RantMachine Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Ok, so as the title suggests, I've got a Lexmoto Lowride and it's a 125.Great review, huh?Ok, so I'll actually write some useful stuff.I bought it from Rick Stringer Motorcycles in Bedford, who were one of the two Lexmoto dealers near-ish to Cambridge - the other (in Peterborough) was £50 dearer and didn't include the first service, and were less than helpful on the phone. Rick Stringer are... mixed. Not a particularly cheerful lot, but they were happy to deliver it to my house 35 miles away for only a few quid extra and they fixed the trip dial for me at no charge after I broke it off Assembly of the bike itself seems ok, although the float for the fuel gauge was faulty so they've got a new one on order. The bike set me back £1,340 brand new, which was a nice way to burn most of my redundancy pay from Jessops.On to the bike itself. Bear in mind that I've only ridden a couple of other bikes - a Suzuki DR125SM on which I nearly killed myself during my CBT, and BikerMooFromMars's Kymco Zing deathtrap - so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I'll do my best.General guff:Bike has no centre stand, and the engine won't start while the side stand is down. Manual choke, and a fuel valve with a reserve tank position. All really nice touches, but also really good for confusing yourself about why the bike won't start when you first get it. Luggage boxes are non-removable, lockable, and come with the bike as standard.Pros:* Hella comfy, nice shape to the handlebars makes steering really effortless. Positioning of mirrors gives you a really commanding view of the road behind & beside you.* Nice and smooth gear changes, and I'm told that the gears are quite generous for a 125 - except for first, which sounds like a nest of angry wasps.* Full beams are practically floodlights, great for night riding on our country roads.* Built in crash bars, for the accident prone.* Luggage boxes are a nice addition - BikerMoo has had a tough time with her panniers (getting them to stay on, buckles breaking, leather giving way) and these things are absolutely painless by comparison. Cushioned lining to make stuff rattle about less and an overlapping seal to keep the rain out, too. Even got little caps over the keyhole! Very cute.* On a superficial note, it looks and sounds LOVELY. Many children in our village have given me a thumbs up when riding past, and obviously they have great taste.Cons:* Not ideal if you have big feet. My right foot struggles to fit between the crash bar and the brake pedal without applying too much pressure to it, which is a pain in the behind. Shouldn't be a problem for most people, my fault for being a size 15.* Turning circle isn't great. U-turns are tricky at best, think I've only done one or two without giving up and putting a foot down.* As mentioned before, 1st gear is noisy as heck and insanely short.* Every time someone asks what bike you have, you'll have to put up with the usual "Oh, it's Chinese?" sneer. I am SO sick of the "Oh, it's Chinese?" sneer.If given the chance to reconsider, I'd still get this bike. I love it to bits, it's amazingly fun to ride - most days when I get back from work I drive straight past our house and go tearing around the countryside for a little bit longer because I can't bring myself to get off yet. The only thing that would make me think twice is the foot-size issue, but that's one point against and still a few hundred in favour. Oh and if I could start all over again, I wouldn't melt my waterproofs onto the exhaust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattycoops43 Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Welcome aboard Walls! Glad you're here, now you can help us keep Moo under control! Good review, the foot thing could probably be dealt with, moving the bars would be a bit of a no no, but you could always take them off? Alternatively, you could adjust the brake lever down a bit, give you more toe room.and 'Size 15'??? REALLY???No wonder Moo moo is always smiling! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommo Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 Nice informative review,I'm not very well up with these bikes but will the bike start with the sidestand down if you pull the clutch in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stewslash Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 great little bikes!, my gf has one Bike has no centre stand, and the engine won't start while the side stand is down. my gf's starts with the side stand down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted April 3, 2013 Share Posted April 3, 2013 My bike will start with the sidestand down.....but as soon as you put it into gear it'll cut out if the sidestand is still down......in fact most of my more recent bikes have done this...