Trail Buddy Pro or Pitster Classic Pro 125

K

kintave

New Member
Trail Buddy Pro or Pitster Pro Classic 125

What does everyone think about these two bikes? Trying to decide which one to get. Mangyrat had a good writeup on the trail buddy but it is hard to find someone with the Pitster Pro Classic.

The info on Pitsters website point out that their bike has new stuff on it over the the traditional china made bike....triple clamps, reinformed swing arm etc. Tires look small though and don't know about how good the suspension. Person on other forum said all china made suspensions are junk for adult riders and need to be reworked to be safe at 55+mph. Don't know if this is true or not.

Price wise...Pitster Pro Classic 125 seems to be cheaper than the Trail Buddy.

Pitster classic comes with GPX 125 and Trail Buddy Lifan 125. Not sure if one is better than the other. Also not sure if both have the same inherent hub weakness that has been discussed. Think Pitster uses 4 bolt instead of clip though.

Pitsterpro - Quality Pit Bikes, Mini Bikes, Pit Bike Parts & Accessories
or
Trail Buddy Pro

Thoughts? Not trying to start a replica flame war...just want some honest opinions about both as this is still a large chunk of money in todays economy...pros and cons.

Thanks, Mike
 
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J

jedsled

New Member
kintave said:
What does everyone think about these two bikes? Trying to decide which one to get. Mangyrat had a good writeup on the trail buddy but it is hard to find someone with the Pitster Pro Classic.

The info on Pitsters website point out that their bike has new stuff on it over the the traditional china made bike....triple clamps, reinformed swing arm etc. Tires look small though and don't know about how good the suspension. Person on other forum said all china made suspensions are junk for adult riders and need to be reworked to be safe at 55+mph. Don't know if this is true or not.

Price wise...Pitster Pro Classic 125 seems to be cheaper than the Trail Buddy.

Pitster classic comes with GPX 125 and Trail Buddy Lifan 125. Not sure if one is better than the other. Also not sure if both have the same inherent hub weakness that has been discussed. Think Pitster uses 4 bolt instead of clip though.

Pitsterpro - Quality Pit Bikes, Mini Bikes, Pit Bike Parts & Accessories
or
Trail Buddy Pro

Thoughts? Not trying to start a replica flame war...just want some honest opinions about both as this is still a large chunk of money in todays economy...pros and cons.

Thanks, Mike
Click to expand...

i came from the pitbike scene, and can tell you that the pitster pros have the best reputation out of all the chinese knock-offs, as does the gpx motors they put in them. i would go pitster over trail buddy. dont know about the others, but the pitsters have good customer service and support from their vendors from what i have read and heard.
 
greydoggy1658

greydoggy1658

Member
My Trailbuddy Pro

I've had my Trailbuddy Pro since last August and I can tell you my experience has been very positive. Currently, I have logged 2400 miles on my bike with no major problems. I oppted for the road package on my bike. The guys at Trailbuddy are great. I live about 50 miles from there shop and have had the opportunity to go there and see for myself what they do. Customer service is there number one priority.
 

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fatcaaat

fatcaaat

Well-Known Member
My view

I had an opportunity to test drive and see a pitster classic up close and personal...and my advice would be to avoid it.

I have purchased parts from trail buddy (front 30mm forks, fenders, taillight, bulbs, tools, and misc stuffs) and have been very pleased. If you look at my bike for sale in the classifieds, you can see some of the stuff I purchased on this bike.

Motor for motor...whose to say...the Jialing 125 has a better reputation than the lifan 125 but its pretty much a tossup. There are more readily available mods for a Jialing 125 because it runs a 13mm wrist pin while the lifan runs a 14mm pin.

One note on electric start...if you mod the motor to be bigger and higher compression, the starter won't turn it over!
 
K

kintave

New Member
Hi there cat,

Care to elaborate on why you think one should avoid the pitster classic? What weaknesses did you see compared to the trailbuddy? I'm going to be buying one or the other soon and want to make the best decision possible.

Thanks
 
L

like2lean

New Member
I'm in the same boat, about to get something, just tierd of waiting to find a decent original. The thing I don't like about the clone avenue is having to "rebuild" it before you ever start it!! That list of pre-ride stuff is amazing! Don't either of the better companies to a pre-delivery isnspection, or do we have to totally assmeble them too?
 
B

Barnone

Member
fatcaaat said:
I had an opportunity to test drive and see a pitster classic up close and personal...and my advice would be to avoid it.

I have purchased parts from trail buddy (front 30mm forks, fenders, taillight, bulbs, tools, and misc stuffs) and have been very pleased. If you look at my bike for sale in the classifieds, you can see some of the stuff I purchased on this bike.

Motor for motor...whose to say...the Jialing 125 has a better reputation than the lifan 125 but its pretty much a tossup. There are more readily available mods for a Jialing 125 because it runs a 13mm wrist pin while the lifan runs a 14mm pin.

One note on electric start...if you mod the motor to be bigger and higher compression, the starter won't turn it over!
Click to expand...
fatcaat,
Please explain your concerns about the Pitster Classic. I don't intent to modify the motor.
Thanks
 
fatcaaat

fatcaaat

Well-Known Member
differetn class of vehicle

jedsled said:
i came from the pitbike scene, and can tell you that the pitster pros have the best reputation out of all the chinese knock-offs, as does the gpx motors they put in them. i would go pitster over trail buddy. dont know about the others, but the pitsters have good customer service and support from their vendors from what i have read and heard.
Click to expand...

I have a Pitster Pro Motard bike and I absolutely LOVE it. Great bike, sold feel, lot of time and effort put into this thing. The pitster classic ct70 copy...well, nothing I would want.
 
