What does the Chinese “enduro” turn into in two years? Operating experience of Baltmotors Enduro 200 DD “from scratch”

Enduro in Chinese

The most popular cubic capacity in this class is 250 cubic meters.
see, since 125 “cubes” are not much cheaper, and they don’t ride as fun, even if a bike with such an engine wins in some ways due to its lower mass. But 400cc enduros are usually much heavier, which is an important factor when riding off-road, especially if the rider is not very strong and does not have long legs. But the Stealth 400 Enduro motorcycle relies on power, albeit sacrificing a bit of ease of control. Bikes of this class are used in harsh conditions, often falling and often plunging into the mud up to the cylinders, so the main criterion for them is reliability, which is directly related to the simplicity of the design. It’s not for nothing that many motorcyclists value old and technically primitive models like the Suzuki DR 250 and Honda XR 400 much - their unprecedented reliability and the ability to be repaired “on the knee” have made them the favorites of domestic off-road conquerors. When designing the Stels Enduro 400, the technical characteristics of which are close to those of the 400 cc Japanese competitors, the Chinese followed the same path - they offered the public a simple and unpretentious motorcycle, in terms of technical equipment, which is approximately on the same level as Japanese bikes of the same class, but 20 years ago .

Stels 400 Enduro: we're not afraid of off-roading!

It must be admitted that the designers from the Middle Kingdom have come up with a good bike that perfectly suits its purpose. Simple as a brick, it is assembled from the simplest possible components, diligently copied from old Japanese motorcycles. And in the case of the Stels 400 Enduro, this is only a plus - there is practically nothing to break in it, and direct hands eliminate minor assembly flaws in a couple of days.

In the steel tubular frame of the Stealth 400 Enduro motorcycle, the Chinese placed a 1-cylinder 386 cc air-cooled engine , which, by the way, is very high-torque. Peak power ( 19 hp ) occurs at 7000 rpm , and peak torque ( 20 Nm ) occurs at 5500 rpm . Considering the off-road nature of the bike, this is quite good. There are traditionally five gears, and fuel is supplied by a carburetor, and the Stealth 400 Enduro engine is “tailored” for AI-92 . The first 3 gears are quite short, and the gearbox works clearly, not at all as some expect from a Chinese bike.

It is worth noting that for motorcycles of this class 400 cc. cm - already quite a serious volume. The 650 cc models, represented mainly by the seasoned Japanese, are much heavier and are not easy to handle, especially somewhere in the mud. Many enduro fans consider 400cc as the golden mean in the matter of choosing a cubic capacity, and the logic in this decision can be traced. Stels 400 Enduro is a fairly light motorcycle ( only 132 kg ), albeit with a high center of gravity. However, any beginner can cope with it, especially if he does not try to set records for conquering off-road terrain in the very first days.

The bike handles well, both on and off the pavement. Beginning motorcyclists should pay attention to the significant saddle height, and even better, try the bike on before purchasing. In reviews of Stealth 400 Enduro owners, there is information that a high saddle creates certain inconveniences for short bikers, especially off-road. This can be easily understood by anyone who has dropped a motorcycle due to the fact that his legs did not reach the ground confidently enough. On the other hand, for any more or less experienced biker this parameter is not critical. There are also fragile, short girls who can easily cope with heavy Harley-Davidsons thanks to their experience, and experience is a gain .

It should be noted that the technical characteristics of the Stels 400 Enduro turn it into a good “rogue”, capable of driving even where a prepared SUV gets stuck. On the highway, you can feel the lack of dynamics, especially after 80-90 km/h, although the motorcycle slowly but surely picks up 130 km/h But let's not forget that asphalt is not his element .

German design, Chinese technology

The first thing that catches your eye when looking at the Stels 400 GT is its resemblance to the famous German “goose”, that is, the BMW R1200 GS model. More precisely, with its previous generations - R1100 GS and R1150 GS. It is not clear why they resorted to such obvious copying, since the Chinese have already learned how to make quite nice motorcycles that do not try to pretend to be their more famous brothers. But the appearance of the Stels 400 GT really screams that its creators were inspired by BMW design.

However, for a tourenduro, the main thing is endurance and reliability, not appearance. The Stels 400 GT's technical characteristics are quite consistent with its price and purpose. You shouldn’t expect feats from it, like at the famous Paris-Dakar rally, but the declared performance characteristics are not bad, and they correspond to their truth. Interestingly, the PTS indicates the engine power at 19 hp, although the same engine was installed without any changes on the Stels 400 Enduro, where it has 28 hp, which is more like the truth. Apparently, the power in the PTS is underestimated for some economic reasons, because the bike rides more or less vigorously.

Pros and cons of Stels 400 Enduro

Advantages

• Very attractive combination of price and technical characteristics
• General reliability and ease of maintenance
• Availability of spare parts from a number of dealers, and at affordable prices
• Economy and fuel consumption within 4l/100 km (when driving on asphalt; off-road driving causes the gas tank to empty very quickly)
• Simplicity of design, thanks to which you can service and repair the Stealth 400 Enduro in the garage on your own using an inexpensive set of tools
• Quite modest weight for a 400 cc enduro
• Grippy disc brakes with 2-piston calipers on both wheels
• High-torque motor that easily pulls the motorcycle out of the mud
• Sufficiently energy-intensive suspensions, with an inverted fork installed at the front
• Flexible plastic that can survive a fall

Flaws

• Small gas tank with a volume of only 9 liters
• Weak light from the headlight (partially corrected by replacing the light bulb in the headlight with a more powerful one)
• Hard and uncomfortable seat
• The bike is too small for two people
• There are minor assembly defects such as loose nuts and carelessly insulated wires (correctable on your own)

Similar models

Honda XR 400. A long-discontinued model that still enjoys well-deserved popularity. Simple, reliable and durable, it has, perhaps, only one serious drawback - the advanced age of most specimens.

