Motorcycle "Irbis Virago 110": characteristics and reviews

The cost of a motorcycle is an important criterion when choosing, and the creators of the Irbis Virago 110 relied on a low price. This lightweight Chinese bike, comparable in size and weight to some kind of moped, is positioned as a particularly cheap utilitarian two-wheeled vehicle for every day. There are a lot of similar models in Asian countries, where no one walks at all, but in Russia the Irbis Virago has found its buyer. Just don’t confuse it with the famous “witch of all Japan,” the Yamaha Virago—our guest from the Middle Kingdom, fortunately, has nothing in common with this wonderful motorcycle of bygone times.

Budget class in Chinese

If you put cheapness at the forefront and assemble a finished motorcycle from the simplest components, you will get something like the Irbis Virago 110. The technical characteristics of this bike are superior to any 50 cc moped, with the exception of sports versions, and in price it is no different from them. Perhaps the cost is its main advantage, because everything else is quite difficult to count as advantages. Although we can also mention the design simplicity, thanks to which any beginner can cope with the maintenance and repair of the Irbis Virago 110, and in financial matters this bike, as they say, will not fit into your pocket.

Chinese designers simply took a simple steel frame, placed a 110 cc air-cooled engine , a carburetor, an archaic 4-speed gearbox and called it all Irbis Virago. What can this motorcycle do? Well, it can carry its owner around on errands, and for rural areas without much traffic, it is well suited. There is almost nothing to break in it, and spare parts cost pennies if you need them. The Chinese have even provided a trunk on which you can easily load an armful of hay or put a plastic trunk for small luggage.

The stated maximum speed of the Irbis Virago is 110 km/h, but in reality it is difficult to squeeze more than 80 km/h out of this motorcycle. And I don’t want to, to be honest, because at high speeds the parasitic vibrations are incredibly annoying. At peak power, the Irbis Virago 110 engine produces 6.5 horsepower . Of course, this is not enough, but with a dry weight of the bike of 81 kg , it is quite enough for even a 100-kg guy to ride comfortably. In this case, the lack of power will be felt only when driving uphill. Of course, the presence of a passenger has the most detrimental effect on the dynamics and effectiveness of the brakes - a heavily loaded Irbis Virago does not want to either accelerate or brake. What to do - budget category. But the motorcycle is controlled by the power of thought, and the rigid and uncomfortable suspension, according to reviews from owners, is characterized by amazing survivability.

Comparison and reviews

Light weight, powerful engine and good ergonomics provide excellent handling of the Irbis Virago 110 motorcycle. Reviews of this model claim that it is ideal for learning the basics of bike handling. At the same time, this motorcycle will not lag behind the traffic flow, because it accelerates to a speed of 100 km/h in less than a third of a minute.

Let's take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of this bike as revealed by reviews from various users.

Advantages of the IRBIS Virago motorcycle:

• economical fuel consumption;
• powerful engine;
• effective brake operation;
• good handling;
• high acceleration speed;
• easy-to-use gearbox;
• pleasant lighting on the dashboard;
• chrome design in the style of motorcycles of the 90s;
• the passenger frame is not mounted on the pendulum and does not absorb wheel impacts;
• the turn signal mounts are made of elastic material; in case of a fall, they only bend to the side;
• bright headlights;
• low cost.

Disadvantages of Virago 110:

• over time, the rear shock absorbers begin to creak;
• fragile safety bars;
• the tires are not particularly resistant to friction on the road surface; with intensive city driving, they can withstand 1-2 seasons;
• At high speed, you can observe a slight vibration of the motorcycle.

Pros and cons of Irbis Virago 110

Advantages

• Price! Even a new Irbis Virago can be bought cheaper than a normal bicycle, and used copies are even cheaper.
• Tuning . Irbis Virago has a surprising amount of it, and you can order it directly from Aliexpress .
• Cost of maintenance . Both consumables and spare parts are very cheap. Sometimes it’s so cheap that you can’t even believe it.
• Simplicity . Armed with a manual and a budget set of tools, you can disassemble and reassemble the Irbis Virago in half a day
• Fuel consumption . The bike readily consumes AI-92 (perhaps it will also run on AI-80, but we haven’t had a chance to check it personally), and it consumes 2-2.5 liters per 100 km .

Flaws

• Standard headlight . It shines about as brightly as an LED flashlight on a Chinese smartphone.
• Brakes . Only the disc brake on the front wheel works more or less tolerably, and the rear “drum” is of little more than zero use.
• Pendants . They may be hardy, but they are weak, and under a strong Russian motorcyclist the Irbis Virago 110 immediately sags noticeably, and on road bumps the shock absorbers easily break through
• Gas tank volume . As much as 6.5 liters is, of course, very respectable. Probably, increasing the volume by even a couple of liters would make the model unimaginably more expensive.
• Appearance . Old bikers who still remember their first “Voskhod” or “Karpaty”, seeing the Irbis Virago 110, will certainly wipe away a stingy nostalgic tear.

