I was hoping to get a closer look at two different Lifan bikes, the KPM 200 and the KP Mini 150.
The only Lifan bike they had in stock was the X-Pect 200. I was surprised at how much I liked it, as it's a big-wheel "dual sport." A little over $3k "out the door." Top speed 75-ish. Quite comfortable. One disadvantage of the X-Pect over the KPM 200 (other than the silly name) is that it's air-cooled. One advantage is that it's set up better for panniers or a top box in the rear. All in all a very nice bike.
I also did some brain-picking. The guy does really like the KPM 200. With respect to the KP Mini 150, he advised me that the more expensive fuel-injected version doesn't get significantly more horsepower stock than the carbureted version (when I looked that up, the difference is a fraction of one horse).
It's a lot easier to tune a carburetor bike than an EFI bike when you start modifying it for better performance ... and according to some AI conversation, a modified/tuned carbureted KP Mini can top 80 miles per hour. Exhaust/air/oil cooler mods would be a couple of hundred bucks, and the EFI version of the KP Mini costs a thousand dollars more without that nice top speed.
Also according to AI, "long trips" on the KP Mini are feasible. The example I gave the AI was Gainesville to New Orleans, and the answer (paraphrased) was "feasible? Definitely. Comfortable? Meh. Might want to avoid freeways (at least if it's not modded for those speeds), and you'll be stopping every 50-100 miles to fill up the small gas tank, which is fine since you want to let the bike cool down every once in awhile (if it's not running an oil cooler)."
I like riding the 150 I have, and would like to have a manual transmission. A bike that can do 60-ish stock, 80 or better modded, and that has an engine I could count on for long trips, wouldn't bother me just because it's a 150. There also seems to be a good after-market for Lifan parts. The KP Mini is "naked" enough for me to actually do most or all of the modding work myself without spending three hours removing fairings before actually accomplishing anything. And its size/frame type should accomodate my existing accessories (panniers, top box, etc.) better than the KPM 200 would.
So, let's do some math:
The KP Mini, including shipping, comes to $2,118.95, "some assembly required" on Amazon (I'm talking about Amazon for a reason, read on). Call it $2,500 including taxes/tags. By the time I get done modding it over time, less than $3k.
While the scooter shop guy thinks I could probably get $1,600 for the Italica Bulldog, my plan after buying another bike would be to advertise it for $1,200 and let it go for $1,000 if necessary. So (again, over time, but I'd want to get this done by late August or early September since the likeliest buyer for the Bulldog would be a student), that would bring the net cost down to $2,000 or less, fully modded.
Why Amazon?
In the normal course of things, I'd rather buy from a local dealer and get the bike already assembled and tested.
On the other hand, I have a mechanic friend who will help me with the assembly for a six-pack of beer, and I would know that it was done right (or, if it wasn't, I'd have only myself to blame anyway). Relevant bolts would be hit with thread locker, etc.
For any repair/maintenance in the future that I can't do myself, the guy at my regular scooter shop is top-notch, affordable, and fine with working on bikes he didn't sell (he's a motorcycle guy and motorcycle mechanic; the scooter shop is all about students being a big market).
And, here's the big thing:
For $2k of that $2,118.95, I can just liquidate Bitcoin and get Amazon gift cards (there's a $2k max for gift card balance at Amazon or I might have just ordered a KPM 200 from them). Instead of financing the bike, I'd just be $118.95 out of pocket (plus taxes and tags). And then I could come back and buy at least some of the modification parts using Bitcoin as well.
The friends whose advice I value keep telling me to "buy the bike I want for the long-term."
I think the KP Mini is it, really.
Quality-wise, it should be at least a 10-year bike for me. The Lifan engine lasts and Lifan seems to be pretty good on other parts as well.
AI and some rider experience reviews indicate it's trustworthy for longer trips. Not comfy like a 1200cc touring bike, but I've done hundred-milers on a similar rider position platform. I've also slept in holes in the snow, mud puddles, under gear in five-ton trucks on bumpy dirt roads, etc. I don't think I'd be any more uncomfortable after riding this thing than after driving similar distances in an SUV because my discomforts are age-related.
With mods, it would even be a "freeway bike" as necessary.
It's got a big fan/rider community to go to for advice.
And again, I like the mini moto platform. I like the rider posture. I like the size. It's comfortable. It's easy to ride. It's fun to ride.
Oh, and it comes in black and yellow (I've built a little bit of a wardrobe around the Bulldog's color scheme):
I'm about 95% sold on this bike, and may pull the trigger this weekend unless I receive convincing advice that makes me rethink. Or unless someone just decides for me (on this bike or the KPM 200) via my Amazon Wish List.
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