. Braking performance can be described as sufficient, especially after the sharp and precisely controlled deceleration that the NAC 25 is capable of with its dual disc brakes at the front. But the front brake handle, which is too soft in operation, begins to “act” only in the second half of its stroke, and therefore you have to press it not with two, but with four fingers.
The NAC 25 also has a more comfortable suspension for our roads. Both the fork and rear shock absorbers literally soak up small bumps and handle speed bumps smoothly, but more serious obstacles should be driven over with some caution. The rear shock absorbers are not very energy-intensive, and therefore breakdowns are possible, especially when driving with a passenger. The Roadwind is tougher in this regard; impacts are felt even without suspension breakdown.
Thus, based on the results of testing both on the road and on the track, the NAC 25 was far ahead of its brand brother. And, taking into account the not so big difference in the cost of these motorcycles, the cheaper Roadwind can attract the attention only of those who want to switch from a 125-150 cm3 scooter (or a “soviet bike”, such as IZH) to a motorcycle, but at the same time pay more, than for a scooter, he doesn’t want it.
Opinion: Konstantin Kazimko (FILATELIST)
Height 185 cm, weight 77 kg
Driving experience: 8 years
One is black, the other is red, and both have 250cc engines. Ideal cubic capacity for beginners. The first impression, perhaps, immediately dotted the i's.
Geon Roadwind 250 in shape is again a copy of a hodgepodge of many well-known brands. Well, somehow I didn’t really like him right away. The first landing with the engine turned off - and it seemed like nothing, only the “seat” was a bit harsh. But as soon as you press the starter button, a 250 cc vibrating massager appears under you. Okay, well, let's go. The vibration of the engine causes the mirrors to vibrate very strongly. The gears are lost so much that it is impossible to understand whether there are 4 or 5 gears. The dynamics are lame. Again, vibration causes the fasteners to loosen. The first thing that came loose was the gear shift foot mounting bolt. I think it’s not very pleasant to “catch” something like this on the road. Then – the screw securing the clutch lever. It’s difficult to control the bike when cornering on the track, as the “plastic” tires make themselves felt. The brakes (and this is the main thing in the bike) – this is where they work well. What can I say, a motorcycle with an estimated price of 2000 USD. Of course, it’s very cheap, but it’s not worth driving this all your life.
Geon NAC 25. Red. My favorite color is. My favourite size. Well, that's a completely different matter! Here you have liquid cooling, wonderful brakes, and ground clearance to go “where you don’t need to.” I sit down. Nice. Not too hard and not too soft. Comfortable fit, everything works great. True, when you ride and the motorcycle sounds like a car, it’s unusual. The dynamics are very pleasant, the gears shift clearly. A very good solution with the exhaust pipes, they come out from the back and no matter how long you drive, they will always remain cold - thermal insulation, however. On the track, the NAC 25 showed itself to be great: turning corners at speed is excellent. We must pay tribute to the tires; their tread is something average for driving in the city and off-road. The retail price of such a motorcycle is 2550 USD. and it is definitely worth the money, even if this is your first time on two wheels, you will be happy with these wheels, and, in fact, you will be happy with them. This is not an advertisement, it is a statement of fact. It’s strange, but I’m really pleasantly surprised by the quality and balance of this “Asian miracle.”
Opinion: Andrey Suprun (LAMOBOY)
Height 178 cm, weight 83 kg
Driving experience: 3 years.
At first glance, both motorcycles seemed equally attractive to me. The Roadwind sported a massive muffler, while the NAC 25 had two black “nozzles” sticking out on the sides of the passenger seat, hinting at its aggressive character. The tire format of both devices was far from “bicycle”, which also couldn’t help but rejoice. Both motorcycles looked stylish and harmonious, without unnecessary chrome and tacky stickers with the inscriptions “Super Sport Bike”, “Racing” and others, which manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom love to place on their motorcycles. After the motorcycles were started to warm up, Roadwind continued to gain points in my rating, starting to caress the ear with a pleasant bass. The sound emanating from the NAC 25 was more like the rumbling of a good old UAZ.
I rode the Roadwind first and was immediately very disappointed. VIBRATING MASSAGER – that’s the first thing that came to mind. Strong vibration was transmitted not only to the driver, but also to the mirrors, and therefore it was very problematic to navigate by them. The placement of the rear brake foot was also a little disappointing. To avoid accidentally pressing it, the sock had to be constantly pulled up. Later I discovered that this could not have been done, since the foot has a large supply of free play. Therefore, you can safely put your foot on it and the rear brake will not work. Driving over speed bumps immediately revealed all the “charms” of the suspension. One gets the impression that the shock-absorbing elements in this motorcycle perform a purely decorative function. Driving with such a stiff suspension on our roads is life-threatening: you can easily fly out of the saddle on the next bump. Perhaps, when driving with a passenger, the situation will improve a little, but the passenger must be quite weighty, otherwise you risk losing him on the first bump. The quality of the tires raised serious doubts: it would be simply scary to drive on wet asphalt. I also didn't like the gearbox very much - sometimes it was not easy to find neutral.
NAC 25 turned out to be significantly (more than an order of magnitude) better than its brand brother. First of all, there wasn't that crazy vibration. Secondly, its suspension adequately handled all the surprises of the Ukrainian road. In addition, the riding position was very comfortable and the gearbox operated surprisingly smoothly.
On the track in Feofaniya, where we arrived, the vibration of the “Road Breeze” was not so noticeable, but the stiff suspension and “plastic” tires caused great discomfort. When turning corners, I had to slow down to a minimum so as not to lose contact with the road. The NAC 25, on the contrary, with its good handling provoked cornering at the highest possible speed. It seemed like the manufacturer deliberately released the imperfect Roadwind to the market to show how good the NAC 25 is. It turned out to be something like a game of good cop and bad cop. The main thing is that the first acquaintance should be with a “good cop”, because after riding in a “bad” one, you can have a negative attitude towards all GEON products for a very long time, but, as it turned out, they are still not as bad as it seemed before meeting with her.
Based on the above, given the difference in price of these motorcycles of $400-500, I personally don’t see the point in buying the “Road Veterok”. The cost of bringing it to fruition may be much greater than this difference. But if someone likes the Roadwind in appearance, and has little money, but has the time and skill to bring it “to condition,” then such a purchase is completely justified.
Text: Vladislav Sofonov
Photo: Andrey Shlenchak
