- This topic has 14 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 2 months ago by smokeizfire.
looking for a review on the johnny pag FX3
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April 14, 2009 at 7:55 am #2703joyincParticipant
I cant seem to find anything good about it? And looking at used bike ads there is never any listed… so is this a really crappy bike? I kinda like the look of the “naked sport” bike, and this one is closer to my price range… just a couple hundred more then the honda cbr235r, but double the cc’s.
http://www.johnnypag.ca/motorcycles/sport/
but if it’s going to die in a year or two, not much of a point!
just curious
April 14, 2009 at 2:10 pm #17741briderdtParticipantThat and the customer support network… Those are the things I’d worry about with the Johnny Pags. If you happen to live close to their warehouse, then maybe it’s not a big deal. Around here, there’s ONE dealer that’s about 45 minutes away from me (in clear traffic).
April 14, 2009 at 4:15 pm #17748MattParticipantI’ve read a little on Johnny Pag. Despite the sound of the name, the guy running it (Johnny) is American, and has been around bikes a long time. All the design work is in the USA, but teh build it in China. Quality and dealer networks are still an unknown. But man, I LIKE the way that FX-3 looks. Very clean and simple. A great looking little street fighter.
April 14, 2009 at 6:31 pm #17750Jay TParticipantThere is a dealer in Denver (that I have never heard of). I would be real interested to see if there is anyone out there who has owned (or even ridden) one of these. Price is right.
April 14, 2009 at 10:24 pm #17763joyincParticipantthe only reason i heard about it was because there is a dealer about 20 mins away from me. looks like a place that builds choppers.
i’m a little put off just cause it was slammed on another website. i should try to find the link!
once i get my m2 i think i’ll see if i can test one out. it seems like 3,700 is good for a 300cc ?
it’s either.that or a honda cbr125, unless i find a nice ninja 250. but i sat on one of those at a bike show and it didnt feel right
April 15, 2009 at 12:47 am #17764SantaCruzRiderParticipantOld technology from an untried manufacturer of bikes built in China — as long as it’s your dime, I say go for it and tell us how it works out.
They certainly look a lot better than a Yugo, a vehicle that shared many of the above listed traits.
No offence to JP, but if it was my hard-earned money, I’d rather buy a used 250.
April 15, 2009 at 4:02 am #17767joyincParticipantthanks everyone! gives me alot to think about thats for sure. i actually really like the look of this bike the more i see it… but i have a lot of reservations about the parts and all that. I’m gonna start looking in a month, so i think i should keep lookin!
April 15, 2009 at 1:15 pm #17771Clay DowlingParticipantI’d go with something tried and true. You don’t want your first foray into bikes to be something that brings more misery than joy. Any of the smaller Japanese bikes will be good, and they’re abundant on the used market.
July 28, 2009 at 7:10 pm #21013hise0001ParticipantNew poster here….
I took my MSF course last august and picked up a new FX-3 towards the end of last August.
I love it more and more every day.
Johnny Pag does is own design work in California, and relocates to China for 6 months to oversee his production runs, then he and the parts come back to his warehouse in California.
I know where you guys are coming from, I really felt like I was taking a big risk going with an unknown brand and it’s always hard to figure out how to measure the quality and service of an unknown product… How do you measure service if it doesn’t break… If it does break, is it any good? Here’s my story, and you can form your own opinion to that question…
Within 200 miles of ownership, I did have a small oil leak around the head gasket… just moist to the touch and never dripped. The head gasket was replace under warranty within a week. The leak was still there. The dealer talked to Johnny and agreed to an upper rebuild. Between determining the approach, getting the parts and doing the repair, took about a week and half. I’m very happy with how it was handled and have not had any other problems with the bike.
Johnny (JR) is an active member at http://www.alternativecruisers.com and there are a couple of FX-3 reviews at the site.
December 2, 2009 at 4:35 am #23580ttekulveParticipantThis is just my opinion, but my experience is not a good one. If you plan to buy a Johnny Pag Bike make sure you have a good dealer that is established in your area!!!!!!!!! Mine went under and JPM would not honor the warranty. My bike leaked oil from the engine and the carbs leaked gas from day one. JPM did help by providing free parts, but they stuck me the the labor bill for a bike under warranty. Even after helping me find a shop to fix it. I assumed after they did that it would be fixed. But they said “no.” Although they helped set me up with the shop, it was not an authorized dealer… so to bad for me. they were very difficult to deal with in my experience. In the end… after lots of calls and emails… Johnny Pag himself told me he would authorize the bill to be paid. BUT THEY DID NOT PAY THE BILL! SO… you get what you pay for. The bike was bad out of the shoot, the company did not stand behind it and then flat out didn’t pay when I was told they would (I have the email). I paid the bill. Maybe one day they will pay me back. Ha. In my opinion… spend your money elsewhere.
