A dealer in Pattaya now stocks this Keeway motorbike

The good news is that it is fully loaded and priced at 99000 Baht.

The bad news is that it is not Japanese.
The dealer stated that is manufactured in Taipei.

Superficially it looks well made. I sat on the machine and it feels about thew same as a Phantom

Any experience out there?

SutusB25

That is good news, we love Keeway, but Keeway is defiantly not a Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturer. I believe they have some manufacturing done in China, and Taiwan but they are a Hungarian manufacturing company.

Keeway Nemzetkozi Fejlesztesi Kft.
Kozuzo u. 8.
Szentendre, Hungary, HU H-2000
Tel +36 – (0)26500444
http://www.keewaymotor.com

If they sell Keeway in Pattaya, we would like you to ask the dealer if he can point us (Motorcycle Thailand) to the distributor as we would surely like to test one of this bikes.

The Keeway Cruiser 250 quick specs
This is just a spectacular model, and undoubtedly one of the most attractive KEEWAY customs available. The CRUISER's generous dimensions and astonishing array of chrome accessories, coupled with its superb fit and finish, is simply astounding. It features unforgettable "smoothie" style rims, V-shaped 2 cylinder 250cc engine that delivers more power than you imagine. Experience CRUISER, and own the dominance you deserve.

V-shaped 2 cylinder 250cc 4-stroke air cooled engine, which delivers more than enough power, Traditional dash board integrates smoothly with the headlamp, indicators and windscreen, Classical cruiser lines adopted on handle bars and mirrors, Handle bars are ergonomically engineered in the right position to ensure maximum comfort. Double independent exhausts supply the traditional cruiser sound you are looking for. An unforgettable rim design and wide tires set it apart from its contemporaries. Supple front and rear suspension and fine ergonomically shaped seat make it comfortable for long distance travel. Black seat, accompanied by two studded leather saddle bags, gives you just the right style. Wide foot rests give the most comfortable ride possible. Front and rear disk brakes provide a strong stopping power making sure you are in control under various conditions. With exclusive triple – phase electrostatic painting technologies and UV Curing Processing, the surface paint is more evenly distributed upto 50 um in thickness, and remains highly shiny and aging resistant for 5 – 7 years.

Thanks for the info
The dealer knows nothing about this machine. I had to advise them of the Keeling name. They referred to it as a M -since this letter is printed of the passenger seat.
However -one question
What would you consider is the maximum cruising speed say on a good level road?

Quote by: Richard

That is good news, we love Keeway, but Keeway is defiantly not a Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturer. I believe they have some manufacturing done in China, and Taiwan but they are a Hungarian manufacturing company.

Keeway Nemzetkozi Fejlesztesi Kft.
Kozuzo u. 8.
Szentendre, Hungary, HU H-2000
Tel +36 – (0)26500444
http://www.keewaymotor.com

If they sell Keeway in Pattaya, we would like you to ask the dealer if he can point us (Motorcycle Thailand) to the distributor as we would surely like to test one of this bikes.

I will advise you of a contact and phone shortly. The particular dealer is located at the junction of 3rd Rd and South Pattaya Rd.(Precisely at the North Eastern corner of the junction). If you can arrange a test drive I would like an invitation to witness this test-maybe I can have a ride myself.

Richard -Are you based in Thailand?

Hi this Cruiser looks good and if I am not going to be able to get a Yamaha V twin this would be a suitable alternative!!! I have emailed various departments of keeway who I guess are based in Europe NO REPLY Today I sent a rude email to the English operation and they must have forwarded it to a guy in China!! I do think the bikes are being manufactured in China but this fact does not really bother me.What did bother me was that the Chinese guy had no knowledge of anyome stocking their bikse in Thailand! in fact he was sure they were not on sale in Thailand!!! Trying to buy the model of something you actually want to buy as opposed to buying all the old tat which is actually on offer is a Nightmare in Thailand I do not actually think that the Thais understand business.If things were not so restrictive here any entrepreneur worth a damm could make a fortune!!!