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 great little bikes!, my gf has one Bike has no centre stand, and the engine won't start while the side stand is down. my gf's starts with the side stand down I can say with 100% certainty that mine doesn't start with the side stand down, clutch or no clutch. Perhaps the design has been revised recently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boothy Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 great little bikes!, my gf has one Bike has no centre stand, and the engine won't start while the side stand is down. my gf's starts with the side stand down I can say with 100% certainty that mine doesn't start with the side stand down, clutch or no clutch. Perhaps the design has been revised recently? You sure its in neutral? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 99% sure. I'll try it one more time when I go to Tesco later, but I've forgotten the kickstand enough times that I don't think I could've been in the wrong gear every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 some bikes dont always pick up they are in neutral when they actually are and you have to make sure your neutral light is on too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikerMooFromMars Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Rick Stringer insisted the bike not starting with the kickstand down is a safety feature of the bike, not a fault or issue. I think it's quite clever - the AMOUNT of times I'd drove off with mine down...I coulda done with that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 Rick Stringer insisted the bike not starting with the kickstand down is a safety feature of the bike, not a fault or issue. I think it's quite clever - the AMOUNT of times I'd drove off with mine down...I coulda done with that!! Yep....It's definitely a very useful safety feature......and I think most modern bikes have this fitted. I think the discussion was about being able to start the bike with the sidestand down as long as the bike is in Neutral (and the neutral light is on). I normally start my bike on the sidestand and let it warm up while I'm putting my Lid and gloves on and doing all the last minute farting about.....so the bike is ready to ride off when I'm ready...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 It feels a bit like the discussion is veering towards whether I'm doing something stupid or not.100% certain, doesn't start with side stand down. Definitely in neutral. Holding clutch in. Starts fine as soon as the stand goes up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 It feels a bit like the discussion is veering towards whether I'm doing something stupid or not.100% certain, doesn't start with side stand down. Definitely in neutral. Holding clutch in. Starts fine as soon as the stand goes up. Sorry Ollie....certainly not a pop at you......you know your bike and what it'll do......and a lot of bikes have the same features....but just do them in a slightly different way...... I had a Triumph Trophy that wouldn't start unless the clutch was pulled in.....didn't matter if the sidestand was down or not...or if it was in neutral or not......but it had to have the clutch pulled in..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 The bike I did my CBT on did exactly the same thing as your Triumph, think it was a Suzuki. Thought that was a really nice way of doing it, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 mine is the same as that trumpet Bob The clutch must be pulled in to start regardless Ollie was saying your stupid or anything its just very unusual for it to be like that just pointing a few things out thats all and if it all checks out fine then thats how its supposed to be Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 The bike I did my CBT on did exactly the same thing as your Triumph, think it was a Suzuki. Thought that was a really nice way of doing it, actually.It's actually quite a good habit to get into TBH......reduces the load on the starter for one thing.... and saves the embarrasing jump forwards if the bike is in gear and it doesn't have the safety switches...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 The bike I did my CBT on did exactly the same thing as your Triumph, think it was a Suzuki. Thought that was a really nice way of doing it, actually. I think all suzuki's have this Mine is a suzuki my bro's two suzuki's had to have the clutch pulled and so did my previous two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted June 18, 2013 Author Share Posted June 18, 2013 I've seen other people do "follow up reviews" and it seems like a nice idea, so why not.4000km LaterThe bike is an absolute joy to ride, I swear it runs smoother and sounds better with time, but that may just be down to me abusing it less as I get used to it It's incredibly comfortable to ride, even over longer distances - once you get to higher speeds (it'll usually sit comfortably at 60, takes a fair run up to get to 70 and won't go past it without a favourable wind ) it does rattle around a bit, but thankfully not in the arse department. Rear suspension is pretty good, coping nicely even with the crappy roads covering East Anglia. While firmly attached, the pegs are a bit floppy - one or two instances of standing on them while going over particlarly nasty surfaces (read: hitting speedbumps hard while dodging homicidal white vans in Milton and Histon) and they're drooping a little. The bike is a little more thirsty than BikerMoo's CBF, which supports the manufacturer-quoted 100mpg. The longest single trip