Review and review of the M1NSK (Minsk) X250 motorcycle

All inexpensive Chinese enduros are usually made according to the same scheme, but the Minsk x250 went a different route. Belarusian-Chinese cooperation has led to the emergence of a budget motorcycle, well suited for beginners , affordable, but not too archaic. It cannot be called modern either, but it stands out very favorably against the background of most competitors, and on all fronts at once. Despite the fact that the market is oversaturated with cheap enduros, the M1nsk motorcycle will certainly occupy its niche in it, squeezing out its rivals.

Design

Are you also tired of faceless Chinese small-capacity cars that look alike like two peas in a pod? Do you want something fresh? In this case, the brainchild of Chinese designers has every chance to please everyone. It's amazing how little styling tweaks can change the look of a standard motorcycle! Elegant plastic sidewalls of an original shape, matte black color, a “muscular” frame that immediately catches the eye... The result has been achieved, and it is no longer possible to confuse the Minsk x250 with any other bike of the same class.

Specifications

Various little things have been well thought out on this motorcycle. Even the plastic fairing around the headlight is mounted on rubber mounts so that it does not crack from vibrations! And there are quite a lot of such little things. This approach benefited the model, despite the fact that in general its technical characteristics can be called average.

Engine

The old-fashioned 225 cc air-cooled power unit is capable of producing 16.3 hp. and 17 Nm of torque . Peak power is reached at around 8500 rpm, so this engine needs to be revved vigorously to maintain high dynamics, but this feature is common to almost all single-cylinder small displacement engines. Maximum speed – 110 km/h . And the engine itself is reliably protected by the frame and protective elements, so it is unlikely to be damaged while driving off-road, and it is difficult to overheat it.

Transmission

The archaic 5-speed gearbox is simple and reliable. Gear shifts are loud, with knocking noises coming from somewhere in the depths of the gearbox, but everything works smoothly, without jamming or false neutrals. The absence of a sixth gear in the transmission of this Minsk motorcycle is not even felt, since the fifth is enough for all operating conditions. This is an enduro, after all, and not a sport-tourist!

Chassis and brakes

The classic design is a steel frame , a monoshock absorber with a pendulum (preload adjustment is included)... But in front there is a long-stroke inverted fork that does an excellent job of absorbing shocks. The brakes work satisfactorily, with one brake disc installed on both wheels. Light enduro doesn't need more.

Electronics

There are no auxiliary systems in this model, and all electronics are kept to a minimum. The only thing that distinguishes the Minsk x250 from some budget Chinese “Alpha” in this matter is LED optics and a USB port for charging devices . The wires are laid correctly so that they do not fray due to vibrations.

Weight and dimensions

Despite the “adult” dimensions by class standards, the bike weighs a little, only 123 kg . Any beginner, including the fair sex, can cope with it. But due to the significant height in the saddle, some pilots may have difficulty getting their feet to the ground. But the ground clearance of 21 cm allows you not to be afraid of most obstacles on the way.

Controllability

Thoughtful weight distribution, coupled with good suspension and low weight make the Minsk x 250 an excellent controllable toy in almost any conditions. It feels confident both on the ground and on asphalt, although do not forget that “toothy” off-road tires do not contribute to directional stability on roads. At high speed, the motorcycle does not hold its trajectory very confidently.

Fuel consumption

The gasoline consumption officially declared by the manufacturer for the Minsk x250 is 3 liters per 100 km in the combined cycle. On the off-road, it grows sharply, and, according to the owners, it is quite possible to completely burn down a 10-liter tank of fuel in a day of driving. The bike consumes AI-92, and it is undemanding in terms of fuel quality.

Hello friends! For those with whom you are already familiar, a short update: after long journeys, I swapped the Transalp for a KTM motocross bike, joined a hard enduro team with the proud name Bulba Enduro Team, and traveled through closer, but less accessible wilds. Because everyone will ride enduro, and many of the people who ride enduro will ride hard enduro. Recursion, in short.

