chinese bikes, yes really....

[richie....]

looking at selling my scooter and putting a few quid toward a little 125 for fun and mebe going through my test.

im hoping to get a honda cg125 or other little learner, the thing is, none are coming up, well with in a distance im happy to travel. ill have about £600 but all the bikes are 200/250 miles which after diesel and dinners, isnt worth it.

so how about a chinese bike?

yes there cheap but surely the build quality must have come on? also, more and more dealers are building up better knowledge and spares for this growing market. theres on cg125 rep on ebay for £535 crated up (build and register at home.

im genuinly thinking about it. surely if its looked after, it will look after me?

I travel mebe 20 miles a day to work, then the girlfriends 2/3 times a week, im a commuter but do enjoy the blast along a county lane as part of my ride to work, so wouldnt mind doing it for fun, but none of my mates own bikes now...

I know im going to get shot down here but hey.....

cheers all.

[Daytona Paul]

[TheSmiler]

What region of the country are you, someone on here might be selling a 125cc geared bike.
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CB125>CG125>GN125>ER5>K100RS>R1100RS>K100RS
A2 completed 23/07/15 Ready for the Golden Crisp Packet

[Polarbear]

Maybe if you have the mechanical aptitude to bodge them when they go wrong and the inclination to get out the spanners and fiddle you might be OK.

Rogerborg is probably the person to ask, as he seems to keep chinese junk working reasonably successfully.

I bought my son a chinese bike just because it was cheap for him to go to work on, it was ok I suppose, but that was all, just ok. The chain snapped, the exhaust fell off but I bodged it to keep it going. My next doors son bought a new cruiser, it lasted a few hundred miles and the gearbox went. He couldn't get anyone to touch it.

I don't know if they are any better now, but that £500 you are spending, don't expect to get any of it back if you come to sell it.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[goto10]

I bought a brand new chinese CG125 copy in 2006 - PDI'd/registered/taxed and included a helmet and Oxford chain/padlock, all for £450. (was from 'the internet bike shop' but I think they've since folded)
Did me ok for 5 years, I sold it (in running order) earlier this year at a very slight loss. Sure, I didn't do heavy mileage but they're not *that* bad, keep the oil fresh and the chain lubed, maintenance is key - also keep the chrome covered in ACF because the plating is about 1 micron thick and it goes rusty the moment you go through a puddle
I always squirted WD40 in key areas too (ignition etc)
For the cash I think they serve a purpose and will certainly do what the OP wants from it.
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'12 NC700S & '12 CB600F Hornet [Stolen by some dickless twat] Suzuki GT500 shed

[Redoko]

No ffs.

Search BCF, you will find plenty of recent threads on how sh!t they are.

You will regret it.
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"Let's face it, this is not the worst thing you've caught me doing."
Sudika Sportsman SK50QT > Gilera DNA50 > Honda CBR125 RW7 > Kawasaki Zephyr750 > Suzuki GSXR600 > Honda Hornet CB600F '51

[P.]

You can get bikes delivered. If you see one for sale local to me (Kent) I'll have a wander over, have a look and haggle for you, shiply.com pick up and deliver bikes.

I had a bike deliver from south wales to maidstone in kent for £90.

[fatpies]

If you could buy Chinese bikes for how much they actually cost in China, THEN they would be worthy. They sell for £160 if you get ripped off in CHINA.

However many nasty business folk think they'll ship them to the UK stick a £1000 price tag or in this case a £600 price tag on them and pocket the difference.

Hell if I could buy those GY or whatever the hell they are bikes for £160 I would buy them, I'd buy one every 12 months. As my tyres recently cost more than that and I go through one set every 9 months.

But expecting it to last as long as a £1600 CG125 doubtful. But at the proper price they are worthy of a punt.
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"It's easy to attack and destroy an act of creation. It's a lot more difficult to perform one"

[Ed Case]

I personally have bugger-all faith in these Chinese budget bikes which in all likelihood work well and also last up to a point as long as they're chugging along at low speed on crap roads but in the UK they could and do end up being ridden flat-0ut on dual-carriageways and A-roads and according to some reports this soon exposes their shortcomings. Recently I was in Egypt, Turkey, and Greece and saw virtually no mainstream Japanese 125s or scooters, almost all were Chinese and again almost all being ridden conservatively rather than the 'Shit-or-Bust' technique common to ourselves. I'm of the opinion that you MIGHT get what you pay for but you definitely DON'T get what you don't pay for. The bottom line is don't expect Jap quality if you're paying peanuts.

