Chinese Bikes

[Ed Case]

Whenever any posts in questions etc on these freely available Chinese bikes, Kinroads, Hongdus, Jialings and all the other brands the poor soul who's bought one seems to be shot down in flames. If these things are really as c****y as most people seem to think how come they're selling them around the world and why isn't China sinking with the weight of all those millions of 'em cast aside. You can only flog carp for so long without going under, can't you ?

[Ste]

You can sell crap for as long as people continue to buy crap, people are generally quite stupid and continue to buy cheap Chinese bikes even after being told the bikes are shitty.

[ashwell-09]

I did my test training on a 125 sinnis and it was honestly the shittest bike i've ever ridden, nothing feels secure and it was quite twitchy (brake wise) for a 125.
My mate then decided to buy a sinnis and he's still regretting it now, it is poor!
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Riding as fast as you can sounds like a good speed to me
1988 Yamaha DT 50 > 2004 Motorhispania RYZ 50 > 1988 Honda CBR 400

[G1_]

Not everyone lives in the first world. In some third world countries these bikes are probably much cheaper to buy and run than the bikes you and I are used to. I'm sure selling cheap modes of transport to developing countries is very profitable, hence why these Chinese manufacturers are not going out of business.

[kawashima]

My irresponsible imagination.
Price : Thailand=Taiwan=Korea>China
Quality : Thailand=Taiwan=Korea>China
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2020 Touring Serow 250
,past 2012 YB125SP, 2008 TDM900 2005 W650, [url=d], 2002 LS125R, 2002 CB400SF, NS50F, C50 / Trip to UK(2009), Hokkaido touring(2013)

[27cows]

Most Chinese bikes are fine, so long as you're not used to riding ridiculous so-called race reps. The Sanya 125 in particular seems to be a nice, reliable, well made bike - and costs less than half what a CG125 does.

As with the much maligned but largely reliable CZs back in the 80s, Chinese bikes are ideal for those on a limited budget who want a brand new bike to learn or commute on.

There's a lot of snobbery around in the biking world. Sometimes it's worse than being a member of a bloody golf club

[Itchy]

[Itchy]

....Hold on you're not Kiyoshi Kawashima's son are you, he'd have a fruit if he saw you riding a Yamaha!.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[kawashima]

[andys675]

never buy anything from a country that thinks "one man and his dog" is a cookery program!

[Decco]

[Itchy]

[pepperami]

for some of us these cheap chinese bike may be a little bit of a bonus...
let me explain... like many people on this forum i have a bike that is my pride and joy.
theres no way i am going to do anything to hurt my beloved ZX6R.

so if i want a cheap bike to muck about with and modify, those little chinese bikes are just the ticket..
being so cheap to start with they are not going to cost a lot second hand so if you muck it up then not so much lost..

i had a CZ125 in the 80`s and it was a lot better than people gave it credit for.. (once you have done a bit of work on it) and it was as tough as old boots, mind you it was as slow compered to japanese strokers of the same size...
it cost me next to nothing to buy and next to nothing to run.
I`m guessing that these little chinese bikes will be in a similar vien.

it`s just a shame that a british company does`nt make some smaller bikes ie 400cc, 250cc, 185cc, and 125cc
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[sms_sms]

I've got a Huoniao HN125-8 and I'm very impressed with it so far.
It's reliable, well built and cost £700 new and including delivery.
Couldn't be more pleased with it. I don't know what everyone has against them unless they're just getting crap makes. Huoniao/Hondgou are the better Chinese bikes.
And I dunno if we're allowed to post links or not but there's a forum for people with Chinese bikes that celebrates these machines! https://chinesebikeforum.webuda.com
Seriously everyone give 'em a chance!

[G]

[Itchy]

Heh even my commie father who is a staunch PRC supporter is wary of made in China stuff these days and won't buy made in China anymore. Speaks volumes.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[sms_sms]

I was going to get a second hand Jap but my god they were all so expensive and most of em were shite anyway i.e. old n falling to bits so I just thought I'll just go with the bike I've got now as I'd heard loads of good stuff about them.
Go to reviewcentre.com and there's a lot of reviews about it and overall 4 out of 5 stars for the bike. That many people can't be wrong eh lol.
And I've had it for six months

[Alex A]

[Itchy]

[G]

[SonicTheHedge...]

The real reason they're crap is the manufacturers don't want to/can't pay attention to materials specs.

I had the privilege of talking to a UK engineer who was contracted out to a Chinese motor manufacturer - the attitude was "You should be using this grade of steel here...", 'No, we use this, it costs less.', and then they wondered why everything folded up under pressure.

