Keeway Blackster 250 Good value, fun to ride. Review on Keeway Blackster 250

I spotted and bought a pre-registered 6-year-old ‘Keeway Blackster 250i’ online in 2021 with zero distance travelled. The bike was manufactured in March 2015 but sat in a dealer’s showroom until purchase(cost just £1800 which seemed cheap for a new bike).

I will begin with the issues I had…

Upon first ride, there was a leak from the front tyre valve(steel screw on type) which abruptly ended a short trip around the block. A local motorcycle workshop fitted a rubber valve for £20(They told me steel screw on valves is a terrible idea as they come undone then leak air)

A few days later the engine kept cutting out after short distances. When left for a while, the bike would start which was puzzling at first. This happened every time until discovering that the ‘Keeway Blackster 250i’ will only on run on Super Unleaded fuel. Switching from Regular to Super resulted in the engine running perfectly within a short space of time(DO NOT use E10 fuel in the ‘Keeway Blackster 250i’).

Out of the blue one morning, the bike would not start. The engine did turn over on the starter but when the ignition key was operated, the fuel pump did not prime. Looking under the fuel tank I could see that the power lead for the fuel pump had worked loose somehow - luckily an easy fix nonetheless. The steering bearings developed play after 250 kilometres (easily adjusted / tightened) and both screws that held the left-hand switchgear fell out. The lesson here is to check ALL screws, bolts and electrical connections on the bike periodically as part of the maintenance schedule.

At 500Kms travelled, the red Efi warning light(engine management light) illuminated after a short period of running. At first, I could not figure out what the issue was until reading that if you keep the throttle completely open and turn on the ignition then off / on three times, the Efi will start to flash and from that you can work out what the fault was. In this instance the flashing sequence was 1, 3, 7, 9. Further research indicated that the fault was ‘Efi system voltage too high’. It turns out that the Regulator / Rectifier had failed without warning and was causing the battery to overcharge.

It was fortunate that in this case as I was able to ride the bike home without issue.

This brings me on to the spare’s situation with this bike. The ‘Keeway Blackster 250i’ is largely based on Yamaha’s Virago XV250 / Drag Star 250 and many of the parts are interchangeable. There are a few Keeway parts suppliers in Europe and UK so it is a good idea to shop around as the prices vary widely.

I owned a Honda Grom for a few years and found the parts for that to be cheaper than the ‘Keeway Blackster 250i’. A Regulator / Rectifier from one supplier was £66 yet on eBay, the exact same item could be found for less than £20 if you search for ‘Virago 250 Regulator / Rectifier’

The side stand swings outwards quite a long way BUT you have to make sure it is completely forward otherwise the bike will tip over as it did in my case. That tip over resulted in a broken indicator(£50), foot peg(£60) and mirror(£70) all on the left side of the bike. The total cost seemed excessive to me and through searching I was able to find a set of 4 x indicators(£50), 2 x foot pegs(£12) and 2 x mirrors(£20). The mirrors were Harley specific with an 8mm bolt through thread. Foot pegs were for a Virago 250 which I opted for as the Keeway parts were out of stock at the time of checking. Interestingly, the mirrors can be fitted upside down(hang below the handlebars) due to the bolt through a hole design.

The chromed 4 x indicators were from Keeway EU parts site and worked out cheaper than buying just ONE from the Keeway UK parts site(admittedly they were for a Keeway Super Shadow 250 which is effectively the same bike). The original fitment ‘Keeway Blackster 250i’ indicators are black plastic and smaller than the type fitted to the ‘Keeway Super Shadow 250’ so had to crimp on some bullet connectors to install.

Whilst on the subject of issues, the paintwork on at least my bike is a mixed bag as the black painted wheels will chip to show polished aluminium if you use a padlock and chain carelessly. The upper chainguard paintwork started falling off in big chunks and began rusting(easily resolved using Hammerite smooth black gloss paint). The petrol tank is constructed of thin metal and as such is easily dented. The paint quality on the fuel tank, mudguards and side panels seemed to be better done than on some of the frame parts (needs to be kept an eye on to keep rust under control).

What’s it like to ride?

A really low seat height, forward pedal position and wide handlebar takes a short while to get adjusted to if you’ve never ridden a cruiser and works out to be quite comfortable in my case being 5’ 10” tall. The seat appears to be well padded but after a couple of hours it is not as comfortable as it initially seemed. The front brake feels wooden and the rear brake lacks feedback prior to locking up the wheel. The bike feels old fashioned and agricultural to ride but at least the weight is carried low down and handling is OK within the limits of power available from the softly tuned engine(claimed 19 HP down from 23 HP on Virago 250).

The clutch plates can stick together overnight in cold weather making the bike stall when selecting 1st gear.

The front and rear suspension seems to have little travel and damping. Often you get lifted up off the seat on bumpy roads. Not such an issue around town, on smooth roads or at low speeds. The Taiwanese designed(China made) OEM fitment Cheng Shin Tyres seemed to work well and I have had no issue with them in the dry or wet. The tyres showed signs of perishing by the time I purchased the bike and were manufactured in 2014. The 16 inch wheel sizes severely limit the choice of available tyres.

The R/H handlebar switchgear is slightly problematic that it is too easy to switch on or off the headlight when starting the bike. There is also NO engine ‘Kill Switch’ this is taken care of by a sturdy side stand switch that switches off or prevents the engine starting in the stand down position. The side stand switch can be disabled easily by undoing a bolt then rotating an L-shaped bracket. The indicator switches are Harley style ‘push on / push off’ on each handlebar. The horn button is in an unfamiliar place on the L/H handlebar if you have had many years riding Japanese motorcycles. The headlight as standard is very poor equipped with a non-halogen ‘BA20D’ 35/35W bulb that DOES not illuminate the road ahead at night. Fortunately, this fitment is available as 55/55W halogen which is an improvement.

Top speed(claimed is 68 MPH) is little better than a 125cc motorcycle. There doesn’t feel as though there is any more left after an indicated 70 MPH with engine buzzing away(speedo displays KM and MPH). The ‘Keeway Blackster 250i’ seems happiest plodding along at 55 MPH in top gear. Acceleration and torque are noticeable, it just lacks a bit of top speed get up and go. On open roads the lack of power is apparent as is the lack of wind protection. Not a great bike for exposed motorways or fast roads and overtakes have to be planned way ahead.

Fuel economy for me seems to work out at 60-70 MPG so expect up to 200 miles from a full tank of fuel(13.5 litres claimed). The unrefined low fuel warning light is annoying as it flashes intermittently way before it remains on continuously. At that point there is approx. 3.5 litres of fuel in the tank which is good for another 50 miles or so. Very economical bike for commuting.

Servicing is simple and most of the data and service items for a Yamaha XV 250 / Virago / Drag Star apply to the ‘Keeway Blackster 250i’.