Korean Job Discussion Forums

Snake Doctor · Joined: 14 Jul 2009

IlIlNine - thanks for that info. I do have insurance and plates, so it will come in handy. I've seen 3 bad motorcycle/scooter accidents in the past month. Scary stuff. Can't believe how many I've seen in just a few weeks.

Don't forget, if you need translation service, you can call Josh!

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=161267

ANYONE know where to get a rain suit? Prices??

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

Rain suit?

You can buy them in almost any market. The quick service guys and ja-jangmyeon boys need to wear em during the monsoon. 10,000 to 20,000, but they will have old school Asian sizing, short arms and legs. Good enough for kickin around town, but you sweat more on the inside than it's raining on the outside. Best bang for the buck, but not really something you'll want to take on long hauls or sit around in.

You can also get gear from the various bike shops.

bikemart.co.kr has a few under the jacket section.

I wear a Komine suit (Breather Rain Wear), 2 ply Gore pants and jacket (I wear it over my summer mesh armour jacket and knee guards). For about 85,000 won for the full kit. Fits well for biking and high speeds, breathes for long trips and hot weather but the Gore isn't that durable, it wears at the knees too easily (re-inforce the knees if you get 2-ply). I also wear this jacket in cool/cold weather over my (summer) riding jacket, I can layer a thin sweater under it. 3 years old now, and still good (aside from some drips in the knees). Buy a size larger than you would normally buy if you get Korean or Japanese gear.

http://www.komine.co.kr/shop/shopbrand.html?xcode=014&type=O

seems the prices have gone up though....

You can also buy heavy duty 3 ply gore. The best stuff you can buy, much longer lasting, but a little over kill for the bike. I often use my 3-ply ski jacket in colder wet weather or in snow (over my summer armour and a bulky sweater), but the hood doesn't tie down well and tends to catch air like a sail....a bit of a drag at 100 km/hr...especially when your left testicle has already started freezing up against that cold, cold tank.

You can also try Denis Kirk (.com) for western gear, orders under 150 (plus shipping) are duty free (or so I've heard, someone may wish to clarify this).
I also have some over boots (for my bicycle...don't fit well over my motorcycle boots though...you can buy ones for motorcycles though).

Ukon · Joined: 29 Jan 2008

While my daelim VS 125 is serving me well for riding and I love riding it, I'm thinking farther down the line for taking regular trips outside seoul to other cities.

For adding another bike, I was thinking of something sportier, Such as the hyosung 250 or maybe the 650.....can anyone tell me how much will comfort be an issue...I know they're sports bikes(usually aren't comfortable), but with seoul traffic, by the time I get out of the city I'll probaly be on the thing for 30 minutes, crouched over.

On the flipside, I was thinking of getting a more powerful cruiser....how's the 250cc daystar or the aquila?

Any other korean bikes I should look at for my next bike.

How's the dirt biking here btw?

Durtee · Joined: 18 Sep 2006

Hey Ukon,
In the past 8 months I have owned a 2004 Hyosung Mirage 250 which was actually quite a nice city rider. But I needed something a little faster and safer for riding the 40 minutes on high speed roads to and from work. I then bought the new 2009 Hyosung Comet 250R EFI and was a little disappointed in it's performance. I truly believe my old Mirage 250 was faster and more powerful then the new Comet 250. Since then I have sold my Comet 250 and bought a 2009 Comet 650R EFI and love it. Obviously I would much rather own a Jap bike...but meh, we're in Korea and it's cheap for maintenance, parts and labour.
If you have the pocket money to spend I would highly recommend the Comet 650R(2007/08 or 2009). I actually suffer from back pains from a car accident years ago (90km head on with a truck), and I have found the Comet 650R to be comfortable once you get your positioning right. I ride every day and pretty much log up to 90km a day(just to and from work/privates). Having the 650 really helps getting away from traffic(and retarded drivers talking on handphones that drive blindly into your lane, or idiots who try to race you off the lights and cut you off, etc etc)
Also, once you get comfortable driving it (a little heavier then most bikes) you will weave through traffic without any problems.

Just my two cents...but I really do enjoy having the Comet 650R. Perfect for Korea to be honest.

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

Ukon,

Durtee pretty much nailed it.

Mirage 250 (GS 250)
Mirage 650 (GS 650)
Comet 250 (GT 250) - a naked with riser bars
Comet 250R (GT 250R)
Comet 650 (GT650R) - the closest bike to the Suzuki SV650 (it's based on it)

Daelim VJF 250

That's it for Korean bikes.

