My LF250
Other Bikes
new website
First of all, it's so great finally having my very own motorcycle. It's something i've dreamed of for the last 20 years or so and you wouldn't believe all the time, effort, and money i spent getting to this point. I looked at cruisers, sport bikes, standard naked, scooters, dual-purpose and everything else on two wheels with a motor. I was extremely close to buying a second hand Suzuki Bandit 400cc in pristine condition but i found out that parts for it might be hard to find so i backed out at the last minute.
A brief backgrounder: I live in the Philipines where the biggest displacement bike locally marketed is the Honda XLR200cc off-roader and majority of bikes being sold are the 100cc motorcycles that are generally used for tricycles. Thus, you have to resort to the grey import market to get your hands on a "big bike" and being so, parts are fewer and farther in between than ideal. That being the case, i considered opting for either a Kawasaki Eliminator 175cc mini-cruiser or a Kymco 150cc mini-cruiser but neither of them really tickled my fancy enough to jump at the purchase.
Luckily for me, i didn't rush and waited this long for my first bike. Lifan, a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer who has produced motorcycle engines and accessories for the major motorcycle companies for a number of years, decided to market their products in the Philippines and one of the products they brought in was the LF250. The LF250 is an exact replica of the Yamaha Virago 250cc -- currently the best, most recommended, and most sought after 250cc motorcycle in the world. It looks great; runs great, and sounds great!!! And to top it all, it's better and yet costs the same as the other bikes that i previously considered buying.
I happen to own the very first unit to be sold in the Philippines and i couldn't be happier because it's every bit as i envisioned my dreambike to be -- cruiser type, V-twin engine, dual-exhaust, perfect (big) size, and lots of chrome. Let's face it, most if not all bike owners want to feel good with how their bikes compare to other nice bikes and let me tell you, this bike makes me feel special every time i get on it. Also, as a bonus for being the first buyer, i got the bike with an alarm, remote control starter, and very powerful extra twin mini-headlights all for free!
Every biker i've met has told me to get a bike of at least 400cc displacement because anything lower wouldn't be enough and one that i'd quickly outgrow. At the moment, i beg to disagree because the bike packs so much power in its electrifying V-twin engine and in a country where the average road speed is approximately 40kph, the 130kph limit of the LF250 is more than enough for me. Heck, it's been 5 years since i last went in excess of 120kph in my car which is capable of 200kph if i pushed it. Furthermore, torque in this bike is awesome. Launching off stoplights is a delight because of the strong pull and the sweet thunderous rumble the bike emits. Yeehah!
I would just like to thank my wife who finally relented into agreeing to my desire of owning a motorcycle. Special thanks also go to my 3 kids who patiently put up with me and humored me every time i brought up the subject of motorcycles.
Life is Beautiful !!!