December 2, 2009 at 4:07 pm #23583JackTradeParticipantSeems very similar to the Buell P3 Blast…more or less the exact same power to weight ratio (Blast has a little more power, but weighs a little more), same sizing/styling, riding position, etc. That video looks almost exactly what I look like riding my Blast.
Even more interesting is that the whole Johnny Pag thing seems to be a small cruiser version of the Erik Buell experience: a small company fronted by a really passionate guy that makes decent bikes (given the constraints) and is on the way up. At the beginning, the business model is a little shaky, but the right intentions seem there.
Could very much see Pag’s bikes being sold by a bigger company with a bigger dealership network in a few years. Of course, hopefully said bigger company won’t pull the plug on Pag, just as his stuff was getting really good.
As for the bike, if you like the idea of the FX-3 but worry about the parts/service issue, look into a Buell Blast (sorry, just plain “Blast” now….sigh).
It’s very similar, it’s easy to fix/parts are everywhere, and all the early issues have long since been sorted out…it’s pretty bulletproof these days, if a little basic. I love mine, it’s been a great way to get into motorcycles, and it’s definitely a unique bike.
December 3, 2009 at 3:46 am #23588stuParticipantmotorcycle.com tested some 250cc bikes and the johnny pag engine vibrated so much the bolts fell out of the cooling fan on the radiator and the bike over heated so if your lucky it might have some locktite on it from the factory (apparently they didn’t find this poor design fault until someone took one for a ride…)
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- The electrical problem stemmed from cooling fan bolts that had backed out due to prominent vibration from the Parallel Twin. As the radiator fan worked itself loose, its electrical connectors were making contact with metal somewhere, causing a short. JPM recognizes this issue; so Locktite-ing the bolts are now part of its PDI servicing. For whatever reason, the bolts on our test bike didn’t receive this treatment.
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anyone on the different forums who has one either loves or hates it and those that hate it seem to have quite a few problems with them. To me that means really bad qa + design. Your shooting in the dark if you get one that is good or bad.
December 3, 2009 at 9:17 pm #23594ladouglasParticipantI have a FX3 but mine was manufactured in Singapore not China. Hopefully this is good!
December 9, 2009 at 6:06 am #23653ttekulveParticipantHere’s an update on the bike didn’t pay to fix even though it was under warranty. Now that I had to pay to fix all the oil and gas leaks, which should have been paid for by JPM!!!!!!!!!!!! I have a new one! NOW IT”S LEAKING COOLANT!!! WHAT A HUNK OF CRAP! SAVE YOUR MONEY!
January 5, 2010 at 5:15 pm #23896smokeizfireParticipantI took a look at Johnny’s website and their 2010 lineup looks very appealing. Especially, the Pro Sport cruiser with the red paint and gold wheels. Being a previous bike owner, I learned how important GOOD SERVICE and BUILD QUALITY is. I owned a Hyosung GV250 and plan on re-ownership in a few months. For personal reasons I had to give up my 08′(boy do I miss her), but the bike and build quality was excellent. Bulletproof that 250 was. I had minor issues relative to new bikes, regardless of manufacturer. Once those issues were resolved, smooth sailing from there. On the highway, for a 250 she rode like a dream. And when I say that this little 250 was well suited for the freeway…I mean most people thought she was a 500 or a 750. I love Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, etc… but their 250s are pretty small, light, and lack power if you plan on freeway commutting. I live in SoCal and purchased the Aquila 250 from some good guys at Cycle Dragon in Norwalk. It is mainly a Victory dealer, but they sell Hyosung Motorcycles as well. They give excellent …I mean excellent service over there.
Johnny’s company seems to be growing…fast, however, I was reading a review on the 2010 Pro Street cruiser mentioned earlier in the post. Pag sent the reviewer a test model, and the issue was the same as those mentioned…screws loosening everywhere. That doesnt seem like an isolated issue, more than it seems like an issue with QUALITY. Now some issues are overlookable, however, riding a motorcycle is inherently dangerous….and riding a poorly built one ups the stakes! Screws loosening because of engine vibrations is not an issue I could overlook. That is a serious issue my friend. And for the post I read earlier of the guy who had to come out of his pocket for repair cost while the bike was still under warranty….Kudos!! You are a much nicer guy than I’d ever be. I would be blasting the hell out of Johnny every chance I got.
I guess the moral of this story is…STAY AWAY from Johnny Pag Motorcycles until they get it together as a company and manufacturer. Or…buy one if you are feeling adventurous..
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