My Point By kz1000st (Read 1,798 times)

[kz1000st]

Ever since I got my first Chinese scooter I've been reading trash talk from other brand owners about our rides. Now I'm no babe in the woods. I've owned bikes from a 1952 Triumph Terrier to a 2009 Honda Rebel and they all had one thing in common. "Ride like a moron, pay at the parts counter."

When I ordered the 2008 Bashan I gotta tell you, I was expecting the worst. I bought it for my wife knowing it wouldn't be long before she wanted something bigger and why spend thousands on a short term ride? After uncrating the scoot and putting it together I was surprised. Tubeless tires on aluminum rims, a cable opened trunk under the seat and real metal. After seeing cheap pot metal on early Japanese bikes I was expecting the same. Nope, none on this scooter. All real steel and aluminum. Ridden sensibly it's lasted over the years.

I've read the breakdown stories on numerous Chinese scooter forums and they have one thing in common. Owners who fiddled where they shouldn't and suffered for it or rode like crazies. Not just in doing mods but even the PDI. If you don't have experience with things mechanical you'll goof up touching wires, changing oil or removing panels. Bolts don't strip themselves, rollers don't shift in variators from gravity, wires don't magically disconnect and panels don't break just by looking at them. I'm not saying they're perfect, but darn few machines are.

What triggered this in my mind is this.

modernvespa.com/forum/topic127467

So far I've seen a shredded water pump and cover, a cylinder head trashed beyond belief and a tale of a camshaft breaking the drive end off, on scooters that are supposed to be "The Best". That's just for a start. If Chinese scooters are so much worse than that I'm not seeing it. So I'm done listening to it. All of us here on Chinese scooters are smarter than we've been given credit for and on the brand name guys. Not Taiwanese SYMs, of course, a Vespa pales in comparison to them.

[fugaziiv]

Well, at least now I have a link to the information I need when my GT200 fails spectacularly.

Thanks!


Matt

[cyborg]

What I see in almost all Italian makes is over complication,, and as that thread on MV states Vespa did a running change on that cover to alloy and got rid of the plastic housing,,, they probably had a bunch of failures but didn't make a recall,,, like you I don't see the value both in ownership or resale,,, the et is finally being taken tonight after 2 months and several price drops ,,, 1400 miles and with a full compliment of accessories and still taking a beating,,, I got a screaming deal on the Stella which I pickup Saturday finally so looking forward to a more easily worked on machine,, at least I won't have to take the engine out to change the plug

[twowheeler]

OOPS

[twowheeler]

I have had 2 trouble free China scoots and both have over 5000 miles. One had been wrecked 3 times (once by me) and still runs like a top. Ones a TaoTAo the other a BMS -ZNEN. I have even fiddles in those places too and runs just fine. Both are a helluva lot sexier too than anything Japan puts out.

[kz1000st]

No offense Matt. I just don't get how some people have the nerve. On one hand some pretentious people castigate Chinese scooters, on the other they seem to think expensive blow ups are a fact of life.

[fugaziiv]

Aug 14, 2014 15:26:03 GMT -6 kz1000st said:

No offense Matt. I just don't get how some people have the nerve. On one hand some pretentious people castigate Chinese scooters, on the other they seem to think expensive blow ups are a fact of life.

No offence taken. My scoot is Italian, so it's destined to fail is a gloriously catastrophic fashion. It does however make a solid 20+ hp out of 198cc's, so that's at least nice. It's also probably why it is destined to fail.


Matt

[kz1000st]

You forget the other big difference Matt. I have a great place to buy parts from in Florida. They have exceellent prices too. What's a Vespa owner going to do.

[fugaziiv]

Aug 14, 2014 16:59:49 GMT -6 kz1000st said:

You forget the other big difference Matt. I have a great place to buy parts from in Florida. They have exceellent prices too. What's a Vespa owner going to do.

Oh, I have a feeling a certain great place in Florida will have to step up it's game over the next couple of years...


Matt

[kz1000st]

Well just don't forget the people who made you famous. I'm looking to get 100,000 miles out of at least one of my China scoots.

[fugaziiv]

KZ - No worries, it's still and will continue to be our bread and butter. But we need to continue to grow, and so we have to look at all of the different avenues.


Matt

[kz1000st]

Growth is good. I'll be first in line when you set up your chain of Chinese scooter/motorcycle/atv/utv dealerships. Will you still come here when you're rich and famous?

[kz1000st]

Here Matt. In case you wonder how the USPS is doing for you.

8/15/14 8:05 AM DEPOSIT, NY 13754 Out for Delivery
8/15/14 7:55 AM DEPOSIT, NY 13754 Sorting Complete
8/15/14 6:54 AM DEPOSIT, NY 13754 Arrived at Post Office
8/15/14 5:35 AM ROCHESTER, NY 14606 Departed USPS Facility
8/14/14 10:43 PM ROCHESTER, NY 14606 Arrived at USPS Facility

The horn I ordered from you left Rochester at 5:35 and arrived in this town at 6:54. I've driven to Rochester many times. It takes me 2 1/2 hours and is about 180 miles. An hour and nineteen minutes?? That is half the time! Holy Crap!!

AND I ordered the horn after lunch on Wednesday! It will be here just under 48 hours later. How come so long?

[fugaziiv]

KZ - I've run dealerships in the past... I've got ZERO interest in doing it again. I'm way more interested in working behind the scenes. This being said, very few people get rich and famous off of the business end of powersports, so I should be hanging around for quite a while. lol.

That's really interesting that it went to Rochester first, before down to where you are. I would have figured Syracuse or Scranton since I don't think Binghamton has a major USPS facility. I grew up outside of Rochester actually. It's my stomping grounds up there.


Matt

[FACE PLANT FOR LIFE]

It's just like how the Honda Ruckus is over engineered and has already failed on us despite that it only has 2xxx miles on it. Because Honda included so many things that could go wrong, when things do go wrong they are an expensive fix. For example, the fuel pump on the ruckus is electric and it's $65, well that's too bad that our fuel pump failed on it, looks like it won't be running for awhile. And then once you get one problem fixed it's another. The Honds Ruckus actually had an engine control unit, and it needed to be reset after replacing parts. Can you believe that Honda would put a whole engine control computer into a 50cc scooter? It's ridiculous. If that thing ever fails you might as well get another bike. But our chinese scooters? If something fails, big deal it probably won't be catastrophic and it will be a cheap fix.