But the post is not about this, but about the breaking news of our Belarusian industry: just now a new Belarusian motorcycle M1NSK X250 (made in China 100%) went on sale. And, having given it to journalists for city reviews, Motovelo realized that there was not enough trash. And they gave it to me for a slaughter test. Here's the performance characteristics of this monster for your reference:

• Engine type: 1 cylinder, 4 stroke
• Working volume, cc: 225
• Power, hp at rpm: 16.3/8500
• Start type: electric starter, kick starter
• Cooling: air
• Number of gears: 5

Maximum speed: 110 km/h

• Tires: 21/18
• Dimensions: 220*1160*770
• Dry weight, kg: 123
• Wheelbase, mm: 1450
• Ground clearance, mm: 210
• Max. torque, Nm at rpm: 17/6000

In short, 16 traction horses, air cooling, nothing special.
But... now drum roll, and the most important performance characteristics - the price of the moped is much cheaper than all the new Chinese on the Belarusian market, including the Baltmotors assembled in Kaliningrad - only 2600 BYN, or about 79 thousand Russian rubles or almost $1400. Plus, it looks quite tolerable, and can at least nominally be considered Belarusian. Coupled with the price, this caused ecstasy among the people, a lot of criticism, and sometimes a desire to buy it. I cannot be nostalgic for the old “minchiki”, because when they plowed the expanses of the Belarusian collective farms, I walked under the table. For the same reason, I cannot compare it with older models, but still, in the winter I was entrusted with testing a test sample in combat conditions. Here it is, the black lord of the forest paths motorcycle:

Part 1. Winter test.

Where can you test the bike in January? I went to the Paris-Mossar rally. No, no, no typo :) Just a couple of weeks after Paris-Dakar, the Paris-Mosar rally was organized in Belarus, we have such villages. And for complete trash, I had to race with new models of the Belarus tractor, which, by the way, ungodly beat me down.

Impression:

It is somewhat similar to the Racer and all other derivatives, but we did not find 100% identical copies. He also behaves a little differently. Manufacturers decided to keep up with the times and use high technology: there is a stock USB charger on the steering wheel, and the tidy changes the color of the backlight using a separate button. Unfortunately, this was not useful to me, but I did appreciate the powerful iron engine protection. I also liked the tool case attached to the left under the seat. True, a little later he decided to evacuate and no one saw him again.

The minchik itself can be compared to a tractor - the four-stroke engine runs smoothly, chirps softly and quietly, and pulls forward. The X250 is designed to be ridden in a seated position rather than in a standing position. This is facilitated by the wide seat, which makes you want to ride on it to admire the sunset, and not race with tractors through the swamp. The suspension is stiffer than that of the Kaliningrad Baltmotors Enduro 200DD, but it worked out a couple of deep potholes filled with water. The bike is quite high, and for this reason it may seem uncomfortable to a person under 170 cm without riding skills. Personally, it was fine for me. During these 24 kilometers through snow-covered fields, forests and swamps, I managed to experience pain, humiliation and the most obvious shortcomings and advantages of a motorcycle. During the first two falls I broke off the left and right hand guards on the steering wheel, and during the third I bent the steering wheel. These are its main disadvantages - the plastic is brittle, the steering wheel is soft, the gear foot and rear brake are large, and the side stand is simply huge and sticks out. But despite this, Minchik rode quite tolerably, especially on Petroshin. In the snow, it has one undeniable advantage - it is more difficult to over-throttle it before the rear wheel drifts, and while my colleague on a Yamaha YZF flew into the right and left bushes, I calmly rode and rode.

Such are Belarusian entertainments. As a result, the factory was probably so happy that I didn’t kill him completely that they decided to give it a second try.

Part 2. Collective sadism.

This time I decided to share the joy of unpunished executions with my teammates: For the next test I had to ride a few kilometers in a minivan as a passenger - it’s still an adventure.
If two people of light weight travel, then moving around the city is quite comfortable. But if you attach another helmet like a spider to the back, you begin to feel like in India - too many people and not enough motorcycle. When the comrade driving me stood on the footrests on speed bumps, he landed almost on my lap, which amused me terribly. The idea for the advertising slogan is “M1NSK brings closer together!” This is where I end my reasoning and, insidiously rubbing my hands, I take the motorcycle to the quarry for a crash test to get an answer to the question - can it be called an enduro? Together with a passenger, and even on the highway, you can’t really overtake anyone. The moth is pushing, but he goes for a hundred, and with a fair wind, even more.

Just in case, we changed the tires; the original ones are more likely to be road tires. We removed everything unnecessary so that it wouldn't break off. They also wanted to transfer the stars, but did not find any suitable ones.

According to first impressions, there would be more power in 16 live horses. If on other enduros with good tires the torque allows you to drive on the sand in any gear, then with the Minsk this works fine only in first and second gears. The same goes for all the hills: you pick up speed on the second one and then go up on the first one. There is enough torque in these gears, but you need to turn the knob all the way. I spun on it a little in the sand and handed the victim over to the professionals to “fry” it for the entire $1,400.

Naturally, the first thing everyone did was to bully him, some easily, some not without difficulty.

