KaDonowann Posted July 6, 2022 Share Posted July 6, 2022 Good day all! I am planning to finally get my driving license and a motorbike by the end of this year, and was researching on various options of budget cruisers or scramblers. One option which I absolutely liked in terms of aesthetics is Commando Renegade Classic by UM motorbikes. BUT! Despite having a Wikipedia webpage, the history of this company is not very clear. The reviews are very very controversial, also very few of them are from real owners/users of UM motorcycles. I know for sure that there are several UM dealers in UK, so I would like to ask if anyone here has encountered these motorbikes, and whether they are any good or bad. For me the most important thing is that it does not start breaking down in the first years; speed, comfort and everything else is a secondary thing. Oh, and also, would you please recommend any cruiser bike of the same kind within the same price range? Up to 3.500-4000 GBP or 4000 EUR. See photo attached for reference. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiddlesticks Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 Hi, Don't know anything about UM, but if you wanted a more mainstream brand you could pick up a used Kawasaki Vulcan for not too much more than your budget. Have fun window shopping. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old-codger Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 Never seen or heard of them I presume its chinese? I would be very wary of buying one if you could find anyone selling one and if there is a dealer read the Warranty before you sign anything as they tend to have so many get out clauses they aint worth the paper they are written on. Check spares back up and expect depreciation to be like jumping off a cliff. Buy something from a known manufactuer and with dealer and spares network. There are plenty of cruiser type bikes to chose from have you looked at the New Royal Enfield Meteor or Classic range. Or as Fidlesticks said Kawasaki Vulcans or honda 500 rebel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynax Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 My Xena is a UM can't fault her Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 58 minutes ago, dynax said: My Xena is a UM can't fault her How did the fuel pump malarkey thing go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynax Posted July 8, 2022 Share Posted July 8, 2022 (edited) 1 hour ago, Bender said: How did the fuel pump malarkey thing go Fuel pump fine, changed fuel filter, the only issue I had was the mechanical seal on the water pump if that is what you were referring to, which is sorted as a part from a Honda was retro fitted as is fine, no more leaks Regardless of the make most parts can be traced back to it's origin, and will be compatible with some slight tweaking if necessary. I will have no issues finding other parts if and when required, just need to know how to go about it, and trawl t'interweb, yes it's time consuming but doable Edited July 8, 2022 by dynax 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynax Posted July 9, 2022 Share Posted July 9, 2022 As an aside, this weekend with the ride outs, I should reach 12000 miles 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaDonowann Posted July 9, 2022 Author Share Posted July 9, 2022 13 hours ago, dynax said: As an aside, this weekend with the ride outs, I should reach 12000 miles Ohh wow! Finally I found the owner!! Okay, I have many questons: 1. How did you choose UM? Why? 2. Where did you buy it? I see that some distribution centers are not open anymore, I was aiming at Germany or Slovakia. UK worst case because it is quite far.. 3. The issue with the filter, when did it happen? After how many miles approximately? 4. Does the 125cc give any frustration in terms of power? I hear some people say that these are very expensive to service, but I can't imagine it being more expensive than other motorbikes. I don't have a service center in my country, so I am ready to either service it myself or bear the expenses of normal car repairment shops... I would be super grateful for your input on these! Ah, and also, is it easy to manage on the road and in terms of weight? I weigh only 46 kilos and it's another factor why I don't go for heavy 300kg bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynax Posted July 10, 2022 Share Posted July 10, 2022 Hi @KaDonowann Initially though I bought the bike because I like the colour, other similar bikes were black which I did not want. I bought from a local dealer who sells Lexmoto who at the time were the importers and distributors for UM. UM though now I think import themselves directly to the UK. The filter is just a regular fuel filter, I changed it at around 11000 Miles no problems with it I just wanted to replace it. Power wise yes sometimes but you have to accept it's limitations and just enjoy the bike for what it is, in the UK many roads have had speed restrictions placed upon them and many are reduced to 50mph, this though is a very nice comfortable cruising speed for the bike, it will go faster and top speed is around 65 to 70 mph, but the bike is not designed to be ridden fast it is a cruiser so just cruise. Servicing I do all my own and any repairs that need doing, it's not a complicated bike, you just have to be methodical with your approach to doing any work on it. The parts suppliers for the UK are another company called Quadzilla, they have very limited stock at the moment so any parts requests are email only. The bike is heavy at 172kg but once moving it is very nimble and handles very very well, corners great and quite capable of some fast corners, you do though need to trust in the bike and don't fight it. The main areas to look after are regular oil changes and regular cleaning, keep the chain well lubed. They are good bikes in terms of build quality and engineering, yes I have had a few issues but nothing in comparison with other brands of small cc bikes. If you decide to buy one I am sure you will enjoy it, I will be keeping mine even when I get my full licence she will be used everyday. Happy biking 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaDonowann Posted July 10, 2022 Author Share Posted July 10, 2022 15 hours ago, dynax said: Hi @KaDonowann Initially though I bought the bike because I like the colour, other similar bikes were black which I did not want. I bought from a local dealer who sells Lexmoto who at the time were the importers and distributors for UM. UM though now I think import themselves directly to the UK. The filter is just a regular fuel filter, I changed it at around 11000 Miles no problems with it I just wanted to replace it. Power wise yes sometimes but you have to accept it's limitations and just enjoy the bike for what it is, in the UK many roads have had speed restrictions placed upon them and many are reduced to 50mph, this though is a very nice comfortable cruising speed for the bike, it will go faster and top speed is around 65 to 70 mph, but the bike is not designed to be ridden fast it is a cruiser so just cruise. Servicing I do all my own and any repairs that need doing, it's not a complicated bike, you just have to be methodical with your approach to doing any work on it. The parts suppliers for the UK are another company called Quadzilla, they have very limited stock at the moment so any parts requests are email only. The bike is heavy at 172kg but once moving it is very nimble and handles very very well, corners great and quite capable of some fast corners, you do though need to trust in the bike and don't fight it. The main areas to look after are regular oil changes and regular cleaning, keep the chain well lubed. They are good bikes in terms of build quality and engineering, yes I have had a few issues but nothing in comparison with other brands of small cc bikes. If you decide to buy one I am sure you will enjoy it, I will be keeping mine even when I get my full licence she will be used everyday. Happy biking Thank you so much! A very comprehensive opinion. I am planning to get a bike to go around the city and sometimes countryside; I guess 100 kmh/70 mph is pretty much enough since in my town we have limitation of max 100-120 kmh. By they way, may I ask what is the fuel consumption per 100 km, if you know? I guess it to be not as high as higher cc motorbikes, estimated around 2.5-4 liters max... I am going to get a full license as well, but this bike you have is so attractive to me that I will probably get it. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynax Posted July 11, 2022 Share Posted July 11, 2022 You are welcome Fuel consumption depending how hard you ride 20-40 miles per litre maybe a little more if you ride steady, which isn't too bad for a heavy bike like this. If you need any more info, or any help with anything if you buy one, you are more than welcome to ask me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KaDonowann Posted July 11, 2022 Author Share Posted July 11, 2022 18 hours ago, dynax said: You are welcome Fuel consumption depending how hard you ride 20-40 miles per litre maybe a little more if you ride steady, which isn't too bad for a heavy bike like this. If you need any more info, or any help with anything if you buy one, you are more than welcome to ask me Thank you so much! I'm hoping to get this bike within the end of the year, so I will share some photos and the feel from primary experience 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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