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Post by grocerygetter on Apr 26, 2011 7:09:40 GMT -6
.... and are they related to any other manufacturers? What engines do they use?
thanks Ron
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Post by grocerygetter on Apr 26, 2011 10:22:41 GMT -6
Seems like another confusing Chinese scooter avenue; So is Sunny scooter brand related to Sunny Sports Inc, or is that a coincidence between a Store name and a manufacturer?
I'm still trying to make a purchase, hence the new questions. Waited over 2 weeks for stock to come back with PSM and avoid the arguement over a 6% cancelation fee. Chose something else last night and will deal with it, sell local if I don't like it. Noticed this new scoot is marked Sunny - looks like a CF Moto Fashion/Freedom. Just wondering what I got myself into, if Sunny is decent or falls apart more than other brands.
Sunny Sports Inc has nothing but nasty reviews, and not just from a few yrs ago when starting up, but right up to present day. Google that name and nothing good comes up, I mean i didn't read one single positive response on any sites. Hoping it has nothing related to my potential change of purchase (without investigating)
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Post by cookees on Apr 26, 2011 12:13:58 GMT -6
www.sunnymotor.com/They had a booth at Dealer Expo. Another big distributor ala, JCL NST Peace etc
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Post by kz1000st on Apr 26, 2011 15:23:55 GMT -6
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Post by Bashan on Apr 26, 2011 16:26:23 GMT -6
Noticed this new scoot is marked Sunny - looks like a CF Moto Fashion/Freedom. Well are you gonna answer the man's question or not Cookees? Welcome to the wonderful world of Sino-scooters Grocery Getter. Things are pretty murky over in China about who makes what. Here's a link to a page that IDs the factories by VIN numbers. If you scroll down a bit you run into the various China manufacturers. I was ribbing Cookees because he sells CF Motos which are considered an upper "tier" company and you pretty much know who made it and it's good stuff. The lower tier scooters are often cobbled together from parts by different factories and then various badges and decals are stuck on them. If you're looking at a scooter that seems ridiculously inexpensive, it's going to be hard to say where it came from. Often, the brand will find new suppliers and things change in mid-stream. Things are changing fast though and a lot of scooters are now starting to come out with non GY6 engines or variants. That scooter you were looking at is cheap because it's cheap. Is that bad? I don't know, you get a really cheap scooter and you learn to work on them or you get lucky and get one that works. I hope this helped, PM Cookees if you need more info. Rich
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Post by grocerygetter on Apr 26, 2011 19:23:46 GMT -6
Not sure if I should hide or admit that this is the one I appear to have ended up with. Until I see it in my garage I never say "I got it" - didn't get the first one I selected. My wife agreed with the Roketa 54, she won't get on the Fashion. Guys at working are laughing harder with this selection than they were with the Roketa I never got. Two guys are aready driving their Harleys. A guy in my pod in the office just got his Harley yesterday. He drives a beat up Subaru normally though. If he gives me too much crap, I'll mistakenly back into him with our 4x4 V10 Excursion or the Lincoln. www.classyauto.com/image_large.php?image_id=264301I like to be different so it doesn't bother me. I lead, they follow. Figured I'll save a few bucks first time around and learn my wants and needs on this unit, maybe sell after summer and concentrate on what I really want next winter and get a head start before the busy season. I fell into this too late this year. Wishing I hadn't jumped with PSM originally as their selection of what I wanted seemed to deplete when I hit the BUY button. I'm ok with it all so far, maybe cuz the weather has been crappy. Hopefully this goes thru and in a week or so I have something to show pictures of.