Suzuki DR-Z400. Produced in “enduro” (DR-Z400) and “motard” (DR-400SM) versions, this bike was once intended to compete with the aforementioned Honda. In terms of technical characteristics, it is almost no different from it.

Yamaha WR 400. Perhaps the most “off-road” bike of all those listed here. It also has its weaknesses, but in the hands of an experienced motorcyclist it is capable of very impressive feats.

Stels 400 GT: German goose in Chinese

Chinese companies have long flooded the market with inexpensive motorcycles for beginners. Cruisers, sportbikes, classics - thousands of them! But the class of touring enduros has long been deprived of the attention of manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom, and the Russian-Chinese tandem Stels decided to correct the situation by filling an empty niche. Why not? All modern tourenduros are powerful, heavy motorcycles, not very suitable for novice bikers, and they are also quite expensive. Of course, there is always an alternative in the form of old Japanese 400s, but not everyone has the desire to purchase a 20-year-old motorcycle for a significant sum. So the Stels 400 GT deserves the closest attention, if only because it is, so to speak, a pioneer in this niche.

It's no joke - a Chinese tourenduro! Although, of course, he will have to face a certain distrust of potential buyers. Turenduro is a motorcycle designed for long-distance travel, and the issue of reliability is very acute here. And among the motorcycle community there is still a strong stereotype about the poor quality of all Chinese motorcycles without exception... Well, let's see what's what.

Reviews from Stels 400 Enduro owners

• The bike is so-so overall, but for its price you can’t buy a Japanese one, even a damaged one, so there was no question of choice. It doesn’t fall apart on the go, doesn’t lose spare parts, but it does require attention periodically for small things. The standard tires are rubbish, the headlight shines like a Chinese lantern. The engine is torquey, the transmission is clear, the brakes are normal. Sergey, Syktyvkar, Stels 400 Enduro '2011
• There are no complaints about the quality of the motorcycle itself; I can’t say anything about the build quality, since I bought the bike second-hand with a mileage of 12,000 km. It drives briskly, tosses and turns easily, and rushes off-road like a tank. There were no breakdowns (the mileage is now 26,000 km and growing). Among the design flaws is the short front fender, the engine gets covered in mud, and I would like a larger gas tank, especially since there is no fuel level sensor. Dmitry, Orel, Stels 400 Enduro '2013
• An excellent motorcycle for the money, I don’t understand why it was discontinued. It's good that there are spare parts in stores. Although they don’t seem to be needed, the moped doesn’t break down, and you can pick up consumables from other Chinese if you want. It eats and rushes vigorously, both in the city and in the countryside – it’s a pleasure. Marat, Pushkino, Stels 400 Enduro '2014

Summary

You shouldn’t expect anything supernatural from the Stealth 400 Enduro, and then it won’t disappoint. This motorcycle is a vivid example of the embodiment of the “price/quality” . It is undoubtedly worth the money, which again becomes the cause of debate on the Internet on the topic “new Chinese or old Japanese.” The truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle.

Specifications

Technical characteristics of Stels 400 GT

Having borrowed the appearance from the Germans, the Chinese did not invent anything new in technical terms. They placed a 386 cc single-cylinder engine in a tubular steel frame. see, the power of which is written just above. The engine loves high speeds, reaching its peak power at 7000 rpm. Up to 100 km/h the acceleration dynamics are quite good. The Stels 400 GT has a stated maximum speed of 130 km/h, and this is true. True, after 100 km/h the motorcycle loses any remaining dynamics and accelerates very sluggishly.

Otherwise everything is very simple. 5-speed gearbox, carburetor, chain, disc brakes - a classic, nothing less. But the pendants are more interesting. At the rear there is a regular pendulum, and in front there is an inverted telescope fork. The suspensions of the Stels 400 GT motorcycle can be called quite energy-intensive. Their long strokes allow them to successfully cope with uneven surfaces, so driving on a road with poor asphalt does not feel like driving on a washboard.

Thanks to its modest weight by class standards and comfortable driving position, you feel comfortable behind the wheel of the motorcycle. The passenger seat on the bike is also normal, but only if the passenger’s height does not exceed 160-165 centimeters. The motorcycle is surprisingly easy and obedient to control. The standard tires, of course, leave much to be desired, but the Stels 400 GT, unlike the “liter” tourenduros, feels quite good even off-road with normal “toothy” tires. But, when moving off the asphalt, do not forget that crankcase protection is not provided on this motorcycle. For a tourist enduro, this is definitely an omission - on Russian roads there are sometimes holes in which you can leave the entire motorcycle, not to mention a piece of the crankcase. However, garage craftsmen are quite capable of making protection on their own. Of course, you'll have to sacrifice a couple of centimeters of ground clearance, but it's worth it.