Love Chinese Scooters: Heres Why By ridecheap (Read 735 times)

[ridecheap]

I love Chinese scooters for the simple fact they are cheap, enough quality and if needs a new part cheap to fix it yourself. Most are clone engines of name brands they made in early 2000s. That means not old engine technology and not thrown together.

Most Chinese scooters last for 20,000 miles and then when you need fresh brand new buy another Chinese brand new scooter cheap and swap the needed safety parts (aftermarket etc) onto it from the old one you had.

If I am going to get anything over 250cc I will buy a motorcycle that is name branded.

Dealers etc tend to mark the name brands for lot costs and are way overpriced. Finding a used brand name scooter is more expensive every way you put it. Why pay for "Italy" Quality is just the same with a Chinese scooter or a little less which can be swapped out with aftermarket parts for cheaper.

Tell me your thoughts?

[richardthescooter2]

I agree also ridecheap, they are easy to work on and parts don't cost to much, I have over 13,000 miles on mine, I'm one of those guys that don't have money to buy the high end, so I work on my own.

[kz1000st]

There's another reason you guys didn't mention. Any bozo could get on a Japanese, Taiwanese or Italian scooter and ride across the universe. Most will never get their knuckles skinned or grease under their finger nails since they pay someone else to maintain it. If my CF Moto attains high mileage and lasts a long time it will be my cunning and skill (along with a solid built clone of a legendary design) that gets it there. If I want utter reliability and comfort, I have a car. If I want enjoyment and adventure I have the scooter.

It was truly fulfilling to replace my transmission shaft myself and continue to ride the scooter. It wouldn't have been the same if I simply used my credit card to have someone else do it.

[ridecheap]

Yeah you learn alot working on the scooter. You replace parts that you know will wear and get better quality stock parks aka aftermarket. 15,000 miles and going to 25,000 is common on chinese scooters with regular maintenance. I have not touched the engine, carb or clutch yet on mine.

The only thing your overpaying is for a brand label and some patents that work the same on a Chinese scooter. Your aftermarket parts are better patents then the name brand manufactures. You have the Roketa clone engine of a Yamaha majesty 250cc for example some say it needs maintenance engine wise (pistons, breaks, calipers) in the 35,000 mile range but thats not alot.

Bought this Roketa used for $850 its 250cc and put mods into about 1200 to 1300 total so far. This gets me all over the city, highway but long distance I go with a brand name thats over 250cc and a motorcycle.

[helix803]

I have had two Chinese scooters. First was a Znen 150cc with the generic sport body work, and a Roketa MC54B250 with the Lihai Yamaha cloned 257cc.

My biggest complaint with the Chinese scooters is the cheap, plastic body panels. If you ever need to remove and re-install them, count on breaking off mounting tabs.

I bought the 150cc new for $1200 at my local scooter shop. I sold it a little more than a year later. The time was right, and I got a good offer. Later I bought the roketa used, not running for $300. I put $300 worth of parts and tires on it. It was a great scooter for me. What I didn't like about it was the harsh ride and crude engine. It just never ran as smoothly as it should. It was not near as refined as my 25,000 mile, Honda Helix which replaced the Roketa for $900.

I'll certainly consider another small, Chinese scooter to play with again.

-Michael