Varadero XL 125v
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Hi there! Anyone riding or have friends rinding this honda bike. Looks cool and bike, very similar to his bigger cc brother, in terms of size. Very costly bike, $9k +++. I will like to know the performance of this bike. Any comments??? Thanks.
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hey man, i've been looking at the same bike also
. v-twin engine configuration gives added power compared to single cylinder bikes, and it's 4-stroke, so less maintenance issues. 17l fuel tank too...
but it has some cons i think.
v-twins are known to guzzle more petrol, so fuel efficiency wise it may not be so cheap to ride.
it's damn expensive. $9.5k OTR was what i was quoted. not a good choice if you think you wanna upgrade to 2A or class 2.
this bike is damn new, press-release came out in like 2001. it's almost impossible to find a second-hand one. it may be difficult to sell, because it's a rare bike, no one dares to buy it, so you might lose money if you change bike. linked to this is that it may not be easy to find a reliable mech to service it, or find parts that the bike needs specifically. and besides, it's like a pilot project. bound to be some flaw in the design that they'll correct with the later years'. imagine if the fairing breaks, go where and find???
no kick-starter. some people won't see this as a con, but after hearing so much about failed electric starters, esp on italian bikes and my personal experience on SSDC's honda bikes, i think it'll be way safer to have a kick-starter.
last of all, the power of the bike is suspect. it may be a v-twin, or however powerful that honda claims it to be, but it's after all a 125cc 4-stroke bike, and it's about 150kg in dry weight. so it's debatable as to whether the v-twin will compensate the effects of the small engine size and its weight.
don't mean to discourage you or paint such a bleak picture man. i like the bike too, just that these issues are on my mind when i think about whether the 9.5k is worth paying. would be happy to hear any good comments about the bike!
i'll happily stand corrected! hahaha
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rock hard... ride free...
[This message has been edited by l3stat (edited 23 January 2002).] -
Ya, wat you mentioned is exactly wat i'm thinking. 125cc 4 stroke, dont think can go very fast. Used to have a 125cc chopper, 4 stroke, comfortable speed is at 60kmph!!!! Going 80 with this bike is like the whole going to expolde at anytime !Originally posted by l3stat:hey man, i've been looking at the same bike also. v-twin engine configuration gives added power compared to single cylinder bikes, and it's 4-stroke, so less maintenance issues. 17l fuel tank too...
but it has some cons i think.
v-twins are known to guzzle more petrol, so fuel efficiency wise it may not be so cheap to ride.
it's damn expensive. $9.5k OTR was what i was quoted. not a good choice if you think you wanna upgrade to 2A or class 2.
this bike is damn new, press-release came out in like 2001. it's almost impossible to find a second-hand one. it may be difficult to sell, because it's a rare bike, no one dares to buy it, so you might lose money if you change bike. linked to this is that it may not be easy to find a reliable mech to service it, or find parts that the bike needs specifically. and besides, it's like a pilot project. bound to be some flaw in the design that they'll correct with the later years'. imagine if the fairing breaks, go where and find???
no kick-starter. some people won't see this as a con, but after hearing so much about failed electric starters, esp on italian bikes and my personal experience on SSDC's honda bikes, i think it'll be way safer to have a kick-starter.
last of all, the power of the bike is suspect. it may be a v-twin, or however powerful that honda claims it to be, but it's after all a 125cc 4-stroke bike, and it's about 150kg in dry weight. so it's debatable as to whether the v-twin will compensate the effects of the small engine size and its weight.
don't mean to discourage you or paint such a bleak picture man. i like the bike too, just that these issues are on my mind when i think about whether the 9.5k is worth paying. would be happy to hear any good comments about the bike! i'll happily stand corrected! hahaha 
So wat bike u riding now? Me riding runner, took my 2A few mths ago but lost interest in it, prefer to stick with 2B time being. Thinking of getting XL125 but really too costly, rather get a phantom 200, hor? Plus me female, dont know can handle such a big one. -
oh shit i typed a damn long reply but i lost it. anyway, don't laugh at me cos i'm only taking 2B now. hahaha..Originally posted by runner 180:Ya, wat you mentioned is exactly wat i'm thinking. 125cc 4 stroke, dont think can go very fast. Used to have a 125cc chopper, 4 stroke, comfortable speed is at 60kmph!!!! Going 80 with this bike is like the whole going to expolde at anytime !
