During my overseas stint over the last 2 weeks, I had some time to think about the Benelli Keeway TX200G codenamed Banksy, and since there had been many requests for long-term reviews for the said bike, I have decided to play around with it.
After all, for a motard that costs RM7,600 on the road, it represents an affordable means into mid-cc (125 - 250 cc) bike ownership; and the fact that it was made by one of the biggest Chinese bike manufacturers that had purchased an Italian heritage brand, and locally assembled and backed by Givi Malaysia, there would be many riders whom may want to try out such a motard but may be apprehensive because it wasn't your typical Japanese brands.
I had such thoughts prior to purchasing the bike too; but I decided to throw caution to the wind and take a calculated risk since the motard came equipped with many performance parts that were absent from the typical Japanese motards in the same price range.
So, now that I plan to have the bike around for a longer period of time, there are definitely areas that could be improved upon.
1) Exhaust system;
The stock exhaust system is pretty quiet. It potters around fine, but most if not all bikers like an angrier and more macho exhaust notes- risks of unwarranted additional attention from local authorities notwithstanding. I have been Googling online and there had not been many first hand experiences on such a change- although I had seen BK bikes with Leo Vince Corsa (pic 1) and AHM (pic 2) exhausts.
So I'm thinking of a step further by going for the top-of-the-line Leo Vince Cobra full exhaust system. I started searching for BK TX200G with Leo Vince Cobra modified exhaust systems and found at least 2 units having this set-up. One biker installed it as a plug and play, which resulted in the Cobra can being at the bottom of the bike, while the other modified the middle piping such that the Cobra can was still located at the initial motard exhaust position. Here's how it sounds @
Youtube.
For interested parties, Cobra end silencers are the TOP of the LeoVince range, developed
exclusively for the market of up to 250cc displacement 4-stroke
motorcycles.
The design of the silencer, a new flowing “S” shape, derived from
MotoGP, thanks to the wide experience of LeoVince gained over years of
cooperation with leading teams and technicians of the highest class.
High heat resistance fiberglass is inserted internally, that guarantees
longer life, regular heat exchange and a refined sound. The silencer and pipework are constructed in AISI 304 stainless steel
with a “Scotch Brite” surface finish, that consists of each individual
item being cleaned by hand, so that the product is free of any unsightly
imperfections. During development, the R&D department has used a dynamic test
bench to obtain maximum performance. Optimal ratio between torque and
maximum power has been obtained by applying large size exhaust ducts. To further enhance the silencer, an aluminium LeoVince logo plate has
been applied that also highlights the products Italian design,
reproducing the colours of its Italian heritage.
Here's an example of how the Leo Vince Cobra would look like on a BK TX200G under direct plug-and-play, and thereafter modded at its initial exhaust position :
At this point, I am still thinking if I should go with the top or bottom set-up; but once I have ironed out the final details, you could be sure that I would update the picture of Banksy with the Cobra on this blog.
2) Handlebar round pads and hand guards;
On a scrambler, hand guards would prevent debris such as mud and pebbles from hitting your hand; while round pads would dampen any knocks between your head/helmet against the handlebar. On a road-going motard that would hardly see any off-road usages, these essentials would become mere accessories; but I would be installing these to complete the looks of the bike.
3) Footpegs;
The original footpegs installed on the bike looks like they have been salvaged from Asda's past-sold-by-date bargain parts bin. On all my bikes thus far, I always changed the manufacturer's el cheapo-looking footpegs to metal or racing pegs. No differences for Banksy then.
4) Aftermarket dual-horns;
Again, on all my bikes thus far, one of the first modifications that wouldn't render the warranty invalid, that I have performed on all my bikes were to change the standard manufacturer's horns to aftermarket Bosch BM or Hella dual-horns.
5) Givi storage box.
The motard came ready with a carrier bracket that could accommodate a Givi or Kappa storage box, which would be useful for storing helmets and other stuff during travel or parking times. On the Ninja 650R, I previously installed the made-in-Italy colour-coded Givi V46 top-box and V35 twin side panniers, which cost some RM5k.
And I definitely won't be installing these storage boxes on Banksy- not when they cost some 70% of the bike's new asking price. No sirree, I would be hunting for the made-in-Malaysia Givi E350 Flow or E450 Simply. The boxes are good for 35 litres (fits 1 fullface helmet) and 45 litres (fits 2 fullface helmets) respectively, and costs some RM220 and RM350 each.
Okay, that's it for now. More to continue in upcoming entries. Keep your eyes peeled for the final results after the mods.
Ride safe, mates!