Anyway if this deal in Pataya does stock Keeway I would be gratefull for a phone number or an email in fact I would be grateful for anything..

Quote by: finzean100

Hi this Cruiser looks good and if I am not going to be able to get a Yamaha V twin this would be a suitable alternative!!! I have emailed various departments of keeway who I guess are based in Europe NO REPLY Today I sent a rude email to the English operation and they must have forwarded it to a guy in China!! I do think the bikes are being manufactured in China but this fact does not really bother me.What did bother me was that the Chinese guy had no knowledge of anyome stocking their bikse in Thailand! in fact he was sure they were not on sale in Thailand!!! Trying to buy the model of something you actually want to buy as opposed to buying all the old tat which is actually on offer is a Nightmare in Thailand I do not actually think that the Thais understand business.If things were not so restrictive here any entrepreneur worth a damm could make a fortune!!!

Anyway if this deal in Pataya does stock Keeway I would be gratefull for a phone number or an email in fact I would be grateful for anything..

The dealer in Pattaya is called
Mityon -Pattaya
Tele -+66 (0)38-415683-6
Fax +66(0)38415789
website www.mityon.com
Contact in Pattaya Bulin Dtawng (Manager)
As I write they have2 bikes in stock
They have sold just todate only 1 machine
After the motor Show (Bangkok) a representative of Keeway will visit Mityon(Pattaya) to train the sales/service engineers

Precise date as yet not a Known

Regards

Sutus B25

Taken from the Keeway/Qian Jiang company profile posted on http://liumi2153.en.ecplaza.net/:

KEEWAY is the European-registered brand of Qianjiang Group of China. KEEWAY has become a multinational organization incorporating R&D, design, sale, and service of motorcycle and other mechanical products. Under the corporate umbrella, there are Qianjiang-Keeway Europe (Hungary), Keeway Poland, Keeway Spain, Keeway Finland, Keeway France, Keeway Italy, Keeway Croatia, Keeway America (USA), among others.

Taken from the Keeway Benelux website http://www.keeway.be/en/about/:

KEEWAY, a company having more than 14.000 employees, is a statement in the Chinese motorcycle industry.
Every year more than 1.200.000 scooter, motorbikes and quads are produced!
In China, Keeway vehicles are traded as Qian Jiang and since 1999 they are exported as KEEWAY all over the world. There has also been founded a European headquarters in Hungary.

So apparently Keeway is indeed Chinese owned and manufactured but with their R&D in Europe.

The Keeway brand name is registered to an address in Hungary. That the Hungarian brand owners manufacturer the motorcycles in China is nothing new, BMW, Sachs and several none-European brands do that. Still Keeway has a European office and most R&D is done in Europe, therefore they qualify as a European brand name.

The brand name is registered in Hungary but the Hungarian brand name owners are a Chinese company who have their headquarters in Shanghai and who happen to be the same company who manufacture the bikes. Sure, it is a Hungarian brand.... ;-)

How can a Chinese company hold a European registered brand name? The only way they can do that is by registering it through a company they own which is registered as a European company. So the Keeway brand and company in Hungary are European, with a Chinese owner, again similar as the company structure for Sachs Motorrad. (Sachs also has a Chinese owner)

Quote by: Richard

That is good news, we love Keeway, but Keeway is defiantly not a Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturer. I believe they have some manufacturing done in China, and Taiwan but they are a Hungarian manufacturing company.

Keeway Nemzetkozi Fejlesztesi Kft.
Kozuzo u. 8.
Szentendre, Hungary, HU H-2000
Tel +36 – (0)26500444
http://www.keewaymotor.com

If they sell Keeway in Pattaya, we would like you to ask the dealer if he can point us (Motorcycle Thailand) to the distributor as we would surely like to test one of this bikes.

Hi Richard How are you? Just a small point when you say you love Keeway I wonder in fact if you have any knowledge of the bikes or the Company? The Keeway Brand is a device used by the vast Chinese manufacturing Comapany Quianjiang, the bikes are as Chinese as Chop Suey!!

