Is there anything I should be worried about when buying tubeless rims for EX5 off Shopee?

I saw plenty of choices at around 150+ for a pair? Seems way too cheap?

Only gonna use the bike sparingly so looking for the cheapest option possible.

Thought I'd share one life changing tool I started using recently. I now clip my TnG and access cards to my key with a retractable lanyard clip that is often seen with office lanyards for scanning through barriers, and it's made my life so much easier by not having to dig through my pockets exiting the parking and entering my condo. It was such a nuisance in the past as I have to handle my bike with one hand doing that, and of course super dangerous.

https://my.shp.ee/4ewpm6Z

Only concern would be durability of this, but given the price this can be replaced very often.

I do wear my RS Taichi RSJ334 jacket, but there are a few problems with the pocket designs:

1. It has a horizontal zipper instead of a more accessible diagonal zipper
2. The storm flap that runs across the zipper makes it difficult to reach for the zipper

I have also changed to a much thicker pair of gloves recently which made matter worse, a lot of the time I have to stop at the roadside to keep my card when I failed to put it in before I hit a junction.

Jacket photo for reference:

I just clip it to the keychain ring attached directly to my key, so it just rests in my cockpit without moving as the windshield protects it, so yea it's not a trick for keyless motorcycles.

I would not use it for anything heavier or important like keys though, my TnG and access card are things I am prepared to lose in exchange for the convenience.

Yea... unfortunately, I didn't know too much about jackets back then, all I cared about was breathability and protection. And I paid RM500+ for the jacket back when I was riding EX5, and it was a time when I can put things into a basket

I explored all kind of options like taping the cards to my bike, putting the card within my phone case and mounting it on the bike and none of them worked before coming to this.

Didn't know you can clone access cards into bracelet, that's a good idea maybe I can explore.

My condo exits into a narrow single-lane road that also happens to be a slope...

So I have to worry about:

1. Getting rear-ended or be obstructing other road users
2. Having one foot on the rear brake to stop my bike from going backwards while not dropping it

and pray that the weather treats me kindly while I am doing all that.

I have actually dropped my bike at the petrol station before when trying to get my credit card for the paywave.

Also I am not sure if it's the same for others, but I tend to wonder 'have I really put it in' when I put things into my pockets without actually seeing it, so on my way to workplace I would feel my pocket a couple of times just to make sure the stuff are there and haven't flown out.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 16 2025, 02:03 PM

Ramblings and thoughts 1.5 years into my big bike journey...

Current Usage
My riding right now is pretty simple: a 20km daily commute one way on the Federal Highway motorcycle lane. Future plans *might* include a yearly trip to Penang or JB, but realistically I don’t see myself doing much more than that.

My Ninja 400 has been everything I expected and more. Honestly, I have zero desire to upgrade to a bigger bike because for my commute, heavier and hotter bikes would actually be worse. Plus, there’s not much joy riding in just 2nd and 3rd gear in traffic.

I’ve also done more than 10 trips to Melaka on it, so I’m familiar with its highway capabilities. For me, 130 km/h is the sweet spot for cruising — anything beyond that is uncomfortable for extended periods and starts feeling unsafe.

400cc Feels Like the Sweet Spot
I believe the lighter range of 400cc bikes strikes the best balance of weight and power. Bikes like the Duke 390, Ninja 500, CFMoto 450SR, and Triumph Speed 400 all share that formula: essentially 250-class frames but with almost double the displacement.

Compared to a 250cc, you get the highway confidence you need, and compared to 650cc+ bikes, you avoid the weight and heat that become a nightmare in city riding. If you can only have one bike for mostly city use with occasional highway runs, I think this range is the ideal compromise.

Things I Wished My Bike Did Better

1. Luggage options
- Sportsbikes look wrong (to me) with panniers or bars, and boxes only look “right” on big ADVs or kapchais.
- Tank bags and tail bags aren’t practical for a short-distance commuter like me.

