Arqin is the newest Chinese brand to grace Australian shores and it is working very hard to pry itself away from the stigma attached to Chinese-made products.
The price and the still-new brand name are the only things that initially give the RT200 motard's origin away. It is one of two options that stem from the standard road/trail platform and is achieved with the addition of an Arqin-supplied aftermarket kit.
The SM kit will cost you $790 on top of the $3490 bike price. It includes spoked 17" aluminium wheels, road-going rubber, a new speedo drive to calibrate the speedo to the smaller diameter wheels, a higher seat and different sized sprockets to give it longer legs for the road.
And the good thing about buying the motard in kit form is that you're left with the trail accessories to turn your weekly commuter back into a bush basher when the weekend rolls around.
There are lots of Little trick bits on the motard that break away from the typecasts associated with budget Chinese motorcycles. Gold anodised upside-down front forks, a digital gear selection indicator, clear smoke indicator lenses and a modern-looking wave front disc mean the motard is already equipped with the bling that a new owner might add to their new bike to dress it up.
"It is our benchmark," said Arqin's spare parts and warranty manager, Richard Taylor. "We want all our models to have the same build quality as the RT."
Powered by an air-cooled, 199cc single-cylinder fivespeed engine, which is adequate for the city commute, you notice the lack of cubes once you reach the edge of town. I couldn't get much more than 90km/h from the sub-200cc engine and the standard gearing kept me looking for another gear, even though the gear selection indicator told me that that was it. The vibrations at this speed through the 'bars and the 'pegs were almost vision-distorting.
While a sturdy gear rack and an aluminium bash plate come standard on the RT, Arqin also offers an aftermarket pod air filter, a derestricted header-pipe, a D-slide carburettor and a stainless steel silencer which, Arqin says, can improve power by up to 25 percent and can be purchased and fitted for just $1100.
The single wave-disc front brake with a nameless twin-piston caliper is capable when pulling up the lightweight 126kg motard. This is lucky because the drum brake at the other end leaves a bit to be desired.
If it's a cheap commuter you're after and you're looking for a bit more street cred than a scooter, the RT is certainly worth a look.
With change from $4300 for a streetbike, a trailbike and a 12-month parts and labour warranty, the RT should be received well in the Aussie market.
ENGINE
Engine type Air-cooled SOHC, Two-valves, single cylinder
Bore x stroke 66 x 58.2mm
Displacement 199cc
Compression ratio 9.4:1
Ignition Electric
Fuels ystemE FI
Fuel type 91+RON
TRANSMISSION
Type Five-speed
Primary drive Gear
Clutch Wet, multiplate
Final drive Chain
CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type Steel cradle-type
Rake 27°
Trail Not given
Wheelbase 1385mm
Suspension
Front: 42mm inverted telescopic fork
Rear: Monoshock
Wheels Spoked aluminium alloy
Front: 2.75x 21 (2.5x 17)
Rear: 4.10x 18 (3.0x 17)
Tyres Kenda (Kingstone)
Front: 80/100-21 (110/70Rl7)
Rear: 110/100-18 (130/70R17)
Brakes
Front: 220mm wave disc, two-piston caliper
Rear: Drum brake
DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Weight 126kg (dry, claimed)
Seat height 850mm
Fuel capacity 10.6L
HOWS IT GO?
Power 11kW @ 8000rpm (claimed)
Torque 15Nm @ 7000rpm (claimed)
Top speed 95km/h (approx)
Fuel consumption 2.5l/100km