B

Barnone

Member
fatcaaat said:
I have a Pitster Pro Motard bike and I absolutely LOVE it. Great bike, sold feel, lot of time and effort put into this thing. The pitster classic ct70 copy...well, nothing I would want.
Click to expand...
fatcaat,
Why wouldn't you want Pitster Classic? Do have any reason other than "nothing I would want"? Bad build? POS?
Thanks,
 
L

like2lean

New Member
I just looked at/drove a Pitster this morning, it ran and felt great! It was a manual, he had an auto too but I didn't drive it. I think it'll do fine for a little pit/errand bike. I wonder if the auto would feel guttless compared to the standard?
 
B

Barnone

Member
like2lean,
Can you go back and drive the auto? Love to hear a comparison.
I'm leaning toward the clutch model but I don't have any experience with either option on the Pitster Classic. The auto/gears seems to work fine on my Suzuki ATVs. The clutch/gears work fine on my XT225.
Maybe it doesn't make much difference.
 
6

69ST

Well-Known Member
like2lean said:
I'm in the same boat, about to get something, just tierd of waiting to find a decent original. The thing I don't like about the clone avenue is having to "rebuild" it before you ever start it!! That list of pre-ride stuff is amazing! Don't either of the better companies to a pre-delivery isnspection, or do we have to totally assmeble them too?
Click to expand...

This brings up a key point, maybe THE key point...unless you build a bike to suit your preferences the odds of finding exactly what you want, as-is, are slim. Mechanical requirements follow speed & mileage. If you're looking to ride less than 500 miles annually and at low speeds, such as at swap meets, going through the pits at race events, trails, etc. then just about anything that runs should suffice. When something breaks, you fix it, hopefully none the worse for wear beyond the incovenience and price of parts. You'll probably replace the failed part(s) with something better, gradually improving the bike over time. On the other hand, if 55mph+ and serious road mileage are part of your plan, you're talking about "real motorcycle" riding conditions. You don't want to be only marginally under control, stranded on the side of the road or go down at road speed. In 2009, no major OEM including Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, BMW, Harley-Davidson, et al offer a bike this small with those capabilities and if they did, it'd be a $4k machine. Privateers offering low-cost "clone" bikes lack the million$ in R&D, marketing & distribution, and replacement parts resources of the big OEMs. Businesses get what they pay for, same as anyone else. You should be realistic in your expectations. Building a bike this small into a competent, longterm-reliable, serious road machine is a tall order and it's up to you to spec the componentry needed. It all boils down to what you want.

There's no substitute for a test ride, if that's possible. Seeing bikes in-person speaks volumes. There's also no reason why a semi-auto clutch model would be inherently slower, just by virtue of a different clutch alone. Most riders prefer the control of a hand clutch. It's a plus on the road and on trails. There are also those who prefer the ability to ride one-handed. That can come in handy at swap meets & campgrounds.
 
fatcaaat

fatcaaat

Well-Known Member
my perception

I don't like to talk bad about products or badmouth vendors. Pitster has been very good to me in terms of my Motard and parts I have received from them.

My perception of their CT70 Classic is that there was not a whole lot of time put into engineering some of it, is all. Parts to parts, I prefer the items I have received from trailbuddy relative to the CT70 stuffs.

Its all about expectations and the money you spend. I also happen to be very knowledgable about these bikes and understand I can build exactly what I want in about the same price range as buying either one of these...and it will have upgrades where I want them and custom where I need it.

If you are looking for a place to start, either one of them will get ya going. If you have strong preferences on form and fit, you may find preference with trailbuddy over the pitster version. Function...they will both take ya down the road, stop, and get you on the street/trail for a decent penny. But, think of what you could build for the same money...that is where I am at.
 
B

Barnone

Member
fatcaaat,
Thanks for the info. I don't want to build my own bike but just want a mini to do a little light trail riding and street riding here in the mountains of WNC. I ordered a Pitster Pro Classic 125 the other day and can't wait to get it delivered.
 
a_smerek

a_smerek

Member
I can't say anything about either bike, but I have to say my experience with trailbuddy has been great. Not that I am taking anything away from pitster, I have heard positive things from them too.

I've dealt first hand with trailbuddy, and they did nothing but an outstanding job supporting me. I can say they do a lot of research on their products and strive to deliver the best quality import parts. I know there are a lot of stinker clones out there, and they have done their best to get the best quality parts on a part by part basis.

I think their bike will have a great deal of attention paid to it. Albeit they are not selling top shelf parts or bikes, but again they are not charging top dollar either.

The question of building a high quality japanese sourced aftermarket / original honda CT for top dollar, long term reliability and driveability, or a phone call away clone for much less money and lower quality is up to the buyer. I think with trailbuddy you will get the best quality of the price effective orderable bikes.
 
L

like2lean

New Member
The guy wouldn't let me try the auto, but I'd prolly go with the manual anyway. We just bought a new Rukus spur of the moment last weekend, it's ok but not what I'm after so I'm selling it and back looking at the clones.

Do Trailbuddy and Pitster use competely different vendors? I was told they drop ship and don't even see the bikes, is that true? If so how can the control the quality of the product?
 
a_smerek

a_smerek

Member
As far as I know Trailbuddy builds the bike in a few different steps. When I had trouble with my clone engines they were very interested in details, they even tried to help me get warranty and were not the ones who I bought from. As far as I know they will build the ultimate with parts they source from all over. I believe it will be built in house.

If you have questions shoot them to their website, they were honest with me and were not shy to explain what they use and where they get it from.

The trailbuddy bikes can be built with different options, depending on what you want.

I highly doubt they are just distributing the bikes. Again, don't expect the ultimate in quality like true high end exotic Japanese stuff available, but price also is not in that ball park on their bikes.

I have no experience with Pitster, but I have heard good things about them too.
 
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