# chinese motor scooters/ bikes



## timofleeds (Sep 12, 2006)

Hi, has anybody any experience of these Chinese bikes/ scooters, they seem to be very cheap when compared to the main makes, Peugeot Piaggio etc. Would any of you contemplate buying for use with your motorhome?

Regards Tim


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## lindyloot (May 20, 2007)

Hi we brought a Skygo 125 4 stroke from a seller on ebay. It is a replica of a honda 125 ( not sure of the model rich would know but is not here at mo). We paid £580 including RFL , it camein a crsate and Rich assembled it. It also came registered. We used it for the first time last weekend. We did around 100 miles during the weekend and also encountered a few big hills and with two up didn't miss a beat. We are very pleased with it and recon we have already had our monies worth.
Lin


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

No direct experience Tim, but I know someone who has a Honda clone and he says it's brilliant.

Most of the Honda parts fit so no problems if anything wears out, and although they are not quite as smooth and refined he reckons they go very well.

His philosophy, _"I could buy two or three of these for the price of a genuine Honda. 'Nuff said!"_

Hope this helps


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## Gonewiththewind (Nov 17, 2007)

I have the Liffy125. a Chinese replica of the Honda CG.
Lovely little goer and £15 to tax. What more could you want.

Don


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## hilldweller (Mar 8, 2008)

timofleeds said:


> Hi, has anybody any experience of these Chinese bikes/ scooters,Regards Tim


I have been told, by a seriously good bike repairer that the trade won't fix them because of the attitude of some importers. Excessive price and poor service on parts.


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## 102731 (Jan 30, 2007)

Take a look at www.chinesemotorcycledealers.co.uk.


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## timofleeds (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks to all repies any more most welcome.

Tim


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

I have recently spent a few months researching the options of Japanese/Chinese scooters for my 16 year olds.

Basically, from what I can make out, they're s'posed to be copies of Honda/peugeot etc, but, it seems ( at least from my research) that they are lookalikes, but the materials and build quality fall some way short of the original vehicles.

there were various points which persuaded me to spend more money, and in some cases nearly double the chinese costs, among them was the need to return the vehicle to original supplier, the fact that they come into the customer still crated, and have varying degrees of build needed. This I was told would be anything from attaching the front wheel and handlebars, to almost complete construction and set of engine. 

Speaking to motorcycle/scooter dealers locally, none would actually service or repair the chineese versions, and those importers whom would service them, I had to return the vehicle to them, ( and some were a couple of hundred miles away) for service, to keep the warranty, or repair. Spares were either imported specially, and fitted, or they were in stock, but I would, f'instance need to buy a complete carb, rather than the needles......eventually I found a dealer within 40 miles, went to see the scooters, and found the finish and fit of the bodywork was below that I would like to see, and if thee bodywork was poor, I wondered about the rest of the quality.

these are paresonal observations, and, no doubt there are gazillions of owners who have had no trouble at all with their Chinese import. However, the next thing I found was, that the resale value, second hand, fell quicker than the price of a semi detached house in Chenerbyl. ( I have posted this on another thread.) 

In the end tho' its all down to personal choice.


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi.

Do not even think of getting one. A lot of them cannot be repaired if anything goes wrong as parts are a NO-NO. Trust me i know. We did get one 4 years ago secondhand with 700 miles on the clock. It lasted until 1600 miles when the gearbox output shaft gave up. No spares to fix it and no dealer wanted to know. I have had and built motorbikes since 1966 so do not get any chinese bikes.

steve & ann. -------------- teensvan


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## lindyloot (May 20, 2007)

hilldweller


> I have been told, by a seriously good bike repairer that the trade won't fix them because of the attitude of some importers. Excessive price and poor service on parts.
> The seller we purchased our bike from sell the spares on ebay. Spark plugs you can get from the local motor factor. Brake pads ( Ive done 9,000 on my susuki and not had to replace them yet) the mileage we would do on ours probably means it will be years before they need doing.Being in the trade myself I have no qualms about service or repair on it.
> 
> Bandaid
> ...


