Am I stupid to buy one of these...

[mebigdave]

You own a YZ and from your post can I assume you don't use the Chinese bike for anything other than getting to work on road?
I wonder if your experience would be different if you didn't have the YZ and used your Chinese bike for both? After all thats what they're marketed as.

My brother in law had one (not sure which brand exactly) that he used for a commuter and it did an admirable job. I took him trail riding on it once and it was completely and utterly bolloxed afterwards. It limped home, held together by 100mph tape.

For the first 4 months, I used my Shineray for both commuting and on the weekends for riding in Maungakotukutuku Valley with my Sons, out to Orange Hutt a number of times and the like. I was keen to get a 2 stroke MX bike as I missed my Motorcross racing days back in South Africa when I was still a young teenager(YZ125). Any dual sport would not last very long in Maungakotukutuku Valley say waht you like, and I think the Shineray did very well to carry my 130kg's around. The YZ250 is designed for that sort of enviroment and the Shineray dual sport is designed more for trail and road used not for jumping and screeming around the track. It's not a serious off roader so dont try make it be one.

Hope this clears things up a bit!

[mebigdave]

best example of a false economy. you buy it, do 1000kms on it, and then lose $2000 trying to sell it on. i wouldn't recommend it..

Ok try this one on for size - A mate at work bought a brand new Suzuki SV1000 for $12,500 from a dealer in Palmeston North around the same time as I bought my Shineray. He had lost $2000 of the resale of his bike by the time my bike had paid for itself in the cost savings of not using my 2.4TD Surf from Waikanae to Wellington and back every day - That was from January to the end of May. Lose your money you may because they are so cheap when you by them new already. But I would far rather buy a new bike with a warranty than buy someone else’s crap that is possibly going to cost me $2000 to have fixed. Just a thought - Use it, don't use it no worries. As long as you on a bike and it doesn’t leave standing on the side of the road.

PS - My YZ250 left me 3km inside Maungakotukutuku Valley one day and I had to push the damm thing alll the way out.

[mebigdave]

The Shineray would also fit in the toolbox of the beemer.

They are for slightly different purposes though.

Like to see you try that one! In fact, speaking of toolboxes, The Shineray comes with it's own little toolkit like the dual sports used to. I have never had to use it on my Shineray but nearly every weekend had to loan tools to other bikers use on there Jap bikes.

[avgas]

Good to hear some good response about the chinese bikes out there (i seem to get slammed everytime i mention "What about ...." "NO!").
When i was in China i was amazed and how durable the bikes were.....shit even mad max would have been impressed (GN125 taxis anyone) - unlike Japan where i swear bike never get past 30,000k's......

[mebigdave]

If you are looking for a cheaper low Km one year old Shineray, you can find a few of them on Trademe where people have bought them and won't ride them because the "guy at the bike shop" has told them that they are going to DIE if they ride it and then procceded to sell them a Jap bike. Funny how a fool and there money can soon be parted.

I've seen these bikes for $1000 with only 300km's on them that have stood for a year in a back shed make there way on to Trademe.

[n0regret5]

Ok try this one on for size - A mate at work bought a brand new Suzuki SV1000 for $12,500 from a dealer in Palmeston North around the same time as I bought my Shineray. He had lost $2000 of the resale of his bike by the time my bike had paid for itself in the cost savings of not using my 2.4TD Surf from Waikanae to Wellington and back every day - That was from January to the end of May. Lose your money you may because they are so cheap when you by them new already. But I would far rather buy a new bike with a warranty than buy someone else’s crap that is possibly going to cost me $2000 to have fixed. Just a thought - Use it, don't use it no worries. As long as you on a bike and it doesn’t leave standing on the side of the road.

PS - My YZ250 left me 3km inside Maungakotukutuku Valley one day and I had to push the damm thing alll the way out.

funny how you supress memories...my first bike, fxr150, used to die randomly on my way to and from auckland visiting my friend. it'd usually be in the middle of absolutely fucking nowhere too. one time it died at about 10pm on the high road between awakino gorge and te kuiti. bad, bad times. took me 20mins to get it started again. one time it just completely cut out just before uriti.
yeh i see your point, it can be better to spend small money on something 'cheap'..i just like to have something flash haha.

