This is why you don't want a Chinese bike

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

I'd recommend a lot of the nay-sayers just go and have a test ride of any of the current Zontes 125's (ZT125-U, ZT125-U1 and the G versions). Go in open minded, feel the switchgear, look around the fittings then have a ride on one.

I bet you will be pleasantly surprised.
____________________
PRESENT: 2018 BMW S1000XR SE Sport.
PAST: 2009 Kawasaki ER-6F. 2021 Zontes ZT-125U.

[A100man]

[slowasyoulike]

[DaddyStu]

My Zontes swingarm was a thing of beauty. Curvy and thicc.
____________________
Daddystu
Zontes 125-G1 (part-ex'd). Yamaha Tracer 700.

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[slowasyoulike]

[Robby]

There are good Chinese bikes. I couldn't name one. They have zero brand recognition, everything seems to be rebadged 8 times, and when you pull off the plastics a lot of the bike is copied from a variety of Japanese models from the last 50 years.

A Zontes might be good. Fucked if I know. They only make small, unappealing bikes and I passed my test 20 years ago, so I'm not in that market. They would only get my attention by doing some incredible yet expensive halo model (like the European manufacturers still do when they feel forgotten) or by providing a range of bikes that may appeal to me (like the Japanese manufacturers).

Until that problem* is overcome, Chinese bike will be associated with shite quality.

*Strictly speaking, it's only a problem from our point of view. They've been selling this shit over here by the container load for over a decade. As a business model, it clearly works.

[jeffyjeff]

[WD Forte]

Perhap many factories just don't care because they've been flogging this cheap stuff and making a profit on it for so long they think
"fuck it, it works for me"
The UK and western demand must be pretty small globally, whereas the far eastern countries with less demand for quality than cheapness, keep buying them.
The roads are full of scoots and small bikes out there.
In the main they're 21st century donkeys, not cool, sexy, garage queens to bragged about.
____________________
bikers smell of wee

[jeremyr62]

In the late 70s I visited Indonesia a few times. I was just getting into bikes then and they were the most popular mode of transport for the general (very poor) population. Mainly Honda C50 types and 125s. The most biggest and exotic bike I ever saw there was a Suzuki GT380. The bikes had to be extremely robust as they were overloaded, the roads were rubbish and I expect received little maintenance. I would have thought the bikes from China would be competition on a cost basis but how they would last would be important. It would be interesting to see what the mix of brands is like there now. Maybe the bikes China sells in Asia are better quality and we just get the tat.

Edit. I found this https://www.nst.com.my/cbt/2019/11/542891/indonesias-motorcycle-sales-seen-flat-2020

Looks like the Japanese still have the market share.

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[Bhud]

Bikes are hugely popular in those countries. I don't think that article tells the whole story. Government intervention has limited the reach of laissez-faire capitalism. In Indonesia, they introduced a cc limit. Still, a couple of people with wealth and a lot of influence managed to get their hands on Harleys. The place was awash with small bikes, and the government introduced limits on which highways could be used by bikes, and then introduced limits on city streets, and finally car-free and bike-free days. Before that, Vietnam got hit by coercive anti-bike restrictions, banning them from cities. Before that, China, in its characteristic authoritarian style, simply banned and crushed people's bikes. The article mentions cigarette prices - for a long time there was essentially zero tax on cigarettes. And it mentions power: that (oil and gas) was actually subsidised by the government there to stimulate the economy. Most of these SE Asian countries have been anticipating the middle income trap and I expect they'll significantly phase out private road transport in the name of green measures (in reality, the contracts for rail networks, etc. have all been lined up).

[jeremyr62]

"Motorcycle sales are expected to be 6.51 million units this year, or about 2 per cent higher than in 2018."

That still sounds like a lot of bikes to me. Maybe it's changed now (hopefully) but the infrastructure I experienced was very third world and the Government back then (ruled by Suharto) was corrupt in the extreme. Interestingly there was no evidence of religious extremism at all. I do think that has changed unfortunately.

Very nice people as long as you weren't Chinese, which might explain the continued popularity of Japan bikes.

[Polarbear]

If you discount the Chinese owned brand bikes like Benelli, the only home grown firm that seems to turn out big bikes is CF Moto. I remember they made a clone Kwack ER6 and there is a new one that popped up on my feed, I have no idea if they are any good though and is 7 grand cheap for an 800cc motorbike nowadays?

https://img2.storyblok.com/920x0/smart/filters:format(webp)/f/176629/3000x2000/e6aeb9e64c/800nk-std_zircon-black_right.jpg

https://cfmoto-motorcycle.eu/uk/en/motorcycles/naked/800nk
____________________
Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[DaddyStu]

Yes the pricing for those new CFMotos is way off track considering a new Honda Hornet goes for sub 7k.

Am starting to see some CFMotos, Benellis and Voges with £2000 off - think Honda have pulled a blinder there.
____________________
Daddystu
Zontes 125-G1 (part-ex'd). Yamaha Tracer 700.

[Nute]

I recently had a 2016 125 serviced and clutch basket renewed. When I called the mechanic to ask to get it booked in he asked if it was a Chinese bike as he struggled to get parts on some Chinese bikes more than 4-5 years old. It was a Honda, so no problem.

On the other side of the coin I have a German made brush cutter which is 10 yrs+ old, it’s always been a bitch to start, been serviced/ adjusted/ carbs fiddled with umpteen times inc by the dealership, still a bitch to get going.

On a whim I bought a 5 dollar Chinese carb for it from Aliexpress, fitted it and it now runs like a charm and has been faultless for the 2-3 years since.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[Fat Angry Scotsman]

[Fullers1845]

Regarding cheap chinesium stuff, I'm stuck in the mindset of questioning why and how something that is essentially performing the same function is miraculously cheaper.
A previous company I worked for buying a Chinese CNC glass-cutting machine against my advice as it was 'loads cheaper than the German and British ones and doing the same basic geometric cutting function'. Turned out to be an utter pile of cheap garbage with numerous corners cut during manufacturing, and iffy aftermarket spares supply.

Boils my piss how far we have gone down the disposable everything route. The last straw for me was when the £100 chinese bicycles appeared, so basically the most environmentally friendly and sustainable method of moving humans around more than walking distances, now made cheap and ready for the metal bin at the tip/local canal after a couple of years.
____________________
Honda CB125F, Kawasaki ZX6R J1, 1922 Sheffield-Henderson Blackburne grasstrack/sprint

[Fat Angry Scotsman]