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## chrisgreen (Jan 13, 2008)

i can remember the days when dealers would not touch jap bikes so what goes around comes around?

chinese bike are cheap as chips thats why the dealers dont like them not much profit to be had on them ,and the kids love them.
our local dealer now sells chinese scoots,as he says if you cant beat them join them?
parts are easy to get hold of and cheap.
http://www.baotian-scooters.com/-c-514.html?gclid=CLzvmoeQnZYCFQ1UQgodhAgs7A


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## kennyo (Mar 22, 2006)

I have one and its been great took it to Italy the Croatia no problems but you have to change the oil and spark plug as these are rubbish. As for spares plenty of sites and help out there and there is quite a few shops popping up as well. Paid £600 for a zennco 125 does 50-55 two up came in a crate but it is easy to assemble. Seen quite a lot of chinese scooters in Italy and they seemed happy as well. As for main dealers they do not get there bit so they will not touch them (most that is) but this is the same with grey imports so you may have to look around if you need a mechanic


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## stevenjonathan (Jan 28, 2008)

We bought a Boatian 50cc from ebay which was delivered on a pallet in about 60 bits! It was very cheap but had lots of problems which i believe were comon on these bikes from reading the forums on the chinese motor scooter sites. I even managed to over fill it with petrol one day and the plastic parts at the back just melted! I derestricted it as it was very slow but still was very underpowered on hills. We also had to register it with the local DVLC office who requested to see and inspect it which could cause you problems.

After 1 year we decided to sell it (with all of its faults including only one working brake!) for a Peugeot speedfight 2 100 cc which has been great - should have just bought one of those in the first place!


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## robrace (Jun 30, 2005)

I work for in retail !Yes chinese goods are cheap to buy but you have had it when they go wrong which they invariably do,Workmanship and materials are poor and the cost price so low that it's not worth the cost of repairing them.The resale value shold you wish to sell is non existant.The amount of faulty goods that we get back is very high and we are credited with their value and the wholesaler skips them.So you pays your money and takes your choice!!


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## timofleeds (Sep 12, 2006)

Very intresting replies, some for and some against, I like the idea that for the price of a new peugeot or similar you could buy three new Chinese models. I did not realise that there were so many things to take into account. I may even look into setting up a retail outlet for these Chinese bikes / scooters, which models do you all think would appeal to mtorhomers in general? Would it be 50cc or 125cc or something in between and would they have to be twin seaters? How many members or guests would consider buying one of these?

Regards Tim


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Chinese Bikes*

We have had a "Jincheng"for 3 years 110cc. Honda Innova look alike.
So far in 1500Km it hasnt missed a beat and all I have done is change the oil and routine readjustments, chain tension etc.
Does about 50mph two up on the flat and approx 100mpg.
I think the proper price was about £900 (Innova £1800) but mine was pre-registered so it came even cheaper.

Currently It fits inside our Garage so no problems with racks etc but originally I made my own rack for the Pollensa to save weight and money. 
A fellow site member now owns the vital rack bits, modified to suit his van. Could be a good source of DIY information.

Steve


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

*Re: Chinese Bikes*



pneumatician said:


> We have had a "Jincheng"for 3 years 110cc. Honda Innova look alike.
> So far in 1500Km it hasnt missed a beat and all I have done is change the oil and routine readjustments, chain tension etc.
> 
> Steve


I'll fess up now that I shortened the quote, but the bit I left is in context.

Anyway, consider, 1500 kms in 3 years, really isnt a whole lot of distance. 
roughly 300 miles a year. its about 6 miles a week. My youngest does 4 times that just on a paper round. So having nothing go wrong isnt really surprising. If you told me you did 300 miles a month I may have been more inclined to say " fair enough, you've got a good 'un".

Alo on your sort of mileage, why are you having ajustments?

I still think, for me, personally, if I were looking to scoot, I'd get a euro or Japanese bike.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Chinese Bikes*

Having now read all of the thread.
I purchased mine from one of the best known dealers in Staffordshire.
I went in to buy an Innova he asked various questions and because of low utilization decided the Jincheng was a more sensible buy.
The mechanical parts are all basically interchangable with the Honda Cub.
Having owned 2 Cubs ( kids university transport) and other bikes for most of my adult life I wouldn't need a dealer service or repair facility.
All parts seem to be readily available either Honda at a price or chinese equivalents.
Wonder when they will start making BMW K1200Rs.

Steve


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Funnily enough....................having pootled on about reliability, my 93 BMW K100 has got a regulator/rectifier fault and a duff ignition switch. all of a sudden.

There again, its 15 years old and done 134.000 miles. so I forgive it.


