Jump to content

WK650tr


Guest
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi.........a review of my new WK650tr


Where do i start!

Sitting on the bike for the 1st time, the ergonomics (big word for me! :) ) suit me just fine (iam 6ft).

I had to refit the gear shift and rear brake pedal, there were a bit to high for me (big feet).

The bars are just the right height and distance for me too, and the span adjustable levers soon had it to my liking.

Rear view mirrors are good when solo, a good view behind, but with a pillion on i think the rear view may be obstructed somewhat.

Switch gear does what it says on the tin, but feels a bit low rent....how will they stand up over time?..to be seen in the future!

Horn is terrible not very lound and a tinny sound to it, it will be changed in time.

It has LED side lights which dont seem that bright....but ok for parking.

Also fitted are hazard warning lights, but the only work when the ignition is turned on! :?

Dip headlight beam not too bad, main beam (which comes on at the same time as dip) seems to have a bit of a scattered pattern to it........once again better UK bulbs will be fitted soon....see what difference they make!.

Rear LED light does not seem very bright, but the brake lights are.......rear indicators are bulbs, but the front ones are LED and quite bright.

The fit of body panels and paint finish seem quite good, nothing has come loose on my (short) rides.....yet! :) will be keeping a eye on them.

The panniers are useful (to me anyway as iam use to the storage space of a scoot) and they seem to close ok, (waterproof they say...let you know on that) the gaps look uniform, the lock can be a bit of a fiddle to operate..they are slightly fouled by the grab rail/rear rack mounting......nice not to have to buy a rack as aftermarket purchase to fit to the bike.

On my short rides the seat feel firm but its comfy, rode for 2 hours and no numb bum.....but it is slightly sloped towards the tank, and i have to keep re adjusting my sitting position when riding.

Engine!.......starts from these cold days very easily and settles into tickover quickly.

On the move the fueling seems very good, no lurching or snatch (iam stuck at 4000rpm till its reached 500 miles) and picks up quite nicely.....iam not expecting a road rocket...70 ish BHP and over 200 kgs will stunt that.

Stainless steel exhaust...which sounds very nice (in my opinion!) and hopefully will last a while.

The bike rides very nice and stable....feels well planted (at the speeds iam restricted to at the moment)

Not sure about the Chinese tyres....they look like European tyres (pattern wise) but how will they grip in the wet?...i remeMber the Bridgestones of the 1970!!!...Maxxis will be fitted as soon as these wear down.

Gearbox is very good, but you have to be deliberate with it, not found any false nuetrals, just ended in the same gear i had tried to move from.......clutch is light to operate too.

Brakes are....er brakes, they work ok, as they should, they do the job (and very little fork dive) braided brake lines are a nice touch too.

The bike also came with a low summer and extra high winter screen, another nice touch.

Clocks and dials....tell you most things you want to know on the move, except the time....no clock!

So there you are...overall iam quite happy with the bike.


A couple of slight! probs.

1..The clocks mist up a little in this damp/cold weather.

2..The rev counter travels round the dial in a jerky fashion....dealer says it will be sorted at the 500 mile 1st service

3..Side stand (no centre stand!) is way to short, the bike leans at a crazy angle when its on the stand and parked.


But overall iam quite happy with it...after years of riding 10 year old bikes it seems fine to me.


Time will tell on its quality, or lack of finish, but iam giving it ACF50 to help.


More updates as the mileage goes up.


Fred.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are two WK dealers near me and I like the look of the bikes and their apparent fit and finish. It will be interesting to see how your bike lasts and how its reliability stands up. UK/European bulbs and tyres seem like a good idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:thumb:


I bought mine from a dealer in Grimsby (cheaper price).......but there is another WK dealer nearer (Borrowash Derbyshire) to me.


And they say its ok for them to do future service work.


Which will keep the 2 year warranty (for what its worth?) in order.


I will update as the mileage increases.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll be following your post closely, I'm very intrigued by that bike and how well it behaves in the long term. Hope it works out well for you, sounds good so far.

Was there an optional centre stand, or is it just tough luck?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi.


Its just tough luck! :(

I do not know if the frame was ever designed with a centre stand in mind.

The way the exhaust is designed there is no room underneath for a centre stand.

I have a paddock stand.......which ok for chain lubing and other maintainance duties....rather have a centre stand though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You and me both. Still, can't win them all. Saw earlier that they have inner bags for the panniers coming out soon, hopefully some other trinkets will follow...


Regardless, I have high hopes for WK. Mainly because they fit my price range better than most :mrgreen:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1st little report on the bike.

Just returned from a 200 mile ride.

Rides nice....very stable in the bends....sticks to its line....but also able to change line easily.

Suspension quite firm...but soaked the bumps without being too jarring.....think it will be ok on this setting (can only alter the rear) when riding with a pillion.

Sidewinds on the M1 did not bother it all.

