In defence of chinese bikes

[Sparky Bills]

yeah mate,what model are they? look similar to a crf230

How dare you compare a chineese shit box to a crf!
SHAME ON YOU!

Cool pics though

[EJK]

Nice pics. You and Deanohit could start an advertisement!

[noobi]

i can understand where everyone is coming from in saying that there are chinese bikes which are just shit (EEC approved high standard + front and rear shockers).
but the shit ones are designed and made by someone who had probably never seen a real bike and had just had one dexcribed to them
so they make really shit ones like the ones we like to take the piss of so much
but then there are the ones like carvallo which are not really a bad copy of a real bike only cheaper so proper engineering which has been copied would obviously be better than a bike made by an idiot and also designed by said idiot
see what i mean
but still ill probaly get shit for this

[mattwood]

I had a cavallo, XLA200 im pretty sure it was the year before your models( mine was a 2005). It had a bullet proof engine, and thats about where the positives stopped. The plastics broke even when i just leant it up against a fence.. the handle bars bent after the first crash, spokes continuosly came loose, the shocks lost all there dampening and would just continuosly bounce up and down what else.. umm the kick start almost striped shaft, and broke every couple of weeks.. leaving me to roll start it where ever it was. Probably the most embarrasing thing was that my mate could beat me on his 1990's XR100 in a straight line drag

To be honest it was a good bike for what i first wanted it for, it was my first big sized bike, i had an old as suzuki 80cc 2stroke before hand. It would be a great farm bike or learners bike.. its just that once i started getting more confident it couldnt handle it, like jumps and stuff.

BUT i have looked at the newer models and they have definatley improved the plastics which is great, and they look very closely based on a CRF230. In my opinion I've got a good Japa bike now, and im never going back to anything else.. unless i get the money for something KTM Orange

[cs363]

All Chinese bikes are currently shit - its only the depth that varies, lol
Bikes like the Cavallo's that Cave Weta runs for his business are undoubtedly better than most (witness our wee mate on Trade Me!) and are probably quite suitable for the use that he puts them to.
Personally I wouldn't own one myself as I prefer something of a higher quality as my personal bike.
However, don't be laughing too hard at the Chinese, rest assured in 5-10 years (maybe less) the Chinese brands will be a force to be reckoned with.
Those of you old enough will remember the scorn and derision that was poured on the early attempts at making motorcycles by the Japanese....
Also, it was only a few years ago that Korean product (cars & motorcycles) were considered in the same light as current Chinese profferings - plenty of KB'ers will attest to the good points of Hyosung ownership as no doubt would plenty of Hyundai, Kia and Daewoo car owners. The Korean products while not quite up with the Japanese are arguably very close and getting closer very year.

[NordieBoy]

Just look how many Lifan's, Shineray's, Hyosung's and others finished the Taklimakan Rally over 5000km.

[barty5]

Can we take the piss out of the britsh now currently working on an old E type Jag (yes i know not a bike) but fuck me britsh engneering is a bunch of arse.

[noobi]

now why would do you put wheels that thin on a "sportscar",

[Voltaire]

Can we take the piss out of the britsh now currently working on an old E type Jag (yes i know not a bike) but fuck me britsh engneering is a bunch of arse.

You wouldn't say that if you were flying a Messersmitt 109 over the Southeast of England in the summer of 1940.


I know what you mean..I have a pre unit Triumph T110....in its natural state...tea chests

[noobi]

unfortunately your right the spitfire, possibly best british plane, only plane still in production at the beginning and end of ww2.
really its not a plane or bike

[Pedrostt500]

What annoys me the most about the chinese shitters, is that they are often imported by noddies who have no idea about bikes, often they bring in no spare parts to back up their bikes, have no clue how to fix them or set them up properly to begin with, they tell you on their Turd me add that you just have to rock up to a testing station to get REG and WOF, but have no idea of the paper work that is required to VIN a new bike from China.
alot of the socalled factories that assemble these bikes do so out of a rented wharehouse, and can either change the name of the bike or the warehouse that they operate from, at the drop of a hat.
what alot of people who import these bikes dont know is the chinese have three grades and if you put your order in over the net and the factory sends you a container then you will get all the shitters in the C class. if you visit the factory and have no idea of what you are looking at then you might get the B class bikes not as bad as the C class but still needing alot of work.
If you take your time and do your home work, get a good working relationship with the sales person for the factory thoughrouly inspect the bikes, be there as your container is loaded, get the correct paper work from the factory, then you may get the A class bikes.
But keep in mind the chinese have a saying "we can always Fool a Foreigner', and NZ is a very small market to them.

[FROSTY:Me]

I have 2 experiences of bikes built in china.
One is a almost identical copy of a PW80 -with one minor stupid desighn flaw I'd rate it as BETTER bang for buck that the genuine artical
The fault is that they have a mudguard that directs muddy water straight at the sparkplug

The other one is a total POS
its a kids four stroke 50 and nothing about it is any good at all-I cant see a single positive--shit welding.brakes that are a joke--electrical system that doesnt. -might make a good boat anchour I guess

[CookMySock]

They are Branded Cavalo by the importer but are made by Jonsheng. same specs and quality as a CRF230f but a little better equipped. $3600 +GST. but you have to buy a container lot.

Do you buy them by the container-load ? I wonder if there were enough people interested to do a KB group buy ?

I'm keen to buy some new or near-new 250cc road-legal dirtbike and motard it. Just for fun really.

DB

[Pedrostt500]

Do you buy them by the container-load ? I wonder if there were enough people interested to do a KB group buy ?

I'm keen to buy some new or near-new 250cc road-legal dirtbike and motard it. Just for fun really.

DB

Yep ya can get em by the container, but its whats in the container when it arrives, and getting spare parts that is the trick. also the Correct paper work to get the bikes VINed.

[cave weta]

These ones do come with ADR Ausie complience papers all the lenses are moulded with complience numbers. and yes you have to buy 12 at a time. they also put in 8% of the value of the shipment in spare parts that you choose. in liew of their normal 12 month factory warranty. which I think is pretty good!