Which motorcycle to buy? Behold the question!

Hello people! How are you doing?

I hope you all have read my previous article about how I got my driving license for motorcycles (unlimited CC).

In this article I will try to present the motorcycles I am interested in, my budget, the pros and cons of each of them and my dilemmas.

To begin with, I can make it up to 6000€ but this is not directly. With that I mean I am planning to sell my Piaggio MP3 Yourban that I have mentioned in the previous article.
This can fetch me anything between 3500 to 4000€ and the rest will be bank loan since my bank account is zero at the moment!

Option 1: Zontes E350 https://zontes.gr/model/e350/

This is a scooter, that means automatic gears as I am used already from my MP3, it has absolutely everything included from factory.

• 349cc
• Keyless 3.0
• 37 Horse Power
• TCS + ABS
• 2 Cameras to record front and rear
• TFT Screen that can mirror my phone, read messages and who is calling also to get GPS navigation.
• Grips(handbar) that can warm up, not super in Greece but nice to have.
• Plenty of space under the seat for 2 full face helmets.

Basically it has everything with exception of the base of the carrier on the back, to which the seller told me if paid via the method of selling them my MP3 and getting the extra as a loan from them, I can get this as gift. But I will have to buy the carrier extra. This is the case with every bike I will list here.
This model basically has all I want and need and its price is 5.295€
Only negative? It is not like motorbikes that I can drive now with gears and clutch to which for me it is not a problem, the overwhelming amount of time I spend driving, I spend it in the city and I don’t mind not having in my mind all the time to gear up and down all the time, because again, this is Athens and it is always with traffic, very rarely there will open roads where I can enjoy a nice big bike that has gears and to swift in the 6^th and enjoy the ride. Those who ride in Athens, knows what I am talking about.

Option 2: CFMoto 450 MT https://www.motovinios.gr/p/cfmoto-mt-450

This is a great moto, I see it in video and it is pure love but it doesn’t have lots of the features the Zontes above (and bellow) have.

For example,

• it doesn’t even include the central stand by default!
• It doesn’t have warming grips(handlebars).
• It needs change of the factory tires since all the videos I have seen about it both Greek and foreign all said the factory ones are slippery even in dry asphalt.
• No cameras at all, not even an option for extra accessory.

Those things, if they can be applied at all means extra cost. Oh, the cost, this is the most expensive of the bunch at 5.990€

Its pros

• 44 Horse Power
• 449cc
• TCS + ABS
• It is a proper motorcycle.
• Beautiful.

Option 3: Zontes T2 350 https://www.motovinios.gr/p/daytona-t2-350

This is the 2^nd Zontes in the list, this is by far the cheapest of the bunch at 4.695€, it includes most of the factory extras the E350 (option 1) has but with some variety.

• Keyless 2.5 vs 3.0 on the E350
• 349cc
• 39 Horse Power
• TCS + ABS

But this too doesn’t have cameras and warming grips. Also this one seems to be small in size with most reviews that I have seen saying it is good for riders of 1.70cm height and I am 1.82. if this is true, I will be looking ridiculous on it!

I know that they are not in the same category nor they have the same use case scenarios. My usage is as I have said mostly in the city and for a few road trips.
As looks, I like mostly option 2, the CFMoto 450MT, also it has the strongest engine of the bunch but also it is the most expensive and has the least amount of features.

So you see my dilemma? All of them are within my budget and all of them have positives and negatives, different use case scenarios but I like them all.

As I was writing this article I had the opportunity to visit 2 moto stores in Athens and I have sat on 3 bikes, 2 of this article and 1 that I do not consider at all (https://www.royalenfield.com/gr/el/motorcycles/new-himalayan/).

First of all to begin with the Zontes T2 350, the motorcycle isn’t small at all! The images on the web and videos on youtube do not do any justice to it all! I sat on it, the seat is stiff and definitely needs modification to change the material to memory gel or something!
But its height and length was ideal for a guy 1.82cm tall, I could touch the ground with both feet using 100% of my shoes and not just on the toes for example. I made arrangements for it, they will do me an offer this week (14/10/2024 to 18/10/2024) for my MP3, if this offer is good then by 99% I will be the owner of this motorcycle by next week!

Second, I went to another store to see the CFMoto 450MT, no store has this available to begin with, all of them ask for a registration in waiting line that can anything from 1.5 months to 6 (!) months! I am not willing to wait this much, nor the 1.5 months and definitely not 6 months!
Not only because I would like to get soon a good deal but I also sat on it, saw it and it didn’t feel good on multiple levels.
It is a large motorcycle, larger than what I feel comfortable riding around and as I said I am 1.82cm tall and my feet barely could touch the ground in this one! So I can imagine me driving such a large motorcycle and having to stop at a stop sign on uphill road and having to make a turn right or left. I would fall down 100%.

The last moto I sat on at the same store was the “New Himalayan by Royal Enfield”, this too was a large motorcycle, perhaps a tad larger than the 450 MT, it was beautiful no doubt but it lacked even more features than the 450MT, for example no hands protection at all.
Yes, I know I can install anything I want later on BUT for now I want to get the most features I can for the best price and not buy a motorcycle now for 6k and add another 4k in gear down the line, especially when competition at 4.7k (Zontes 350 T2) has all those extras and gimmicks included by factory!

Which leads me to the final part of this article, while I was at motovinios store to wait (long time) for their mechanic to examine my MP3 and give me an offer, I spoke with lots of other riders who also wanted to sell their vehicles and get something new. Most of them (of the people I spoke and not of bikers in general to be clear) had Zontes, the 310 T1 and 1 guy had the 350 T2 and all of them were happy (I wouldn’t expect them to say otherwise, who would try to sell a vehicle that has problems and mentioned all of them?) with their bikes, they mentioned no malfunctions whatsoever which kinda contradicts what I have been reading about those motos with an odd problem they have and engine can switch off by itself at any point. The guy who had the 350 T2, he has it since 2021 and has on it 18.000km which is a lot for 3 years, would be even worse if he bought it let’ say last week of December of 2021, and he told me he asks 3.500€ which sounds A LOT for a vehicle that has no warranties, has 18.000km in a very small amount of time and the same as brand new costs 4.700€, has warranty for 2 years (if not wrong) and doesn’t have a single km on it!
As a seller myself, I do too want to get the best deal I can get, no doubt BUT I have to be realistic! My vehicle is 7 years old and has almost 36.000km on it, brand new it costed 6.5k, I can’t ask for it 5k if you get my draft.
What I saw on the web about Chinese vehicles is that they lose 1k the moment you take it out of the store. Even if you do just 1km its value from 4.7k will drop to 3.7k. Also whatever extra gear you have put on it will not add any value to it. So given that it loses 1k just by exiting the store….is the 3.5k realistic? To me no.
I was watching a video on youtube from a guy who got it second hand with only 2.000km for a decent price. I wouldn’t mind something like that as long as it is in mint condition i.e. no scratches, not been dropped, nothing broken etc.

I will keep you guys posted on what I will buy in the end!

This is Comfuzio,
Have a lovely day