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## 107558 (Oct 10, 2007)

I have a Dayang DY200 which is a copy of a Honda CBX200. Distance traveled: 1,500 km in 6 months.

Basically, they are rather like the Jap bikes of the 1960's - built to a price to get market share. Well, what do you expect for that sort of money?

They are absolutely great around town. On the open road they'll usually only manage about 50mph.

Would I buy another? For use around town and as a "dingy" - Yes!

Tips:

Get a twin cylinder as the vibration is a lot less.
Get the largest top box that will fit on the bike as you're likely to use it for the shopping!
Keep it clean to keep the rusty screw heads at bay (or change the screws for stainless steel). The rest of the paint work is OK.
It's your life so YOU are responsible for the PDI so, on receipt, check every single nut and bolt for tightness. Even if someone else has built it.
Keep the chain well oiled (at least weekly if on the back of your MH, even when not ridden) with good quality non-fling chain oil. This will make the chain last a lot longer.
Check the chain tension every couple of hundred miles (every full tank full) and adjust if necessary, it takes seconds and saves a lot of grief!

Spares:

Contrary to some posts spares for some bikes are plentiful and easy to come by. Check out the 
http://www.chinesemotorcyclepartsonline.co.uk/ site for the availability of parts for the bike you are thinking of purchasing.

Servicing:

Servicing is easy and certainly can be performed by nearly anyone. The manual that came with my bike gave nearly step by step instructions for servicing.

The tools that come with the bike are sufficient to perform most servicing - it's what I use. I also follow the servicing guide lines in the manual (though, having made a living from riding bikes in the early 1980's, I do know what I'm doing - we used to service, strip down and rebuild engines/bikes in the kitchen over the weekend to get them running again for work on the Monday).

For the first 1000 km (1st two oil changes) you must use NON synthetic engine oil. This is extremely important as the engine does need to (read - absolutely MUST) wear in. After that you can use semi synthetic engine oil (the stuff from Halfords is OK) - never, ever use a full synthetic engine oil in the engine as it can shorten the life of the engine and gear box. The semi synthetic engine oil will help to reduce the vibration a bit.

The spark plug that comes with the bike is appalling. Change the spark plug for an NGK as soon as you buy the bike and always use a good make like an NGK. You don't need the "R" rated (resistor) plug.

After 3 years just give it away and get another.


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Chinese Bikes*

As you say 300 miles a year hardly motoring al all. The adjustments are made because like most motorcyclists I like to fiddle.
The low milage doesn't justify the additional in my case £1200 expenditure.

Its a sad fact that even BMW's do break occasionally but rarely which is why it was in the main my first choice of bike.
I have had a Hinckley trophy fail at 6,000 miles for the second time and replaced it with an R1150RT. 
I have had replacement front discs on a K1100RS @ 3,000 miles but thats about all. Non of my Japanese bikes ever broke down but this is hardly surprising as I tended to change bike every two years.
With my British bikes I could fill a book with breakdowns and failures,valves,pistons,chains,bearings, electrics etc etc.
Wasn't that supposed to be part of the fun. Making carbon brushes from batteries at the side of the road in north wales.

Steve


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

*Re: Chinese Bikes*



pneumatician said:


> Wasn't that supposed to be part of the fun. Making carbon brushes from batteries at the side of the road in north wales.
> 
> Steve


Oh yes, and also, can I have 5 gallons of oil and a gallon of petrol pleae...working all weekend to cure an oil leak, so you could get another 5 days later, to repair it all weekend....yes, thats the fun part, and 30 years ago and more, it was ok.......not now though. I'd still rather go secondhand, and get a jap than a new chinese. Normally I dont condem before I find out first hand, but I was swayed by 300 negative reviews regarding all aspects, than 10 positive reviews. However, as I said, its pay your money take your choice.

In fact, its difficult to positively say...get jap/chinese....some are good, both ways....I do know one thing for definite, I'd never buy a econdhand, low capacity 2 stroke......mostly owned by kids, who cant afford decent oil, and then its nought but trouble.....My suzuki rg500 was a poitive death trap, and boy was it a pain....when it went, it was amazing...trouble is...it didnt go more often than it did. Rev counter started at 3.000 revs. tyres by teflon, and brake pads made out of modelling clay and bacofoil....very interesting.