Alexander Grudo, motorcycle mechanic and chief annealer: “When I was racing in Minsk as a child, a few cubes of power and a fifth gear were not enough for complete happiness. This is exactly what they added here, but I would change a lot of things. Those horns on the back need to be removed - my butt still hurts! Cutting down, removing, uprooting is unsafe. The shape of the kick and side step also needs improvement. The main problem is the fork. I would make the suspension for myself - more rigid, so that it does not break through on every bump. I don’t take into account the materials from which everything is made. The steering wheel is soft and will bend when dropped. I would like the rear wheel to have a normal hub and direct sprocket mounting for quickly changing the gear ratio.

Despite the criticism, Sasha, at full throttle at the cut-off point, goes up all the training steep hills in the quarry in Minsk, does wheelies, stoppies and other acrobatic sketches

Kirill Darenskikh, endurist: “Compared to the 90s, the Minsk Motorcycle Plant has made a breakthrough in the production of two-wheeled vehicles (holds back laughter). In fact, nothing has changed fundamentally. For sport, the motorcycle is sorely lacking in power and torque. In terms of suspension, it is more suitable for road use than for off-road use. The convenience of the control levers is satisfactory, and if you put a larger star, then it is quite possible to cut through on the rear wheel if a person weighs up to 80 kilograms. Or pull back further and lengthen the seat. A city motorcycle for a quiet ride, but if desired, you can modify it, change the sprockets and tires, and the rest is skill: 80 percent is the pilot, 20 percent is the motorcycle.”

Alexander Shunkov, organizer of the “Steep Hills” hard-enduro competition: “If you look at it from a sporting point of view, I don’t even know what to say about it. Firstly, it has the wrong ergonomics if we talk about it as an enduro. The footrests are very low, it is uncomfortable to wrap your legs around it and ride in a standing position. The suspensions don’t work very well - the fork and shock absorber constantly break through, even if you don’t jump, but just ride along the “comb”. It goes up hills, but gets warm very quickly in the heat - the clutch fails. Afterwards I got up on my merry-go-round and didn’t understand what had happened, something was wrong. If you start driving this “Minsk” in sports, the wrong skills may become established. It will be possible to race only in its B1 class and compete with the X200 that it will make. You won't be able to jump or fly much on it. For example, if you land in the sand, you need to do it on the gas; it won’t have enough traction for that. It’s suitable for mushroom pickers or fishermen. Sitting quietly, rattling around the forest somewhere picking mushrooms - that’s what it’s needed for. You shouldn’t expect anything more from him.”

Sergei Khokhlov, after trying to jump over a log: “Oops! Did I land on the engine protection?”

A couple of video clips that didn’t capture the atmosphere of general madness, but can show the moped in action. Log

The culmination of the day was Sasha Grudo’s proposal to throw the spendthrift off the cliff and go home. The cliff is a 10-meter descent, with three meters of free fall followed by landing on the slope. Sasha Grudo accelerates and, with a loud obscenity, flies down with the “minchik”, landing with a roar and a cloud of dust.

After all the executions, I even went home by minchik. The chain did not stretch, the wheel did not bend, the fork did not leak, only the clutch began to act a little from frequent attempts to lift the motorcycle onto the rear wheel. He may not be made for such procedures, but he survived, which means he can!

Still, it’s a little different for enduro - there’s a lack of reliability, durability of spare parts, and speed. But getting to work in traffic jams and going to barbecues is his element. For a more active tumble, you can and need to modify it, saw off all the excess, change the steering wheel to a less soft one and install sprockets with a higher gear ratio. If Minsk were as congested with traffic as, for example, some small Indian town, this motorcycle would have every chance of becoming national urban transport. Although, in the Belarusian forests, no, no, and dirty X250s and their satisfied or dissatisfied drivers flash by.

Motorcycle price

At dealers, a new bike costs on average 85-95 thousand rubles , and for this price buyers also receive a guarantee. There are almost no offers on the secondary market, since the model was released recently, and those used copies that are offered are not much cheaper than new ones, so there is no point in saving such a penny.

Competitors of the Minsk R 250

• Kawasaki Z250. Probably the most popular sport bike in Russia for beginners.
• Genata YZF-R250 . Chinese sportbike, both in appearance and in name copying the Yamaha YZF-125R
• Loncin GP300 . Another “Chinese”, very interesting. Started production in 2022.
• Honda CBR 250R . Another lightweight 1-cylinder sportbike. The price, however, is steep.
• Yamaha YZF 250R.

Repair and tuning

Maintainability, low cost of spare parts and a large amount of universal tuning at an affordable price are one of the advantages of Chinese motorcycles. Minsk x 250 is no exception in this matter, despite its Belarusian roots. After all, it is produced in the PRC, and in the fraternal republic they simply screw wheels onto ready-made copies, put a couple of stickers on them and send them to dealer showrooms.