2. Scooter convenience
- On scooters, your feet are shielded, so no worries about water splashes.
- On the Ninja, my shoes constantly get stained by gear shifts, so I can only wear dark shoes.

3. Bad road confidence
- Half the Federal Highway motorcycle lane is potholes and bumps, so I couldn't ride fast without worrying about rim and suspension damage
- Sometimes I wish I had a dual-purpose bike just to blast over potholes and road dividers without caring.

Looking Ahead
It's looking very likely that I will switch to a scooter in the near future, only question remains on whether to keep the Ninja 400. It is such a waste given the condition it came in and the effort I spent hunting for one, but given my usage for the foreseeable future, I have no need for it.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 19 2025, 10:57 PM

To address the issues I listed above as a commuter, I think only a 150cc scooter would fit my needs:

1. Underseat storage and potential to install a rear box
2. Splash protection for my feet and not needing to change gear to prevent stains
3. Cheaper to maintain when compared to big bike, so I can use it as a beater bike and worry less about bad road conditions
4. Small and nimble in the city, and I don't have to worry about traffic filtering and tight carparks anymore

So I was looking at Vario a lot for the past few months as the NVX is too pricey. The Sym Naga that's about to be released is also very interesting, it's been the top-selling model in Taiwan since release. If all goes well, I would buy one before end of this year.

As for my Ninja 400, I would keep it for a while just to see how I like the change. Scooter purchase would actually give me some freedom to pick a second fun bike, as I no longer have to care too much about the reliability, weight and also maintenance cost that would otherwise be important to a commuter bike.

Time’s changed. Last year I was still traveling on the highway quite a fair bit and the bike served me well. I’ve also saved over RM500 a month just by riding, so no complaints there. The bike will still have its place in the stable for longer travels, but maybe it’s an age thing, I’ve started to appreciate taking public transport for any journey over 2 hours, because being able to rest and arrive fully fresh actually gets you more value for your balik kampung trips.

Big bikes are great when you’re doing long distances often. They save time (sometimes money) and make the ride more predictable since you’re less affected by traffic. That said, I always knew my ideal setup would be a small commuter plus a bigger bike for trips, I am just finding it hard to be like my neighbor who pays for a Tracer but only takes it out on long weekends, I am not at that financial level yet or maybe I am too pragmatic.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 20 2025, 11:24 AM

1~80 mostly, with capability to go to 110 would be enough for my usage.

I want something as cheap as possible because I am planning to blast through road bumps and potholes with this.

I also have a spare EX5 in my hometown... maybe I can do something with it.

-- Double post --

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 22 2025, 12:13 AM

How's your experience with Bajaj's parts and availability?

The used Pulsar NS200s are dirt cheap, could just be a good candidate as a beater bike.

I took a look on Shopee, the rims cost as much as my Ninja, with a pair costing RM1K++. That was naive for me to think rims of the same size would be cheaper just cause it's Indian bike...

The parts for a supercub however looks pretty damn affordable, you can replace the forks, mono and rims all within 1.5k, unreal.

These parts would become consumables if I were to ride it hard... lol

I fully expect the rims to bend and crack in time if I were to ride a bike hard, so it's good to have that figured out.

I guess supercub does have some other benefits, like function as a good starting track machine if that makes sense? If you fall and things break it's gonna be cheaper to repair overall. I am also wondering if anyone has modded it into a cub-cross style with extended forks and shock, increasing the ground clearance, so you can ride it like an adventure bike.

I have no problem with dailying the Ninja to be fair, but it would be convenient to have some storage space to work with and also not have to care about where I park my bike, that would then be peak biking convenience. Sometimes money is not the problem, but parts availability could be a huge concern, especially with a bike that's not exactly popular.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 23 2025, 05:48 PM

Definitely, I am also wondering if it's that easy to bend the rims, but everytime I hit a hard pothole at higher speed (100 ~ 120km/h), I can't help but to worry about it. I would like to think that these are not enough to cause damage, but I'd prefer not to f*ck around and find out, especially when I am quite heavy (>100kg). The bigger problem is finding parts if I really had to replace them, since my model is no longer being sold, and I am not sure if the Ninja 500 rims are plug and play.

