How good are these el-cheapo bikes?

http://www.buyscooteronline.com/200cc-dirt-bike-801151.html

$989.00? This is a rediculously low price. Are these things decent at
all? For just on-road, light duty use? Do they use standard name-brand
parts?

I thought the bike at least looked pretty good

 

Read the ad again. Do you see anything about street-legal? Do you see
where it says "Some models might have slight difference in color or design"?
Do you see where it says "Please check your state and local scooter laws and
insurance requirements before purchasing your scooter. We will not accept
any scooter returns based on unsatisfactory legal status."? Do you wonder
why they keep referring to a bike that looks like a 200cc dirt bike as a
scooter?
If these things don't bother you, go ahead and buy one. In fact buy 3 and
catch the $50/per bike price break

 

Based on the copy, they are street legal where I am IF the MSO is legit.

 

They actually have a 250cc cruiser under their gas moped section. They have
the DOT letters above the picture..........hmmmm.....interesting.

AppleJacks

 

A friend of mine owns a store that sells these chinese-made
scooters/motorcycles.
Another friend of mine was in the market for a dirtbike for his son. I
sent him to the local honda dealer instead.
These knock offs are very very nice for the price. The problem is
finding parts. Face it, you will need a new throttle cable, gasket,
etc. eventually.
I own a 1972 yamaha ct2 enduro bike, I can still walk in to any Yamaha
dealer and buy parts. They may have to order them, but within two to
three days i'm back and running. It is a major problem getting
replacement parts for these bikes.

Good luck,
wally
http://www.wallys-speed-shop.com

 

You can have parts the next day if you want to pay the shipping.

pierce

 

I don't know anything about the bike, but I saw this trend coming. Who
didn't?

It is so cheap that it is worth a try, assuming that you can get replacement
parts for it and don't mind doing your own work on the bike. Although I'm
sure that some bike mechanic wouldn't mind moonlighting and fixing it for
you for a fee.

Who is going to be first? Frankly, I would, but I'm over committed
financially at the moment. I have been looking for just this kind of bike to
go trail riding with, but I don't want to spend three or four thousand to do
it.

Just think, one day you'll be able to buy your motorcycles from Wal-Mart.
<G>

Ed Cregger

 

The Chinese Lijan V-twin 250cc motorcycle is a direct copy of the Yamaha
Virago 250cc bike. Parts are interchangeable. All I have read about them in
various threads seem to indicate that the bike is good and is so similar to
the Yamaha that you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference on a
dark night.

Ed Cregger

 

40 years ago folks asked the same thing about these wierd brands:
Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha....

 

I'd avoid it... with words like:

200cc 4-stroke motorcycle engine,start very fast and power super strong
and
Speed strong power 85mph

With no mention of who this "professional motorcycle manufacturer" is...

 

they're junk.
buy real stuff. get good bikes.
sammm

 

Precisely.

Ed Cregger

 

You mean Harley-Davidson makes a 200cc trail bike? Wow, Maaaaaaaaaan! <G>

Ed Cregger

 

I have been using Chinese model airplane engines for about ten years now.
Some of these beasts are every bit as complicated as a motorcycle engine,
sans ignition system and EPA fixtures.

While the fit and finish were not up to Japanese standards (they weren't
pretty and they did take a while to break-in), they did function as claimed.
I have not had a major failure with any of my ten or twenty engines. Little
niggling details can piss you off sometimes, but were these motorcycle
engines, none would have left me stranded along side the road at any point.

I think there is a place for Chinese motorcycles, other than China, of
course. Once the overhead of supporting a dealer/parts network is
established, you can bet the prices will go up.

Ed Cregger

 

There was an article in the August '05 issue of Cycle World called Grand
Tour. All the guys procured rides for $1000 or under for a 1000 mile ride.
Most spent a few hundred on a garage sale type bike that hadn't run in years
and the remaining cash on tune-up parts, tires, etc. to get it back on the
road. One, though, bought a brand new Chinese Qujos Trail Master 200
(http://www.qjpowersports.com/) for $999. During the ride the head- and
taillights burned out, the speedo died, and the engine broke a valve after
200 miles. They figured the broken valve was from not following the engine
break-in procedure and running it wide open continuously right out of the
crate, but overall it didn't perform like the older, used bike bought for
the same money. It says someday these brands might become like today's
Japanese brands, but they're not there yet.

 

Yamoto makes some copies of the Yamaha bikes

But now Yamaha is suing them !!