I've done thusfar was 250 miles, and the bike handled it fine.Been impressed with the sheer quantity of junk you can stack on it with ease. The luggage boxes are adequate for a day out; at any time mine are loaded with a full set of waterproofs, a drink bottle, a few snacks, a folded backpack to stick my outer jacket in if the sun shows up, and a bit of soft wood for scraping bin liners off my exhaust Still a bit of room left over for other small nik naks. Might be worth noting that they aren't quite big enough to hold anything A4 size without bending it slightly. Between the actual frame of the luggage boxes and the pillion back rest, you've got plenty of things to attach bungees and luggage nets to, so you can stack one heck of a lot on that otherwise pointless pillion seat and still have it nice and secure. Testament to this was the BMF show, where my bike carried all our camping gear and everything we purchased without the slightest sign of trouble.The bike has behaved well, with no faults and all looking nice and healthy thanks to some fairly regular polishing. Padding on the inside of the luggage box lids is a bit pants, so I had to supplement it to stop them rattling, but otherwise no complaints. However. Perhaps the biggest cautionary tale for any prospective Chinese bike owners - if new, watch where you buy it. And wherever you get it, watch where you get it serviced. Something I sorta overlooked while reading reviews was people saying they'd had trouble with dealers that basically didn't give a s**t about Chinese bikes. And here we get to the only problem I've had with my bike thusfar...The ruddy gits clamped the ignition lead BETWEEN the frame and a piece of the bodywork! Noticed it when cleaning it the weekend after my last service, a couple of days after having some serious trouble starting. Exterior of the cable cut clean, and the wire is starting to corrode. They're fixing it this saturday (first chance I've had to bring it to them), but it takes the piss a bit. They've screwed up my drum brake every time they've had the bike and I've had to adjust it after picking the bike up, didn't reattach the side panel properly, the cowls on my headlights weren't attached properly, and a few other minor grievances along the way. Considering the good reviews of the place that I read, I'm really starting to feel like they just bodge my bike because it's not a priority for them. Once they've sorted this problem I won't be visiting them again.So in short:* Bloomin great bike, recommend it highly and all the Chinese bike naysayers be damned.* Fun to ride, comfy, good enough for a day out on the bike or a camping trip.* If you have the slightest doubt about your dealer, go elsewhere. Don't let them turn the Chinese stigma into a self fulfilling prophecy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayneo Posted June 18, 2013 Share Posted June 18, 2013 Nice review, I had a pioneer nevada 125cc as my first bike more or less the same as your bike and found it a decent bike for the money I even made money on it 18 months later.I know on my bike you could disconnect the side stand switch which had already been done I also had a centre stand as well as side which was useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted June 18, 2013 Author Share Posted June 18, 2013 As I understand it, the Lexmoto Lowride is principally the same bike as the Nevada (and the Jinlun Texan) albeit under the flag of a new distributor and with a few design changes. Lovely things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 Oh, and the service intervals SUCK. Not that I have anything to compare it to, of course - but the insane frequency of my services is a point of amusement for several of the others in the lab. I practically have to plan my life around the ruddy things! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boothy Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Oh, and the service intervals SUCK. Not that I have anything to compare it to, of course - but the insane frequency of my services is a point of amusement for several of the others in the lab. I practically have to plan my life around the ruddy things! What are the regular service intervals? Not the first ones they don't count Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RantMachine Posted June 22, 2013 Author Share Posted June 22, 2013 3000km - with my weekly commute and one decent day of riding every weekend it's a monthly occurrence, and that's not even factoring in other things like evening rides Had a service today. Just done the maths - between tomorrow's planned ride, the visit to the old warehouse on Monday, the normal commute every other day, Hartford Marina then Papworth on Tuesday evening, then the Rally at the weekend... by this time next week I'll be 1/3 of the way to my next service Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiggie Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 thats excessive!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattycoops43 Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 That is why you need to be doing the servicing yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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