The other less enjoyable part of riding my bike now is having to worry about where I park the bike when I go to somewhere new, and I wouldn't park my bike between two kapchais unless the parking lot is spacious enough which usually means I have to walk further.

Just small things that are taking away the joy of riding, which are otherwise non-existent if I ride another bike that is cheaper to maintain with easily accessible parts. I wouldn't mind all these if I actually needed the power eg. riding highways, but I am not exactly making use of the extra power either.

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Sep 27 2025, 01:40 PM

Random things I bought in the past few months (all from China, prices before shipping):

1. Akrapovic replica (RM240)

Aesthetically a massive improvement over the stock exhaust and feels much lighter too. It also makes overtaking safer since other riders can actually hear me now, the stock exhaust was laughably mute, the 'revbomb' barely made a sound.

The tone started out nice and tight with a bassy low-end, not overly loud, but somehow got noticeably louder over time to the point of being annoying. Thought it was placebo, but apparently new exhausts do have some coating that burns off and they get louder as you use them (ChatGPT told me that lol).

Quite conflicted about it now, it’s really too loud, but it just looks so damn good compared to stock (or maybe stock is just too ugly). Thinking if the ZX25R’s exhaust might fit mine, that one looks sick.

2. Padded Seat (RM210)
One of those unassuming upgrades you wish you bought earlier. The comfort difference is huge.

The stock Ninja 400 seat is notorious for sliding you into the tank, painful during hard braking. This one fixes it by curving upwards near the tank. The extra height also helps my legs; the stock seat height always caused a bit of right-leg cramp over time.

For what it’s worth, Kawasaki still hasn’t fixed this issue on the new Ninja 500 either, so I’d recommend this to 500 riders too.

3. LEXIN P4 Tyre Inflator (RM48)
Didn’t get one earlier because of all the bad online reviews, but I think most of them were from car users.

For bikes, it’s great. Tops up my tyres in seconds. For cars though, it takes forever and gets super hot trying to hit 36 PSI. I can see it dying fast if used for cars, but for bikes it’ll probably last forever if you just top up every couple of weeks.

Also way more convenient than using the petrol station pump when you’re fully geared up and the valve’s in a bad position. Plus, tyre pressure is arguably more important for bikes than cars so I thought better watch them closely.

4. SBK ST-10 Gloves (RM120)

A thick pair of cowhide (advertised) gloves. So much thicker than my old pair that I’ve no doubt they’d protect my hands well in a fall... but they’re killing my riding feel.

I can barely feel the throttle. I actually almost hit another bike this week because I was still holding throttle while braking. Now I have to consciously release the throttle before braking.

Also, the thumbs are short and bruise my knuckles after a short ride, so I have to keep adjusting. Thought they’d loosen up, but nope. Probably shopping for another pair soon...

---

By the way, anyone has an easy way to drain excess engine oil? Tried using a turkey baster to poke through the filler hole, but I couldn’t even get 2 cm deep before hitting something

This post has been edited by JustForFun: Oct 25 2025, 10:21 AM

Alright, I guess I would just hang on a bit more til the next oil change. Sounds like a messy job to loosen--drain-tighten-check for a few times.

Mine is right at the level or maybe even slightly above now. Could be the reason I had issues starting my bike sometimes in the past.

Just a constant mild ticking sound when pressed on the starter, don't think it even cranks.

The two new batteries I changed, didn't manage to start the bike on the first try. It seemed as if I needed to ride for a while to charge them up fully before they would consistently start my bike.

It's unlikely to be the batteries now, but having a strong battery definitely alleviates the issues. Haven't had any issues starting the bike once the Thai-X battery got going, then again I haven't done too many short rides of late due to the concern that it may not start.

What is a reliable source to get a genuine Yuasa battery then?

The reason I also suspected engine oil is that it is the Monday after the weekend when I did the oil change that this happened, and after a couple of battery changes it is still happening (sure, could also be lousy batteries).