So wat bike u riding now? Me riding runner, took my 2A few mths ago but lost interest in it, prefer to stick with 2B time being. Thinking of getting XL125 but really too costly, rather get a phantom 200, hor? Plus me female, dont know can handle such a big one.
handling wise i'm sure you can after you get used to it. after all, you went for 2A lessons right? don't give up on the lessons, cos there're so many nice bikes in the 2A cat, like S4 and hurricanes. if you find the varadero too high, you can adjust the preload, so that the bike sits lower with your weight on it. nice riding position, great for traffic jams, and it's huge for 2B bikes.
yeah phantom is a good bike. quite a few riders here who have that bike i think. good reviews so far. and it's $3k less. you can add tonnes of accessories with that, and cover insurance and road tax for many years with that lor.. sigh... i was considering phantom before i took a liking to naked bikes. but after i saw the varadero......
anyway, power wise i really dunno. 125cc 4-stroke may sound underpowered on paper, but it's after all a v-twin. two power strokes compared to one for phantom, so you'll get smoother power delivery also. the XL125V also has a higher compression ratio, some thing 9-something:1, compared to phantom's 6-something:1. the thais don't use SI units, so i can't compare the power and torque. the XL125V was designed to take long comfy trips, so perhaps this would be reflected in the engine, right? but i really dunno lar...
have you seen the bike in real life? i have and i fell in love with it. pity the price tag though...
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rock hard... ride free... -
Yeah!! Saw one before at serangoon, opp the civil defence. I love the black one!!! They put the big one and the small one next to one another, can see that they dont really have much difference. When's your tp? Which school??Originally posted by l3stat:oh shit i typed a damn long reply but i lost it. anyway, don't laugh at me cos i'm only taking 2B now. hahaha..
handling wise i'm sure you can after you get used to it. after all, you went for 2A lessons right? don't give up on the lessons, cos there're so many nice bikes in the 2A cat, like S4 and hurricanes. if you find the varadero too high, you can adjust the preload, so that the bike sits lower with your weight on it. nice riding position, great for traffic jams, and it's huge for 2B bikes.
yeah phantom is a good bike. quite a few riders here who have that bike i think. good reviews so far. and it's $3k less. you can add tonnes of accessories with that, and cover insurance and road tax for many years with that lor.. sigh... i was considering phantom before i took a liking to naked bikes. but after i saw the varadero......
anyway, power wise i really dunno. 125cc 4-stroke may sound underpowered on paper, but it's after all a v-twin. two power strokes compared to one for phantom, so you'll get smoother power delivery also. the XL125V also has a higher compression ratio, some thing 9-something:1, compared to phantom's 6-something:1. the thais don't use SI units, so i can't compare the power and torque. the XL125V was designed to take long comfy trips, so perhaps this would be reflected in the engine, right? but i really dunno lar...
have you seen the bike in real life? i have and i fell in love with it. pity the price tag though... -
Hi, this are comments i got it from outside:
Re: Honda Varadero XL125cc
I owned the bike and the following are the comments I have for the bike.
1. fuel consumption : full tank approx $17.00 (95 unleaded)
I usually top it up after 350km of highway and city ride. (approx. $12)
2. peformance : don't expect to "cheong" with aprilla, nsr at traffic light, no fight.
However, smooth ride all the way to 120km/hr with pillion (no vibration). And easy riding in city.
3. engine : smooth, quiet, minimum vibration.
4. handling : easy to handle, but may be a little heavy for lady rider. No offence please. Front and rear
disc brake, braking is immediate and responsive.
Don't expect head turns as most have mistook the bike for the 1000cc varadero. Thus, no big surprise
on the outlook.
Lastly, this bike has no centre stand. Therefore, it is quite troublesome to lube the chain.
