Chinese (?) import bikes - some questions

I'm looking for a 125 twist and go, and have come accross these clone
type bikes. Are they all basically the same thing but with different
names on?

EG I'm going to look at this tonight:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/7x9tqy

And I've seen these on eBay of all places:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/7k2p7b

Whats the catch with these? If they are so cheap why isn't everybody
riding them? Are these 2 machines basically the same?

Please help me to fill in the gaps in my knowledge as I've got a very
short space of time to purchase a suitable bike.

Thanks

 

AOL.

Haven't even started mine up for 18 months.

Mind you, that's a lot to do with me not being able to touch the floor
on it.

 

<Guilty secret> I quite like the Hyosung Aquila - the 650cc mini
V-rod.

 

a cheap Chinese trail bike might be okay as a toy i.e. something you are
not going to rely on to get to work etc. I wouldn't rely on anything
Chinese for essential journeys.

A former colleague bought a random name Chinese scooter from a trader in
Cardiff. It was a crock of shit. Fortunately, as she was a junior member of
staff she was never relieving me. The person she was relieving[1] often had
to wait for the scooterist to find alternative travel arrangements before
they could go home.

I've heard loads of other horror stories. The little bike workshop, Lucas',
where I used to live in Ross on Wye, does a decent trade bodging these
bikes back together. The problem is, there are fewer and fewer small
outfits willing to undertake such work. Often the work is not economically
viable anyway. http://www.wyenot.com/lucas01.htm

Buy a Peugeot - at least they have a decent network of dealers and it might
be worth something when you want to sell it.

[1] this was working in a children's home so you don't get to go home
unless someone turns up to take your place. Another aspect of the job I
won't miss...

 

Not with you - care to elaborate?

Indeed.

 

Usenet tradition for 'I agree'.

The guy who does my MOT deals in them, but I haven't been all that
impressed when prodding at them whilst killing time.

My experience is that the bolts are made of cheese, there are sometimes
bits missing and if anything breaks you really will struggle to find the
bits to fix them.

 

This one was purchased brand new form a local dealer. Surely if the
dealers exist then a parts supply exists too? I'm not saying you're
wrong but I'd like to understand the situation a bit more.

Can't find any in my price range :-( I had a Honda Lead 100 but that
got totalled by a drunk driver. I'd happily buy another one but I simply
cannot find any for sale near me.

I just want to go to work and back every day. It's a 4-mile journey. I
don't even want to go particularaly fast.

I don't think I would have the guts to order a bike off ebay, I included
it to give some context to my post. I'd like to have a sit on it at
least for example.

 

HAOTIAN HT 125

Basics, oil and filter change, can you find a supplier for the oil
filter. If not you'll struggle to get it serviced or even do it yourself.

Even online for that model, can't find anything, maybe it's named
differently, try these sites.
http://www.chinesemotorcyclepartsonline.co.uk/bikes.php?l=a&d=Haotian
http://www.chinesescooterclub.co.uk/

BTM BT125T-12
Claims to have spares support.

You'll find a lot of these bikes are similar, if you're lucky parts from
another brand may fit.

Check if it has ever been serviced since it was put together.

I've got a Lifan LF125-14F (Arizona) (also known as a Jinlun Texan
Cruiser) first registered October 2006, it's done 1000 miles and had 4
previous keepers. So each owner has lasted 250 miles. It'd never been
serviced until I got it.

It actually rides and runs okay now it's had an oil change and the
dangerously loose chain adjusted properly. I would class it as a
disposable bike even thought parts for this model ARE readily available,
it's probably more economic to buy a new one when it breaks.

Yours for £250 as long as you don't mind some of the chrome being rusty
and the side panels patched with black gaffer tape as they cracked when
I took them off to check the bike, oh and the rev counter is stuck at
12,000 rpm.

Basically cheap disposable transport, better to buy new and cheaply at
that. I wouldn't buy one second hand unless it is cheap enough to just
throw away if anything goes wrong.

You're probably better taking the advice of some of the more experienced
people on here and buying a well supported model second hand from one of
the main vendors, Honda, Piaggio etc. Do you know what your local
motorcyle dealers support ?

 

Buy a pushbike, ffs!

It'll take you 20 mins to do 4 miles, keep you fit and cost you ****
all.

I do a 3-and-a-bit cycle ride to the station every day and I'm
certainly
not fit but it only takes me 15 mins. Tonight I managed to cycle home
in
exactly the same time as it took the woman who lives across the road
to
ride her scooter. We said hello as we left the station at the same
time
and her face was a picture as I cycled past her getting off her 'ped
back home ;-)

 

They sound like ideal candidates for a rat bike.

 

There are web sites you can get spares at, and they're cheap as chips.

 

You snipped the bit where I said I was unfit, you tinker!

 

But if you sell it, what are you coming to the Elefant on?

 

I followed a new Chinese bike through Macclesfield last year. Very
comical it was - number plate fell off in my path, bits were wobbly
(mirrors etc). I pulled up alongside the rider who told me that he
had just bought it.

 

Used a Buell design, had they?

 

Pillion on my outfit, it'll get three of us there.

That was a joke btw, no way would I try to get three of us plus all
our kit on that outfit unless it was an emergency.

 

No, not really. A lot of these bikes are brought in by trading companies
who just buy a few containers from China. Normally they deal in garden
accessories, housewares or something.

Setting up a service and parts back-up infrastructure takes a lot of
time, work and money.

See above.

Do. Not. Buy. An. Unknown. Chinese. Brand. Of. Motorcycle.

 

heh, I liked that book.

 

DozynSLeepy wrote:

'One careful owner - never thrashed'

 

I'm going on the CBR600RR.

If I could get the Lifan to cruise at at steady 60 mph it would have
been an option, with the screen on it's very effective at shielding the
elements.

It's not really up to pulling my 95Kg and camping gear at a steady 60,
tends to slow down to 45 uphill which is just a bit too slow for this trip.