Chinese Racer Panther 250: toothy, or not so much?

Chinese companies specializing in the production of budget motorcycles produce especially many classic “road bikes” and lightweight enduros. This is understandable - in these classes, successful sales do not require any expensive technical innovations. A low price and a pleasant appearance will be enough. Well, reputation, of course, matters - although brands from the Middle Kingdom still have some problems with this. Most often, the Chinese rely on price, and this is obviously what they were guided by when releasing the Racer Panther 250 motorcycle onto the Russian market. Looking ahead, let’s say that the price of a new bike in the showroom for 2021 is about 85 thousand rubles .

In general, the motorcycle is called Racer Panther RC250GY C2 , but Russian bikers have already dubbed it simply “Panther”. Behind this loud name lies a generally unremarkable lightweight enduro, which, among other Chinese bikes in this class, stands out only for its even lower price than most of its competitors. The motorcycle is as simple as possible in all respects, and this can be attributed more to its advantages than to disadvantages. The simpler the technology, the more reliable it is, right? Considering some complaints about the quality of Chinese motorcycles in general, the primitiveness of the design can be considered a plus for the Racer Panther 250.

Technical characteristics of Racer Panther 250

You can guess what this two-wheeled steel friend is like just by looking at its price tag. A 224 cc 1-cylinder air-cooled engine was placed in the Racer Panther tubular steel frame , producing 14.7 hp . For dynamic driving, you will have to actively turn it - the peak of power occurs at 7500 rpm , while parasitic vibrations are strongly felt at high speeds. But can endurists be scared by such trifles? By the way, you will also have to switch gears very actively. But off-road, this is a plus - the motorcycle has little torque, and thanks to short gear ratios, the light bike overcomes dirt quite confidently in first and second gear.

The engine is powered by a carburetor, exactly the same as that installed on many other Chinese motorcycles. Narrow spoked wheels ( 19″ front and 17″ rear ), a simple telescopic fork and disc brakes with a two-piston caliper at the front and a single-piston caliper at the rear complete the picture. The Racer Panther 250 weighs only 118 kg , so it’s easy to handle. Theoretically, you can even ride together, but in practice it will be uncomfortable for both the driver and the passenger - it’s too cramped. The second number also constantly slides forward due to the slippery seat. The maximum speed of the Racer Panther 250 is 120 km/h , but the remaining dynamics disappear after about 80 km/h.
On the other hand, when driving off-road, this does not matter at all. But on the highway you should be careful, because due to the narrow wheels and low weight, the Racer Panther 250 is not only noticeably blown away by the side wind, but also shakes from every car flying in the oncoming lane. At the same time, the motorcycle is really easy to control, and in the city it easily darts between cars, leaving owners of larger bikes far behind. And if necessary, it can also take the stairs.

QuadroMotoGang! For two seasons I rode a BSE MX125 pit bike and a BSE J1 cross-country shoe through fields and forests behind my son on a quad bike and his friends. I liked it so much that the mileage on my beloved Suzuki SV1000S dropped sharply - by 3 - 4 times.

The first pit bike BSE MX125 turned out to be very small and for this reason not convenient, it was sold early next year in February-March along with the purchase of a full-fledged BSE J1 - a kind of undersized one due to the reduced frame, but otherwise quite a full-fledged motocross motorcycle on wheels 21 /18, aluminum pendulum and all suspension adjustments. A Chinese motorcycle with high quality for the Chinese.

The very first rides on it showed that I was mistaken and should have taken a full size. Also, both years of riding showed that my wife and girlfriend, children would not mind riding with me, and in general, a motocross motorcycle is not intended to be sat on - you need to move in a standing position. And since the rides are 95% light, you need something full-size, with a large soft seat for 2 people, naturally passenger footrests and a normal muffler. Riding around relaxing in the forest and listening to the roar of the forward flow, even muffled by a flute, is bad manners.

This is how I approached the choice of a Chinese enduro motorcycle with cross-country tires. The plan was to buy something of the same quality or close to it - they don’t make BSE enduro.