I am now checking price for the under cowl, wind shield and centre stand. I will post up and email to
those interested. just drop me a note here. -
Hi, this are comments i got it from outside:
Re: Honda Varadero XL125cc
I owned the bike and the following are the comments I have for the bike.
1. fuel consumption : full tank approx $17.00 (95 unleaded)
I usually top it up after 350km of highway and city ride. (approx. $12)
2. peformance : don't expect to "cheong" with aprilla, nsr at traffic light, no fight.
However, smooth ride all the way to 120km/hr with pillion (no vibration). And easy riding in city.
3. engine : smooth, quiet, minimum vibration.
4. handling : easy to handle, but may be a little heavy for lady rider. No offence please. Front and rear
disc brake, braking is immediate and responsive.
Don't expect head turns as most have mistook the bike for the 1000cc varadero. Thus, no big surprise
on the outlook.
Lastly, this bike has no centre stand. Therefore, it is quite troublesome to lube the chain.
I am now checking price for the under cowl, wind shield and centre stand. I will post up and email to
those interested. just drop me a note here. -
hey that's exactly where i saw it!!! mah motors or something. but everyone here says it's a black shop. so i think i'll drop by at looi's to see if they have it. yupyup in fact i think the smaller one is more streamlined than the 1000cc version. the bigger one looks like a lion to me. between the varadero 1000cc and an africa twin, i'll rather get a africa twin! sigh.. my tp still long lar.. just passed lesson 6 at ssdc, going on to 7 on monday. earliest test date is mid-march. dammit man. hey if u can wait, we'll go buy our varaderos together.. hahahhaaOriginally posted by runner 180:Yeah!! Saw one before at serangoon, opp the civil defence. I love the black one!!! They put the big one and the small one next to one another, can see that they dont really have much difference. When's your tp? Which school?? that's assuming i still think i can afford the bike then! maybe can get discount or something... or more freebies... hahaha
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hey you got this from a local website?? oooic.. great.. that means someone else in singapore is riding it. i think i only saw it ONCE... hmm... hopefully someone would sell a second-hand one.Originally posted by runner 180:Hi, this are comments i got it from outside:
Re: Honda Varadero XL125cc
I owned the bike and the following are the comments I have for the bike.
1. fuel consumption : full tank approx $17.00 (95 unleaded)
I usually top it up after 350km of highway and city ride. (approx. $12)
2. peformance : don't expect to "cheong" with aprilla, nsr at traffic light, no fight.
However, smooth ride all the way to 120km/hr with pillion (no vibration). And easy riding in city.
3. engine : smooth, quiet, minimum vibration.
4. handling : easy to handle, but may be a little heavy for lady rider. No offence please. Front and rear
disc brake, braking is immediate and responsive.
Don't expect head turns as most have mistook the bike for the 1000cc varadero. Thus, no big surprise
on the outlook.
Lastly, this bike has no centre stand. Therefore, it is quite troublesome to lube the chain.
I am now checking price for the under cowl, wind shield and centre stand. I will post up and email to
those interested. just drop me a note here.
hmm... 350km for a full tank... which is about as i suspected for the fuel efficiency due to e v-twin engine, cos with the 17 litre tank, it should go a bit more. my friend's RXZ easily does that, and more. but then again it beats a sportsbike's anytime. dpds on the riding style i suppose...
hey about the weight, like i said, if you can take 2A, no prob with this bike man. you'll prob just need a little while to get used to it, don't let it hold you back!
as for the lubing thing, it comes stock with an o-ring chain, so it's perfect for a scottoiler. no need to oil the chain manually, but some cheapskates may stun your scottoiler, cos it's as easy to remove as it is to install.
wow i like this guy man. once i saw the accessories it had, i decided on the under-cowl shield, large wind-shield and centre stand... hahaha... help me keep a look-out for his update yah??
btw, which URL did you get this review from? lemme know if you see this bike at another motortiam okie?? thanks!
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rock hard... ride free... -
oh wait. is it YOU or the guy checking the price of the parts?? hahah.. think i made a mistake just now...Originally posted by runner 180:I am now checking price for the under cowl, wind shield and centre stand. I will post up and email to
those interested. just drop me a note here.
okok whoever it is checking, i'm interested!