I don't like the Mirage for city riding myself, but it is much nicer for carrying a passenger and comfortable to ride. They are longer than the Comets, but it is a nice little bike, peppy, comfortable, handles well.

The Comet is fine for comfort, but you are hunched over the bars and your legs are tucked in. Can be a little uncomfortable on longer rides but the body position is worth it for better handling.

You can buy the Comet 250 if you want a more upright position or you can buy the Comet 250R, try it out then put riser bars on it if you like (an remove the bottom half of the fairing (leaving you with what is sometimes called sometimes called a bikini or bra fairing or half fairing).

The Daelim VJF 250 might offer a little more torque (as it's a single cylinder bike) and might feel a little quicker off the line than the Comet 250...but who knows. Seems like a good little bike, cheaper than the Comet and Daelim has a better reputation in Korea.

All these bikes now have EFI as of 2009 in Korea. From what I've read EFI wasn't added to give a lot more HP (The UK site shows an extra 2 horses) but it will give the bike better fuel efficiency and easier start ups.

Try em all out and let us know what you think.

Just FYI, the Korean 250s were never really designed for speed, they have all been designed to be more practicle (and affordable...this might also be read as poor engine quality...but that's what you get when you buy cheap). A Japanese 250 racer (The Honda 250RR puts out about 40-45HP while the Korean made 250s and more commuter friendly Japanese bikes only put out about 30). Most 650s these days are putting out about 80-100 HP (the Comet puts out 80...very respectaple for this land).

The only other bike to look at is the Honda CB400 (a tuned down CB1 which lead to the Hornet 250/600, chain driven cams rather than gear driven as on the CB1 or Hornets and less capable of high revs - and thus lower HP output and lower revs). A very nice little bike for ripping around (50HP is more than enough for Korea) yet a little more affordable than the bigger Japanese bikes. Top quality bike and worthy of a look if you have the cash. Of course it doesn't take much money to move right on into the full size Japanese bikes from there. Both Suzuki and Honda sell a fair range of 600s here.

If you decide to look at bigger bikes and think an import is the way to go...there is a lot more to think about.

Hyosung650 · Joined: 24 Jan 2007

Hey guys bit of a strange request this one:

As a little summer project I've removed the exhaust and header pipes from my CB400 and want to get them sandblasted to clean them up. Anyone know somewhere I can get this done?

I know the easy answer is "go to any metalworks shop" but with the language barrier that's not so easy... I got pointed to one by the owner of a hardware store i know but once there they said they couldn't do it and now i'm stuck again Confused

Even just knowing the correct korean term for "sandblasting" would help. My (Korean) girlfriend doesn't know, the dictionary says 모래 뿜기 (literally sand jet) but i'm not convinced that's the expression used by Koreans.

Anyhow if anyone knows of a place please let me know. I'm in Anyang, I can haul the pipes around on the subway if i have to but I'd rather not go too far. Cheers Smile

vincentmiser · Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Location: Everywhere

Guys, which major roads should someone with a 125cc avoid?
Or which of these roads are illegal for me to travel on?

I tried looking around in this thread, didn't have any luck.

Thanks...

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

vincentmiser · Joined: 14 Jan 2009 Location: Everywhere

Thanks Bibbity!

Helpful.

cheers

Ukon · Joined: 29 Jan 2008

Need more opinions on the Mirage 250cc and hyosung 250cc.....I figure I can try test driving them sometime soon.

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

Snake Doctor · Joined: 14 Jul 2009

Every day I ride my 125cc scooter, I see bad ass bikes and I get really jealous. My need for a bigger, faster bike is eating away at me like a cancer.

Oh, how does one know when the brakes need replacing?

Are bike repair shops usually open on Sundays?

Why is a 125cc scooter slower on the speed and uptake than a 125cc sport bike? Why are some 125cc scooters faster than my Piagio (Chinese OEM) made 125cc scooter?

Ukon · Joined: 29 Jan 2008

Thanks, I think I'll aim for a naked Hyosung comet, but a cruiser is good too...

earthbound14 · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Location: seoul

Snake Doctor · Joined: 14 Jul 2009

Earthbound, thanks, I suspected number 4, but wasn't sure...

My bike is a "Fly 125cc" made in China. I guess I got ripped off. It's 2007 model and I bought it used.

I want to put her up for sale. What's a fair price? I paid 1.3 million, but I know that was too much and I don't want to rip anyone off. I'm willing to take a hit on the bike, learn from my experience and all that...