Chinese made bikes

[Lawrence]

Hi all.

I'm after some opinions on the various Chinese made dirt bikes available. Does any one have any real feedback from people they know with one? I'm a newbie rider and am looking for a cheap reliable bike for trail riding. I currently have an old shitty XR200 that I'm learning on but she's a bit old and unreliable. I'm not after the latest hi-tech stuff, nor am I interested in competition or doing hard-out motocross, I just want to go trail riding and have some fun. I could spend $2500 on a mid 90's Jap. bike that will need constant work & possible re-build. Or $2500 on a brand new Chinese knockoff and go ride. Any feedback would be helpful.

Thanks

[race me!!!!]

hey dude try a "liberty hummer" they are jst wot ur looking 4 phne number is 0508 liberty

[FlangMasterJ]

I'm a newbie rider and am looking for a cheap reliable bike for trail riding

Then forget a Chinese made bike.

XR200 that I'm learning on but she's a bit old and unreliable

Your XR would last 100 times longer than a cheap Chinese bike. My advice is to spend $2500 on a late 90's or early 00's Japanese made 2 stroke. For example a Kawasaki KDX220. They're easily maintained and pretty much bulletproof.

[Ruralman]

we bought a CMG 150 for the kids to learn on - its an easy low down power 150cc 4 stroke, electric start etc. We've had it for a couple of years now and my son, now 14, has riden it on quite a few trail rides.
There are plenty of other chinese models around but most of the probably suffer the from the same things. They tend to be quite heavy as they don't use the more expensive high tech light alloys, the suspension is basic to say the least, and resale value will be very low. We have had to do a top end rebuild after the bike sucked muck up through the engine breather tube when it stopped in a bog - this blocked the oil filter screen and starved the top end of oil - apparently this has been known to heppen on Jap bikes as well so unfair to blame the bike maybe.
Having said that I have smiled as I have watched my son carry on up steep rutted and boggy tracks past riders who have come to grief on high tech new machines costing 4-5 times as much. The low down grunt with a suitable tyre just keeps it going.
Mostly they are designed for transporting light chinese people around on rougher roads. For trail riding they lack the ablility to flick the front wheel up and over obstacles and the lack of any top end means they are pretty docile and will get boring once your riding skills improve.
As a learner bike for kids - it has done its job. Would I buy another one? No.
Especially for a teenager or older. I think you are far better to get a decent second hand jap trail bike. I will go better, handle better, be easier to ride and at the end will retain its value much better than the chinese one. I will be looking for another KDX 200/220 for my son next year and I reckon I will get a good one for not much over $3K. If you don't like 2 strokes then you'll pick up a good XT225 or DRz 250 for similar money - keep looking on Trademe. There's a bloody good looking KDX220 in Wellington advertised on there now.
Good luck

[cheese]

Those CMG bikes are basically a yamaha!! Same parts, just come out a different Factory. That is what I was told by the guys at total motox.

[Edbear]

We sell them, and there's a bit of a difference in quality due to the vast number of manufacturers. It's been pointed out that they are not up to the latest specs of the Japs but if used as a general light trail riding bike they, (or at least ours) are pretty reliable and durable. PM ne for more info.

[Edbear]

PS. You'd be surprised how much of the "Jap" brands are now actually manufactured in China.

[Brian d marge]

PS. You'd be surprised how much of the "Jap" brands are now actually manufactured in China.

I can vouch for that as I am dealing with poeple who are buying the stuff

Actually , korea and China, tawain are the sources for bike parts , in fact they may have been entirely made in one onf those countrys

I wont say anything about made in America products ,,,Showa forks ,,compnetry made in China DOH!!!!!

Shes a globa market now and with iso , the tolerances , methods , quality can be pretty much defined

Stephen

[Ruralman]

PS. You'd be surprised how much of the "Jap" brands are now actually manufactured in China.