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rock hard... ride free... -
this bike looks nice. but not power one, but comfortable loh.
anyway, i'm new to here, harlow everyone -
Sorry for late reply, busy with work, no time for internet. Try going in to this yahoo club, that guy is a local: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/singaporebikershangoutOriginally posted by l3stat:oh wait. is it YOU or the guy checking the price of the parts?? hahah.. think i made a mistake just now... okok whoever it is checking, i'm interested!
I'm a member there, so perhaps u will like to join the club as the members there are mature and riding big bike. -
i female, riding phantom 200 also, no prob one lah, the bike is not as heavy as it looks oneOriginally posted by runner 180:Ya, wat you mentioned is exactly wat i'm thinking. 125cc 4 stroke, dont think can go very fast. Used to have a 125cc chopper, 4 stroke, comfortable speed is at 60kmph!!!! Going 80 with this bike is like the whole going to expolde at anytime !
So wat bike u riding now? Me riding runner, took my 2A few mths ago but lost interest in it, prefer to stick with 2B time being. Thinking of getting XL125 but really too costly, rather get a phantom 200, hor? Plus me female, dont know can handle such a big one. coz a lot of place is only plastic chrome -
i female, riding phantom 200 also, no prob one lah, the bike is not as heavy as it looks oneOriginally posted by daniuge:Ya, wat you mentioned is exactly wat i'm thinking. 125cc 4 stroke, dont think can go very fast. Used to have a 125cc chopper, 4 stroke, comfortable speed is at 60kmph!!!! Going 80 with this bike is like the whole going to expolde at anytime !
So wat bike u riding now? Me riding runner, took my 2A few mths ago but lost interest in it, prefer to stick with 2B time being. Thinking of getting XL125 but really too costly, rather get a phantom 200, hor? Plus me female, dont know can handle such a big one. coz a lot of place is only plastic chrome[/B][/QUOTE]
eh daniu.. i heard got this metal works at er... i think AMK industrial, or the one near bishan, that makes customized brackets, etc etc, stainless steel or chrome, for all kinds of bikes. expensive they say, but reliable.. can't remember where and and who though... hmm... if i get a phantom i'll definitely get a fake radiator (original don't have right?) and engine guard. then maybe change the ka-tar to a bigger one.. hehe...
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rock hard... ride free... -
ah okie... think i'll drop by later to check it out... anyway, any news about the prices of the accessories? haiz.. beginning to think that chio is chio, but too expensive to justify. i'll prob upgrade only after i get class 2... buy its big brother or something.Originally posted by runner 180:Sorry for late reply, busy with work, no time for internet. Try going in to this yahoo club, that guy is a local: http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/singaporebikershangout
I'm a member there, so perhaps u will like to join the club as the members there are mature and riding big bike. or maybe an africa twin or transalp. anyway, read another review that says the power is a little lacking, esp riding two-up on terrain. but it's a review written by either some aussie or european, who are so partial towards the 600cc and above bikes. besides, the XL125V is considered a learner-legal bike in UK and i think europe, so.. sigh.. prejudice also? dunno lar..
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rock hard... ride free... -
ya original one dun have...what u mean by "engine guard? put where and how it looks like??? the ka-tar quite big liao mah, u want that kind where u can put your whole feet on it one huh? like 1 small platform one???Originally posted by l3stat:eh daniu.. i heard got this metal works at er... i think AMK industrial, or the one near bishan, that makes customized brackets, etc etc, stainless steel or chrome, for all kinds of bikes. expensive they say, but reliable.. can't remember where and and who though... hmm... if i get a phantom i'll definitely get a fake radiator (original don't have right?) and engine guard. then maybe change the ka-tar to a bigger one.. hehe... -
eh not sure if i remember correctly, but i've seen phantoms installed with crash bars, very near the part of the frame where the exhaust pipe bends and becomes parallel with the ground (not sure what that part is called). quite nice, but can't remember where exactly on the frame it's mounted on. it looks like those bars that you often see on super 4s at the driving centres, just that it's on a phantom. so when your bike drops, the bars would kenna, and not your engine or other parts. the ka-tar part i haven't really think yet. just remembered that i was not very comfortable on my friend's phantom. maybe legs too long, maybe not used to the "legs so far in front" kind of feeling. hmm...Originally posted by daniuge:ya original one dun have...what u mean by "engine guard? put where and how it looks like??? the ka-tar quite big liao mah, u want that kind where u can put your whole feet on it one huh? like 1 small platform one??? anyway, i've seen the pillion's ka-tars that are modified to the small platforms that you've described. quite nice leh...