[Rogerborg]

Make and model? Also, what's the total cost, including delivery and the £71 first registration and VED? Are you sure that it comes with a Euro 3 type approval certificate, customs import documents, and a declaration of newness?

View it as a bike shaped pile of parts, maintain it religiously, don't spend a penny more on it than you have to, and it might not completely screw you over financially. Parts aren't a problem any more, although there are doubtless still plenty of garages who won't touch "that foreign rubbish" (doubtless while welding an broken ER6 exhaust back together).

If you're going to go that route - and have a decent toolkit and don't mind getting your hands mucky - then I'd suggest trying to find a used example of the Lexmoto / Haotian Arrow or Vixen or the Huoniao HN125-8. Get a Lexmoto for preference, insurance is easier. I'd stay away from anything "themed", plastic fantastics (more money, harder maintenance) or offroad-stylees (too many reports of bad build quality).

But really, Japanese branded is going to hold its value better and not get the dog set on you if you take it to the local bike shop.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[GREENI3]

I recently bought a Chinese bike, a Lexmoto street.

Chinese bikes have definitely come along way since a few years ago.

Obviously the build quality isn't as good etc, but that's reflected in the price.

If you are going to buy one, go for one of the more well established brands such as Lexmoto or Pulse ( 2 different brands owned by the same company).
Their HQ is in Exeter.
I recently ordered a part off their ebay site and it arrived within a few days.

You'll have to give yourself a bigger budget though.
The Lexmoto Arrow which is the cheapest they sell is £850, but it's not on the DSA approved list of bikes for A2, so that might be an issue for you.

As long as you buy a Chinese bike from a dealer, you should be ok.

[bassmastergen...]

[Rogerborg]

[binge]

Look after it, keep it maintained, lubed, and serviced. And it'll be a good bike. Like anything really.

I've had a fair old amount of Chinky bikes over the years, have a ganders!:

All Chinese:

https://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/25990_376003080605_506045605_3611267_7251802_n.jpg

https://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/30492_390043240605_506045605_3887255_3900092_n.jpg

https://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/28192_397612980605_506045605_4039071_1788577_n.jpg

https://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185738_10150104000525606_506045605_6246680_5536605_n.jpg

https://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190486_10150114229740606_506045605_6345749_911494_n.jpg

https://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200701_10150121989885606_506045605_6416255_1083738_n.jpg

https://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/216374_1996868729695_1482789736_32335166_4907313_n.jpg

[1cyl]

Like Binge i too have a few Pit Bikes all of which are chinese.

Despite being made from butter they are all still going strong and they all get abused massively. i suppose like alot of things, it depends who was on the production line the day it was built and what they got up to the night before . And of course Previous owners
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Chase my Witch up, Catch my Snitch up.
The SMC | The Pit | Stable

[fireyphoenix1...]

i have had one a baimo RSR that i paid £350 for and sold to a friend for what i paid for it . In 7000 miles includeing a 700+ mile holiday around wales it never gave any issues and thats rideing with a friend on a CBF 125 and another on a CG 125 also it kept up with them no problems
a few mates have got better ones in recent times for instance i had to replace the inlet manifod on mine as it hold the weight of the carb and is made of rubber on the coldest night last year it cracked but the newer ones i have seen all have metal inlet manifolds now as well as a few other annoying issues
they ARE getting better just look for one of the established companys

people forget that a lot of "good" bikes are in fact "chinese rubbish" built and manufactured in china or taiwan then badged up and sold at a premium the only difference is the quality control .
lexan are one of the ones thats seen the most improvement and if i was to need a 125 i would go for one of them ...ones to avoid IMO are SINNIS and the like its easy to find out why
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2014 Aprillia dorsoduro 750 factory.

[Polarbear]

[andyscooter]

i had one of the first chinese scooters to come over here

i bought it for 600 quid on the road

admitadly the panels were a bit flimsy and ill fitting but the engine never let me down
well not excatly i changed to an open air filter and rode in the rain so filled my carb with water

i spent a fair while at this years bike show looking at the lexmoto stand and have to say that these scoots have really changed in quality

in fack they seemed better put together then the bmw scoot at the same show
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[Rogerborg]