[NordieBoy]

Do a google for the Taklimakan ralley in China.
Plenty of little bikes (jap/chineese/tiwaneeese etc) racing and finishing.
125cc 4-strokes being held wide open for hours in the deserts

[Padmei]

This debate is very good however the question is to whether the bike would be ok off road to learn on.

Talking to a Lifan dealer today, I asked his opinion -his response to their dual purpose model is that it is good for gravel etc & the occasional fire break but not designed for hard core tracks, thrashing & jumping etc.

As the KLR is not a full on dirt bike, the chinese bike would be able allow the rider to gain the skills needed for the type of terrain the KLR would go on anyway.

I would love one to play around with or have my wiferide with me on short trips.

[babysteps]

And that is kinda my point, I want to get out into the back blocks, not up Mount Everest

Thank you all for your input, time to make a decision............

[mebigdave]

The thing with the China bikes is that they are cheap which means that you as a dad can buy your Son a cool looking bike without being screwed over. If he stacks it, so what! Just by another one.
Bike shops hate them because they aren’t making a killing from them because they are as cheap as toasters and they haven’t woken up to the fact that there is a huge market (and growing) out there. If I had the money, I would open a bike shop that did not discriminate on origin. Think about this for a minute! If the China bikes are so crap, people should be breaking down your door for repairs. As a bike shop, this should be the answer to any bike shops success. As for parts, please, if you can’t use the net to find parts then rather don’t delay the inevitable, close your doors today!
Let's tell it how it is - 90% of the stuff in our houses is from China and we have long been a quick fix society and the divorce rate in New Zealand is proof of that. Now we have a free trade agreement with China, and this means that everything is going to get even cheaper.
So is the China bike the same as a Jap bike? No it's not - Does it cost the same? Hell no! - Is it going to fall apart underneath you and kill you? No it's not! You may have a few things come loose like the odd bolt and screw and before the extremist start to shout out about engine mounting bolts, I was talking about minor bolts and screws not engine and triple tree bolts.
If you have the money, buy the Jap bike! But do yourself a favour and buy the newer Jap bike not the old “good one” that is now going to become your expensive problem. Know that there is always an alternative in China bikes. If these were New Zealand made like the Fisher and Paykel crap (that I paid a fortune for that keeps crapping out) we would still not be having this debate. Let’s face it, if it was Kiwi made, we would keep digging deep in our pockets just to support it because that’s what we are taught to do no matter what.
I’m not a dealer nor do I have shares in any China bike dealer. This is only my experience to date and
I have a very low tolerance for bill shit just so someone can hear their own voice.
The day that you stop asking questions and become a sheep, you’ve lost the game.

I guess I may have said to much this time!

[Padmei]

[QUOTE=mebigdave;1697024]If these were New Zealand made like the Fisher and Paykel crap (that I paid a fortune for that keeps crapping out) we would still not be having this debate. QUOTE]


We bought a Dyson shiny vacuum that cost close on $1000. It is a piece of over engineered crap. I am selling it because I can't stand looking at it. I could have bought a warehouse one & a chinese bike too.

...Maybe not relevant but I feel better now...

[monchopper]

Is the biggest Chinese bike around 250's? Anyone heard of them doing a 400/450?

[CrazyFrog]

Couldn't agree with mebigdave more. If you've got the money, buy Jap. If you don't, buy Chinese...they are becoming more and more prevalent, and the quality will only get better over time. Parts are available if your dealer or you care to look for them. It's much like the Jap vs British debate in the 60's and 70's (I'm not that old!), everyone spoke about Jap crap. Look at them now.
We are living in a throw away market now, get used to it. Just get out on the trails and have fun like the rest of us. Even a Chinese bike in the right hands could astound a nana rider on a fancy euro KTM like me!!!

[Sellout]

Am I stupid to buy one of these...

Short Answer = Yes.

Long Answer involves links to old posts etc. etc. but it basically ends up at the same result.

DON'T DO IT!

*Friends don't let friends buy Chinese bikes* (stolen from another post, sorry I can't be buggered finding out who it was!)

[CrazyFrog]

Hey Sellout.....what are you riding? Ya can't tell me that if it's in pieces it runs well!! LOL