Preparing for a Chinese scooter By nards (Read 4,514 times)

[JR]

Mar 18, 2015 14:38:48 GMT -6 Bashan said:

There is nothing to be confused about. It's all about probability. If you go with Chinese the probability of having problems is greater than Taiwanese.....or Japanese. I personally think you get as good, or better, value from Taiwanese than Japanese. But if you go with Chinese you don't spend as much. It just depends on your wants and your wallet.

When you find a truly Taiwanaese scooter let me know, Kymco's engine parts all made in China and Sym? Don't make me show you the wonders of Google and Bing search, if you know me I'm very good at it! If you believe in fully Tiawanese built scooters then I still have that swamp land in Arizona for sale!

[richardv]

The quality of the products from any given factory can very a great deal. It all depends on the purchasers requirements. You can buy a 'name brand' tool from a factory store and have excellent results. Buy the identical 'name brand' from XYZ Home Supply and get a piece of junk.
Haveing been a Machinist and Quality Technician I can tell you that materials used and tolerances can make a huge difference. And Chinese manufacturers have far fewer government controls.

[jct842]

For the right price the chinese can make just about anything just as good as taiwan or japan. The thing is with most of the low end scooters they are made for a low price rather than quality. How about the bmw engines made in china are they any less than the german engine they replace?

[cyborg]

Exactly jct,,, if they keep the materials and proceedures equal the only thing left would be labor,,,

[nards]

It would be interesting to see what price point a Chinese scooter manufacturer could make s high quality scooter for. I wonder if they could make a Vespa or Honda quality scooter cheaper but have the same quality.

[jct842]

On another forum I have been following banter about a new chinese 250cc bike that is real close to the $6000 jap bikes, it will sell for about $3500 to $3800. A rx3 by zongshen. Water cooled and is more of an adventure bike than straight dual purpose. I may not spring for one that costs that much but will probably get a dirt bike with the long stroke suspension that will ride a whole hell of a lot better than a scooter on these roads around here.

[cyborg]

I read just about every article written on the rx3,,, I had the hots for that thing ,,, if they made it in a 450 I'd probably have it already,,, great writeup about a long tour of china with 8 of them,,, couple flats and a non catastrophic rear wheel bearing that was going away when they finished the ride,,, pretty impressive,,,

[jct842]

That rx3 is going to cost the big players a ton of sales in adventure bikes even with the smaller engine in it. If I do go for it the first thing I am going to do is take the majesty over to a bike shop and put it on consignment.


Oh other countries already have them and the new owners are really happy with them. The ones coming here have had a few changes, for the better I hear. Only thing I can see is it does not ship here with a 21" front wheel.

[cyborg]

They are here already,,, carried by CSC

[jct842]

Actually the ship carrying them is due at longbeach on the 23rd of this month. I got the money saved but would be happier spending for a low end 200 or 250cc. they do have a couple advance copies for testing there now.

[cyborg]

Jct,,,, it is a lowend 250.,,,

[w650]

Mar 18, 2015 10:57:06 GMT -6 rks said:

At first I had little confidence in it (all of the horror stories stuck in my head), but as the miles added up, the confidence started to build too. Now, after 3 years, and no break downs, I have complete trust in it. Scooter is pretty much stock, all electrics are original, (except battery, replaced after 2 years & 3 months...and spark plug boot, replaced 2 days ago due to deteriorating rubber).

I don't flog the scoot, nor do I go out in bad weather.....I ride it like a scooter...cheap, basic transportation....it is what it is. If 40 or 45 isn't fast enough to get me where I want or need to go, I won't take the scooter....I opt for one of my German made 1200cc bikes.

So, 5,800 miles, zero breakdowns, replacement parts so far, variator weights, air filter, and drive belt. All because I desired to, not because I needed to. Oh, and that battery...I did need to replace that.
I have complete confidence in it, and would drive anywhere as long as I don't have to maintain highway speeds, to stay alive.

This is the entire story in a nutshell. It's why RKS and I have had such "Good Luck" with our scooters. A 150cc China scooter is only built to withstand all day at 45mph. You are paying for the ability to go faster, longer on a high end scooter. Smart use and understanding what you ride counts for everything.

[w650]

Used properly a Chinese scooter DOES last. Here's a little picture to support my hypothesis.



The odometer is from a Bintelli 50cc, in miles, from Tallahassee, Florida. I got it from Bintelli's Facebook page. The owner bought the scooter less than a year ago. Not to light anyone's fuse, but this Znen is running like a clock and probably has more miles on it since the photo was taken.

[nards]

Just one thing I wonder about if Chinese scooters were so bad.

Shouldn't they be illegal? Between lemon laws and other forms of consumer protection, if these scooters are this bad/unsafe why haven't they been outlawed? I know that the low price and the fact that the customer does some of the assembly lets the distributors bypass some types of consumer protection legislation, but you'd think that if these were all an outright fraud or safety hazard, there would be more outcry against them.

How is it they've remained legal for so long being this bad?

[cyborg]

Thats awesome miles!!!! and on a 50??? WOW