Motoland V-Raptor 250 – a successful copy of the legendary Suzuki VanVan

There are legendary Japanese motorcycles that are considered unique in their class. Naturally, Chinese manufacturers cannot ignore this legend. Why invent something of your own when you can copy a popular Japanese bike and sell it at two or three times the price of the original? In this case, you don’t even need to buy any production licenses - only the appearance is copied, and this is considered a replica, not a fake, everything is legal and you can’t find fault.

Motorcycles created based on any famous model can be of high quality or not, but, as a rule, they are successful - proven design solutions are a must.

The Motoland V-Raptor 250 motorcycle turned out to be just like that - it is a bike created based on the legendary Suzuki VanVan, a universal model with a focus on off-road use.

Specifications

When Chinese designers copy something, they sometimes do very well. But when they decide to improve something, it happens less often. The Motoland Raptor 250 falls into the latter category, but in this case it works to its advantage.

Engine

Refusing to copy the engine, Motoland engineers selected a 250 cc engine with 18 hp, air-oil cooling, which matched the geometry of the frame. The radiator itself is a copy of the Japanese one, Suzuki RV200 “VanVan”. The increase in cubic capacity compared to the original did the motorcycle good, and at maximum speed the speedometer will show a speed of 115-120 km/h .

Transmission

Standard 5-speed transmission . It works clearly, there are no false neutrals, and there are no jams in the intermediate position.

Chassis and brakes

The Motoland Raptor 250 motorcycle received a short- wheelbase steel frame , good suspension and decent brakes. It was designed for rough roads, and it shows. The front fork is moderately soft, the rear shock is firmer, and the ride is quite comfortable. Simple disc brakes are installed on both wheels.

Electronics

The bike’s instrument panel is analogue, there are no auxiliary systems, and all electronic components are kept to a minimum. With a manual in hand, it will be easy for any motorcycle mechanic to figure it out.

Weight and dimensions

Like its Japanese prototype, the Motoland V Raptor 250 is distinguished by a short wheelbase, low weight and an overall “flattened” silhouette. In fact, this is a lightweight scrambler, and the bike is built according to all the canons of this class. Dry weight - 123 kg .

Controllability

Thanks to its moderate weight and lowered center of gravity, the motorcycle is easy to control. And it doesn’t seem heavy, so it’s not difficult to physically handle it.

Fuel consumption

Motoland Raptor consumes about 3-3.5 liters of fuel when driving quietly at a speed of 90 km/h. If you constantly unscrew the throttle all the way, the consumption will increase, as in the case of moving over rough terrain. The engine prefers AI-92 .

Is it worth taking and is this the best Chinese enduro for the money?

As already mentioned, the Motoland WRX250 Lite WFA motorcycle is made of compromise solutions. On one side of the scale, it has an excellent, albeit rather heavy engine, and a good suspension. Good rims, hubs, crossbars and steering wheels are also definitely a plus. But on the other side of the scale, there are frankly bad brakes and strange savings on some small things. For me, it would be better if they saved money on the dashboard, but installed anti-skids and normal brake pads and gearbox. But in general, all this is of course completed, without any problems. If desired, this motorcycle can be brought to an even chic state by replacing the brakes, installing a NIBBI RACING carburetor with a 34 mm diffuser, changing the rear suspension springs to a spring of the required stiffness. And of course, replacing all the shitty components with normal ones. And then, although this pepelats will rise in price, it will sparkle with new colors. It will enter the top Chinese league, but at the same time, it will still be cheaper than any of its competitors with 177MM engines. What do you think about this motorcycle, because 155,000 rubles for an almost top-end motorcycle and the best Chinese enduro in this price category is a very decent price. Is not it?

Repair and tuning

Motoland Raptor V 250 is copied from a motorcycle whose history began half a century ago. This results in structural simplicity and ease of repair operations.

Repair

It’s easy to understand the design of the bike, especially if you have a manual. You should not rely on the manual from the Japanese original, since there are differences between the models. But, according to reviews, the scrambler from Motoland is highly reliable.

Spare parts

Many components fit from other Motoland models, as well as from Suzuki. This is good, because spare parts specifically for the Raptor 250 are not always available at dealers.

Tuning

There is no tuning for the Motoland Raptor, so you'll have to make do with universal options. Or those that fit Suzuki - there is a wider choice in this category.

Review

The basis of the design is a tubular steel frame. The control of the motorcycle is so sensitive that sometimes it simply tires the rider. If the frame breaks, repair work does not require special skills and abilities. The “skeleton” of the motorcycle is designed to withstand significant mechanical impacts, that is, the driver can not be afraid of moving over rough terrain. The motor housing is partially made of plastic. Taking into account the operating conditions of the motorcycle, the developers installed flexible plastic that does not break when dropped.

The suspension performs very well on uneven surfaces. But still, engineers do not recommend jumping from great heights on a motorcycle. Control is simple due to the sufficient width of the steering wheel. This improves the maneuverability of the bike. Spoke wheels are resistant to strong impacts, which are an integral part of riding an Enduro motorcycle.

