Chinese bikes

[Mikekitts81]

I sold my wr450f and gained an extra 2500 and I've seen a Chinese copy crf450x which is an older version of the CRF ....

Are Chinese bikes that bad will it fall to pieces once I get down the road . Would I be better of buying an old CRF rather than a new 650 mile Chinese copy of an old CRF ...

[Snaf MKII]

The CCM branded Honda XLR200 copies of a few years ago were OK for the money but brittle in all the areas that get damaged on a trail bike. I can't recall the last time I had seen one of them.
It would seem that they have been around a while, I wonder how many are badged as Honda as you'd struggle to tell at first glance.
viewtopic.php?t=23777&start=60

Why did you sell the WR? Probably one of the best trail/enduro bikes out there.

[The dogs]

Based on my new recent experience with Benelli I would certainly take the plung and save yourself a shed load of cash


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[Richard Simpson Mark II]

I'd do a lot more research.

A lot of these Chinese bikes are produced as a batch by a factory like 'Zonkshen' for an order by a marketing company, using a knocked-off copy engine from one Japanese bike and knocked-off copy bodywork from another. There is no distribution network for spares. Some companies, Lexmoto is one, import spares for these generic bikes, but finding out what make and model you've actually got, as opposed to what it says on the petrol tank, can be quite difficult. Some of the parts from the original design they were copied from may fit, some may not. Bikes with different brand names may actually be identical...the WK400 for instance was sold as about 3 different bikes.

Not all Chinese bikes are like this, but buyer beware. Get one with a manufacturer's name that you at least have heard of and has a UK importer with stocks of spares.

https://www.lexmoto.co.uk/parts.php

[dynax]

The majority of Lexmoto spares are easily sourced from CMPO,

https://www.chinesemotorcyclepartsonline.co.uk/

The majority of chinese bikes have improved considerably over the years, and would have no second thoughts on buying a 1-2 year old model but with at least the first and second service done by the dealer.

[Africa John]

I bought an XR200 clone (Hongdu Chituma GY200) back in 2005. Fun little bike. Under powered (15hp). Build quality was shocking - frame paint that fell off if you sneezed, wiring the thickness of yer arm, the ignition barrel just collapsed. Still got it in the garage to restore when I retire I liked it that much

[Tink]

I've had a few Chinese bikes and had no problems with them, I personally would try one

[The dogs]

This is somewhat different in as much as a Chinese company has bought into a well established longstanding brand name with heritage. They know they can’t make an impact on the established marques on their own so putting the money and manufacturing might behind a brand like Benelli is a way in against the big hitters. I remember back when I was a service advisor in our local Harley dealer when the accessories came in to fit they were stamped “made in Taiwan” so nothing new here.


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[The dogs]

Does anyone remember the disaster called the BMW R1200C. Biggest rust bucket I’d ever seen and where was it built, America. Each claim I processed through warranty was fifteen hundred quid. All the biguns have had their disasters in some way or form.


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[Tink]

Does anyone remember the disaster called the BMW R1200C. Biggest rust bucket I’d ever seen and where was it built, America. Each claim I processed through warranty was fifteen hundred quid. All the biguns have had their disasters in done way or form.


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Well said