Been a little naughty....taking it to 5000rpm..which is about 70 mph in 6th.

All in all, quite happy with it. :thumb:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Hi, been waiting for a review on WK bikes, I have the WK125RR ad I'm still learning, the bike itself is quite good never had any problems but when it comes to the electrics iv had issues, my lights have gone off a couple of times (luckily never used in the dark) and now my dash, iv been told it could be just loose wiring but iv had it looked at and iv bought a new handlebar switch, hope it fixes the problem... I have my mods booked in May so might not have it much longer

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

600 miles up....going for its 1st service next Saturday.

Everything working as it should...nothing fell off or come loose...yet!...or gone rusty.


Still enjoying the WK......rides nice and makes a nice noise too.

After riding 10+year old bikes (and scoots) the TR is a nice ride. :thumb:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

:thumb:


I bought mine from a dealer in Grimsby (cheaper price).......but there is another WK dealer nearer (Borrowash Derbyshire) to me.


And they say its ok for them to do future service work.


Which will keep the 2 year warranty (for what its worth?) in order.


I will update as the mileage increases.

 

George Petch Honda?


I'm in Grimsby [emoji2]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes its going back to Petch,s were i bought it from.....................its going in on the 26th now, as i have to work this Saturday. :(




Warranty.....unlimited or not....not sure.....can soon find out though!....let you know

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Just a little report for the interested few :)

The WK is run in, and still running as a bike should,

As said before, nothing has fell off, broke or gone rusty,

But iam very fussy about keeping it clean and it has seen much ACF50,

I was a little worried about the CST tyres fitted as standard, but!! they have been a bit of a revelation,

Very good in the dry, and good in the wet, and i have a few very wet rides, so in no hurry to fit new ones.

Fitted new UK bulbs, they are a bit brighter, but not the improvement i expected, maybe the reflectors are the limiting factor, but for the riding i do they are fine.

So all in all, still a happy chappy! :wink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It could be that this bike and those that follow represent the step change people have been talking about for a few years now. where the chinese motorcycle industry move from producing cheap throwaway copies to bikes that can actually compete, or if not compete - offer a viable alternative.

Its a little like the japanese bikes in the 60s. these were as a rule badly made copies of british and other european models that at the time just couldn't compete and then - almost overnight all change, the japanese learnt from their mistakes and moved up a gear. and in so doing killed off nearly every other maker in the world. The japanese should sit up and take notice, they did it to their competition with remarkable success the same could happen to them and very quickly. One very small clue about how things have changed. the ECU that runs the fuel injection in this bike is not some cheap chinese clone. its a Ducati Energia designed and likely made in an area of Bologna called 'Panigale'. The shock absorbers.. are made in Japan. KYB/Kayaba.


The brits and europeans looked down their noses at the early japanese bikes.. and essentially ignored them. feeling smug and superior.. how could these badly made and unreliable copies ever compete against us? I'm sure this was a topic of conversation in boardrooms across britain and europe. america too. They had no idea what was going to happen. not a clue. dead and gone within a relatively short period.


http://i.imgur.com/wRHDxGp.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

I have got used to it little foibles. :scratch:

Indicators were a a bit of a sod to cancel at 1st....but i have found the knack to doing it now.

As i may have said before, i had deep resevations about the CST tyres that came fitted as standard,

But they have been a bit of a revalation.....they are well up to the job,

I may ride like a grandad at times (thats because i am one! :lol: ) but they cause no problems in the dry or wet,

Will still swop them for another make when the time comes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say, the Chinese rubber on my old bike was actually shockingly good! Did one hell of a lot of miles in all kinds of weather with nowhere near enough attention being paid to tyre pressure and they held up really well. Right at the end of their life by the time the bike was written off, but they'd done 5 figures by then :shock: I'm sure that only being mounted on a 125 was a factor in that, but still...

Only lost traction three times that I can recall and once was on a carpet of hailstones, once on a diesel spill, and the other time was my own stupid fault :lol:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for keeping this going, a long term review even with nothing to report as you pile on the miles is worthwhile. My nearest dealer now does WK, but they have not had any 650s on show.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Hi Ristonbiker

After just over 1 year the WK is running fine

Just one problem cropped up..........head stock bearing worn bad.

It was caused by lack of grease!..dry has a bone.

It was sorted under the warranty by Petchs Motorcycles in Grimsby.

But I have to return and have them re torqued soon.

Everything else about the bike is ok.

I've used ACF on it and no rust or corrosion that I can see.

I am still happy with it........get rid of the fork clunk and I will be happier. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am thinking of getting one now done a lot of youtube searching for reviews and it seems a 70% for and 30% against mainly because it is Chinese but if you look back to the 60s when the Japanese came over nobody wanted them

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Welcome to The Motorbike Forum.

    Sign in or register an account to join in.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy Guidelines We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Please Sign In or Sign Up