They don't have the same concepts of quality. Yet. They will eventually...
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Previous: '00 G2 Bandit 600 Naked. Now: '08 BMW GS Adventure.

[Alexio]

Two reasons why people keep on buying them I suppose. Firstly they can make a good cheap first bike. It's very easy to find a zero or very low mileage bike for about £500. Me and my brother both managed it, my brother still uses his sinnis bike every day while commuting.

They'll work for as long as they work for (certainly as long as you'd want to stay on a 125cc bike, definitely not 20 years) and while they have no resell value, you're very likely to smash up your first bike anyway. I know I did so it was definitely the best purchase I could have made

Secondly, people don't know any better. Some people have never had enough time on a japanese bike to realise what they are missing poor people.

They aren't anywhere near as good or reliable than bikes sourced from elsewhere though.
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will never give up his CG. I look at my fuel gauge more as a progress bar than a fuel gauge.
G: With my GSXR I do often effectively use it as a scooter with a clutch in town.
ms51ves3: why does it need 500 miles? Are you teaching it how to be a piston?

[pepperami]

i have no space in my garage at the moment as i have two projects to finish : an XS400=95% done, an XS250 field bike= not started yet

once they are done i am going to look for a chinese bike to mod/muck about with?
i will be specificly looking at a chinese bike because they are cheap and there are plenty of them around.
i for one am glad ther are a few around as it will give me a chance to work on/ play with a bike without worring to much about cost.
secondly... how many folks have started on these cheap bikes and gone on to be life-long bikers
they started on those bikes because that is what they could afford.

we all know that these chinese bikes have some quality issues, but from what i have seen they are getting better...... so maybe the established bike makers should be taking note and getting thier quality up to a better standard if they want us to keep buying thier bikes.
After all the British bike industry died on it`s arse because it failed to recognise the threat from the Japanese.
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I am the sum total of my own existence, what went before makes me who I am now!

[duncan111180]

Well admitting to owning a chinese bike I can't complain I have a 07 plate superbyke RBP125 bought it nov 09 for £550 so far the problems I have had are, change the rear tyre (got a puncture), replaced a front engine mount, and repaired the same oil leak twice, this hasn't bothered me because have done all repairs myself have also found parts easy enough to come by with the superbyke website, so yes I agree they may not be the most reliable of bikes but they are not the dangerous death traps people make them out to be.
If you don't mind getting your hands dirty and want to learn your way about a bike charge on.

[baker85]

I thought i would give my two cents as ive owned a chinese bike for 6 months now. i bought my TMEC 125 - 1 (honda XR Clone) for £600 looking good as new with 500miles on the clock off ebay. since then ive had sh*tloads go wrong on it. heres a list.

* tool box/tray fell off after couple of hundred miles (lost forever)
*Chain was stretching by the day and had to be tightened up regularly
*Rear break disk came loose and the bolts holding it in mangled the inside of the caliper bracket.
*front break caliper lost its retaining pin and ejected the pads. (i was doing 55mph at the time in the driving rain)
*first time i dropped it the handlebars turned to mush (could bend them to 90 degrees with one arm) have since replaced these with renthals.
*Exaust manifold nuts kept coming loose from vibration and being replaced.
*exhaust manifold pins eventualy gave way (snapped of inside the engine block) drilled out and had heli-coils put in.
*Heaps of electrical problems. blown fuzes, bulbs, flasher units. *the indicators no longer work at all.
*the chain is now that streched that there is no more room on the swingarm to move the wheel back to tighten it. getting this done soon.
*sidestand springs went.
*brakelight no longer works for front brake.
*the bike didnt like the rain. found out this was a damp ht lead problem and have since replaced/sealed it up
*ignition doesnt work right anymore. (will start and run without the key)
*rear brake caliper seized up.
*Headstock bearings went tight in the middle. had these replaced.
*rear wheel bearings have disintigrated twice now.
*clutch and speedo cable snapped
*exhaust baffle come loose and rattling about in the end can.
*petrol tank leaks.
*Fuel tap "snapped off" while i was swiching from reserve. (lost nearly 3 galon of fuel)

.....this list could be longer.

BUT having said all this i still like the bike. it (after ALOT of tinkering) still gets me where i wanna go, the engine is perfect and aside the "damp HT lead" problem has never skipped a beat. for the price i paid for it, the cheap running costs (i did most of the mainainance myself) and the 8K miles if done on it. im happy with it and have had lots of fun on it. For my first bike ive learned a hell of a lot about both riding and maintaining a bike and not spent alot of £££ in the process.

im now ready to move on to bigger better things and as soon as i have the cash for a bigger bike ill be booking in for my test.
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Currently on a Lucozade binge thanks to Sainsburys BOGOF promo.