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## Vennwood (Feb 4, 2007)

I've been reading this thread with interest as I started another similar thread yeaterday. What I learning from here is that Jap is OK and Chinese may be ok (just so that I keep in with both sides  )
So how about a compromise like the Kymco from Korea - they supposedly have 150 UK dealers and price wise sit somewhere in the middle between Jap and Chinese prices

Thoughts/experiences?

Pete


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## 107088 (Sep 18, 2007)

Hyosung are ok....bit heavy, bit odd design shape, but dont think they go below 125


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## pneumatician (May 1, 2005)

*Chinese Bikes*

Whilst filling my Kwack GT750 with fuel at a garage just before Cadwell Park (always fill up on the way there or else you will get left behind on the race home) this guy storms up and insistently demands my fuel consumption figures. Upon cosidering the information he tells me he is on his second tank, his KH500 doing about 18mpg. One of the things he didn't ask when buying the bike. Wonder if he knew about going round corners.
THe GT was a good bike but no shed to keep you warm and dry.
Not very keen on the latest Be'em's looks.

Steve


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## doccyb (Oct 3, 2007)

Don't buy Chinese - our Znen Tommy 125 popped its main bearing oilseal after 1000 miles and no dealer in France would fix it ...


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## goldi (Feb 4, 2009)

Morning all,

As it happens I was down at my local honda dealer yesterday looking at 110cc honda lead which they are selling new at £1500.

I reckon that if your good with spanners a dont mind spending time then the chinese scooters are ok. However some of us dont and prefer to spend a bit more with a high reputation and service arrangements.

I am not going to make any decicions until I have been to the show in 2 weeks time.

Im glad this subject has been brought up.



norm


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

Have had a multitude of English, Japanese and Chinese bikes over the years. 

English bikes traditionally don,t go rusty underneath because they leak so much oil.

Modern japanese bikes go rusty unless you keep them in a dry warm environment but go like rockets but you need a very special set of tools to maintain them. Fundementally reliable. Not that economical as performance seems to be the main criteria.

Chinese bikes have in some quarters improved dramatically in recent years. Jincheng make some nice models and we have had three, (still have one today) also had Honda and Yamaha Monkey bikes and mopeds. If you buy yourself a nice new Honda then you will find many of the parts and sometimes the assembly was done in China!

However there are some terrible Chinese bikes around as well and it takes a detailed eye to pick out the differences.

If you are not sure take some who is with you.

Best deals are not always show deals.

Don,t buy anything from someone who trys to sell clip on magnets to improve fuel economy! If I could I would prosecute them.

C.


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## backaxle (Nov 6, 2006)

"I could buy two or three of these for the price of a genuine Honda. 'Nuff said!"[/i]

And you probably will and more ,then go on to buy european.
Backaxle


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## backaxle (Nov 6, 2006)

"I could buy two or three of these for the price of a genuine Honda. 'Nuff said!"[/i]

And you probably will and more ,then go on to buy european.
Backaxle


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

CliveMott said:


> Don,t buy anything from someone who trys to sell clip on magnets to improve fuel economy! If I could I would prosecute them.
> 
> C.


Why did they pinch the idea from your website? :lol:

Olley


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## Andysam (May 10, 2005)

We had a brand new one in a crate for £300 about 2 yrs ago! OTR for £350! It was a Honda CG125 clone. Quality of the finish was where the Jap bikes were in the early '80s. I don't remember us whinging too much about the finish of the Jap bikes back then?

I think the trick is to get a clone of something rather a Chinese model. We were impressed with ours. Sold it after a year for £450. (Got it for the wife to learn on.)


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

If I required a small bike or scoot to stick on the rear of mh I would look for a well looked after used on of reputable quality


Daughter has just colected areplacement Honda cbf125 from local dealers.
It was an exact replacement of her christmas pressy which had a poor weld and a couple of rust marks.

B and M Honda service second to none.
Dave p


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## Hymie (May 9, 2005)

*Chinese Bikes / Scooters*

One of the biggest problems with them is corrosion as the parts quality is poor - but you get what you pay for and plenty of people have them.

If you buy one, treat it with ACF-50 from the start and you will have a fair chance of stopping most of the corrosion.

Happy Travels


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi.

We had a Geeley 125 the same as a honda cg 125. It was ok for about 15 months, and then the clutch housing fell apart. No main dealer wanted to know and i gave up trying to get parts.

We have had a honda cbf 250 for the past 4 years without a problem.

Now has just under 10,000 miles on it.

steve & ann. ------- teensvan


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