Repair

It is easy to independently maintain and, if necessary, repair the bike. Its design is simple and logical, and any motorcyclist who is not afraid to get their hands dirty can figure it out. But if you were afraid of getting them dirty, you probably wouldn't buy an enduro, right? And for any operations with this motorcycle, a regular set of tools, a garage and, optionally, a couple of friends for company will be enough.

Spare parts

The Minsk x250 is currently being produced, and it is also assembled in Belarus, so there are no problems with spare parts. Dealers usually keep only consumables and the most popular parts in stock, but everything else can be ordered to order in a short time. Many units are suitable from other Chinese enduros, but they need to be selected by trial and error.

Tuning

There is no point in investing money in an inexpensive bike, and there is no specialized tuning for the Minsk x250 M1nsk. But a variety of universal gadgets made in China, which are available in bulk in online stores, are perfect for it. All this stuff is inexpensive, but before buying it is highly advisable to turn it in your hands to evaluate the quality, which is sometimes very low.

New M1NSK X250 for $1300. We are starting a resource test

What has been talked about for so long has happened - enduro is returning to the model range of the Minsk Motorcycle Plant. After a short acquaintance with the pre-production version of the X250, we decided to take the production motorcycle for the entire season to test its consumer qualities and reliability. The last one is the most important question...

Enduro is our everything. This type of motorcycle in the editorial office of MOTO.ABW.BY breathes unevenly, for a lot of reasons.

These motorcycles don't care about the quality of the road surface. They simply don’t notice any unevenness; you can fly over potholes without having to understand the road. High ground clearance, amazing maneuverability, simplicity of design, reliability, efficiency, comfortable upright seating position, etc. and so on. Enduro is the most practical and versatile motorcycle in the world.

But in the country of Yamaha R1 lovers and leather overalls, there is a small problem with the choice of enduro in the used market. How small? Big. If heavy enduros with engines with a capacity of more than 600 cc can still be found, although there are few options, then small light Japanese motorcycles with engines with a capacity of 125-250 cc are completely absent this season. And they are needed for “rides” through fields and forests, because there is absolutely nothing to do in the mud on a heavy 600 cc touring enduro.

The supply of used cars from abroad has practically stopped, so the choice is small. We were looking for our editor for a light motorcycle for “rides” in the forests, we had already found a “live” two-stroke 125 cc Kawasaki, but before re-registering the motorcycle, the owner gave the back word: “you need such a cow yourself.” And that’s it, the country has run out of good lightweight enduros.

What if you bring it from Russia? To find and bring here a normal used Japanese lightweight enduro, you need to have at least $2500-3000 in your pocket, including delivery. If you don’t have that kind of money, you need to either wait for manna from heaven, that is, the appearance of a “live” inexpensive motorcycle in our advertisements, or take a “China” one. As you know, reliability is the Achilles heel of Chinese motorcycles. And when it comes to harsh off-road conditions, Chinese motorcycles even begin to disintegrate into molecules.

But the Chinese are learning. The previous M1NSK X200 was considered quite reliable for a “Chinese” enduro. Baltmotors Enduro, which is also discontinued, also runs quite well and does not break down much. Still would! This is a copy of the Suzuki Djebel - why wouldn't it drive?

But what the M1NSK X250 is in terms of reliability is still a mystery. But for lovers of off-road “rides” in the fields without $3000 in their pockets, there is simply no alternative to the X250. What else can you buy for this money? Nothing. So the most important question is: will the M1NSK X250 be reliable? This is what we plan to find out.

And here we smoothly move directly to our resource test. Previously, the motorcycle plant gave us motorcycles on which certification was carried out. Accordingly, they were slightly different from the serial ones and were hastily assembled. This time, for the entire season, we got a completely new serial X250 in cellophane, on which no fly sat. They even offered to choose a color - black and orange.

Through a poll on Facebook, it was determined that the black X250 looks cooler. Indeed, some kind of doomsday motorcycle! Of course, orange is brighter, which is safer, but M1NSK looks very cool in black. And in general, we can safely give the design a five plus - the motorcycle turned out to be a very stylish and beautiful one.

The first difference from its predecessor X200 (with it, however, the new motorcycle has no “family” connection) is the larger engine. In documents and official specifications, 225 cc is indicated everywhere. Moreover, if you look closely at the engine, you can find the unit number 166FMM on it. A motor with the same number is found on the Irbis TTR250 and other “Chinese” models. There is a suspicion that there are still 250 “cubes” here. But it is not exactly. We'll look into this issue later.