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Post by grocerygetter on Apr 26, 2011 19:42:52 GMT -6
Noticed this new scoot is marked Sunny - looks like a CF Moto Fashion/Freedom. Well are you gonna answer the man's question or not Cookees? Welcome to the wonderful world of Sino-scooters Grocery Getter. Things are pretty murky over in China about who makes what. Here's a link to a page that IDs the factories by VIN numbers. If you scroll down a bit you run into the various China manufacturers. I was ribbing Cookees because he sells CF Motos which are considered an upper "tier" company and you pretty much know who made it and it's good stuff. The lower tier scooters are often cobbled together from parts by different factories and then various badges and decals are stuck on them. If you're looking at a scooter that seems ridiculously inexpensive, it's going to be hard to say where it came from. Often, the brand will find new suppliers and things change in mid-stream. The classic cheap Chinese scooter will have the GY6 engine which is cloned by the various manufacturers from an original Honda design. Things are changing fast though and a lot of scooters are now starting to come out with non GY6 engines or variants. That scooter you were looking at is cheap because it's cheap. Is that bad? I don't know, you get a really cheap scooter and you learn to work on them or you get lucky and get one that works. I hope this helped, PM Cookees if you need more info. RichNice links - that's a lot of manufacturers. I guess there's bound to be a few entrepaneurs amoungst a few million people. So one of my observations since starting this is that there seems to be a diference between Sunny and SunL. Not that it matters at this point since I put my new order in, but always curious. Besides, I'm expecting I'll be making a more informed choice this winter, so more info is good. This will be the 'learner' purchase. I appologize to anyone on here that I probably should have investigated first regarding a purchase. Haven't really kept up on who sells what. I think the second purchase hopefully this winter will be the one I'll be willing to put more $$ into. Hoping that this new shipment of morphed Fashion-wanna-bees isn't too low on the quality scale. Watch and see with my luck the Roketa 54 will come back in stock after they ship this 80's gem to me
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Post by robb on Apr 26, 2011 21:34:01 GMT -6
I think my 2 cents was or would have been to get your money back and start fresh. That being said, what you are getting may work out for you. It is a copy of a proven design. I hear they are very comfy. Most of the bad news I have heard about that design of china scoot are pretty minor. Given a chance it may grow on you, retro looks and all.
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Post by kz1000st on Apr 27, 2011 5:52:40 GMT -6
It would appear that other people besides CF Moto make copies of the Helix. Witness this. www.peaceus.com/TPGS813250CC244.htmlI would be curious to hear who made the one you get. Whether it's an old Qlink on clearance or a bootleg CF Moto or a reproduction by somebody else and, if so, how it performs.
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Post by 89newbie on Apr 27, 2011 7:54:22 GMT -6
Not sure if I should hide or admit that this is the one I appear to have ended up with. Until I see it in my garage I never say "I got it" - didn't get the first one I selected. My wife agreed with the Roketa 54, she won't get on the Fashion. Guys at working are laughing harder with this selection than they were with the Roketa I never got. Two guys are aready driving their Harleys. A guy in my pod in the office just got his Harley yesterday. He drives a beat up Subaru normally though. If he gives me too much crap, I'll mistakenly back into him with our 4x4 V10 Excursion or the Lincoln. www.classyauto.com/image_large.php?image_id=264301I like to be different so it doesn't bother me. I lead, they follow. Figured I'll save a few bucks first time around and learn my wants and needs on this unit, maybe sell after summer and concentrate on what I really want next winter and get a head start before the busy season. I fell into this too late this year. Wishing I hadn't jumped with PSM originally as their selection of what I wanted seemed to deplete when I hit the BUY button. I'm ok with it all so far, maybe cuz the weather has been crappy. Hopefully this goes thru and in a week or so I have something to show pictures of. From a former Harly Guy with 48 years riding experience: Hot days you are not roasting your privates in slow moving traffic. Mileage, Most I have seen from Harley was 45 mpg. Drop a Harley at the gas station or elsewhere, you need two to stand it back up. Scooter engine is low, Harley engine is high, weight gets opressive when moving it around. Seat??? only for shipping, unless you get optional one. you pay at least 300 bucks to get one that does not wear your butt out. I spent 500 bucks for mine and when I sold it I got nothing for the seat. I bought a 50 CC to ride with Mrs. Newbie on her trike. I can ride and ride with no butt problems. Acessories, you can buy another scooter for what the prices are in a Harley dealer, Insurance no comparison. The old ditty is true " Harley Davidson made of Tin, Ride it out and push it in". I will get a bigger scooter, I doubt I will ride it 978 miles on a weekend like I did with one Harley but then again I will not have sore hips from straddling a monster.
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Post by kz1000st on Apr 27, 2011 8:21:09 GMT -6
There's nothing wrong with a Helix clone. Helix riders have racked up high mileage all around the world. I read in one source that when Honda introduced it in Italy it was a revelation to the Italian scooter industry on what they needed to do to catch up. I was trying to buy a Qlink Commuter from the guy who sold me the Big Ruckus, but he had just sold it. Instead I ended up with a different unusual looking scooter. You should have a good time with it. Helix clones are comfortable and beg to be ridden. By the way, there's a misprint in the specs. Helix clones have 12" front tires and 10" rears not 13" wheels. www.scootertronics.com/cfmotofashion.html
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Post by cookees on Apr 27, 2011 17:20:08 GMT -6
Ya just gotta love them Chinese.
