MotorStar Moto X155

It is easy to see that the MotorStar Moto X155 is meant to be the more off roady version of the MotorStar Moto R155. It loses some of the fairing in the front but there is still some left to protect the radiator. This also has the added benefit of exposing the frame which is left in all its glory out in the elements. The bike is slightly longer than the MotorStar Moto R155 with dimensions of 2155 mm (L) x 804 mm (W) x 1194 mm (H). The front uses a 21” spoked wheel while the rear is provided with a smaller 18”. Tires are not the most extreme and more road focused with a 2.75 for the front and a 4.1 for the rear. The seat is long, flat and slim as expected. The high riding sloped exhaust is shrouded well under the bodywork. The end of the tail section is provided with a rack that can be used for mounting any cargo carriers. The rest of it is business as usual. There is not a lot of eye candy here as was the case with the Moto R155. The telescopic front forks do not have the same appeal as the USD forks but they do their job well. Same goes for the thinner tires, but it does have great ground clearance and there are some nice touches like the rear pillion foot rest and the beefy swing arm. The bike comes with analog instrumentation and there is only one color on offer – black. The build quality is as you’d expect from a Chinese motorcycle at this price point. Rusting and misaligned parts are the most commonly reported problems, but they are ignored or easily fixed by their users.

The suspension on the Moto X155 uses a telescopic setup for the front and a monoshock for the rear. It is not the most capable setup but works well with the aluminum chassis and swingarm. The bike weighs just 127 kg and is easy to flick around and go over bumps. The seating position afforded by the high seat and wide and high handlebars, lends itself well to both on and off road riding. But only for short rides or your butt will leave your butt sore on longer rides. It can also use better tires for off roading.

Power comes from a 149cc single cylinder water-cooled and carbureted engine that is mated to a 5-speed transmission. The power output is rated to be 8.8 kW at 8500 rpm and 10 Nm at 7500 rpm. The company also reports the fuel economy to be around 50 kmpl with economical driving. But the trustworthiness of these figures is a matter of opinion. The engine is smooth but not the most well suited for going off the trail with its relaxed nature. The real issue however is the transmission that has been reported to have many issues from false neutrals to poor shifting. Still for the most part the bike works well for urban use and the occasional trail riding.

Braking is adequate with discs at both the front and the rear.

For its price it is a decent road focused off roading bike. But because of its price you will have to ignore its many problems and take on a bet that could leave you with a lemon of a bike with bad resale value and difficult to procure parts. A risk worth taking?