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rock hard... ride free...
[This message has been edited by l3stat (edited 30 January 2002).]
[This message has been edited by l3stat (edited 30 January 2002).] -
My friend did install crash bar onto his phantom, somewhere infront, he also put two extra leg rest on the crash bar so that when travelling long distance, his leg can go all the way to the front, very relax!!Originally posted by l3stat:eh not sure if i remember correctly, but i've seen phantoms installed with crash bars, very near the part of the frame where the exhaust pipe bends and becomes parallel with the ground (not sure what that part is called). quite nice, but can't remember where exactly on the frame it's mounted on. it looks like those bars that you often see on super 4s at the driving centres, just that it's on a phantom. so when your bike drops, the bars would kenna, and not your engine or other parts. the ka-tar part i haven't really think yet. just remembered that i was not very comfortable on my friend's phantom. maybe legs too long, maybe not used to the "legs so far in front" kind of feeling. hmm... anyway, i've seen the pillion's ka-tars that are modified to the small platforms that you've described. quite nice leh...
Anyway, dont think will get xl 125, instead i sold away my runner and got a FM suzuki DR, Haa....haa. Cheap cheap -
wah u sian... pang seh me.. haiz.. anyway, just saw one at ssdc, in black today... damn nice.. but the price is.. sigh... sian...Originally posted by runner 180:My friend did install crash bar onto his phantom, somewhere infront, he also put two extra leg rest on the crash bar so that when travelling long distance, his leg can go all the way to the front, very relax!!
Anyway, dont think will get xl 125, instead i sold away my runner and got a FM suzuki DR, Haa....haa. Cheap cheap
hey choppers are nice for city rides, but to ride longer distances, your ass would ache like hell, cos it's damn hard to "raise" ur butt while you're riding, when your legs are extended forward.. dpds on how hard your butt is in this case already!
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crash bar say crash bar mah wat engine guardOriginally posted by l3stat:eh not sure if i remember correctly, but i've seen phantoms installed with crash bars, very near the part of the frame where the exhaust pipe bends and becomes parallel with the ground (not sure what that part is called). quite nice, but can't remember where exactly on the frame it's mounted on. it looks like those bars that you often see on super 4s at the driving centres, just that it's on a phantom. so when your bike drops, the bars would kenna, and not your engine or other parts. the ka-tar part i haven't really think yet. just remembered that i was not very comfortable on my friend's phantom. maybe legs too long, maybe not used to the "legs so far in front" kind of feeling. hmm... anyway, i've seen the pillion's ka-tars that are modified to the small platforms that you've described. quite nice leh... i have mah...got it from ah boy seventy dollars...not very good material lor got a bit of rust here and there especially the welding part...say stainless steel but not really leh...maybe u can consider going other place fix it up....then hor if dun polish huh, it looks more like mild steel, blur blur one -
say engine guard to make your $70 more worth it!Originally posted by daniuge:crash bar say crash bar mah wat engine guard i have mah...got it from ah boy seventy dollars...not very good material lor got a bit of rust here and there especially the welding part...say stainless steel but not really leh...maybe u can consider going other place fix it up....then hor if dun polish huh, it looks more like mild steel, blur blur one yah i completely forgot where i saw the post liao... need to ask those people in STR.. think that's where i saw it...
