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| Archives - Production Motorcycles |
Bike Review: 2007 UM V2S250 - From RoadBike Nov/Dec 2007
 High School Sportbike By Jon Langston, Photos by Bob Feather Hey, I understand that the newest guy on the staff has to start somewhere. And I accept — no, I embrace — the responsibility of trying out the bikes some might not want to be seen on. In an effort to be a contributing member of the RB bike-reviewing team, I put several hundred miles on United Motors’ (UM) new low-level sportbike and thoroughly enjoyed my time in the saddle. (Note to my bosses: I’ve paid my dues.) UM, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary in the powersports market, is a family operation with over 50 years of experience in the transportation industry. The company manufactures 49cc to 200cc scooters, ATVs, and small-displacement motorcycles, which have found a niche mainly in South American markets. In January, the Miami-based company entered a licensing agreement with Hyosung Motors & Machinery of Korea to import Hyosung’s larger models to the US, a sweetheart deal that gives UM access to the production capacity it wants and Hyosung a springboard to the North and South American distribution channels it needs. The first offspring of this arranged marriage is UM’s importation of Hyosung’s 250cc and 650cc cruisers and sportbikes. For the 2007 and ’08 model years there’s not much difference between the Hyosungs and the UMs. (Hyosung’s Avitar 650 cruiser was reviewed by Gabe Ets-Hokin back in the June issue of RoadBike.) Starting in 2009, however, UM’s versions will feature proprietary headlights, bodywork, taillights, and graphics. But for now, UM is bringing the Korean bike to the US as-is — and the V2S250 is already an award-winner. Just ask my colleague Steve Lita, who took it out to a bike night near his home and rode away with the trophy for Most Exotic. And it is, if for no other reason than it’s Korean. The styling is typical of its kind — fully faired and heavy on the extreme graphics. The gold-colored, inverted front forks and the hawk-nosed cowling give the bike a focused, snarling countenance, and the rear end hangs high over the tire, held up by an adjustable pre-load mono-shock. Truth be told, this little bike ain’t so little. One day last summer, parked next to all the other bikes in the RB stable, the rear cowl stood easily as high as Triumph’s Daytona 675 or the Honda 919. Indeed, the UM is essentially the same size as its larger 650cc sister sportbike, amounting to a full-sized motorcycle that you really have to throw your leg over to mount (at 31.3" its seat height is actually almost an inch higher than the 650’s). In fact, the main thing to keep in mind while riding this bike is easy to forget because of its size — it’s only a 250cc machine. Out on the road, I’m happy to say the modest V-twin engine had more giddy-up than I expected and pushed the full-size chassis around with surprisingly little effort. On the mean streets of the Connecticut suburbs, I found the bike flickable and easy to handle. As long as I kept in mind the amount of ccs I was running with and downshifted accordingly, the bike had plenty of power to pull itself out of slow-speed turns and negotiate traffic. There’s no room for a lackadaisical approach here; the five-speed transmission will deliver the power to the ground, but, given the amount of weight the diminutive engine is expected to move (390 pounds dry), at slow speeds you must keep this bike in a low gear or it will sputter. Beyond second gear, there’s precious little torque with which to cover your laziness. Out on the two-laners of the Westchester countryside, the bike leaned hard and ready, racing around tree-lined curves and over wooded hills with aplomb, eager to show off its sporty lineage. Once or twice I inadvertently pushed it too hard, going into a couple of turns a touch fast and found myself having to correct my velocity in order to nail the right line. Up in the rolling hills the valiant little UM, despite its small motor and the jibes of my colleagues, was deceptively quick, sported a fine mid-range, and, as long as I kept my clutch active, readily kept up with the big boys. Right up until the on-ramp. That’s when all that nonsense about “keeping up with the big boys” flew right out the proverbial window as I watched the other bikes fade into the distance. Despite my furious twisting, the throttle simply had nothing left to give, and I had no choice but to settle in, crouch down, and try to relax. Again, it’s all about remembering what you’re dealing with here: Yes, you’re on a full-size bike, and, yes, because of that decent mid-range you’re up to merging speed as you enter the highway (a nice, long on-ramp with which to build up a little momentum doesn’t hurt, either). But don’t expect to accelerate around that semi or to jet over into the fast lane and take off, because it just ain’t gonna happen. You’ve pretty much used up all you’ve got by the time you get to 75 mph. On a long, empty straightaway with a gentle downhill (and a stiff tailwind, I suspect), I got her up to 88 mph, and the sportbike still felt surprisingly stable, with no fairing rattles or anything of the sort. Soon enough I had to back off the throttle; actually, that’s not entirely true. The slight downhill turned into a slight uphill and the V2S250 courageously gave its all, but the bike couldn’t maintain its speed and settled back down to a safe, legal 65 mph. Sigh. But it’s a moot complaint because, again, considering the bike’s size, it’s easy to forget that you’re only working a 250cc engine. This bike will get you where you need to be; it’s just going to take a bit longer than it would on, say, a GSX-R. In order to maximize the fun quotient, my advice would be to stick to the side roads. And about that optional IXIL canister: Just for kicks, we decided to take the UM to Dyno Solutions at Cliff’s BMW in Danbury, Connecticut, just to see what she would pull. The 250 reached an admirable, if slightly comical, 25hp. We switched the IXIL out for the stock muffler and put the bike up on the dyno again, dreading our result, but it was surprising: The IXIL added literally one horse to the 250cc motor — meaning if you decide to go for the optional IXIL, rest assured it’s a mostly cosmetic upgrade. To sum up, UM’s entry-level sportbike has enough eyeball to make it stand out at bike night, but not so much power that a kid ends up in the emergency room — two sterling traits that might appeal to a new rider. Or his (or her) parents. RB Tech Sheet 2007 UM V2S250
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In order to see how it stood up to its contemporaries, I decided to take the UM out with a couple of my colleagues, who were riding the aforementioned Honda and Triumph. I found the V2S250 to be a fun ride that more than lives up to its purpose. And what exactly would its purpose be? This would make an excellent starter bike for young (sub)urban newbies, as it’s easy to control and fun to ride, yet doesn’t crank out so much power that it can get away from a rider in his late teens or early 20s. Ignoring the downpour of “nice pocket bike” and “where’s the rip cord?” jokes of my co-workers, I fired up the UM’s eager little engine and was greeted by a tinny, Briggs & Stratton-esque sound, an extremely slight vibration, and a rumble that, despite the optional IXILcanister, was easy to talk over even while wearing a full-face helmet. I wasn’t expecting a roar, obviously — more on that IXIL muffler later — but once the other bikes around me started up and the decibel level increased, I had to reach back and put a hand over the exhaust to make sure I hadn’t forgotten to start the darned thing.