There's still a big difference between manufacturing in China for an overseas client who sets all the specs in terms of materials and quality, and home grown manufacturing where they are basically making cheap copies of some other bike using lower quality bits (everything from the quality of the plastics which aren't on the same planet as a jap bike, the chain, forks,all the castings........)
I can assure you from our experience the chinese bikes do not age well when used as trail bikes. They also tend to bend more easily from falls that a jap bike would just bounce from unhurt - handle bars, break and gear levers etc.
However the parts for them are cheap and the clutch levers for the CMG will fit on my KDX as will the clamps that holds them to the bars.

[Ruralman]

Those CMG bikes are basically a yamaha!! Same parts, just come out a different Factory. That is what I was told by the guys at total motox.

I was told it was a copy of a 150 Honda. When you line it up beside a CRF150 it does look exactly the same apart form the colour (blue) - when you start comparing the quality of the bits and pieces on it then that is a different story - they are a cheap copy, they are not the same and definitely not as good. However as a cheap entry bike for a learner they do have a place but I still believe a decent second hand jap one is better and will be worth more and also be a lot easier to sell when you want to grade up.

[nigelp]

Hey,

I have one of the cheap chinese knock off bikes at the moment, being a Marshin Cheetah (same as Lifan, Liberty etc etc etc). They are all cheap knocks offs of the early XR200. They are what you pay for, you will find that the bolts will work loose (loctite fixes that), their shocks are average (especially for a big guy like myself!) and they are low on power. On the plus side, they are cheap to run and maintain (I havent had it in the shop since I had it, do all servicing myself (I am an auditor not a mechanic!!! So lets just say they are easy to work on), and they get you to where you want to. I am not kidding myself, and going to expect it to last forever, but for someone like myself who is getting back into to ride, it is a cheap and easy way to do so! One thing to watch out for are the 3/4 size bikes with 19 inch front and 16 inch rear, but apart from that you get what you pay for. There are heaps of news groups out there for them, and info can be found with a quick search of google under 200GY.

My 2cents worth anyway....

[Edbear]

There's still a big difference between manufacturing in China for an overseas client who sets all the specs in terms of materials and quality, and home grown manufacturing where they are basically making cheap copies of some other bike using lower quality bits...

Granted you're quite correct. The manufacturing in China has been described as the "new Wild West" and there are quality issues needing to be investigated. Generally when approaching a Chinese manufacturer you will be asked what level of quality you want. Our Company Management including the Company Owner travelled to China on a buying trip as we had a few problems with quality on certain products.

As a result of the trip and further investigations, the Company ditched some suppliers and went for the bigger, better manufacturers. Our bikes now come from two main sources, the largest engine manufacturer in China, (who will be sponsoring the next Beijing Olympics), and also a plant in Taiwan, manufacturing a range of very good quality bikes the equal of any in the world.

While this means we are a little more expensive than some importers it also means the customer gets a good quality bike with proper service and the backing of a sizeable, (5 major Divisions), NZ company that has been around for the better part of 40 years.

[Buddy L]

For that type of money you could get your engine rebuild by a pro, and new chain sprockets tires, get the socks reconditioned and it will be like a new bike again, but nothing beats getting a new bike, keep a eye out on trade me and trade and exchange, i traded my 1997 kdx220 in on my CR and was only given $1500 for it:slap: . But i was happy at the time because of the new bike

[nigelp]

Another interesting thing is that apparently as the rumour goes, china used to manufacture the XR200s, and when Honda took production elsewhere, they retained the engine casting mould. They were finances by Chinese govt, and part of the contract was their retention by china. And so the story goes is that the companies that have brought life back into the old XRs is being sued by Honda for breach of patent....!

[Ruralman]

Good to see that there will be better bikes coming from China. Resale value will depend on the quality of machines being sold now and the ability for NZ businesses to get relationships going with chinese suppliers that allow them to invest in the brand and develop good after sales service. They've got a long way to go but you've got to start somewhere.