From what could be seen in the city and surrounding areas, these were the motorcycle lands and Racers indicated above: Panther and Ranger. The racer was not even considered due to the low quality of workmanship - the frame and pendulum are welded and polymerized in Russia directly in Barnaul, the rest is assembled from Chinese spare parts, the engines come, as far as I know, assembled from the factory. I know this from the example of the Racer Skyway 300 I bought new and sold at the end of the first season.

I went to buy it with my asshole - I sat there, played with it, liked it - bought it. But that was not the case. Of the motorcycle lands, I liked the ENDURO ST 250 with the 165FMM engine the most and they were available in the city and surrounding areas. It turned out that motorcycle lands are somehow cunningly imported into Russia and they have a problem with PTS - you can buy it, PTS will be available who knows when. This was in the summer of 2021 after the sale of BSE J1. Without hesitation, I spent the money to buy a new engine for the boat and calmed down for last season.

After the new year, I came to the store where I bought the BSE MX125 and from the first fitting I decided to buy the XR250 ENDURO motorcycle - last time I liked it less, but this time there was no ENDURO ST 250 nearby, and besides, since 21, these The motos came with a 172FMM motor. I really liked everything about it. What's broken, we'll fix it)

However, it turned out that the motorcycle was a display case and would not be sold. The supplier does not have them, and it is not known when they will be available. There is no ST 250 either. For those who brought quads and BSE J1, the situation is the same - no, it is not known when they will be available.

An Internet search indicated availability in Moscow in one of the large online stores specializing in the supply of Chinese equipment. While I was walking around the stores, my sales acquaintances unanimously stated that the motorcycle lands that I liked were one-on-one Panther racers - “even their seats are interchangeable.” After comparing prices and weighing the pros and cons, I went to the store where the only red panther in the city was standing. Entering the store, I fell in love at first sight - the red one “in real life” turned out to be much more beautiful than his photos on the Internet - before that I wanted to buy blue or green. Price 122t.r.

I immediately changed my mind about the hassle of buying a Motoland from Moscow with subsequent possible troubles with the warranty, etc. All that remains is to agree on an acceptable price. The store, out of friendship, agreed to give it for 115 thousand rubles. At the same time, in Biysk I found the same mot in a frame for 104 thousand rubles. Negotiations with the store yielded nothing - the factory raised prices and blah blah blah.

I dug up the trailer and went to Biysk.

A warehouse with unassembled coils turned out to be in Verkhne-Obsk, they arrived, there were about 30 different coils in crates, they inspected them, transferred money to the owner - they were vacationing in Belokurikha, they went to Biysk to get the vehicle title.

When leaving the base in a turn, the trailer on non-studded tires decided to drift with a motsyk - I drove sideways for a while, and I looked forward and in the mirror, waiting for it to return to the trajectory)) While this was happening, Korefan was dumbfounded for about ten seconds, “Priceeeep!”)) )

Then I drove more carefully, because there was severe ice in front of Barnaul - in the evening of the previous day it was raining, streams were flowing, and in Biysk and Verkhne-Obsk it was still winter...

In the store in Biysk, where the assembled motorcycles are located, we received a title and a purchase and sale agreement. We wrapped the front part of the sheathing with cardboard and tape, and pressed it with slings so that the moto would arrive clean in the slush.

In Barnaul, they took the motor straight to the service station so that it could be assembled the next day.

The next day, taking my own tool, I came to the assembly. I took my time collecting the main items and started them up before lunch. I was convinced that, like on the previous Racer Skyway 300, the carburetor is crap, the welding seams are wretched, the polymer is a C grade - five years have passed, and the quality, unlike the Chinese-assembled ones, is not improving much. After lunch, I spent about two hours adjusting the front wing, laughing at the manufacturer - I’ll tell you later. In the evening I collected everything and made a dozen laps around the workshop. Satisfied, I took him home. Insurance and registration are ahead - 10 days are ticking in the contract...