The unit itself is from the family of Chinese CB series engines. These are single-cylinder engines with a volume of 125-250 cc. Their prototype is a Honda engine, and one of the most “ancient” ones: the roots can be traced back to the 89 cc single-cylinder engine of the SV-90 motorcycle from 1970! The Chinese copy turned out to be very reliable. Moreover, the same engine, but 125 cc, used to be on the classic Minsk in a version with a 4-stroke engine. There were no particular complaints about him either. We will look at the engine in more detail later, but for now the good news is that there probably won’t be any problems with spare parts for the engine, because the 166FMM is a very common unit.

As for the rest of the motorcycle design, we have not yet found a Chinese or Japanese equivalent of the X250. In the original it is called YX250-CBA. The manufacturer is the same that supplies here the parts for assembling the D4 50 “mopedik” - Chongqing Yinxiang. It feels like a good "China".

How's it going? This time we decided to carefully break in the motorcycle. So, firstly, it will reach its performance characteristics and will not break down - you still need to run in Chinese engines with special care. Secondly, if we like the motorcycle, we may be willing to buy it back. Therefore, we drive carefully, practically do not touch the gas, and develop no more than 60 km/h, although according to the running-in rules you cannot accelerate faster than 50 km/h.

But it accelerates easily - you don’t touch the gas, but it goes. At 60 km/h the engine feels good, so there is nothing wrong with such a speed when running in. The main thing is not to keep the tachometer needle in one place for a long time.

This is the thing we took for the summer. Roars!)

Publication from AUTObusiness - everything for cars! (@abw.by) Apr 16 2022 at 5:19 PDT

So far the impressions from the engine are only positive. The first kilometers were difficult for him, the revolutions grew and fluctuated all the time, but literally after 50 km he began to work smoothly, the revolutions stabilized. Unlike the pre-production motorcycle that Nastya Leneva tested, this one has a normal exhaust pipe, not a straight-through exhaust pipe. It is neither loud nor quiet. The sound is very pleasant - a typical “endur” menacing roar. Listening to it in a helmet is a pleasure, you don’t even need any music.

Another important difference from the X200 is that the bike is taller. He is unrealistically tall for this class. With my height of 170 cm, I can barely climb it. The first kilometers were very uncomfortable - I had to change the habit of standing with both feet on the ground, because you can barely reach the ground with both feet. Out of habit, I dropped it at the first gas station, catching the saddle with my foot when I got off...

Damage: a couple of small, insignificant scratches on the plastic (one of the advantages of the black color is that scratches can be easily touched up with any varnish) and a broken left hand windshield. That same evening it was repaired in a matter of minutes in the garage with an ordinary soldering iron and wire mesh. For the future, these plastic parts must be replaced with aluminum ones, because, apart from wind protection for the hands, they do not serve any other function. And you need to protect the enduro levers, because being left without a clutch lever somewhere in the forest after another fall is not very pleasant.

The next day I got used to the height of the motorcycle, but why did it have to be made so high? Not many people will jump over logs on this motorcycle - why? Moreover, the adjustment of the spring softness of the rear monoshock absorber is already at a minimum; it cannot be made softer. Those with very short legs will either have to invent something with the rear suspension, for example, select a different monoshock absorber, or order new springs. Another option is to file the seat.

But when you finally climb this skyscraper, you begin to feel like the king of the road! You sit high, you can see far away. And tall people will also like it. The fit is upright and very comfortable. In traffic jams, it will be difficult for short people to change lanes from one row to another, and it is also difficult to reverse, because their feet do not normally reach the ground, but the steering wheel is higher than the mirrors of cars, the motorcycle itself is narrow - it is very convenient to pass between cars.

The suspension is a bit harsh compared to the Baltmotors; small irregularities are not filtered out as well as we would like. But it holds up well, and there were still complaints about the energy consumption of the Baltmotors front fork. At least speed bumps can be passed at any speed. Anyone at all! And if desired, the suspension can certainly be made softer by changing the oil in the fork.

Build quality? So far there are no complaints, except for one. There is clearly something wrong with the suction; it doesn’t really work. To start the motorcycle, you need to lift the lever on the carburetor with your little finger, because it does not have a normal connection with the plastic lever of the enricher itself. After which, when starting (in cold weather this will not happen the first time), you need to maintain the speed manually with the throttle handle. In general, we will deal with the suction while it works so-so.