I bought one from Mityon Pataya some two months ago for 99.000 Baht , as the yamaha v twin did not seem to be coming to Thailand and as this seemed like a good alternative for a beginner,which I am. I have since found several reviews on this machine, the consensus being the bikes are rather slow,the build quality,gearbox brakes and suspension are all much inferior to a japanese equivelent.

On the whole I am quite happy with my bike it looks great and as I have nothing to compare it with then I am not disapointed. The top speed is only 115 km and it will cruise OK at 100 (although my one vibrates a bit dead on 100 so I stay just under ( I never really wanted a fast bike) riding at the maximum speed is not comfortable and I hope to eventually graduate to a niceJapanese 400 cc cruiser luike the Yamaha.

Since getting my bike I have done 7500 Kilometres I have been to Chang Mai and whizzed tound a bit of the Golden Triangle and last month I went South To Ko Chang Island,wonderful althought some of the roads are so steep and the corners so sharp that I was terrified,I survived however.

I have had a couple of minor problems,like I broke down on the way back to Udon From Pataya , this was dirt clogging the carbereuter and the dealer offered to pay for the mechanic who fixed it,it was only 200 Baht so I shall not persue him for this.Apart from a blown fuse,which the Manager of Mityon ( a very helpful positive person) had two mechanics from Kawasiki Big Bikes in Udon come and fix (a friend of his owns it) if I had know anything about bikes I of course would have checked this myself, but I don't so I didn't!!

I was planning to go off on a trip to Ko Samet Today, but when I was eating dinner at one of my favourite eateries several Thai Gents arrive asking who owned the bike!!! These guys were from the revenue, I imagine similar to customs and excise in the UK what they wanted to know was whether the Import \Tax had been pais on the bike I think the thing that aroused their curiosity was that they had not seen this model and make of bike before.

My receipt from Mityon did not mention Tax so they have impounded my nice shiny bike.I am assured by Bulen The Manager of Mityon that a fax confirming payment of all due taxes will be wuth me shortly!!! I will keep you updated!!!

When I lived in Greece we had a few Keeway scooters, and in the 5-years I used those scooters to commute around the island we lived on I cannot remember any serious problems with one of them.

Anyway, it seems always very difficult to tell where products comes from, some people point to the location where the company and/or trademark is registered, others say its where the products are made, and even some will say that the owners will indicate where product comes from.

So depending on how you look at the Keeway brand, it's Hungarian or Chinese – but both are fine for me. We have a BMW bike which is made in China. Most Sachs motorcycle's in the world are Chinese made. And if the owner of a company is used as indication than Land Rover and Jaguar are Indian cars... O, we could laugh the whole day about things like this...

The Keeway 250 Cruiser costs 99,000 Baht, and sure you cannot compare it to a Yamaha V-Star 250, it cost a good amount less. If you compare the Keeway 250 Cruiser to a Honda Phantom TA200, you see more similarity. You can also not compare the built quality of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R to the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-R6, the Ninja 650R is a budget motorcycle.

Anyway, I have no experience of riding a Keeway 250cc V-twin cruiser, but if it's similar to other 250cc cruisers I have tested in Thailand you would find that fine-tuning the carburetors and let them breath a bit more air will improve lots of performance. I noticed that several motorcycle manufacturers did limit the air flow to pass the strict Thai emission rules.

I'm shocked to hear that the revenue department have confiscated your motorcycle, I hear lately many stories of active TAX's guys stopping big bikes. I hope in your case that it is quickly sorted out...

We uploaded the English owner's manual for the Keeway Cruiser 250, you can find it here Keeway Cruiser 250 Owner's Manual English.

Chinese owned, Hungarian registered company. Bikes manufactured in China PRD. No bikes manufactured in Taiwan. Cruiser branded as M-BIKE and sold at SYM dealerships in Thailand. BMW have their 650cc single engine assembled by Loncin in China. No complete Beemers built there.