Handling and equipment

The large wheels of this motorcycle allow it to easily overcome various obstacles. Original alloy wheels not only create an attractive appearance, but also, due to their low weight, contribute to better handling when driving at high speed. The Irbis Virago 110 model is equipped with chrome-plated arches, which serve to protect the motorcyclist from injury when falling. The front suspension of the bike is an oil bath fork, and the rear suspension is adjustable. The wheels of this motorcycle are equipped with reliable disc brakes that can reduce speed on any surface. IRBIS Virago is well suited both for driving in urban areas and for traveling on country roads.

Similar models

• Racer Trophy 110. It costs a little more than the Irbis Virago, but not much, and in terms of technical characteristics it is almost the same.
• Yamasaki Leader 110 . Another budget two-wheeled craft, not much different from the other two brothers in the model range - Yamasaki Scorpion 110 and Cobra 110
• Lifan LF125-5 . Outwardly it looks like the twin brother of Irbis Virago. In terms of performance characteristics it is also very similar to it.
• Wels Alpha 110 . Another budget utilitarian “Chinese”, nothing particularly remarkable.

Reviews from Irbis Virago 110 owners

Almost a dream motorcycle, or “cheaper only on foot.” But seriously, a normal moped for the money is better than a stool. I bought it new back in 2014, and I still ride it sometimes, although I already have another bike. The Virago snow leopard is located in the village, and riding around on business is just the thing. After wintering in an unheated garage, it starts easily, although not on the first try. Oddly enough, it doesn’t break, although there are enough small jambs. The paint from the tank can be torn off with a fingernail, the speedometer died at around 860 km, the original chain was stretched to its limit after 3000 km. Arseniy, Krasnoznamensk, Irbis Virago 110 '2014

You can look at this Chinese fiend if your goal is to buy something alive for the price of a used Lada engine. It doesn’t eat gasoline, it sniffs it, it weighs less than me, traffic police officers don’t notice it at all. It drives reluctantly, after 60-70 kph the acceleration is slow. The brakes are so-so, the standard tires are terrible even by Chinese standards. The rest is okay, to be objective, the moped is worth the money. Sergey, Kovel, Irbis Virago 110 '2014

A normal utilitarian toy for every day, simple and not breakable. Does its job, maintenance is cheap, tuning like a new headlight is normal or there are panniers on Ali, it costs some garbage. Learning to drive is the best thing; the Irbis costs less than the Urals. Semyon, Sergiev Posad, Irbis Virago 110 '2015

Total

You should consider the Irbis Virago if you want “cheap and cheerful”. All this moped will do for its modest price is transport its owner. Yes, not too quickly and not particularly comfortable, but it will do it, and with normal attitude towards it and timely maintenance, without any breakdowns. This is not the merit of Chinese defectors, it is the merit of the design - the Irbis Virago 110 is so simple that it is quite reliable for this reason alone. Well, the rest is nothing special.

Specifications

Engine Specifications

The moped is equipped with a 4-stroke air-cooled engine marked 1P39FMB. The marking means that the engine has a piston with a diameter of supposedly 39 mm and the engine has a volume of supposedly 49.9 cubic cm.

The advantage of such an engine is that there is no need to mix gasoline and oil. But unlike a 2-stroke engine, which is structurally simpler, here you need to monitor the valve clearance. Plus, the engine is equipped with an oil pump, a drive chain and a chain tensioner.

The transmission on the Alpha RX moped is four-speed, like on the Voskhod motorcycle. But the neutral position is between first and second gears. The first gear is down and the rest are up.

900 ml of engine oil is poured into the engine crankcase. Oil can be filled with 10W-40. After riding the moped for 100 kilometers, I drained the factory oil and filled it with Zic engine oil. As soon as I complete the break-in, I will fill in more expensive Motul oil.

The moped is equipped with an electric starter, which can be used to start the engine by pressing a button on the steering wheel. The thing is convenient, but if the moto sits for a long time without recharging, the battery runs out. You have to start it using the kickstarter, which is located on the right side of the moped.

Kickstarter is not conveniently located. It gets in the way when driving. Therefore, it must be installed at an angle, and not vertically! The kickstarter stroke becomes shorter, but it is enough to start the engine and it does not interfere.

The Alpha RX moped is equipped with a PZ 19 carburetor, which has no suction. Inside there is a throttle valve with a needle on which there are 5 marks. Two idle speed adjustment screws are installed. This is a quality screw and a quantity screw. Plus there is a lever that blocks the access of air to the carburetor.