But I like the tires - they hold up well on asphalt, and off-road there probably shouldn’t be any problems with such a pattern. The lighting technology, except for the front headlight, is LED, which is very progressive. And there is also a standard USB port on the steering wheel - this is actually something incredible! You install a special mount for your phone, connect to the charger, and you don’t have to worry that the turned on navigator will “eat up” the smartphone’s battery. Class!

The tank is plastic. Chinese steel tanks have one serious problem - they rust from the inside, which can lead to problems with fuel supply. The plastic tank does not rust, therefore, there is no need to clean it immediately after purchase. There are also plenty of warning signs translated into Russian - a small thing, but nice.

Of course, you shouldn’t expect the quality of the legendary Japanese “checks” from the X250. Yes, there is a nuance with suction, yes, I would like a little softer and lower suspension. But a new 225cc enduro with an inverted fork, electronic instrument panel, USB port, LED lighting and a reliable, proven engine under warranty for $1,300? At the same time, nothing yet suggests that this is a low-quality “China”; on the contrary, there is still a feeling that the motorcycle will not disintegrate into atoms after all. So absolutely reasonable price! And there are practically no competitors: many Chinese manufacturers are not represented here, and Japanese lightweight enduros have practically disappeared from advertisements. Therefore, the demand for the new M1NSK is now high - the plant says that they do not have time to assemble it. More precisely, to complete the assembly, since it arrives almost ready.

In the style of back in the ussr)

Publication from AUTObusiness - everything for cars! (@abw.by) Apr 16 2022 at 5:18 PDT

In general, as long as I really like the motorcycle, I don’t care about some rough edges, everything will be eliminated if desired. But is the new X250 reliable? This is the most important question that we have to figure out. Follow the site!

Yuri GLADCHUK Photo by Anton SHELKOVICH ABW.BY

Notes in the margins

The quality of the plastic painting is not the highest, and the inside of the front fender is not painted at all. To be honest, this is the least of my worries. Firstly, the price is low, and secondly, a true endurist’s motorcycle should be covered in scratches and dirt. Therefore, we have no complaints about the quality of painting - what does it matter?

The "spine" of the frame looks neatly molded and looks strong.

The engine is protected by steel protection. But there is no protection from dirt - dirt flies onto the cooling fins. However, this is normal for an airman.

The visibility in the mirrors is excellent, the “picture” is not distorted. They are spaced widely, and if you bend over the steering wheel before changing lanes, you can control the “dead” spots without turning your head.

The footrests are a bit small, but vibrations are not transmitted to them. There is a removable rubber part: if you remove it, your foot will not slide off the pegs when riding up to your neck in mud.

The powerful-looking inverted fork is a definite plus of the motorcycle.

The brake pipes are not reinforced. But they are neatly “packed” in plastic tubes and do not dangle anywhere. In general, there are no complaints about the assembly yet.

The electric starter is also duplicated by a kick starter. Is this bike really worth $1300?

The paint on the engine from the boot has already started to wear off. But what endurist cares about scratches and scuffs? The main thing is that the dirt is kneaded well. Gears, by the way, shift very clearly, except that “neutral” is not always caught the first time.

The saddle is not sportily wide. Let's consider this a plus, because the X250 will be used more for amateur rides or as a motorcycle for every day, rather than in sports competitions. Therefore, a wide seat is comfortable. At the same time, the passenger handles are strong steel - it is impossible to break them. There is still room to install a trunk.

Front and rear disc brakes. Moreover, the rear disc has large holes for cooling - this is good, since the rear brake is actively used when maneuvering at low speeds. There are no complaints about the effectiveness of the brakes, the motorcycle slows down normally, but there is no delight - the brakes are like brakes.

The electronic instrument panel has two backlight colors to choose from using a button - blue and orange. It is very convenient that there is a clock, an indicator of low fuel level in the tank and a gear engaged. The “tidy” is simply gorgeous.

Advantages and disadvantages

It must be admitted that Chinese designers tried to improve the motorcycle as much as possible, while keeping its price at a low level. And they succeeded! So the bike has acquired not only, for example, good suspensions, but also such optional nice little things as a USB charger for the phone. And given its price, it would be unfair to judge it too harshly.

Advantages

• Light weight and ergonomics thought out to the smallest detail. The bike is easy and convenient to handle.
• Good suspensions for such a budget enduro.
• Ease of maintenance and repair .
• A good LED headlight with a properly concentrated light output.
• Energy-intensive long-travel suspensions that cope well with road irregularities.

Flaws

• Standard tires are of low quality. If your budget allows, it is better to replace it immediately after purchasing a motorcycle.
• At high speeds the engine generates strong vibrations .
• High fuel consumption when driving over rough terrain.

