Overall Chinese scooter quality - - - Discuss By kevinharrell (Read 3,738 times)

[JR]

Sometimes these threads are comical, sometimes you get some good info, sometimes we have a pissing match, but none of that bothers me unless people go overboard.

But what irks me the most are those who come along, start what seems to be going to be a conversation about the pros/cons of anything then never take the time to make another comment about the thread/subject they started? All seems like an attempt to watch others have at it.

JR

[cyborg]

It can get funny,,,but i'm not laughing,,,it astounds me how rabid people can get about this chinese/nonchinese quality ,,and a scooters brand in general,,,as most of you know i got a screaming deal on a very low mile vespa et4 (89 miles) it was the biggest POS i've ridden in quite a while,,,now it was used mind you and when it was running good it was great,,,but the key phrase is WHEN it was running good,,,it dropped me more times than 10 bikes in front of it,,,someone bought that thing new well north of $4000,,,,i got it running well and sent it on her way to another well informed buyer ( i disclosed all of my experiences to the new owner),,he bought it anyways,,,good bye and good riddance,,, would i buy another?,,,Sure i would,,,for the same deal i got on the last one,,absolutely,,,,Bought a Stella,,,the crew at Modern Vespa won't even discuss them,,,like an unwanted stepchild,,,even tho the body work is made off of the very same dies that LML used to stamp the PX 200 when they made Vespas under license for piaggio for the asian market,,,it's one of the best bikes i've owned and i've personally owned and rode over 50,,,Jr has done crazy long rides at speed in scorching heat form Arkansas to Texas and back on his chinese scoot,,,,narry a peep,,,prep and service is the key,,to anything really,,,,,

[w650]

In the last couple of months I've been around both Modern Vespa and the Helix discussion group. A Vespa is a marvelous looking device with top notch suspension and metal bits, but the engines and various components are no prize. They pat themselves on the back for hitting 30,000 miles on their $7000 scooters, but note that occasionally they have electrical problems, drop valves and the $10,000 946 Bellisimo can crack and break their back wheels.

Helix owners talk about reaching 100,000 miles......on their third engine. That averages out to that 30,000 mile mark again per engine. It just seems to me that rabid China haters might want to do a little more investigation before ragging on Chinese scooters. From what I've seen they're no worse than scooters costing five times as much. Yes, they're not made from the finest metals and plastic that money can buy, but with ingenuity, and respect for their weaknesses, they'll last as long as the high priced brands.

[w650]

Oh, and Chinese quality. Read on China haters.

scooterinthesticks.com/2014/12/when-the-vespa-wont-start/

My best guess is the fuel pump is failing. When I turn on the ignition I don’t hear the pump running which is a bad sign. It’s done this twice in the past year. Each time I’d wait a minute or so, try again and it would start right up and run all day.

Guess what this quality repair will cost?

[cyborg]

OUCH< $259 + shipping from scooterswest plus putting it in the machine,,,i smell $400 minimum,,,,,,,EEFF that,,,i'll stick with my Stella

[kevinharrell]

OK JR, the reason I started the thread is stated in the original post by saying.

Jun 22, 2014 11:18:46 GMT -6 kevinharrell said:

This thread is being started to discuss what is the current quality of Chinese bikes, when did/will the quality be considered good, etc.

Discuss.

No, I am not just throwing out a question and watching, if I had something to add to the conversation I would add it. I have only had one Chinese scooter, a 2008 Zhen, and found the quality on the bike a mixed bag, but overall acceptable. The engine ran well and probably still would be if I had not changed the drive belt at the same time the warning signs of a bad bearing in the rear transmission started. Long story short I thought that the new belt was squealing instead of a bearing stating to fail, and the bearing failed causing a shaft to break loose and crack the rear transmission case. This caused the kevlar belt to break and it was chewed up an spit out by the engine that was still running strong. Other than that, the plastics were so so, but acceptable. The non-essential rubber parts were really bad, and the headlight kept burning out.

So, I started this thread to find out how much better the quality of Chines bikes has gotten in the past six years, and, when these bikes will be good enough that they will be considered "of good quality."

I know that the quality is going up since the help me get my scooter running questions are getting less plentiful. The price of some scooters is going up too, indicating that some of these bikes are seen as improving in quality.

A note on the price indicating an improvement of quality.
Some people parrot the phrase "You get what you pay for" without knowing the real meaning of the phrase and the mechanics behind it. The economics behind this phrase is fairly simple supply and demand. The better the quality of the item the more demand there will be for the item and the higher the price. (With everything else being held constant.)

Cheers

[jct842]

There will come a point where the price and quality of a chinese machine will closely match the jap stuff. In fact that point is a lot closer than most think. Right now the chinese are the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. They do cater to people who do not have the mega bucks to purchase $20,000 machines and always will. They will definately have a really big price range of products.

[kevinharrell]

Dec 27, 2014 11:57:13 GMT -6 w650 said:

Oh, and Chinese quality. Read on China haters.

scooterinthesticks.com/2014/12/when-the-vespa-wont-start/

My best guess is the fuel pump is failing. When I turn on the ignition I don’t hear the pump running which is a bad sign. It’s done this twice in the past year. Each time I’d wait a minute or so, try again and it would start right up and run all day.

Guess what this quality repair will cost?

It should cost nothing. The fuel pump was recalled for overheating. The fuel pump is cooled by fuel running through it, so, when the bike is stopped after running the fuel stops flowing and the heat from the engine causes the fuel pump to overheat and not work. That is until it cools down again.

[Bashan]

Dec 27, 2014 11:37:17 GMT -6 w650 said:

but with ingenuity, and respect for their weaknesses,

That is my point, if you pony up a little more you can ride without thinking about those things. You can enjoy essentially carefree service out of a bike. Yes, I'm tough on a bike and I need bulletproof. Some folks might enjoy the challenge of making a Sino Scooter work. Me? I had enough of it, it was fun for a while and I learned a lot. But I want to hop on and ride a fast, beautiful handling, bulletproof bike.

[w650]

The Citicom is a great bike but I don't think the expression "pony up a little more" is quite accurate.

www.alliancepowersports.com/models/citycom.html   =MSRP $4,899*

scootersus.com/aeolus300.html   = $2699

If you can get a break from a sympathetic dealer you might get the SYM for a little less. Linhai is the Yamaha affiliate and builds some classy bikes,

Again. The SYM is a great piece with 16" wheels and an engine that beats the band. It's just more than a little more for the average person who only wants to commute less than 84 miles a day might need or can afford

[Bashan]

Point well taken, I sit corrected.