Chinese motocross bikes

[maxvmx]

The other day I went into a shop specializing in quad bikes and accessories. Anyway looking around I noticed they had a four stroke motocross bike displayed of to one side of their showroom. At first glance I thought it was a blinged up CRF 250 Honda. As it turned out it was a Chinese rip off of one that at a casual glance looked pretty good, it had all the gear that a Honda would have plus it even had an electric start.
I asked the person there what one was worth and was blown away when he told me it was $2360 with six months warranty inclusive of parts and labour. These have undoubtedly been around for a while now but it’s the first time I’ve ever had a good look at one. That bike was serious bang for buck that would be plenty good for a novice.

[firko]

The very mention of Chinese bikes usually opens up a hornets nest of opinion. I think we all know about how badly built the Chinese product was a few short years ago and it's true that they're still a long way from getting it 100% right with their current products...BUT they're getting better and better with every new release. The sum of the parts that make up a Chinese bike are esentially pretty damn good for the money. Despite criticism from some, I use Chinese footpegs, chain guides, throttles and have dabbled in CDI ignitions. All of these produucts are as good as any you'll find for 10 times the price in the fancy dirt bike catalogues. A classic example is the footpegs my mates son bought from Ballards catalogue for near $100. They're absolutely identical down to every detail to the same pegs I bought from China for 15 bucks, the very same products without the fancy shrinkwrap packaging. A mate who regularly visits China for business went to a foundry and saw forged stainless steel footpegs being made by the thousands, mostly for the American aftermarket industry.....and locally made Chondas. Yep, the same parts.

These full sized Chinese bikes are pretty damn good for the money and if you're not too serious about fashion or winning races, will serve you pretty well. I've used this anology before but I'm old enough to remember serious bike guys openly laughing at Japanese bikes. I copped it from all quarters when I turned up at the races with my RT1MX back in 1970. Five years later all of those blokes who were laughing at Jap bikes were riding them. Today, the Japs set the industry standards. In more recent times we all criticised the very thought of Korea ever producing a decent car. When Hyundai first hit the market people walked in big arcs around then not wanting to be seen near one. Now, they produce some of the best cars in the market, equal and in some cases better than the equivalent Japanese or Euro model.

Mark my words....once the Chinese get their act fully together and start to lure decent engineers from Japan and Europe watch out. Let's not forget that the Japs didn't have much of a clue on how to build a motocross bike until Suzuki lured Olle Petersen over to develop their RH/RN works bikes and Yamaha and Honda opened the door to American and Swedish development engineers to help on their products. 
 The era of the quality Chinese dirt bike is closer than you think.

[TooFastTim]

Mark my words....once the Chinese get their act fully together and start to lure decent engineers from Japan and Europe watch out. Let's not forget that the Japs didn't have much of a clue on how to build a motocross bike until Suzuki lured Olle Petersen over to develop their RH/RN works bikes and Yamaha and Honda opened the door to American and Swedish development engineers to help on their products. 
 The era of the quality Chinese dirt bike is closer than you think.

Chinas failing or weakness presently is in the metallurgy. The simply don't know how to spec which alloy to use where.

Mark, the don't need to poach from Japan. Taiwan has the expertise and I've heard the mainland is offering some very attractive deals to poach engineers from there.

But I agree, it won't be long. When we start to see Chinese bikes in the W/C they will have arrived.

P.S. I hear that the BMW/Husqvarna motor is made by Kymco with resident German engineers overseeing quality (so the Chinese don't take any shortcuts).

[David Lahey]

In more recent times we all criticised the very thought of Korea ever producing a decent car. When Hyundai first hit the market people walked in big arcs around then not wanting to be seen near one. Now, they produce some of the best cars in the market, equal and in some cases better than the equivalent Japanese or Euro model.

Totally agree Firko. I just did my first big trip in my new CDRi Hyundai iLoad van (my bike transporter) and the thing is just amazing to drive and uses stuff-all fuel.

[Nathan S]

I regularly wonder how one of the better quality Chinese 250Fs would compare to an XR or TTR250 for a similar price. The few tests the bike mags have done on the Chinese bikes have (deliberately?) gone nowhere near the question.