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rock hard... ride free... -
Helo guys,
I'm new to singapore and have got 2B license just few days back. After receieving the license I went to check some bike shops at Serangon Rd with great enthusiasm but it was really a pain to see very few options for the bikes under 200cc. I saw Varadero XL125 at one shop and the guy there was quoting S$9800 for it with everything included. On another shop(which had no varadero in stock) was quoting S$7000 with everything included and promising 2 week delivery on order...i double checked - everyting included and of course first hand. What really baffled me further was that the guy on the second shop(cheaper price one) was really discouraging me from purchasing the bike. He was saying that this bike has some overheating problem and spare parts are very expensive. And that the resale value is very bad. I really loved the bike but these strange things are confusing me. I'm new here so you people's advice would be highly appreciated. -
heh...my friend,
what the second shop ppl say is true, as the model that u have indicated is consider new to the market, the parts are not easy to find and workmanship for spoilt parts will be more than others.
So my recommendation is either u dun ride for now and upgrade for bigger bikes, or u jus get a normal bike to ride now and wait for upgrading..
and in any case, have fun riding. -
ay man.. i was considering this bike as well... but the power really puts me off. its 15bhp is about all the smallish v-twin can give, for a 150kg (dry-weight) frame. not wishing to intimidate you with figures, but it'll be hurt in pick-up. however, two riders of the bike have given me good reviews, regarding stability, fuel consumption and ease of ride. oh yeah, and if you're thinking of adding more power by mods, not really feasible. one owner i talked is a dirtbike/motard mech, he spent quite a packet on an after-market straight through exhaust, modified the airbox and rejetted the bike. the result? "nothing fantastic, don't expect too much..."Originally posted by zensg:Helo guys,
I'm new to singapore and have got 2B license just few days back. After receieving the license I went to check some bike shops at Serangon Rd with great enthusiasm but it was really a pain to see very few options for the bikes under 200cc. I saw Varadero XL125 at one shop and the guy there was quoting S$9800 for it with everything included. On another shop(which had no varadero in stock) was quoting S$7000 with everything included and promising 2 week delivery on order...i double checked - everyting included and of course first hand. What really baffled me further was that the guy on the second shop(cheaper price one) was really discouraging me from purchasing the bike. He was saying that this bike has some overheating problem and spare parts are very expensive. And that the resale value is very bad. I really loved the bike but these strange things are confusing me. I'm new here so you people's advice would be highly appreciated.
er.. actually, this bike banks in on the typical new biker's desire to ride a shiny large bike as soon as possible... but the added weight of the frame with the small engine means it's not going anywhere in a hurry. it's also designed for the UK "learner legal" market, where the max power is 15bhp.
regarding parts, i won't worry so much if i were you, but cosmetics wise, i would. it's unlikely that it would require any major parts change in the first 2 years, being a new bike, if you maintain the bike regularly. probably after then, when the market for it picks up, you're going to see more parts for it. but do think about cosmetic things like fairings. er.. not cursing you, but it's easy to get damaged fairings... accidents and stuff. not easy to find... oh yes, accessories are expensive. go to the UK honda website, they have a list of accessories there. a PLASTIC exhaust undercowling costs $260.
as for whether you should buy a new bike as your first bike etc, i won't touch on that. just think what you want out of your bike. cheap, economical transport? then it's the bike for you. a full tank is 17litres, and can go up to i quote "450+km" but if you're looking for something fun and fast to ride when you need the pickup, it's probably a bad choice. just drop me a line if you wanna know more about it. btw, $7k sounds quite impossible, especially OTR, everywhere i've gone to quotes $9.5k OTR, at least. kuang tai lee at ubi even quoted me $10.4k!
so which shop quoted you $7k? care to share? don't worry, don't think lines of people are forming to "snatch" the bike from you...
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rock hard... ride free...
[This message has been edited by l3stat (edited 24 March 2002).] -
Thanks a lot guys for your quick and insightful info. I fully understand your point that this bike rides on your desire to ride a fleshy bike asap. Though I've not made my mind yet about what I'm going to purchase. I want to purchase a bike which I would ride for around 1-2 years atmost, mostly in Spore and don't want more than 3K depreciation in first year. What would you recommend..Varadero, Aprillia, NSR ????<br>
About the shop which quoted me S$7K - I donn know whether the guy was conning me or what. The addrs of the shop is Bike Production Pvt Ltd. 610 Serangoon Rd <br>
Thanks again for your responses