To summarize, I can say that I am satisfied, I bought the entertainment inexpensively, assembled it myself - otherwise I would have had to check everything for someone later - I have never seen a perfect pre-sale. The drawback in the form of a crappy PZ34 carb will be replaced in the near future with a PWK30, other little things will be eliminated as they appear. I think the internal combustion engine itself will not cause any complaints - there were no problems on the previous Racer Skyway 300.

Pros and cons of Racer Panther 250

Advantages

• Low price . This applies to both the motorcycle itself and spare parts.
• Low weight . From a purely physical standpoint, even the frailest motorcyclist can handle RC250GY C2
• Excellent maneuverability . This follows from the previous point, and the short wheelbase also helps.
• Undemanding to gasoline . The Panther racer consumes AI-92 , and there is a suspicion that it is generally capable of riding anything that burns. Although it’s probably not worth checking on yourself.
• Simplicity of the entire design . Any novice motorcycle mechanic can handle the repair and maintenance of this bike on his own.
• Unification of spare parts . Many parts on the Racer Panther 250 fit from other Chinese bikes, so there are no problems finding them.
• Gas tank volume . Ten liters is a good figure for a light enduro. On the road this will be enough for three hundred kilometers. Outside of asphalt, consumption is difficult to predict; in any case, it increases significantly.
• Fork protection . Standard guards protect the anthers from damage due to dirt and sand.

Flaws

• Standard mirrors . It is very difficult to adjust them to see in them anything other than your own shoulders.
• Front fender . Due to its not very successful design, the engine gets heavily covered in mud when driving off-road, which in the future can lead to overheating.
• Sluggish dynamics . From 15 hp with 118 kg of mass one would expect more vigor.
• Pendants . They are extremely primitive, and they are often broken through in holes and bumps. Apparently, the Racer Panther 250 was originally designed for lighter Asians, and not for Europeans.
• Standard hand protection . Of course, it’s good that it exists at all, but the owner of large hands will find that his male palm hardly fits into the space allotted to it.
• Headlight . It is about as useful as an LED flashlight on a smartphone.

Who is it suitable for?

The bike's riding position is optimal for riders of average height.

Due to the very low seating position, tall riders are advised to look at another model or check the bike thoroughly before purchasing. A low seating position and mid-mounted footrests will not provide riding comfort.

However, for people up to 170 cm tall, a bike can become an off-season vehicle. Stock tires feel good on untrodden snow. Installing winter tires will allow you not to interrupt the season and drive through snowy forests.

Reviews from owners of Racer Panther 250

I don’t even know what to write, but in short, the bike is a mixture of successful and unsuccessful decisions. The engine is reliable, so is the gearbox, and in principle all the main components are normal. But the entire periphery is rubbish, the plastic can be broken with your fist, you slide out of the seat, the speedometer died at around 1700 km, the throttle cable broke a week later. The standard tires are normal. The only thing that saves the Panther from curses is the price; there is simply nothing cheaper than a 250 cc one. Ilya, Tyumen, Racer Panther 250 '2017

It's a light bike, easy to learn how to ride. Dropping is not recommended, the plastic is scratchy and difficult to solder. But if you drop it, it’s easy to pick it up. It steers with two fingers; hand protection saved me from being hit on my fingers several times. Box, motor - no complaints. Sergey, Yaroslavl, Racer Panther 250 '2017

An ordinary disposable Chinese craft, that’s why it’s so cheap. It drives well, but there are a lot of minor problems, mainly complaints about the build quality. Only here it is not clear who is to blame - the Chinese or the assemblers in the showroom in Russia. There are no questions about the quality of spare parts, everything is fine. It's worth the money, you can buy a used one for 50 thousand. Vladimir, Petrozavodsk, Racer Panther 250 '2017

Total

Having ridden the Racer Panther at least a couple of times, you notice the imperfections of this motorcycle. It is made as budget-friendly as possible - savings are felt literally in everything, in every detail. But he doesn’t try to pretend to be something else, honestly declaring who he is with his whole appearance. As a first motorcycle, or as a replacement vehicle for the holiday season, it’s not bad - it’s cheap and rides tolerably well. What else do you need from a budget bike?

Specifications