The local bike shop has sold a few better quality pit bikes (brand forgotten). There's a CRF based one with 17/14" wheels there ATM and it presents as a sensible/realistic bike.
In contrast, there's an old pit bike there for repair, and the difference is glaring.

[DR]

Chinas failing or weakness presently is in the metallurgy

agree 1500%, most (not all) Chinese bikes have horribly woeful metallurgy and terribly ineffective plating including all chrome, hardchrome and plated fasteners. Reliability isn't so much the issue anymore but if you leave it somewhere where the weather or elements can get to it then expect corrosion, lots and lots of corrosion! I won't hold my breath waiting for the Chinese bikes to enter world MXGP or MotoGP simply because they have no need, they're cleaning up with the cheapy bikes and quads both on the home market and with exports, making them more expensive wouldn't be in their best interests I don't feel

[SAABCOMBI]

Well l bought my son a Yamaha tt125 4 stroke, and seriously looking at the quility of the bike and comparing it with a 74 Yamaha  Dt125 that l also had at the time, the Dt was a much better built bike. Japanese bikes are loosing their quility too.

[VMX247]

but if you leave it somewhere where the weather or elements can get to it then expect corrosion, lots and lots of corrosion!

so their no good as a boat anchor either !!     
cheers A

[Mike52]

Work mate recently bought a XR200/250 copy.
We all laughed at him.
This guy is elderley ( older than me ), a truck driver , farmer ,  sweeps for the Killarney trail ride and has a reputation as the fastest rider on a heap of shit ever seen.
He checks on his cows in the forestry behind Killarney every morning before coming to work and hasn,t had a moments trouble.
Loves the electric start and wonders how he ever got on without one.
He recons he would buy another one .
We still laugh but not as loud.

[EML]

On the same page but different paragraph, my daughters fella drive a TD D-max as was keen to see how it was going on the Dakar. Early days it was up to 18th but then Bruce Garland hurt his back and had to pull out. The boyfriend was a bit pissed off then I told him the the Great Wall was still going fine and up to 15th ( I note that it's not on the finisher sheet for today though) Two Cherys are still in the hunt though

[Rossvickicampbell]

I've said before - been in mineral processing for 30 years now and the current forged Chinese mill balls we are using are the best I have ever seen and are saving me hundreds of thousands of dollars a year - and at a cheaper price to buy!

[TooFastTim]

I won't hold my breath waiting for the Chinese bikes to enter world MXGP or MotoGP simply because they have no need

Nor did the Japanese in the late '50's/early '60's. The world was their oyster, they had the domestic market sewn up and were beginning to make inroads in the US but they went for competition to prove that they could compete. Old man Honda was a great believer in the adage "racing improves the breed".

[firko]

There has already been a small official team entry from a Chinese bike with Euro riders in some mid level enduros in Europe last year. I don't know the details, it was shown on one of those motorsports digest shows and I missed the beginning of the piece. Apparently they're going to ramp up the effort over the next couple of years, up to and including the ISDE and motocross.

The Chinese cars in the Paris-Dakar are a good indication that the Chinese understand the 'race on Sunday, sell on Monday' philosophy. I wouldn't worry about metalurgy of the quality of the chrome plating too much. The Japs weren't very good at those things either...especially chrome but they eventually cottoned on to what was needed.

Jonesy is in the refractory ceramics (furnace, boiler and oven insulation and linings)business and he used to import his raw materials from Europe, India and Malaysia..as well as actually manufacturing some materials here. He then started dealing with the Chinese and will readily admit that in the beginning their products were pretty ordinary but extremely cheap. Today, after only a few short years the products are still cheap but the quality is now regarded as the worlds best. That philosophy will carry over to motorcycles, cars, televisions and whatever else you want to name. It's a bit frightening but there's not a lot we can do about it now, the horse has bolted .

[bazza]

Mate is in China working on a 80cc M/X bike for the masses and they are starting to realise use Brembo brakes and better parts on the bike that will be available then world wide for spares.There next project is a 650cc for the militry. Chuckle for now but laugh at ones peril?

[suzuki43]

Rossco, how dare you buy Chinese grinding media-thats Un Australian.

In all seriousness,when you visit China and see the money sloshing about up there,it becomes quite apparent, that they are catching up to the Western world fast, and in some areas already gone past.