Owner reviews

It doesn't have enough power for deep mud or snow, but that's my only complaint. The Mot tries to seem like a real enduro, although it is more of a SUV, despite its aggressive appearance. It’s comfortable to ride on dirt roads, the suspension is really excellent, the holes are absorbed with a bang, but you can easily get stuck in liquid clay. In winter I went out for a drive around the dacha, drove for an hour, during which time I got stuck in the snow ten times, got tired of it, and put it in the garage until spring. The engine would be more powerful, and it would generally be an excellent toy for off-road fun. Victor, Sergiev Posad.

The concept of the motorcycle is not bad, but the execution let us down. The assembly is of poor quality, after purchase you need to check everything yourself; in general, the bolt on the front wheel axle was not tightened all the way, nor was the drain plug on the crankcase. In general, I bought myself a blank for 85k, added another 15, and brought everything to mind. This is what I initially counted on; I have experience with Chinese technology, and the Minsk x 250 is far from its worst example. Artyom, Smolensk.

I ride a liter Seabee, I took the Chinese as a second bike for rides with my endurist friends. They all ride old Japanese ones, but without fanaticism, so I don’t lag behind them on my moped, it behaves quite decently. I change the oil based on engine hours, not mileage, there have been no problems, but so far the hourly output is low. We'll see what happens there. Oleg, Kazan

FAQ

• In Belarus there are no problems with spare parts, but in Russia? There are not many dealers. In fact, there are enough dealers, and ordering the necessary parts in the Republic of Belarus is not a problem; they will most likely arrive quickly.
• The side plastic is shaped in such a way that it inevitably hits the ground. How to protect it? You can install sliders or cage elements, this should help. But this will increase the weight of the motorcycle, and in general you shouldn’t worry about it - any enduro is designed with the expectation that it will fall from time to time.
• How does the x250 engine perform on long trips at a steady speed? Not very good, like any other small displacement engine. If you are going to travel with this motorcycle, change the speed setting from time to time to avoid technical problems.

Conclusion

Minsk Enduro 250 is a surprisingly good bike for its price . Moderately modern, quite reliable, durable and visually attractive , it can become a faithful friend not only for a novice motorcyclist, but also for an experienced biker. It's not too heavy that aggressive off-road driving will cause problems due to weight and size, but it's powerful enough to provide plenty of adrenaline. Of course, it’s better to leave ski jumping to motocross bikes; after all, the Minsk x250 is more of a dual-purpose motorcycle than a hard enduro. This is what makes him good - he is able to cope with all tasks little by little. You can use it to go to work, ride through forests and fields , and even go on a short trip along broken roads .

Specifications

Review and review of the M1NSK (Minsk) X250 motorcycle

Get your piggy banks ready, clench your Franklins in your fist and get in line at Motovelo, because now we’ll be talking about that very thing.

Meet the star Motovelo, the best enduro motorcycle (no), advanced technologies of China and our Motherland, the legendary M1NSK x250.

I think it's time to disassemble this masterpiece of motorcycle construction. With the support of M1NSK chat, we will tell you what you were afraid to even think about.

A small disclaimer, the author is not the owner of x250, but having extensive experience communicating with owners and having personally tried this technique, he formed a personal opinion that may not coincide with the opinions of other people. But this doesn’t bother the author much.

So, the x250 model replaced the no less popular x200. Has she gotten better? Listening to the reviews, it seems that no, but we were left with no choice; it is no longer possible to buy a new x200.

Having $1.5 kg of greens, the question arises, what to buy? There isn't much choice. After all, you want to go to work, and this means having a PTS, you want to take a walk in the forest, and this is an enduro class. And finally, you want the legendary Minchik, because my dad told me how cool it was to dissect in MMV3. And here in front of you is x250. Black or Orange? There is a legend that black is better. Let's leave this to the judgment (discretion) of the owners. You sit down, he is tall - yes, heavy - no, you feel that there is something serious under you (after all, you are inexperienced and naive). You turn the key, press the electric starter button - yes, it’s there, not like in your rickety cross-country shoes. You start and drive. Everything is super, it is tall, quite narrow, you can easily squeeze between these slow boxes, unnerving car enthusiasts. You are the first to start from a traffic light, the airy 225 cc engine allows you to play around in moderation, and the spiked tires look aggressive and solid. You pick up your princess on this black horse, you are like a medieval knight, in armor, in a helmet, under you there is a frisky horse and a beautiful princess with you. What more could you want? These are the best moments of your life. And the thought that the expense of this horse will not hit your minted coin makes a smile touch your ears, and your brain make plans for a great evening in a tavern.