I'm in no way the authority on CFMOTO, but I've been dealing with them now for 5 years. Here's some of what I've learned and/or been told. CFMOTO started producing water cooled engines for Honda in 1999. Here in the US water cooled engines were found on the Helix and Reflex. CFMOTO brought over the Fashion in 2006,(might have been as early as 2005). Honda vigorously protected their patent rights going after the likes of Wildfire and others who tried to bring in copies, and forced them to refrain from marketing the clones. They didn't go after CFMOTO however. Read into that what you will.
In 1998 the patent expired on the Helix and Honda withdrew both the Helix and Reflex from their line-up. Rumor has it that they transferred the tooling and machining over to CFMOTO at that time.With the patent up, other companies have now tried to market their versions, or you might say, the clone of the clone.
I've owned two Fashions, a 2006 and a 2009.Both were well made and a delight to ride. In fact both are now in the hands of customers. The 06 was back in for service last week and now has 11,000 miles on it and going strong.
Just like every thing else with the Chinese...there will always be someone willing to "make it cheaper". If the original Helix was a 10...I'd rank the Fashion at 9. Some of the "cloned clones" I've seen, I'd give a 5-6.
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Post by kz1000st on Apr 27, 2011 19:49:04 GMT -6
There's an interesting question. Is the engine in my 2005 Big Ruckus Chinese or Japanese? That would be a hoot if I was really riding a Chinese scooter.
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Post by Bashan on Apr 28, 2011 10:02:00 GMT -6
I appologize to anyone on here that I probably should have investigated first regarding a purchase. Haven't really kept up on who sells what. No need to apologize my friend, all of us on this forum were new to Sino-scoots at one time. We were all staring at the computer screen, or at that crate sitting in the garage, and went "HUH?". That's what makes it all so fun and outrageous. Hey, I know I'm going to make some folks mad but I'm a Kawasaki snob so bite me, but don't you think your buddies that bought Harleys paid a tad too much? At least you can say you didn't break the bank over a two wheeled vehicle. Rich There's an interesting question. Is the engine in my 2005 Big Ruckus Chinese or Japanese? That would be a hoot if I was really riding a Chinese scooter.
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Post by grocerygetter on Apr 28, 2011 10:38:38 GMT -6
Ya just gotta love them Chinese. I'm in no way the authority on CFMOTO, but I've been dealing with them now for 5 years. Here's some of what I've learned and/or been told. CFMOTO started producing water cooled engines for Honda in 1999. Here in the US water cooled engines were found on the Helix and Reflex. CFMOTO brought over the Fashion in 2006,(might have been as early as 2005). Honda vigorously protected their patent rights going after the likes of Wildfire and others who tried to bring in copies, and forced them to refrain from marketing the clones. They didn't go after CFMOTO however. Read into that what you will. In 1998 the patent expired on the Helix and Honda withdrew both the Helix and Reflex from their line-up. Rumor has it that they transferred the tooling and machining over to CFMOTO at that time.With the patent up, other companies have now tried to market their versions, or you might say, the clone of the clone. I've owned two Fashions, a 2006 and a 2009.Both were well made and a delight to ride. In fact both are now in the hands of customers. The 06 was back in for service last week and now has 11,000 miles on it and going strong. Just like every thing else with the Chinese...there will always be someone willing to "make it cheaper". If the original Helix was a 10...I'd rank the Fashion at 9. Some of the "cloned clones" I've seen, I'd give a 5-6. Great history there Mr Cookees! I guess this will be interesting to find out what kind of Frankenscooter this Fashion-wanna-bee is. Pretty sure I saw Sunny on the side in one fo the photos but I wouldn't bet on anything being accurate. SO people - let me throw another wrench into this. I went online to PSM to see where the delivery is at, and low and behold they relisted the Roketa clone - MC-U02 Roadster 250 that I originally ordered. I couldn't resist, so I clicked BUY. Haven't heard back yet but expect to see some confirmation tonight. However it does seem to have a slightly different description - sans remote start and alarm - but again accuracy is not held highly on these sites. Price is way too cheap still, considering what Roketa's are going for elsewhere. I think it was Family Scooters that has 2011's listed for $2200. PSM relisted late yesterday for $1400. So what is the PSM scooter - another oldie that they found stocked up somewhere? They wouldn't be listing a 2010 or 2011 for that cheap right? Well for these prices I can play a little and prepare for some disapointment and extra maintenance/mod'ing.
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