The model is equipped with lighting equipment and side mirrors. The front fender is positioned high, making it impossible for the wheel to become clogged with dirt.

Advantages and disadvantages

Motoland Raptor is a very diligent copy, with decent quality. There are strengths and weaknesses, but nothing outstanding.

Advantages

• Patency . The bike feels confident on dirt roads and broken asphalt.
• Dynamics . It’s not bad, and even on suburban highways the owner will not feel discriminated against.
• Reliability . The scrambler from the Motoland company is devoid of “childhood sores” characteristic of motorcycles from China.
• Brakes . They are disk-based, unlike the Suzuki VanVan, and they work properly.
• increased to 12 liters . The Japanese install 6.5-liter tanks.

Flaws

• Strong vibrations caused by the lack of a balancer shaft in the engine. At high speed they are very annoying.
• Wide steering wheel , making maneuvering between rows difficult.
• Short service intervals . But only 1 liter of oil needs to be poured into the engine.

Owner reviews

A tenacious moped if you treat it well! I put Motul 15-50 in the engine, the gearbox shifts smoothly. The brakes are good, but they are easy to overpress, you have to be careful. It steers beautifully, but sometimes it’s difficult to get between cars, the steering wheel is at the height of the mirrors, and it’s wide. There are no repairs and there have been no repairs, the mileage is about 9000 km now. Vasily, Moscow.

At speeds of 100+ the lack of wind protection is annoying; I installed a windshield and it became easier. The vibrations are annoying; after a long ride, my arms and legs seem to itch for a long time. I was choosing between the new Raptor and the 14-year-old VanWan, I chose the Chinese and I don’t regret it. An excellent moto for the money. Alexey, Novy Urengoy.

A high-quality Chinese bike that doesn’t fall apart on the go. There is a 12-liter gas tank and a standard trunk for junk. The character is friendly, can be recommended as a first device. Yuri, Elista.

FAQ

• Are Suzuki parts suitable for it? Only some.
• Are the vibrations really as strong as people write in reviews? Yes, this is due to the fact that the motor used by the Chinese engineers does not have a balance shaft.
• Will the Motoland V Raptor 250 pass for a Suzuki if the nameplates on it are changed? Quite, unless you meet the owner of the same Suzuki.

Conclusion

Copies are sometimes not inferior to the originals, and sometimes even surpass them in some ways. The Motoland V Raptor 250 motorcycle is exactly that. Chinese designers took a model that had been proven for decades, improved it slightly by installing a more powerful engine , a larger gas tank and better brakes , and offered it to customers for $2,000. And the bike is worth the money.

Specifications

Flaws

Brakes

If everything is generally good with the engine and suspension on the Motoland WRX250 Lite WFA motorcycle, then where did you save? And we saved money, first of all, on the brakes. The rear brakes either do not brake or are immediately blocked. No information content. And the fact that the brake foot was installed under the footrest once again proves that the manufacturer understands little about off-road motorcycles. Not only does it reduce ground clearance, but the brake also jams when grass and branches get between the foot and the frame. As for the front brakes, they are weak and ineffective. In order to go down a steep slope, you need to press the brake with all your fingers. Thank you, at least they are not blocked. I hope replacing the brake caliper with a Brembo copy will help the situation at least a little.

Accessories

Of course, I understand that in order to fit the price tag of a motorcycle into the coveted 150,000 rubles, you need to sacrifice something. The brakes were set to the cheapest. It's bad, but oh well. The carburetor has insufficient performance, but is an order of magnitude cheaper - this is also understandable. But saving on traction control devices or on a normal, folding gearbox claw is complete nonsense. As a result, the savings amounted to 800 rubles. Are you seriously??? And the fact that the Motoland company persistently installs grips on its motorcycles that are even slightly unsuitable for riding, I am already silent. By the way, the savings on grips are 50-100 rubles. maximum. Oh yes, I almost forgot about the kickstarter, which I immediately had to remove because it was in the way of my leg. And what idiot decided that removing the spring from the footrest so that it could be started with a kick was a good idea? Many will say that these are all trifles. Yes, but it’s precisely these little things that form the idea of ​​the brand as a whole.

Weight

We weighed this two-wheeled horse. As a result, the motorcycle with oil and antifreeze weighs 123 kg. Accordingly, if you fill it with gasoline under the neck of the tank, the weight will be about 128 kg. This is not enough. But again, depending on what you compare it to. It weighs the same as its brothers on the 177 engine. The GR7 weighed a couple of kg less. Modern full-size four-stroke hard enduro Europeans already weigh 5-7 kilograms lighter. But if you compare it with the Japanese big three XR250, TTR250 and Djabel250, then the WRX is just fluff compared to them. In general, although this weight is excessive, given the cost of this unit, the extra kilos can be forgiven.