After riding for a week, you realize that your horse is still not as playful and fast as you would like. You are looking for a reason, and eureka, because such a motorcycle should run with the best oil in the world. And now the sacred Motul off-road is in your hands, because you have a real enduro. The crankcase plug was unscrewed, as usual, it fell into the drain container and was filled with oil. And oh horror, this liquid is more like sake than oil. And here is the first piece of advice, my dear reader, Chinese (and you thought this was ours?) equipment requires an oil change immediately in the store. Before the first start, it is mandatory, urgent and urgent. After all, the x250 is a good motorcycle and every owner wants it to last longer.

So, the oil was changed, the motorcycle came to life. It's all magic Motul

A high profile, aggressive appearance, toothy tires, it deliberately provokes you to go where it smells of gasoline mixed with oil, you can hear the sounds of chainsaws, swearing and crunching bones.

After reading an article about choosing equipment

Putting on your brand new Gaerne SG-12, you rush into the forest. You pull onto the path, drive further and there it is - a quarry. You drive onto the sand... and then we take a break. Dear x250 customers, this is where your mistakes begin. It’s not that you don’t have handlebar protection or don’t have enduro or hydration experience. It's your mistake that you came here at all. Perhaps, although I am sure of this, many will want to run over me with their HARD-ENDURO x250, but this equipment is not designed for heavy use in conditions close to competition. Heavy weight (about 134 kg), pressed rice passed off as steel - all this is not conducive to off-road driving. The X250 will perform well on public roads, on short trips, on gravel or forest roads. Minimal tuning will make it an excellent off-road motorcycle. Increased cross-country ability, this does not mean putting all the money on the azimuth, this is a forest road on a dry day.

A small note: most of the Minsk drivers I know drive hard. But everyone admits that this is not why Papa Mao raised this flower. The X250 is an excellent motorcycle for entering enduro, for the right price, but nothing more.

I'll give you examples: -Pendant. What do we need in enduro? It is soft at the beginning and elastic at the end of compression. What does x two hundred and fifty give us? Nothing. Well, that's it. The front fork requires a minimum of oil changes, the maximum is a deep overhaul, turner work and selection of springs. And still you won’t even get the stock version of the profile Enduro. The x250 suspension is suitable for driving onto a curb, but not for driving onto a pyramid of logs 2 meters high.

The rear shock absorber has already become a legend and has acquired a whole stack of humorous folk art. To put it simply and clearly, the operation of this unit is similar to the operation of the suspension on a train... you know it, right? Perhaps the x250 will open up like a supermoto, with their clamped suspensions, but there have been no daredevils yet. For the unit to work, you will need to, at a minimum, replace the stock shock absorber, and at most, re-weld the fasteners. And if you picked up a welder, then it wouldn’t hurt to strengthen the pendulum. It is no different in strength.

You have already presented the area of ​​work on the new motorcycle to prepare it for more or less moderate off-road use. Then add a rear sprocket mount here. Anyone who tries to ride a rear wheel using an x250 will ask on the forum what to do with a torn sprocket. Well, yes, this is our favorite minchik. I’ll list what to do at the end of the article, but for now let’s continue. Do you like going to the gym? But you have to! Enduro is a fall, a fall is the rise of a motorcycle, add sand, slush, mud, incline and 130 kg of rice iron. But you still won’t believe me, so go ahead, I’ll write you a reminder:

What to do when buying x250

• Change of oil
• Replacing the steering wheel
• Replacing tires
• Chains and stars
• Installation of lever protection
• Disassembling all components, lubricating, reassembling, or ideally replacing all bolts with a high-quality analogue.

If you’ve had the mini for a long time and you still venture off-road:

• Changing the oil in the fork, if to the maximum, rebuilding all the internals and replacing the springs.
• Installation of towbars, ideally replacing the rims with a durable analogue.
• Rear sprocket mounting bulkhead.
• Overcooking the rear shock absorber mounting ears.
• Strengthening the pendulum.
• Replacing the standard muffler and adjusting the carburetor.

Quite a lot, right?

And as an epilogue

The X250 is an excellent dual-purpose motorcycle, its element is the city and forest walks. An excellent trainer for a young motorcyclist and a good start for a novice endurist... or mechanic. I advise you to buy, but only after reading the article.

P.S. If you search hard, you can find excellent options on the secondary market, with minimal mileage and the necessary tuning. This will save you time and money that will be required to prepare a new copy.

Forum: https://forum.onliner.by/viewtopic.php?t=19819808

VK group with a link to the Viber group about X250: https://vk.com/ruslanenduro

Author: Max Katok (Telegram)